Dolby Atmos. Used to be you had to have a huge home theater set up to get it.
Now you can get it in an affordable sound bar.
Sometimes though the Dolby Atmos is virtual, essentially faked through processing.
And sometimes you get dedicated up-firing speakers.
This new sound bar from Vizio is one of the latter.
Welcome back everyone I'm Caleb Denison and in this video I'm gonna review the Vizio M-Series 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar
to help you determine if it deserves a spot in your home entertainment system.
Because Vizio has leaned so hard into sound bars over the past few years it has
several different models that offer Dolby Atmos support.
So, we're gonna talk about three different levels of Dolby Atmos you can get from Vizio
and we'll see how this sound bar fits into that,
then we'll get right into performance and I'll try to give you a solid idea of what to expect from the sound bar to see
if it is the right fit for you.
Before we dive in, how many of you have a good understanding of what Dolby Atmos is?
And how many of you just figure Dolby Atmos is the hot new thing and you might want it? Let me know about that in the comments.
Would you get something out of a Dolby Atmos explainer video because I could do that.
Also, while you’re down there in the comments please slap a like
on this video and if you want to be among the first to see our videos, click subscribe as well.
I have this crazy idea that we can cruise past 900,000 subs before the end of summer but I need your help to do it,
so thank you in advance for your support, I really do appreciate it. All right, onto the review.
Now if you follow this channel you may be aware that this past March we reviewed the Vizio M-series 5.1 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar
that came with the model number of M51A-6, flows right off the tongue doesn’t it?
If you didn’t see that video you can click right up here and watch that but come right back when you’re done.
We also did a review of the Vizio Elevate Sound Bar which I loved and that’s the full on 4 channels of Dolby Atmos option
that runs just under a thousand bucks.
I mention those because this sound bar, the M-Series 5.1.2, also known as the M512A-H6, again, highly memorable model number,
sits right between the two coming in at just under five hundred bucks, which is a nice price for proper Dolby Atmos in a sound bar.
And when I say proper Dolby Atmos what I mean is not faked or processed Dolby Atmos.
You get speaker pointed at the ceiling which will bounce sound down at you, hopefully giving you that
top down dome of sound effect that you want from Dolby Atmos.
The M-Series 5.1 sound bar I mentioned earlier is less expensive, but it doesn’t have those up-firing speakers.
That’s really the only difference between the two, right?
So, having said that we can count on a few different things here.
This sound bar is going to be ridiculously easy to set up and is very user friendly.
Vizio really has this down to a science.
Everything that is not a speaker is in an accessory box and is very clearly labeled.
You get everything you need to set this system up in the box and that includes an HDMI cable
and even surround speaker wall mounts if you need them.
Once everything is connected and you power up the sound bar and subwoofer,
the system does all the wireless signal connections on its own.
You basically just plug stuff in and it works.
When it comes to operating the system Vizio’s remote lets you access everything you need and gives you complete control
over the levels of every channel along with some basic bass and treble controls. Dead simple.
As for the fidelity, I’ll once again reference the M-Series 5.1 sound Bar review and say the fidelity is
remarkable given the price of the system.
You’ll have to pay more than double, at least, to get any marked improvement in sound quality
and at that point you’re moving into “I wish I had a full on surround system but I just can’t so I’m settling for a sound bar,
but I’m willing to pay for the best” territory.
All of that to say that Vizio really is the market leader in terms of value when it comes to audio fidelity with these systems.
And honestly that just leave the Atmos factor. Are the dedicated two up-firing Atmos speakers,
which by the way are positioned on the top of the sound bar not the top of the surround satellites,
are they so much more impressive than the fake Dolby Atmos that you get from the step down model
that it’s worth spending the extra money?
Actually, that may be a moot question because as I’m recording this video, what I’ve noticed is that
the M-Series 5.1 Atmos sound bar which comes in just under 350 bucks, is virtually impossible to purchase right now.
And I think it may stay that way.
Also, as long as we’re talking availability, this M-Series 5.1.2 sound bar isn’t available to purchase right at this moment either,
though that is likely because supply chain issues are making it hard to keep anything in stock right now.
Eventually the sound bar will be on sale, and frankly might be the only sub-$500 Atmos sound bar option from Vizio in 2021.
So let’s skip the notion about whether it’s worth the upgrade and just talk about the Dolby Atmos effects on their own merit.
So I’ll say this, the addition of the up-firing drivers does make a significant difference.
I spent time listening to a variety of movies with Dolby Atmos soundtracks
including my go to sequence at the very beginning of Mad Max: Fury Road and I switched the height channels on and off
while listening and the difference was striking.
The sound field went from flat with no height channels to one with much more vertical presence
with the Atmos speakers turned on.
Once you hear the difference you won’t want to be without those height channels, they add a ton.
The sound is even big enough to keep up with the size of this massive 85-inch TCL tv, which
let’s be honest, just dwarfs the size of this sound bar.
But in addition to adding height to the overall sound field, one of the things that Dolby Atmos promises is a dome of sound.
The sense that objects are passing over you or coming from above you,
that could be a helicopter fly over or rain coming down on you.
You want that top down effect from Atmos and in that regard, I find this system not as convincing
as some more expensive options I’ve heard.
Now granted, I’ve got sound absorbing panels above me which are doing the exact opposite of what I need,
which is for them to reflect sound down at me.
Still, I’ve evaluated a ton of Atmos systems in this environment and I’ve gotten more convincing top down effect,
and that includes Vizio’s own Elevate sound bar system.
So all of that is to say that the fidelity of this system is very good.
The bass is remarkably punchy and tight considering this is just a 6-inch subwoofer.
The midrange is very open, the dialogue is extremely clear, and the treble, the high frequencies, have a lot of sparkle
but they’re never harsh.
Also, the transition between the sound bar, the satellites, and the subwoofer is about as seamless as you can get.
Even the most gravely like, guttural voices,
you don’t hear the subwoofer separate from the sound bar and that’s really impressive.
Now, the up-firing Atmos speakers definitely add height and dimension to the sound
and you won’t want to be without them once you hear them in action, but the system does stop short of
delivering the full on top down dome of sound effect that more expensive sound bars systems offer.
And you know what, for under 500 bucks, I’m good with that.
I don’t think you’re going to get a better combination of ease of use, fidelity, and height effects
from any other similarly priced sound bar out there.
So, if you find the Vizio M-Series 5.1.2 sound bar in your budget, go for it. I think it is a tremendous value.
Thanks as always for watching everyone. Now that we’ve got this sound bar reviewed, which one should I do next?
Leave me a comment about that down below, please don’t forget to like and subscribe to this channel, and while you’re around,
here’s two other videos I think you might like.