Vizio Sb3651-e6 36 51 Channel Smartcast Soundbar System Review
Intro
Many single-unit sound bar solutions from various manufacturers include virtualized surround sound modes or fancy beam drivers to simulate a multiple speaker configuration. And though some of these techniques can offer an engaging sense of space, they almost never equal the immersion of a genuine 5.1 setup.
With that in mind, VIZIO has over again opted for the real thing with its SB3651-E6 Sound Bar Organisation -- combining a 3-channel sound bar unit with 2 meaty rear satellites speakers and a wireless subwoofer.
Forget simulated surroundings audio, this organization offers the real deal, providing a simple, space-saving Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 solution without the need for a divide AV receiver.
Specs & Design
The VIZIO SB3651-E6 system features a 36-inch 3-channel sound bar unit of measurement, a wireless 5.ii-inch subwoofer, and two satellite speaker units. A three.5mm sound cablevision, digital optical cablevision, HDMI cable, coaxial audio cable, stereo RCA to 3.5mm audio cable, ability cords, satellite speaker wires, two wall mount brackets with wall mountain screws, and a wall mount template are likewise included. In addition, a click button remote control with a pocket-size but handy LCD text screen rounds out the package.
From a blueprint standpoint, the sound bar features a basic but attractive look with a elementary rectangular shape, a black fabric grill, and silvery accents on the sides. An assortment of LED indicators is housed on the front left side which tin can flash to signify changes to volume, settings, signal type, and input choice. In add-on, the meridian of the sound bar includes buttons for power, input, Bluetooth, and volume. Meanwhile, the satellites and subwoofer both feature a similar aesthetic, offer a pleasing industrial look with a blackness and argent color scheme.
The sound bar unit of measurement itself measures 36"West x 2.10"H x 3.20"D and weighs 4.threescore lbs, while the subwoofer measures 6.70"W x 11.lxxx"H x vii.90"D. Every bit a whole, the entire system is relatively meaty, offering flexible placement options and the low profile of the audio bar should go far easy to set up in front end of most TVs.
Under the hood, the audio bar features two 2.eight" full range drivers (ane for the left channel and one for the correct), along with one two.6" full range driver for the center channel. Meanwhile, the subwoofer features a v.2" total range commuter and the two satellite speakers each feature a two.8" total range commuter. As a whole, the arrangement is rated for a audio pressure level of 101 dB and a frequency response of 50 Hz - 20 KHz.
The back of the sound bar unit includes a department for power, digital, AUX, and optical ports on the left side, and another section with an HDMI ARC output, HDMI input, Ethernet port, and USB port on the right side. Unfortunately, even so, the HDMI input does not support 4K HDR passthrough, limiting any signals sent through the device to Hard disk drive. Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 a/b/g/northward/air conditioning Wi-Fi connectivity are back up as well. Likewise, the arrangement includes Dolby Digital and DTS decoding capabilities.
Setup & SmartCast
After unpacking the device, setup is pretty straightforward. For wired playback, users simply need to plug in the sound bar and subwoofer's power cables, then run the included audio cables from the satellite speakers to the subwoofer (thankfully, they're long enough to satiate most users' needs). One time turned on, the sub volition automatically pair with the sound bar.
From at that place, customers tin can claw up the included HDMI cable from the sound bar to their TV's ARC port. An additional HDMI device tin can also exist plugged into the unit's video passthrough input besides. Likewise, if HDMI isn't an selection, an optical cable connection tin be used to connect to a TV or media player.
Meanwhile, to get the most out of the sound bar'due south wireless playback capabilities, customers will need to download the SmartCast mobile app for iOS or Android. Once installed, the app can then be used to discover the sound bar and pair it with a user's Wi-Fi connection, enabling casting support for Chromecast-enabled music streaming services similar Spotify, Google Play Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and more.
iHeartRadio stations are accessible straight through the SmartCast app itself, while nigh other services require users to boot up their individual apps. Once playback is started through a service like Spotify, however, customers tin opt to render to the SmartCast app to control songs and see rail info.
For the almost function, this all worked adequately well during my testing, assuasive me to cast streaming music and locally stored MP3s files from diverse apps on my phone to the sound bar. With that said, the SmartCast platform wasn't ever as reliable as I'd like. There were times when the app would crash, tracks would all of a sudden cease playing, or the signal would become momentarily asunder.
Likewise, the SmartCast app sometimes had trouble re-discovering the sound bar after I turned it off and and then back on again. This forced me to run through the setup process a few times -- though this did seem to correct itself and somewhen I was able to reliably restart the unit of measurement, open the app, and nonetheless have the audio bar testify up.
In addition to streaming support, the app besides offers access to an extensive choice of audio settings (besides bachelor via the included remote), allowing users to arrange the sound bar'due south bass, treble, balance, and book, along with the ability to select dissimilar EQ modes. These presets include Direct, Motion-picture show, and Music.
In full general, I preferred to use the Direct style for nigh of my listening as this seems to properly play stereo and surround sound tracks in their native 2.0 or 5.1 format. The Picture show and Music modes, meanwhile, are capable of upmixing 2.0 sources to environment audio. In that regard, both modes exercise a solid job of expanding the soundfield of stereo content.
Performance
For this review, I sampled a variety of streaming titles and Blu-ray discs through the audio bar via a Samsung Smart Boob tube and an LG UP970 connected via HDMI, including Star Wars: The Last Jedi , The Expert Identify , Inception , Logan , Fantastic Beasts , The Avengers , Game of Thrones , Agents of SHIELD , and more. Too, I too listened to several clips from Dolby and DTS demo discs.
Throughout all my testing, the sound bar provided a genuinely enveloping 5.1 experience, creating a relatively broad and dynamic soundstage for a compact arrangement of this grade. The sound bar unit of measurement itself offered solid imaging and properly centralized dialogue, though left/right separation was non quite as wide equally some other sound bars I've heard.
Swooping TIE Fighters circled the room, smoothly transitioning from channel to aqueduct in The Final Jedi , offering a great showcase for the benefits of true rear speakers. The default settings had the satellites boosted a little besides much for my tastes, but users tin can adjust their book in the settings menu.
Scenes from Fantastic Beasts and The Avengers too did a bully job of highlighting the system equally a whole, producing an enveloping soundscape more akin to a full-sized surroundings sound setup than a sound bar arrangement. Fiddling nuances and layers of effects were nicely rendered throughout the room with strong directionality during the sequence when Newt takes Jacob into his suitcase full of creatures, allowing one to brand out tiny fluttering sounds, sharp chirps, and more ambitious screeches with nice clarity.
Meanwhile, the system did a dandy chore handling all of the chaos during the Battle of New York in The Avengers , creating a great sense of subtle distance as ships and explosions thudded in the groundwork while maintaining expert balance for dialogue when playing at moderate volumes despite all of the action.
With that said, as engaging and unified as most material sounded, the system did reveal some limitations here and there. Residue and clarity could take a slight hitting when pushing the audio bar at higher volumes. Likewise, the device favored a brighter contour overall, leading to a faintly precipitous quality in the treble and higher-end of the mid-range. For whatever reason, this seemed to be exasperated when using the Movie EQ preset, causing voice communication to sound a footling thinner. In contrast, Straight produced a fuller sound.
And though the subwoofer typically did a decent task of bringing some moderate oomph to the packet, the unit simply isn't on par with larger dwelling theater models. Likewise, there were isolated times when more than aggressive LFE cues seemed to button the sub a little too far, revealing its location while causing some minor distortion and harsh vibrations inside the unit. This was especially true during the avalanche scene toward the stop of Inception and the volcano eruptions during the creation sequence in The Tree of Life , leading to a lack of cohesion betwixt the woofer and the rest of the audio bar.
Dialing the subwoofer volume down a bit (I ended up preferring -5 for the relatively small room I used for my testing), helped in this regard, but I could never quite detect the right rest between rumble and cohesion. It should as well exist noted that, for whatever reason, bass output was dramatically reduced when using the Motion picture preset. Though this does mitigate some of the problems with chiffonier vibration, I really establish the LFE response in Moving-picture show style to be likewise subdued for virtually content.
Exterior of movies and TV shows, I also listened to a multifariousness of streaming tracks and MP3s through the SmartCast platform, along with some songs via a Bluetooth connection from my Galaxy S7 smartphone. Whether playing Queen, Radiohead, Gnarls Barkley, Ariana Grande, Cardi B, AC/DC, Norah Jones, Pinkish Floyd, or the Game of Thrones: Flavor 7 soundtrack, the audio bar produced surprisingly engaging stereo playback in Direct fashion and decent surround sound upmixing in Music style.
Over again, the full general sonics did veer toward a slightly bright quality, but vocals remained clean and relatively full -- even if they did lack a bit of timbre toward the lower reach of the mid-range. Stereo separation was solid as well, and I actual found the subwoofer to be a bit more than counterbalanced with music than some movies.
Last Thoughts
Pros
- Enveloping operation with true 5.1 playback
- Compact environs sound without an AV receiver
- Affordable, budget-friendly toll
- Robust SmartCast streaming support
Cons
- Subwoofer lacks depth and cohesion at times
- No 4K HDR passthrough support
- No Dolby Atmos or DTS:10
- Occasional SmartCast glitches
As a infinite-saving and budget-friendly 5.1 audio solution, the VIZIO SB3651-E6 Sound Bar is a very solid performer. Thank you to its compact satellite speakers and wireless subwoofer, the arrangement is capable of genuine surround audio playback, offering fairly immersive performance and extensive wireless streaming back up for its grade.
With that said, the subwoofer isn't always upwardly to the task during more intense LFE activeness, the lack of 4K HDR passthrough support is a flake disappointing, and the SmartCast platform can be prone to glitches here and at that place. Likewise, as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound bar models go more and more prevalent, five.1 systems like this are starting to feel a niggling dated. On that note, VIZIO is actually set to release a new 36-inch Dolby Atmos 5.i.2 sound bar of it own with 4K HDR passthrough later this summer.
Still, at an MSRP of $249 for new units and prices as low every bit $180 for manufacturer refurbished models, this five.1 arrangement remains a worthwhile surround sound option for users who don't desire the hassle and price of an AV receiver with a larger speaker setup. Perfect for smaller living rooms, bedrooms, and apartments, the VIZIO SB3651-E6 Sound Bar is definitely Worth a Wait.
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Club Manufacturer Refurbished from Amazon
Source: https://hdgear.highdefdigest.com/63525/viziosmartcast3651channelsoundbarsystem.html
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