The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 is a 5.1 setup from 2020. It's currently available from Costco and the manufacturer's website. This soundbar has a really neutral, balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, and its dedicated subwoofer helps to add a little extra kick in the bass range. There are even a few EQ presets to help you customize its sound to your liking. It also offers a great surround performance thanks to its dedicated satellites. While it supports Dolby Atmos content, its performance isn't the most impressive.
Our Verdict
The Vizio M51a-H6 is impressive for mixed usage. Out-of-the-box, it has a very neutral sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. Its dedicated subwoofer adds a little extra kick in the bass range that's ideal for watching action-packed movies or listening to bass-heavy music. It comes with dedicated surround speakers, and while it supports Atmos content, it doesn't provide the most immersive listening experience.
- Supports Atmos content.
- Gets loud.
- EQ presets.
- Middling height performance.
- No graphic EQ.
The Vizio M51a-H6 is impressive for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Thanks to its dedicated center channel and balanced mid-range, voices are reproduced clearly and accurately. There's even a dialogue enhancement feature to make voices sound more crisp, and it gets pretty loud, too. You can also wirelessly stream podcasts from your phone to the bar via Bluetooth, but unfortunately, it doesn't support Wi-Fi.
- Gets loud.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- EQ presets.
- Only supports Bluetooth wireless.
The Vizio M51a-H6 is good for music. Its neutral sound profile is suitable for listening to many different genres, and there's even a little extra kick in the bass that can please fans of bass-heavy music like EDM. A few EQ presets and bass and treble adjustments are there to help you customize its sound, too. Unfortunately, it lacks a more comprehensive graphic EQ.
- Gets loud.
- EQ presets.
- No graphic EQ.
The Vizio M51a-H6 is very good for movies. It has a balanced, neutral sound profile with a little extra kick in the bass that's ideal for watching action-packed scenes. It comes with dedicated surround speakers, and it gets pretty loud, which is handy. While it can play Atmos content thanks to its front-firing speakers, it doesn't have a very impressive performance.
- Supports Atmos content.
- Gets loud.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Middling height performance.
Changelog
-
Updated May 16, 2025:
We've updated the review to mention the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers in the Style box.
- Updated Sep 04, 2024: Updated the Stereo Dynamics, Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibrations, and Surround 5.1 results with new methodology from Test Bench 1.3 and accompanying text. Added text to Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes.
- Updated Aug 28, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench Update 1.3. If applicable, we've retested stereo sound based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, we've expanded our audio latency tests to the following boxes: Audio Latency: ARC, Audio Latency: HDMI In, and Audio Latency: Optical. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vizio M51a-H6 is available in 'Black', and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Vizio M51a-H6 is a 5.1 setup from 2020 that offers very versatile performance for a budget-level price. It has a balanced sound profile out-of-the-box with an extended low-bass, and its dedicated satellites offer a good surrounds performance. While it supports Dolby Atmos content, it doesn't offer a very immersive listening experience.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars under $500, and the best Vizio soundbars.
The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 is a better soundbar for mixed usage than the Vizio M Series M51ax-J6. The M51a-H6 offers a better latency performance over its ARC port, though HDMI In has higher latency. It also reproduces a more extended low bass to help you feel thump and rumble.
The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 is better than the Vizio M Series M512a-H6, though it depends on the kinds of audio you listen to. The M51a-H6 has a better surround sound and lower latency. However, the M512a-H6 is better built and has a better soundstage performance with slightly better passthrough capabilities. It also comes with two up-firing speakers.
The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q59CT. The Vizio comes with discrete satellite speakers, and unlike the Samsung soundbar, it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also offers a better surround performance and can reproduce a more extended low bass. That said, the Samsung is better built, and some listeners may prefer its graphic EQ for sound customization over the Vizio's bass and treble adjustments.
The TCL Q85H is better than the Vizio M Series M51a-H6 for most people. The TCL includes up-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos content, and its side-firing drivers ensure its soundstage is a bit wider. It comes with room correction and a competent app. It's better built than the Vizio as well, but the Vizio sounds more balanced out of the box and supports a similarly expansive audio format suite with video passthrough, like the TCL.
Test Results
