X

Vizio announces a full range of 'smart' Wi-Fi sound bars

Vizio has announced a range of Wi-Fi enabled sound bars which utilize the company's SmartCast technology and includes features such as dedicated surround speakers and slim subwoofers.

Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
See full bio
Ty Pendlebury
2 min read

Vizio has announced its range of 2016 sound bars, which range from a single 38-inch bar to a full 5.1-channel setup, and all now feature Wi-Fi streaming as well.

The sound bars begin at $180 for the 38-inch SB3830-D0 "subwoofer-less" sound bar and culminate in two 5.1 systems at $500 -- one which features a slimline subwoofer, and one with a standard model. The company has announced nine different models in all, four of which include surround speakers.

2baeee0a-cf8a-43a5-8866-133706d18421.jpg

The Vizio SmartCast 45-inch (SB4551-D5) sound bar includes a slimline sub

 Vizio

The sound bars incorporate Vizio's SmartCast system, which is a proprietary multiroom wireless control protocol that is also included on this year's televisions. In addition, the speakers also include Google Cast, which offers the ability to stream audio natively from most Android apps, as well as the potential of future integration with the Chromecast Audio. If you don't want to use Wi-Fi the speakers also include Bluetooth.

Along with the capability for control via the SmartCast app, the speaker also ships with a standard LCD display remote.

The sound bars include support for both DTS and Dolby Digital, which is helpful for users with large DVD and Blu-ray libraries.

Apart from the entry-level SB3830-D0, the line also includes:

  • Vizio SmartCast 38-inch 2.1 Sound Bar (SB3821-D6) $220
  • Vizio SmartCast 38-inch 3.1 Sound Bar (SB3831-D0) $270
  • Vizio SmartCast 38-inch 5.1 Sound Bar (SB3851-D0) $300
  • Vizio SmartCast 45-inch 3.1 Sound Bar (SB4531-D5) $450
  • Vizio SmartCast 44-inch 5.1 Sound Bar System (SB4451-C0) $500
toggle-c-img.jpg

The new 3-inch-tall sub can sit upright on the included stand or lie flat on the ground

Vizio

Vizio has also announced three models that include a three-inch tall subwoofer, which is designed to be pushed underneath a couch

  • Vizio SmartCast 40-inch 3.1 Slim Sound Bar (SB4031-D5) $380
  • Vizio SmartCast 40-inch 5.1 Slim Sound Bar (SB4051-D5) $430
  • Vizio SmartCast 45-inch 5.1 Slim Sound Bar (SB4551-D5) $500

The sound bars are available now.

Home Entertainment Guides

TVs
Streaming & TV Accessories
Speakers
Projectors
Other Home Entertainment
Home Entertainment Coupons