Vizio VSB210WS Sound Bar
Manufacturer: Vizio Part number: VSB210WS
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The VSB210WS, Vizio's very first sound bar system, delivers reasonably full-bodied sound for a very affordable price.
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CNET editors' review
Vizio VSB210WS Sound Bar price range: $189.97 - $299.99
- Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
- Edited by: Jeff Bakalar
- Reviewed on: 03/26/2009
- Released on: 02/15/2009
The good: Stereo sound bar speaker with 2.4GHz wireless subwoofer; easy setup; gloss black finish; includes remote; eliminates the need to buy an AV receiver.
The bad: Has trouble emulating true surround sound; skimps on video connectivity options; frustrating LED indicator system; some remote control limitations.
The bottom line: The VSB210WS, Vizio's very first sound bar system, delivers reasonably full-bodied sound for a very affordable price.
Vizio bills itself as "America's HDTV Company," but the company has begun dipping its toe into the home audio side of the electronics pool with the VSB210WS. Billed as a "High Definition Sound Bar," the $349 package features a sleek-looking single speaker paired with a full-size 2.4GHz wireless subwoofer. While high-definition TV is something that is clearly objective, high-definition sound is something completely different. While we wouldn't sign off on the "high-definition" moniker for the VSB210WS (or any sound bar we've heard to date), we did find it to be a credible performer for the price. It's a stereo speaker, so it cannot promise much in the way of surround sound. That said, Vizio engineers gave the VSB210WS a noticeably fuller, more bass-rich sound than your average entry-level sound bar, and the inclusion of a wireless subwoofer makes it a good deal.
Design and features
The VSB210WS's sound bar and subwoofer are attractively finished in a high-gloss black plastic. Construction quality feels substantial and the speaker's brushed metal end-caps are distinctive. A removable black cloth grille covers the four 3-inch-high mid/bass drivers and two 0.75-inch aluminum dome tweeters. A built-in 15-watt-per-channel stereo amplifier powers the drivers. The 9.2-pound sound bar measures 4.82 inches tall by 39.95 inches wide by 4.33 inches deep.
Toward the center section of the front edge of the speaker cabinet, you'll find the power, input selector, volume, mute, and processing controls. Conveniently enough, the sound bar's built-in feet can double as wall brackets.
The small, black plastic remote control duplicates the speaker's controls and adds a subwoofer volume control. While this is a welcome addition, the sound bar doesn't have a dedicated display panel, so you'll have to make sense of the flickering LED lights to determine volume, input, and processing functions.
The 10-segment LED array is located behind the grille. The first seven white LEDs indicate volume level and input selectors. LED numbers five through seven correspond to the three audio inputs, the orange eighth LED indicates that the speaker and subwoofer have linked, and the last two blue LEDs refer to the sound bar's processing modes (These processing modes include SRS TruSurround, which produces virtual surround sound, and SRS Labs' TruVolume, which promises to minimize volume fluctuations.). When you mute the unit, the volume LEDs will flash. If you think all of that sounds confusing to read, our hands-on experience wasn't much better. This is something you'll simply have to get used to in order to understand the various functions of the sound bar.
The frustrating LED arrangement wasn't our only gripe with the system. You have to point the remote directly at the VSB210WS or it won't work--there's no leeway here. We also found that the remote turned the volume up or down a bit too quickly.
Connectivity is fairly basic: just two stereo RCA analog inputs and one optical digital input (one stereo RCA cable is included).
System setup is quite simple, as you only need to hook up your audio connections to the VSB210WS and adjust the subwoofer volume to your taste. But since the VSB210WS doesn't switch video sources, like your Blu-ray player or cable box, you'll have to remember to switch those on your TV manually, or set up a macro on your universal remote to handle the job.
The 2.4GHz wireless subwoofer is styled to match the sound bar speaker. The subwoofer cabinet's gracefully curved sides and rear are finished in gloss black, while the top panel is set off with a chrome edge. The box features a 6.5-inch woofer that is located behind a removable black cloth grille. Vizio did not supply a power rating for the subwoofer. It weighs 15.5 pounds and measures 12.3 inches tall by 11.18 inches wide by 11.87 inches tall.
While wireless operation may ease placement hassles, the VSB210WS subwoofer still needs to be placed near the sound bar for optimal quality. Also, remember the sub must be plugged into an AC power outlet. We were happy to see that it's so easy to change the subwoofer's volume, as we were always adjusting it after we changed movie and music discs. Unfortunately, we couldn't find one setting that satisfied all of our listening examples.
The Sony HT-CT100 sound bar/subwoofer system ($299) offers some stiff competition for the VSB210WS. The Sony system doesn't offer a wireless sub, but the 3.1 channel system offers source switching for up to three HDMI devices. This svelte Sony sound bar is a mere 2.75 inches tall by 31.5 inches wide by 2.6 inches deep, so it's a lot smaller than the Vizio bar. The HT-CT100 medium-density fiberboard subwoofer is 19.75 inches high and 14.25 deep.
We should also note that Vizio will soon offer the VSB210 ($200) sound bar, which appears to be the same as the VSB210WS, but without the subwoofer.
Performance
The VSB210WS has a fuller, more bass-heavy sound than most budget-priced sound bar systems. There's a satisfying weight to the sound of movies and music and listening in stereo never produced the processing artifacts (hollowness or tizziness) that plague some sound bars. With the VSB210WS, traditional stereo worked best for music, while switching on the SRS TruSurround forced the sound into a much harsher, more aggressive edge.
This wasn't the case with movies, as the SRS TruSurround did open up the sound by projecting it a bit wider than the sound bar's actual physical width. We found that the Sony HT-CT100 did better in that regard with ZZ Top's "Live From Texas" Blu-ray. With that system, the sound of the hometown crowd's cheers spread out well to the sides of the CNET listening room. When we sent the same disc through the VSB210WS, the crowd's applause never escaped all that far from the speaker cabinet.
Next, we checked out the SRS Labs' TruVolume feature that reduces loud-soft volume fluctuations. We used battle scenes from the "Black Hawk Down" Blu-ray, and noted a slight reduction of loud-soft dynamics. While it does actually work, we can't say it's very effective. The fiercest bomb blasts and street fighting assaults in "Black Hawk Down" were reined in by the VSB210WS, whether the SRS Labs' TruVolume was turned on or off. We've found that this is a common problem with sound bar speakers, and we judged the VSB210WS to be about average on that score.
Moving onto the "Across the Universe" Beatles musical Blu-ray, dialogue sounded very natural and pleasantly warm. The gospel choir singing "Let It Be" sounded fantastic.
KD Lang's "Ingenue" CD had a big warm sound, but rocking out with Bruce Springsteen wasn't as satisfying. The VSB210WS can only play so loud before you can hear it straining. Further listening proved that stereo separation is certainly not a strong point.
In sum, the VSB210WS is a reasonably accomplished sound bar plus subwoofer combination, considering its affordable price tag. That said, if you don't need a wireless sub, we'd recommend the similarly priced Sony HT-CT100 for its superior sound quality and additional video connectivity.
User reviews
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One Satisfied Customer!
by jtfever on March 11, 2009
Pros: Istallation is a breeze, you really only need to plug a Toslink cable in and your done!
The Wireless Subwoofer works flawlessly and sounds incredible
The piano black finish matches my Toshiba LCD perrfectly.Cons: Nothing comes to mind....Really!
Summary: I picked the VSB210WS up at Sears after a long search for a soundbar with SRS that was affordable. After hooking it all up and hearing it in my home ...
Summary: I picked the VSB210WS up at Sears after a long search for a soundbar with SRS that was affordable. After hooking it all up and hearing it in my home I knew I made the right decision, This thing sounds incredible: full rich sound with nice tight bass, the SRS works better than I even imagined. Listening to music it sounds better than most home stereos I have heard. The wireless Sub is fantastic, you can place it anywhere in the room and the bass is strong and tight. Some little things I appreciated are that the led display on the unit goes dark after 5 seconds so it does not distract you when watching the screen and the stand which converts to a wall mount is included and a breeze to hang. The Toslink is awesome because it is the only cable you need to connect (most HDTV LCD/Plasmas have a Toslink out that plugs directly into the soundbar) Doing it this way means whatever is on the TV is what is played through the soundbar without having to juggle a bunch of different inputs. All this for around $350.00 it is a no-brainer in my opinion.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Sounds great!
by jimdon29607 on April 25, 2009
Pros: movie charater walking on the walks the sound seemed to travel around the room. great reproduction of surround sound. The price is great. Wireless subwoofer fantastic. Great over sound.
Cons: poor manual. took a little time to figure out the controls buttons
Summary: Great price, look and fantastic sound. Compliments my 1080p Samsung very well.
Summary: Great price, look and fantastic sound. Compliments my 1080p Samsung very well.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Tested MANY soundbars, opted for this 1 - Read review!
by Supergenie on November 27, 2009
Pros: WAY better sound then one would think for the price! Toslink , SRS works very well, Sub and 2 RCA inputs. Great looks to boot! Solid construction. Decently loud. Clean sound - not a tin can performer by any means!
Cons: Would have been really nice if it had a headphone out jack! Remote usually needs to be directly in line.
Summary: OK, I tested many soundbars including Yamaha, Sony, Panasonics and others. They are all good, but here was a hands down winner. What makes this soundbar so good?
Firstly, for ...Summary: OK, I tested many soundbars including Yamaha, Sony, Panasonics and others. They are all good, but here was a hands down winner. What makes this soundbar so good?
Firstly, for those who like their sound quality, this will surprise even the audiophile enthusiast. The 20 Watts/per Channel is a serious 20 watt. So it has a very good punch. As far as its ability to reproduce highs and lows, extremely impressive. In fact, if you close your eyes, you will in no way believe the sound is coming from that small speaker!
Also, if you buy the soundbar by itself without the wireless sub,you can save tons and that particular soundbar has a Sub-out. That is the one I opted for. I was able to plug my own choice of Sub to it. Having done that, all I can say is "WOW!!!!!!. THe 2 soundbars are identical for specs and sound. Just that one has the wireless Sub.
Having said that, I tested several types of music on this soundbar. Country, rock, pop, metal, jazz. Reproduction of Horns was impressive. High notes had no harshness. This unit does not sound like it is in a can. The SRS adds that third dimension that really works extremely well. Movies sound great too.
I was surprised that this entry level is upper end sound, upper end looks and upper end quality build. Hats off to VIZIO on such a great product! I would strongly recommend this to people whose budget is not way up there but don't want to compromise their ears! -
Vizio Did it right
by chethammer on September 27, 2009
Pros: Versatile mounting bracket makes putting it on the wall or setting it on a mantle a breeze. Crisp and clean sound that is loud as you want it to be. Wireless sub can be anywhere within 30 feet of sound bar. Price is best in class.
Cons: 1. Absolutely worst remote ever!
2. sub can be a little overwhelming
3. no mounting hardware provided
4. RCA inputs instead of HDMI (why they did this I don't know)Summary: I think the RCA's instead of HDMI's might be because people with older systems might not have HDMI inputs. Just a Guess. The remote is easily remedied by ...
Summary: I think the RCA's instead of HDMI's might be because people with older systems might not have HDMI inputs. Just a Guess. The remote is easily remedied by using a Logitech harmony and running just the optical from your television to the soundbar. If you have HDMI cables from the devices to the television this is the only cable you'll need and you can chuck your rca's. bottom line is every one of these systems has flaws as well as beauty. It's all in what you want. I wanted an easy to install system with no wires to run under my house or across the room. I also wanted that system to be able to play movies with better sound than my TV speakers could muster. I got that and I'm pretty happy with it. I have to say I didn't buy it blind because my in-laws bought one first at Costco. My free plug to them.
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"Great sounding system"
by rhondaw1960 on August 23, 2009
Pros: Easy to hook up and use. Sound quality exceeds modest purchase price.
Cons: Incompatible with Dish TV learning remote, which means you have to use two remote. Remote's range is limited.
Summary: This product works as advertised and had a great price for what you purchased. I would recommend this system. Excellent value and sound quality plus looks great.......
Summary: This product works as advertised and had a great price for what you purchased. I would recommend this system. Excellent value and sound quality plus looks great.......
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Great Soundbar for the Cost, Great Value
Pros: Overall sound quality is rich and full from the highs produced by the tweeters in the bar to the lows produced by the wireless sub. Setup was, 10 minute job. Surround sound field is good for Movies in HD Mode, TV shows arn't too shabby either.
Cons: The documentation wasn't the best, didn't include optical cable (I had one). Doesn't produce surround sound field as well as some of the more expensive competition (ie. Polk Soundbar 360, SoundMatters SlimStage, etc.) but costs much less.
Summary: Excellent Value and sound quality to finish off an LCD/Plasma TV Setup. Dramatic improvement over speakers that came with my Samsung LCD HDTV. Geat for Movies and Sports too!
Summary: Excellent Value and sound quality to finish off an LCD/Plasma TV Setup. Dramatic improvement over speakers that came with my Samsung LCD HDTV. Geat for Movies and Sports too!
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Incompatible with DISH TV learning remote
Pros: Easy to use; sound quality exceeds modest purchase price
Cons: Completely incompatible with DISH TV learning remote, which means you'll use one remote to change channels and another to control volume.
LED's are hard to read at a distance.
Remote's range is very limited.Summary: his product works as advertised with a great big caveat: It's not a good match for Dish TV.
Specifically, I wanted to buy an aftermarket sound system to work ...Summary: his product works as advertised with a great big caveat: It's not a good match for Dish TV.
Specifically, I wanted to buy an aftermarket sound system to work with my Vizio VX42L television, which lacks variable audio outputs, and my Dish TV receiver. My goal was to have a single remote control govern power on and off, volume up and down, and channel up and down, as my wife won't use a remote control that requires operation of anything more complex than that.
There IS a way to map a device like the Soundbar as an AUX device on the Dish learning remote and then to have the remote control the Soundbar's volume rather than the television's IF Vizio had provided a three-digit remote code. However, Vizio chose not to do so. Further, the Dish TV's "search code" function did not recognize the Soundbar. As a result, we would always need to use two remote controls (one to change channels and the other to control volume) when using this product with Dish.
Since no one wants to add ever more remote controls to the collection, especially just to control volume, this unit is a non-starter with Dish, and buyer beware if you want to use it with a Dish setup. If you are not a Dish user, it probably will meet your needs, with decent sound for a decent price.0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vizio
- Part number: VSB210WS
- Description: Be the envy of all your friends! Continuing to raise the bar in home electronics, VIZIO brings you the VSB210WS Sound Bar. Designed for the home theater enthusiasts, this universal sound bar is for everyone and works with most HDTVs. Complete with cutting edge sound technologies such as SRS TruSurroundHD to hear rich bass and clear dialog and SRS TruVolume to automatically limit abnormally loud sounds, the Sound Bar will give you the High Definition experience that you've always desired. Your friends will be so green with envy they may never go home. VIZIO - where vision meets value!
General
- Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight 40 in x 4.3 in x 4.8 in / 7.7 lbs, Subwoofer : 11.2 in x 11.9 in x 12.3 in / 15.2 lbs
Speaker System
- Speaker(s) 1 - Wired, 1 x Subwoofer - Wireless
- Driver Details 4 x Mid/woofer driver - 3 in, 2 x Tweeter driver - 1 in, Subwoofer : 1 x Subwoofer driver - 6.5 in
Remote Control
- Remote Control Remote control - Infrared
Connections
- Connector Type 2 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ), 1 x SPDIF input
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year limited warranty
Manufacturer info
- Vizio
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Vizio products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.vizio.com
- Address:
39 Tesla, Irvine, CA 92618 - Phone: 1-888-849-4623
