Vizio's Sound Stand sound bar gives your TV a lift, has built-in subwoofer
Vizio introduced its first-ever pedestal-style sound bar at CES 2014, looking to compete with similar models from Bose and Zvox.
LAS VEGAS -- At first, sound bars battled to get thinner. Now, they're jockeying to get deeper.
The S2121w-D0 Sound Stand is the first pedestal-style sound bar from Vizio, following what appears to be a trend at CES 2014. Like other similar models offered by Zvox and Bose, the Sound Stand is designed to be placed under your TV -- rather than in front of it -- which can offer a sleeker look and won't block the remote sensor on your TV.
The Sound Stand is made to match TVs from 23 to 50 inches and can support up to 50 pounds. It's relatively thick at 3 inches tall, filling out at 21 inches wide and 14 inches deep.
It's a 2.1 system, featuring two 2.5-inch drivers and a built-in subwoofer. There's not much else to the design, save for a few buttons on the side and an LED-style display, similar to what's offered on current models like the Vizio S4221w-C4.
Aside from the new pedestal design, there's everything else you'd expect on a sound bar these days. Connectivity is covered by two digital inputs (coaxial and optical) and two analog inputs (stereo RCA and minijack), plus built-in Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming. There's also onboard Dolby Digital Decoding, as well as support for DTS Studio Sound II, TruVolume, and TruSurround sound processing modes.
In all, it looks like a good solution for anyone that's been tempted by the performance and styling of Vizio's recent sound bars, but were worried that it might block their TV's remote sensor. We'll have to get it in for review to see how it compares to Vizio's more traditional sound bars.