The Vizio V Series V51-H6 is a budget-friendly 5.1 setup released in 2020. It has a pretty neutral sound profile that's suitable for listening to many different types of audio content, and there's some extra boom in the bass. Thanks to its dedicated subwoofer, it can accurately reproduce the deep thump and rumble in the bass range, and its two satellite speakers help create a fairly immersive surround performance. However, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content.
Our Verdict
The Vizio V51-H6 is decent for mixed usage. This soundbar has a pretty neutral sound profile with a little extra boom in the bass range that's ideal for lots of different types of audio content. There's a discrete center channel to help with dialogue reproduction and two discrete surround speakers to create a more immersive surround sound. However, there's no support for Dolby Atmos content. It also lacks some more premium sound enhancement features like room correction and a graphic EQ.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Bluetooth-compatible.
- Four EQ presets.
- Doesn't support Atmos content.
The Vizio V51-H6 is great for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. This 5.1 setup has a discrete center channel that helps anchor voices to a pinpoint location in the soundstage. Thanks to its balanced mid-range, voices are reproduced clearly and with detail. There's even a dialogue enhancement feature available, as well as a TruVolume mode for leveling out the volume when you watch TV at night.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Bluetooth-compatible.
- Not compatible with Wi-Fi or Google Chromecast.
The Vizio V51-H6 is good for music. Out-of-the-box, it has a pretty neutral sound profile suitable for many different music genres, with a little extra boom in the bass range. It can get pretty loud without a lot of compression at max volume. There are some bass and treble adjustments available to help you customize its sound, too. However, it lacks some more premium sound enhancement features, like a graphic EQ.
- Bluetooth-compatible.
- Four EQ presets.
- No graphic EQ.
The Vizio V51-H6 is alright for movies. Its dedicated subwoofer can accurately reproduce the deep thump and rumble in action-packed scenes, and dialogue is clear and detailed thanks to its balanced mid-range and discrete center channel. There are also discrete satellite speakers to help create a more immersive surround sound experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content.
- Dedicated surround speakers.
- Doesn't support Atmos content.
Changelog
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Updated Oct 24, 2024:
We've added a comparison between this soundbar and the Vizio SV510X-0806 in Surround 5.1.
- Updated Aug 13, 2024: Updated Stereo Dynamics results with new methodology from TBU 1.3. Added text to Audio Latency: ARC, and Audio Latency: Optical boxes.
- Updated Aug 06, 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 Jun 02, 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 V51 comes in one color: Black. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you find another variant of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Vizio V51-H6 soundbar has a neutral, well-balanced sound suitable for lots of different audio content. While it has a similar design to the Vizio V Series V21-H8, this 5.1 setup has two satellite speakers to help create a more immersive surround sound. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Atmos content, and it doesn't have a lot of physical inputs or connectivity options.
If you're looking for more soundbars, see our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best 5.1 soundbars, and the best soundbars with a subwoofer.
The Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 has a better performance than the Vizio V Series V51-H6. The M Series supports Dolby Atmos content and has a better surround performance. Unlike the V Series, it has a Full HDMI In port supporting high-quality passthrough.
The Vizio V Series V51-H6 and the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) are two very different soundbars. The Vizio is a 5.1 setup with a dedicated sub and satellites included. It can reproduce a more extended low-bass and get louder than the Sonos. However, some users may prefer the Sonos' small, standalone design. The Sonos is better built, and unlike the Vizio, it supports Atmos content. It also has a better soundstage despite its smaller size.
The Vizio V Series V51-H6 is an older soundbar compared to the 2024 Vizio SV510X-0806. While there's not much to split the two when it comes to performance, the newer model has some bells and whistles that edge it ahead. A major difference is the inclusion of Atmos support in the 2024 model, which is a welcome addition at a low price point. The older model also lacks DTS:X support and has a slightly worse surrounds performance. That said, the V Series has a more balanced frequency response out-of-the-box and a better dynamics performance, as well as optical support.
The Vizio V Series V51-H6 is a bit better for mixed usage than the Vizio V Series V51x-J6. The V51-H6 gets louder, and it reproduces a more extended low bass, meaning you can feel more thump and rumble in your audio.
Test Results
The Vizio V51-H6 is a simple, sleek soundbar. It's mostly made of plastic, with a thin fabric covering the front and the sides of the bar.
The sub is mostly made of plastic. It sits on four plastic pegs with rubber grips. There's a port on the back of the sub, and the speaker is underneath.
The Vizio V51-H6 comes with two satellite speakers, which are mostly made of plastic with fabric covering the front and sides.
The bar isn't too wide, but it might not fit between the legs of a 55 inch TV. However, it isn't very tall, so it shouldn't block your TV screen unless your TV sits flush on the table.
The subwoofer is similar to the subwoofer for the Vizio V Series V21-H8, and it's shorter in height than the average desktop PC.
The satellites aren't very big. They don't need to be wired to a power source, but they need to be connected to the sub to function.
The Vizio V51-H6 has a decent build quality. The components are mostly made of plastic, which feels solid and durable. However, the thin fabric on the front and sides of the bar and the satellite speakers seems like it could get dirty or rip easily.
- Manuals
- Wall-mount template
- Wall-mount brackets with screws
- 4x cable ties
- Optical cable (3.9 ft / 1.2m)
- HDMI cable (6.2 ft / 1.9m)
- 2x surround speaker audio cables (26 ft / 8.0m)
- Power cables for sub (8.5 ft / 2.6m)
- Power cable for bar (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- Stereo RCA to 3.5mm cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- Remote with 2x AAA batteries
The Vizio V51-H6 has a good stereo frequency response. It has a pretty neutral sound profile suitable for listening to many different types of audio content, and there's a little extra boom in the bass range. Thanks to its dedicated subwoofer, it can accurately reproduce the deep thump and rumble found in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. There are also some bass and treble adjustments so you can customize its sound.
There are a few user reports of the subwoofer emitting rumbling sounds when audio is played at lower levels or when no sound is playing at all. Despite extensive retesting with every EQ and over Bluetooth and ARC, we haven't encountered the issue with our unit before or after firmware updates (2.0.3.0).
With calibration, the Vizio V51-H6 has an impressive stereo frequency response. With its bass set to '-2', it has a very neutral, balanced sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. Its bass range is more balanced, so there's less boom in the bass.
The Vizio V51-H6 has a decent stereo soundstage. The soundstage is about as wide as the bar itself, but it doesn't have any tricks to make it sound wider than that. Its focus is good, so objects like voices and instruments seem to come from an accurate, pinpoint location rather than a general area. For a soundbar with a better stereo soundstage, check out the Vizio M Series M512a-H6.
The Vizio V51-H6 has excellent stereo dynamics performance. This bar can get loud without many compression artifacts present, making it suitable for large rooms and crowded environments like parties.
The Vizio V51-H6 has a great center channel performance. This 5.1 setup has a discrete center channel, so voices are anchored to an accurate, pinpoint location in the soundstage. Its frequency response is slightly bass-heavy, but you likely don't notice it since there usually isn't a lot of bass reproduced on the center channel.
The Vizio V Series 5.1 soundbar has a fair surrounds performance. It comes with two discrete satellite speakers, so sound objects like voices are clearly and accurately reproduced in the soundstage. Audio seems like it's coming from all around you rather than just from speakers placed in front of you. Unfortunately, the frequency response is quite bass-heavy, especially compared to the Vizio SV510X-0806 and its smaller surrounds, resulting in a muddy, boomy sound that's overwhelming for some listeners.
If you want a 5.1 soundbar that supports Atmos, check out the Vizio M Series M51a-H6.
The Vizio V51-H6 has a decent selection of sound enhancement features. It offers four EQ presets to help you adjust the bar's sound to your liking: 'Movie', 'Music', 'Direct', and 'Game'. There's a dialogue enhancement feature to help make voices sound clearer and more crisp and a TruVolume feature that provides a consistent volume level across different programs. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a room correction feature, so it may sound different depending on the room you use it in.
The Vizio V51-H6 has several inputs, including a 3.5mm AUX port, which allows you to connect older devices to the bar using a wired connection. Unlike the Samsung HW-B450, it has HDMI connections, too. However, there isn't a Full HDMI In port, so you can't use the bar as a hub between your devices.
Over its HDMI ARC port, this bar supports some of the most common formats for streaming platforms and Blu-ray discs, including Dolby Digital and DTS. However, it doesn't support lossless or object-based formats like Dolby Atmos. The soundbar also doesn't support Dolby Digital+ via Arc.
The Vizio V51-H6 supports Dolby Digital, the most common surround sound format often found on Blu-rays and streaming platforms. It also supports DTS content.
Audio latency is decent over ARC but limited to Dolby Digital. You may notice a bit of lag with different sources, but apps and TVs can compensate for latency differently.
The audio latency over Dolby Digital is high enough that you'll notice a lip-sync delay. Because the soundbar lacks additional tools to adjust latency, you'll have to use your TV's settings to adjust the delay to compensate. However, the latency you experience can vary depending on your setup.
The Vizio V51-H6 doesn't have an HDMI In port, so it doesn't support 4k passthrough.
The Vizio V51-H6 supports Bluetooth connectivity, so you can wirelessly stream audio from your mobile device to the bar.
The Vizio V51-H6 doesn't have a display, but there's a set of vertical lights on the left side of the bar that flashes depending on your settings. There's also audio feedback when you select one of the four preset modes.
There are a few buttons on the top of the bar that let you control its basic functions. You can power the bar on and off, change the input, activate Bluetooth pairing mode, and adjust the volume.
The remote is fairly simple, and it lets you control all of the bar's settings. There's even a display screen, unlike the remote for the Vizio V Series V21-H8.
Update 12/10/2021: The Vizio V Series V51-H6 doesn't have built-in voice assistant support. However, you can connect it with a third-party voice assistant device to control it with your voice. The manufacturer says that it supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant-enabled devices.