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.
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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 Sonos Arc is better than the Vizio V Series V21-H8. The Sonos is better built and supports Dolby Atmos content and voice assistants. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances and comes with room correction. However, the Vizio comes with EQ presets, which some listeners may prefer for sound customization.
The Vizio V Series V21-H8 is a better soundbar for mixed usage than the Vizio V Series V21x-J8. The V21-H8 has a slightly more balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, and it gets louder with less compression at max volume. Also, it has a better center channel performance. That said, the V21x-J8 has an AUX In port for third-party voice assistant devices, and its sub is a bit smaller.
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.
The Vizio V Series V21-H8 is a somewhat better overall soundbar than the Samsung HW-T450. The Vizio is better-built, and it comes with more connectivity options, including an HDMI ARC port and two AUX ports. It also has more sound enhancement features, including dialogue enhancement. That said, the Samsung has less compression at max volume, so it may be better suited for use during loud parties.
Test Results
