The Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 is a 5.1 setup that's the next generation of the Vizio M Series M51a-H6. On its 'Direct' preset, it has a very neutral, balanced sound profile suitable for listening to many different types of audio content. There are some EQ presets to help you customize its sound, and it gets pretty loud. It also supports Dolby Atmos content and comes with discrete surround speakers to help clearly represent surround objects in the sound image. That said, it lacks more premium sound enhancement features, like a graphic EQ or room correction.
Our Verdict
The Vizio M51ax-J6 is very good for mixed usage. This 5.1 setup offers a neutral, balanced sound profile suitable for listening to many different types of audio content. It gets pretty loud, too, and some sound enhancement features are available to help customize your listening experience. It even comes with discrete surround speakers and supports Dolby Atmos content. It lacks more premium sound enhancement features like room correction, and its Atmos experience isn't the most immersive.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- Supports Atmos content.
- No graphic EQ.
- Fairly high latency.
The Vizio M51ax-J6 is great for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Its balanced mid-range helps reproduce voices clearly and with detail, and its discrete center channel accurately localizes dialogue to a pinpoint location in the sound image. There's even a dialogue enhancement feature to make voices more clear and crisp and a TruVolume mode to balance the volume across different programs. That said, it only supports Bluetooth connectivity, which can be disappointing if you like to wirelessly stream podcasts and audiobooks to the bar via other connections.
- Bluetooth connectivity.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Doesn't support Wi-Fi, Chromecast built-in, or Apple AirPlay.
The Vizio M51ax-J6 is good for music. With its 'Direct' preset, this soundbar has a very neutral, balanced sound profile suitable for listening to many different types of audio content. It gets pretty loud, too, and there are a few EQ presets and bass and treble adjustments to help you customize its sound. It lacks more premium sound customization features like a graphic EQ.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- No graphic EQ.
The Vizio M51ax-J6 is very good for movies. Its neutral sound profile accurately reproduces the thump and rumble in action-packed scenes, and dialogue is clear and detailed. It also comes with discrete satellite speakers that help to more clearly represent surround objects when watching surround content. Also, it supports Dolby Atmos content, though it doesn't offer the most immersive listening experience.
- Gets loud.
- Supports Atmos content.
- Fairly high latency.
Changelog
- 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 the 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 Jan 05, 2024: Added market comparison for the Hisense AX5125H in the Sound Enhancement Features box.
- Updated Jun 13, 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.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vizio M51ax-J6 comes in 'Dark Charcoal', and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Vizio M51ax-J6 is a 5.1 setup released in 2021 that's the next generation of the Vizio M Series M51a-H6. As part of the M Series lineup, it offers a slightly better overall performance compared to the more budget-friendly V Series. It even supports Dolby Atmos content, unlike the Vizio V Series V51x-J6. That said, it doesn't offer as many premium sound enhancement features as the Vizio Elevate.
See our recommendations for the best soundbars under $500, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best Vizio soundbars.
The Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 is slightly better than the Vizio M Series M512a-H6 if you watch a lot of 5.1 surround sound content or play audio loudly. However, the M512a-H6 is better for music, has a better soundstage, and is better built, with slightly greater passthrough capabilities. It even comes with two up-firing speakers.
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 M51ax-J6 and Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers are similar 5.1-channel soundbars with external subwoofers and satellite speakers. The Amazon is built better and reaches similar levels at max volumes in individual channel tests. That said, the Vizio is priced more competitively and supports PCM-7.1 channel input via HDMI and can pass through 4k @ 120Hz video.
The Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 is better for mixed usage than the Vizio SB36512-F6. The M Series has better surround performance and comes with more sound enhancement features, like dialogue enhancement and greater audio format support. It also has an AUX VA In port for connecting third-party voice assistant devices. However, the SB36512-F6 has more wireless playback options.
Test Results
