Vizio V-Series 2.1 Soundbar V21x-J8 (2021 Model) Review: Big Sound, Little Price

CAMERON SUMMERSON


My wife has been asking me for months to swap from our (admittedly old school) stereo receiver and big-ass speakers for a soundbar. I had no desire to switch—at least until I heard the newest Vizio V-Series 2.1 home theater soundbar (V21z-J8). For just $150, this thing is pretty unreal. It’ll rattle the walls, y’all. This is part of Vizio’s newest lineup of soundbars, which was recently announced (alongside a bunch of TVs and other stuff). It replaces the outgoing V21-H8, which is nearly identical in spec to this one. The primary difference between the two is the subwoofer size—the newer model drops the sub from 5.25 inches to 4.5 without losing any of the frequency response.

If you’re familiar at all with Vizio, then you probably know that V-Series is the company’s entry-level line for most products, soundbars included. As such, I didn’t expect much from this new soundbar when the review unit came in. I mean, how could a 36-inch soundbar with a 4.5-inch subwoofer compete with four large bookshelf speakers and a 10-inch sub?

When I hooked it up, it was clear to me how it could compete—by basically destroying the old setup that I’ve been using for years.

 

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*Note: The prices above reflect the retailer's listed prices at the time of publication.