Review on VIZIO 36-Inch 2.1 Sound Bar with Dual Built-in Subwoofers by Jeremy Taylor

I bought this for my playroom/bedroom TV along with a 40 inch Sony TV. Right off the bat, this soundbar is at least 2 years old and I believe it has since been technically replaced by the Vizio M-Series All-In-One Soundbar for just $30. So if you want the latest and greatest, go for it. Newer ones also had HDMI-ARC, while the best connection with this one is optical. The reason I went with it is because it's easier to connect to my Logitech Harmony Hub. Most newer Vizio soundbars use a small LCD screen with a menu on the remote To change many settings, I still need the original remote to beat the Harmony Hub point. I also like the design Much more of that, it looks very sci-fi with sloping sides and triangular vents at either end, but it's not distracting or flashy. I didn't want to spend a lot because most of the time I use a wireless headset, but I also didn't want anything that sounded like junk. Wow boy, that thing really surprised me! It has subwoofers built in and really delivers bass! I don't want a separate subwoofer. Even a separate subwoofer on the floor or against a wall can project a "thump" through walls or other structures and disturb people in other rooms. I can turn this bar up to a comfortable volume and it doesn't leak into other rooms of the house. I didn't have any of the issues some other people have mentioned about volume steps being too far apart and I had to be content with being either too loud or too quiet, it certainly had enough detail to set the perfect volume to find. Maybe because I bought it so long after it was released it came with a newer firmware pre-installed that solved this problem or something. The DTS Virtual-X Surround mode can really convince, at least in my situation in a room of about 120 square meters. Feet when they are about 5 feet from the TV and the crossbar on the TV stand is at about chest height. The soundstage is really wide and the directional sound is clear. I even pick up sounds coming from behind, which is very handy for positioning in a video game. I've tested this many times with Apex Legends, a game I've become addicted to lately, and I'm pretty sure the positional sound saved my ass a few times when I heard players trying to to sneak up on me from behind. I know it's all science and physics, but it really feels like magic. I really don't know how they get such an accurate 3D sound from just a stereo signal. I don't record much of the service audio that I feel DTS-X supports, but that's not important to me. However, I don't like Tru-Volume. At first glance it seems like it balances the volume of everything as intended, so you're not blown away by things like commercials that are a lot louder than the show, but it also really compresses the dynamic range and makes weird adjustments to what what is needed . should be louder than anything else. For example, if an explosion is heard, anything else that sounds unnatural is also reduced in volume. I leave it out and content myself with quick manual volume adjustments when it gets louder or quieter. Overall I'm very happy with this soundbar, especially for the price! Like I said, the new M Series panel may sound better and have more features, but for my use this thing is perfect. I would definitely recommend it for a bedroom, dorm, or other small space where space is at a premium.