The Vizio V Series 2.1 Sound Bar is a 2.1 setup with a dedicated subwoofer. It has a boomy sound profile that's well-suited to listening to bass-heavy music and action-packed TV shows. There's even an HDMI ARC port and a dedicated AUX port for connecting to voice assistant speakers. This bar can get pretty loud, but there's a bit of distortion at max volume. However, as a 2.1 setup, it downmixes surround content into stereo, and it doesn't support Atmos content. That said, it has a few EQ presets and a virtual surround mode, so you have some ability to customize its sound.
Our Verdict
The Vizio V21-H8 is decent for mixed usage. On its 'Music' preset, this soundbar has a bass-heavy sound profile that adds extra boom to your audio. Vocals and lead instruments are reproduced clearly, and you can use its bass and treble adjustments to customize its sound. However, there's no Atmos support, and its surround performance is poor.
- Gets loud.
- Four EQ presets.
- Doesn't support Atmos content.
- Some distortion at max volume.
The Vizio V21-H8 is good for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. It can reproduce voices clearly and accurately, and there's even a dialogue enhancement mode to make them more clear and crisp. However, due to its 2.1 setup, it has a phantom center, so voices aren't as accurately localized to a pinpoint location in the soundstage.
- Gets loud.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Some distortion at max volume.
The Vizio V21-H8 is satisfactory for music. On its default 'Music' preset, it has a boomy sound profile with extra punch and warmth in the bass range. Vocals and lead instruments are reproduced clearly, though this may be overwhelming for some listeners. Fortunately, there are bass and treble adjustments to help you customize its sound to your liking.
- Four EQ presets.
- Some distortion at max volume.
The Vizio V21-H8 is passable for movies. This 2.1 setup has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound very immersive. Also, it doesn't support Atmos content. That said, it can get pretty loud, and it can reproduce dialogue quite clearly. The extra boom in the bass helps accentuate action-packed scenes, too.
- Gets loud.
- Doesn't support Atmos content.
Changelog
- 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.
- 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 Dec 15, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vizio V21 soundbar comes in one color variant: Black. You can see the label for the model we tested here. There's also another variant of this soundbar, the Vizio V21-H8R, which has a similar look but comes with a screen on the remote.
If you come across any other variants of this soundbar, let us know in the discussion section below so we can update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Vizio V21 soundbar is a 2.1 setup from Vizio's 2020 lineup. It's fairly straightforward, but it does have a few sound enhancement features, including four EQ presets and a designated AUX port for a voice assistant speaker. However, unlike some of the more premium soundbars we've tested, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and you can only stream audio to the bar via Bluetooth.
If you're looking for more soundbars, check out our recommendations for the best soundbars under $200, the best soundbars for dialogue, and the best soundbars under $300.
The Hisense HS2100 and the Vizio V Series V21-H8 are both 2.1 bars with similar strengths. They're similarly sized, and both are decently well-built, with support for Dolby Digital and DTS but not Dolby Atmos. They both have warm default sound profiles that still reproduce dialogue and speech clearly, and both get loud enough to fill a living room with sound. The Vizio has less compression at max volume and allows you to adjust the subwoofer level. Otherwise, both soundbars offer an extremely similar performance, though the Hisense retails for less.
The Vizio V Series V21-H8 is a better soundbar than the Vizio M-Series M21d-H8R. The V Series has a more neutral sound profile and a better soundstage performance. Also, it gets louder with much less compression at max volume. However, the M-Series is better-built, and it has a Full HDMI In port that supports 4k passthrough.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Vizio V Series V21-H8 or the Samsung HW-B550. They're both 2.1 bars at budget-friendly prices. The Vizio is best for fans of bass-heavy music—it reproduces more low-bass and adds more boom and punch to the mix right out of the box. The Samsung is more balanced out-of-the-box but has more customization tools, like a graphic EQ. You can add more boom in the high-bass with these features, but unfortunately, the Samsung soundbar still doesn't get the rumble in the low-bass like the Vizio.
The Samsung HW-A650 is better than the Vizio V Series V21-H8. The Samsung is a 3.1 setup that's better built with a discrete center channel to help anchor voices in the soundstage. Unlike the Vizio, it also has a Full HDMI In port. Some listeners may also prefer its more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box. That said, the 2.1 Vizio can reproduce a more extended low-bass.
Test Results
