Review: Vizio Elevate

I WATCH SO many movies and shows when testing TVs, soundbars, and various other home theater toys that I begin to get jealous of the perfectly sculpted universes in them. Sci-fi doors slide open with puffy wisps; stereos are perfectly recessed into custom-made walls; and showers are each the size of a single-car garage, with steam nozzles to match.

The Vizio Elevate is one of the few soundbars around to give me this tingly James Bond feeling. One moment the rounded speakers on each side of the bar are pointing toward you, and the next—precisely when you select a movie or show that supports Dolby Atmos—they rotate skyward, transforming into the front height channels of the 5.1.4 system.

It's very polished and sounds great; it’s absolutely worth considering as a replacement for a traditional sub-$1,000 surround sound system. But if I'm being honest, I’d buy the Elevate because of the rotating speakers. They’re a shining example of innovative design in a sea of black rectangles. Every time I see them move, I feel happy. Isn't that what big purchases like this are for?

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