Review: Vizio All-in-One Soundbar (SV210D-0806)

How does Vizio do it? The company known for its value-packed home theater products may have fallen off the pace when it comes to the best TVs, but Vizio soundbars continue to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to performance for your dollars. The brand’s latest All-in-One (AIO) budget soundbar may be its most obvious example right now of savvy sonic investment

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

One obvious way in which Vizio has maintained low prices in a tough market is by cutting back on features. Instead of a physical remote, the AIO is controlled by Vizio’s reliable mobile app or your TV remote over HDMI ARC. The bar ditches most audio inputs, and in place of an LED display for EQ and volume adjustments, the onboard display was reduced to a single point of light.

Barebones options notwithstanding, the AIO provides styling as chic as you’ll find in its class and sound performance that’s reams above what your TV can do alone. Considering it sails into port within shouting distance of $100 (and sometimes less on sale), it’s a pretty sweet package for anyone eyeing a sound upgrade with a minimal financial hit.

Snazzy Stick

Vizio’s latest budget bar design looks a lot slicker than you might expect. The majority of the bar’s frame is covered in a dapper cloak of acoustic fabric. Where it does flash a little cheap plastic at the sides you'll find attractive bass ports. A Vizio logo and a few onboard controls are the only interruptions across the bar’s uniform 34-inch body, along with the lone display LED that shines through the fabric at the left. The AIO's 2.6-inch height makes sure it sits below most TV panels.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The bar looks nearly identical to Vizio’s “SE” AIO model it replaces, with only a couple of extra inches of width and some minor dimension changes noted on Vizio’s website. Like the SE, the current AIO employs just four drivers, including two 1.9 x 4-inch bass woofers and a stereo pair of 1.7 x 2.3-inch “full-range” drivers. As expected at this price, there are no upfiring drivers to create the height element for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X 3D audio formats. Otherwise, the minimal configuration recalls one of my favorite mini-bars, Bose’s Smart Soundbar (8/10, WIRED Recommends).

The AIO does support decoding for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, along with DTS Virtual:X, designed to create a sense of expansion for even stereo soundtracks via digital signal processing (DSP). Any virtualized 3D effects were minimal at best in my testing, but even baseline support for the two primary audio formats is a win at this price.

Simple Sonics

The AIO’s quick setup and simple operation make it a breeze to integrate into your TV room. You’ll first want to download the Vizio controller app shown in the quick-start menu. Next, connect the power and supplied HDMI cable between the bar and your TV’s HDMI ARC port, wait for the tone to add the bar in the app, and you should be in business. With just a single input and cable (along with a USB port that can play WAV files), there’s little chance for error. One drawback to the minimalist approach is that the AIO won’t connect to older TVs with a lone optical output.

Without a remote, Vizio's app takes on the heavy lifting. You’ll find two basic (and very similar) sound modes in Music and Movie, the latter of which adds a bit more zhuzh. Tapping the Personalize tab enables basic EQ adjustments, while effects like Night Mode and Virtual:X can be accessed under Advanced Audio. Your TV remote should automatically control volume and power, though some older TVs may require turning on “CEC” in the TV settings. Some newer Vizio TVs let you access Vizio soundbar settings from the TV menu directly and/or attach the bar below the TV with Vizio’s QuickFit mount system.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The AIO offers streaming over Bluetooth 5.3, accessible by tapping the Bluetooth symbol in the app or on the bar itself and then selecting it in your phone’s Bluetooth settings. Once paired, you can wake the bar to stream audio by swapping from the TV input to Bluetooth in the app. That’s handy since the AIO’s lack of Wi-Fi support leaves out fancier streaming options like Spotify Connect or Apple AirPlay.

Big Bang

When it comes to sound performance, the AIO packs a wallop. I was unprepared for how much dynamism and general punch it brings to the table for its size, especially during action scenes or dramatic moments where the sonic tension ratchets up. Bass is thumpy for a system without a separate subwoofer. High-register effects like strings and horns get loud and full, instantly adding more gravitas and verve to intense moments than your TV alone. All of this had me estimating the AIO’s cost at around $200 to $250 before I checked the price tag.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The bar also does a good job with more basic content like sitcoms or news, avoiding the kind of tinny dialog and whiny effects that often plague cheaper soundbars. Detail is solid and steps up accordingly for more nuanced mixes in prestige programming like Severance. Watching the season finale over the weekend, I was fully immersed in the moment, occasionally marveling at the bar’s ability to punch up the drama or add some lyricism to the retro soundtrack.

Music is well balanced, with some good thump down low and a warm and full touch to midrange instruments like guitar, drums, and vocals. The treble can sometimes come off a bit tinselly in sharper instruments like cymbals, and you won’t find the kind of fidelity that will have you reveling in the moment, but it’s perfectly pleasant for basic streaming.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The AIO's most notable struggles in over a week of testing were in its transitions between quiet dialog and bombastic moments like explosions or buzzing helicopters. This sometimes forced me to ramp up softer scenes and then quiet things down when the action struck. The Tru Volume is a solution, but it flatlines all dynamics, taking away from the AIO’s signature potency. As I noted in my SE Elevate Review, the Clear Dialog feature doesn't seem to do anything, but backing down the bass and treble a bit evened things out some, and most quality film and TV mixes sounded good with minimal futzing.

At this price, all you’re really targeting is a notable step up from your TV audio, and the AIO provides that and more. For the price of a midrange portable Bluetooth speaker, you’re getting sizzling force, solid detail, and good balance across frequencies for everything you play. You can get more by jumping up to Yamaha’s aging CR-20A or even Vizio's older M-series AIO, which can often be found on sale while available. Otherwise, if you’re looking to ramp up your TV time on a very thin budget, the latest AIO is one of the best soundbars you'll find.