Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 review
Our Verdict
The Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 brings Atmos acme, divide surrounds and a subwoofer at an affordable price — and with some attempt required.
For
- Truthful surround sound
- Dolby Atmos with upfiring speakers
- Lots of ways to conform sound
Against
- Bass can exist overpowering
- No auto calibration or app
Tom'southward Guide Verdict
The Vizio One thousand-Serial M512a-H6 brings Atmos height, separate surrounds and a subwoofer at an affordable price — and with some effort required.
Pros
- +
Truthful surround sound
- +
Dolby Atmos with upfiring speakers
- +
Lots of ways to accommodate sound
Cons
- -
Bass can be overpowering
- -
No auto calibration or app
The Vizio Yard-Serial M512a-H6 is the side by side evolution in Vizio'due south affordable Dolby Atmos soundbar line, and it adds a crucial characteristic: upfiring speakers, bringing the important meridian element of Atmos. In addition to separate surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer, that makes the M512a-H6 a true Atmos surround sound system — all for a relatively cheap $449.
Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 specs
Price: $449
Speakers:xi
Ports: HDMI, HDMI ARC, optical in, 3.5mm in, Aux VA in
Wi-Fi: N/A
Size: 3 10 34.six x 5 inches (soundbar), xi.7 x 9.9 ten eight.iii inches (subwoofer), 5.8 x 3.5 x 2.3 inches (satellite)
Weight: Non stated
The M512a-H6 comes with lots of means to adjust the sound, which is a blessing and a curse — likewise many options tin can have the simplicity out of a soundbar, merely it also allows you to create the sound yous like best. And you'll likely need to brand adjustments, specially to the bass, which can be overpowering. Some of the all-time soundbars do a better task of creating an immersive experience, only equally our Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 review volition explain, this still gets you lot an awful lot for the money.
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Vizio Thou-Series M512a-H6 review: Price and Availability
- Will toll $449
- Launching in late May
The Vizio Chiliad-Series M512a-H6 will be available starting the end of May 2021. Vizio and Best Buy volition both stock it.
At $449, this 5.1.2 model follows the $149 AIO (All-In-I) and $349 5.1 models every bit the most avant-garde of the electric current M-Series. Fifty-fifty then, the whole kit is a lot cheaper than some standalone Atmos soundbars, like the Sonos Arc.
Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 review: Blueprint
- Has upfiring drivers, but not ideal placement
- HDMI ARC and Bluetooth connectivity
The M512a-H6 resembles its sibling soundbar, the Vizio Grand-Series M51a-H6, but it'southward larger to brand room for the add-on of two upfiring speakers on the peak of the unit. At about xl x 4.0 10 2.eight inches, it's as well longer, wider and taller. The wireless subwoofer measures about eleven.vii x 9.9 x 8.3 inches and has a six-inch woofer inside. The sub includes wired outputs for the left and right satellites, each about five.eight x 3.5 10 2.3 inches.
The placement of the upfiring drivers isn't platonic — they are toward the center of the soundbar. Dolby recommends you put your upfiring speaker over your left and right channels. The placement may be a reason why the height effect isn't quite every bit immersive as another Atmos soundbars.
On the back-left of the principal soundbar you'll detect an HDMI ARC port and one HDMI input to connect a set up elevation box or game panel. There's likewise an optical digital audio connection and a USB port. On the back right, at that place's a standard 3.5mm input besides every bit an Aux VA input, which is for connecting a vocalism-enabled speaker. The Aux VA connection stays agile even when you're using some other input, so you can have e'er-on admission to your voice assistant. You tin also connect wirelessly via Bluetooth.
The front end is filled with drivers except for the far left, which has a vertical ring of lights that shows the book level and flash in diverse combinations when you alter the sound style or input. The speaker besides says the input or sound mode when you change information technology.
On peak of the unit there are but a few buttons: power, input, Bluetooth and volume. The remote command is the command center for the many settings and features you can adjust. The remote features a modest backlit screen at the summit that displays options. For case, if you push Level, you tin apply the scroll bicycle to select Bass, Treble, Dialog and many other levels you lot tin can change. It may non be every bit intuitive as an on-screen card or an app, merely the remote screen is easy to read and gets the job washed.
Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 review: Setup
- Physical setup is easy
- Choosing the best settings take more time
Connecting the M512a-H6 to your TV is easy — just use the included HDMI cable to connect to an HDMI port that supports ARC and you lot're upwardly and running. The wireless sub comes paired with the soundbar, though yous accept to connect the surround speakers to the back of the sub with included wires.
Vizio recommends you place the sub near where you volition sit, but I constitute that the bass was too dominant in the mix that way, even after I turned the subwoofer level all the style down. I preferred putting the sub near the TV and running the wires for the surrounds across the room.
One time you've got the speakers in place, the real work begins. The M512a-H6 allows a lot of adjustments to make the sound most pleasing to your ears. Unfortunately information technology lacks auto calibration, something that the JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam and Sonos Arc offer, then you have to conform the commuter levels manually. You lot tin can change the settings for the heart channel, subwoofer, environment speakers and superlative channels (only not the left and correct channels). When yous change the surround level, it affects both the left and right surround speakers. If you lot desire more than from the left than the right, for example, yous would change the environment rest. That's a lot of adjusting, simply if y'all put in the effort you lot'll go a balance of channels that works best for your ears.
You can select from sound modes (listed nether the EQ push) including Motion-picture show, Music, Game and Direct to further tweak the audio. But wait, in that location's more than: the Effect button on the remote lets yous plow off the meridian speakers, surroundings speakers, Virtual:X effect, TruVolume and Night style.
With all these options (and there's more I didn't list) you're probable to find a combination that you similar.
Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 review: Sound quality
- Strong performance on a budget
- Atmos meridian outcome could exist meliorate
The M512a-H6 produces very skillful sound for the price, and the full bombardment of speakers definitely improves the overall sound compared to the M51a-H6. Atmos soundbars that don't have carve up surrounds can't lucifer the 360-caste experience that the M512a-H6 delivers; notwithstanding, a speaker with motorcar calibration, such as the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam, does a better chore with the height aspect of Atmos. The big bass that comes from the subwoofer rounds out the package — though at times there was too much low end.
During Dolby'due south Atmos demo videos, the separate surrounds made it sound like a leaf was moving behind me equally it moved offscreen to the left and re-emerged on the right. Rain sounds benefited from the height channel, giving the sense of falling from the ceiling; even so the event was less pronounced than on the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam.
As Sam zipped through the canyon in the opening scene of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the audio emphasized the movement as missiles crossed the screen and the explosions rumbled thanks to the strong bass. That bass added resonance to the dialog on Mare of Easttown, making Kate Winslet'southward bleak accent easy to empathise. But the pulsing soundtrack to Tenet taxed the subwoofer and showed its lack of detail — it was muddy and distorted.
The M512a-H6 handles music well, too, though its bass-forward nature overwhelmed the rest of the mix at times. The kick drum and deep bass on the Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" rattled my teeth a bit likewise much, just the vocals and keys sounded brilliant and clear — an comeback over the M12a-H6'due south rather lifeless music reproduction. The guitar on Billie Eilish'south "Your Power" was crisp and her singing was resonant as well, but the throbbing bass was muddy and too prominent.
The M512a-H6 reached over 96 decibels at full book — plenty for a big room — and did so without distorting, which is a rare feat.
Vizio Yard-Serial M512a-H6 review: Verdict
It'southward hard to become more for your money than you volition from the Vizio One thousand-Serial M512a-H6. With the speakers you demand to get the most out of Atmos, the M512a-H6 delivers room-filling sound for a very agreeable toll. Information technology's definitely worth choosing the M512a-H6 over the M51a-H6, which lacks the upfiring speakers.
If yous want an easier (and cheaper) solution for Atmos, JBL's Bar v.0 MultiBeam does a corking job creating an immersive audio thanks to auto calibration, but you have to sacrifice the separate surroundings speakers and subwoofer. The MultiBeam also lacks means to adjust the sound manually.
While you need to piece of work to get the all-time sound for your room out of the M512a-H6, the effort pays off.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/vizio-m-series-m512a-h6
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