The Vizio SB36512-F6 is a good 5.1.2 soundbar setup. It offers an immersive listening experience thanks to up-firing speakers and Atmos support. Its sound quality is quite good, with a neutral sound profile but with a bit of extra bass. The bar can get loud enough for all types of content, but the height speakers aren’t as loud as the other speakers, meaning it can be hard to hear the height sound effects. On the upside, this soundbar has lots of connectivity options, but the surround speakers need to be wired to the wireless sub.
Our Verdict
Good for mixed usage. The overall performance of the Vizio SB36512-F6 is quite good and will be suitable for all types of content. Its accurate and neutral sound profile will be great for voice-oriented content like TV shows and podcasts, and will also be suitable for most music genres, with a bit of extra bass. For movies, this bar supports Atmos and provides an immersive listening experience thanks to dedicated surround speakers.
- Great stereo performance.
- Decent soundstage.
- Atmos support.
- Amazing connectivity options.
- No Dialogue Enhancement feature.
- Surround speakers need to be wired to the wireless sub.
- Slow, buggy, and laggy app.
Good for dialog. The Vizio SB36512-F6 has a clear reproduction of voices and a neutral sound profile. It'll be good to listen to the news, podcasts or audiobooks with this setup. Unfortunately, it lacks a dialog enhancement feature that would make voices even clearer, but might not need it due to its great overall performance.
Good for music. This soundbar system has a great stereo frequency response and is versatile for a wide variety of music. It also has a bit of extra bass, which bass fans will appreciate. It can also get pretty loud and will be suitable for parties or casual listening sessions. You can also listen to your music via your favorite streaming app thanks to the bar’s Bluetooth compatibility.
Very good for movies. The Vizio SB36512-F6 has a great stereo frequency response but also supports higher-end audio signals. Thanks to its configuration, this 5.1.2 soundbar setup offers an immersive experience thanks to the dedicated surround speaker and Atmos compatibility.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 19, 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.
- Updated Apr 06, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Apr 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Sep 27, 2022: Added market comparison for the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6 to the 'Sound Enhancement Features' box.
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Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Vizio SB36512-F6 is a very good soundbar, especially for the price. It has very good performance regardless of what type of content you're listening to and its full setup with a sub and satellites gives you an immersive listening experience. However, the satellites are wired to the sub, which isn't ideal, and the app is one of the most difficult to navigate seamlessly and without bugs. See our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best small soundbars, and the best soundbars for music.
The Vizio SB36512-F6 is a better overall soundbar than the Vizio V Series V51-H6. The SB36512-F6 supports Atmos content and has a better surround performance. Also, it has more connectivity options, including a Full HDMI In port that allows for 4k passthrough, and Wi-Fi and Chromecast compatibility. That being said, the V Series has a dialogue enhancement feature, which the SB36512-F6 lacks.
The Vizio SB36512-F6 and the Vizio M Series Elevate M512E-K6 are both 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbars, and they each have different strengths. The M Series Elevate is a 2022 bar with a unique design, as its sides rotate upwards when you watch Atmos content, providing a more immersive sound. It has more sound enhancement features, and it's better built. The SB36512-F6 is still a versatile alternative, with more wireless playback options. Since it's older, you may be able to find it at a better price, meaning it may be a better value for some users.
The Vizio SB36512-F6 is a better overall soundbar than the LG SK9Y since we haven’t tested the SK9Y with the optional satellites. The Vizio can get louder and has a great stereo frequency response. Its dedicated center channels also perform quite significantly better for dialog, but the Vizio lacks a dialog enhancement feature, which the LG does have. The LG soundbar is also better-built and should perform better with discrete surround speakers. It also has Wi-Fi compatibility and Chromecast built-in.
The Vizio SB36512-F6 is better than the onn. 42" 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar. They're both budget-friendly 5.1.2 setups, but the Vizio offers better surround and Atmos performances. It comes with discrete satellites, unlike the onn, and there are more sound enhancement features available. Also, it can reproduce a more extended low-bass to help you feel the rumble in action-packed movies and bass-heavy music.
Test Results
