Vizio S5451W-C2 Sound Bar Review
By Chris Heinonen on
Performance
Value
Overall
Earlier this year I reviewed the Vizio S5430W-C2. An extra-wide sound bar designed for larger TVs it sounds good with movies and music. With a dedicated center channel and bass-reflex ports for extra bass it upgrades the audio in any TV. Now Vizio has introduced an upgraded model, the S5451W-C2.
| Specs |
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| Manufacturer: | Vizio |
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| Model: | S5451W-C2 |
| Outputs: | HDMI w/ ARC |
| Inputs: | HDMI, Optical, Coaxial, 3.5mm, Stereo RCA, USB |
| Subwoofer: | Yes |
| Bluetooth: | Yes |
| Airplay: | No |
| Review Date: | June 10, 2014 |
| Price: | [amazon_link asins=’B00CDIK908′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’refehomethea-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’aa45ec18-db7e-11e6-9643-fb0038e289fe’] |
| Company Website | |
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Full Featured
There is little missing from the Vizio S5451W-C2 sound bar. Since this is a true 5.1 channel bar you need to have a way to get 5.1 channels of audio to it. With an HDMI input, an Optical input and a Coaxial input there are many ways to do this. There is an HDMI output that supports Audio Return Channel. With this you can also get 5.1 channel audio back from TVs that support it, though many only do stereo audio over ARC.
Stereo sources have a 3.5mm input and a pair of stereo RCA jacks. Bluetooth with AptX support makes streaming music from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop easy. There is also a USB port, but the only file format supported is WAV you likely won’t use it. Unless you have a large number of sources and don’t plan to use your TV to switch between them the S5451W-C2 should have you covered.
The center sound bar is the same as the S5430W-C2 with three 3” full range drivers for the left, center and right channels. A pair of 3”x6” passive radiators for the left and right channels provide bass response down to 80Hz. The surrounds feature the same 3” driver utilized for the front channels. Using matching drivers should result in a cohesive soundstage. The surround speakers connect to the wireless subwoofer with standard RCA cables to make them easy to place. The 8” ported subwoofer rated down to 35Hz and is wireless. Because it also runs the surrounds you’ll probably want to place the subwoofer in the rear of the room.
Vizio continues to supply a remote that is much more useful that competing sound bars. With a small LCD screen you can make adjustments and change inputs. Teaching the S5451W-C2 to respond to your TV remote is done with it as well. Vizio could improve the remote by either adding a backlight to the LCD or making it a small OLED, but it is still good. It includes all the cables to connect the S5451W-C2 to your system and the necessary wall mounting hardware. Unlike other products you will not open the box only to realize you need another cable to hook it up.
Room Filling Sound
The two channel music performance of the S5451W-C2 is like the Vizio S5430W-C2. The subwoofer provides extra low-end impact, but otherwise it is the same. On “Carnival” from Natalie Merchant and “So What” from Miles Davis the extra oomph from the subwoofer helps out. The subs adds a physical impact that is missing without it while still blending in well with the left and right drivers. The low crossover point of the soundbar, 80 Hz, is ideal for use with a subwoofer.
It provides a good music experience but cannot keep up with sound bars that offer separate tweeters for the left and right speakers. Music can sound congested during busy and complex passages. It sounds good with music, but the VIzio S4221 sounds better because of its tweeters.
With movies and surround sound audio the Vizio stands out. The dedicated center channel helps with dialogue while the surrounds create a true immersive experience. Even the best faux-surround sound bar, the Yamaha YSP-4300, cannot compete with discrete surround channels.
Pacific Rim is not a classic film but it is classic demo material. Watching it on a 122” screen while playing the audio through the Vizio I am sucked into the experience. The subwoofer is big and boomy, but lets you feel the impact of how large the Jaeger robots are. During the Jaeger-Kaiju battles the surround sound effects kick up and pull you straight into the film. Dialogue and vocals always remain clear thanks to the center channel driver.
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City has a 5.1 channel mix that benefits from the Vizio. The soundstage is good and feels wide for my screen. Anyone pairing the S5451W-C2 with an LCD or Plasma instead of a projection screen will not need to worry. The sound is good but the guitars lack the sharp attack that they do from great individual speakers. There is some fine detail that just is not there. Talking between tracks are well anchored in the middle of the stage and his vocals are always clear.
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon is even worse than Pacific Rim but might have an even better soundtrack. Once you get past feeling bad for Buzz Aldrin for appearing in this, you can enjoy the auditory splendor that awaits. Being a Michael Bay film, things blow up a lot and the Vizio does a good job filling the room with those explosions. A large soundstage that keeps matching up to my screen continues to surprise me. I won’t be replacing my home theater system with the Vizio S5451W-C2, but for friends that want a projector and a surround sound solution it will fit the bill.
Tweaks Needed
There are still a few things I would like to see changed on the Vizio. A higher-end version with separate tweeters for the left and right channels would make it an ideal music and movie sound bar. Right now you can get bars that are better for music because of their multiple-driver speakers, but they usually don’t do movies as well. The Vizio S4221 has these discrete tweeters and so it has more clarity on some music. It would be more expensive but I’d like to see it.
The subwoofer could be better than it is. It adds the low end, but it has that one-note sound that cheaper subs do. It draws a lot of attention to itself but lacks the fine detail of more expensive subs. If you want to know the bass is there, you will, but you may find yourself turning it down so it blends in better.
I also want the remote to improve the LCD and add RF or Wi-Fi to it. Trying to look at the LCD and point it at the bar can be troublesome and it is impossible to read in a dark room. An LED readout of the current input on the front would be nice as well. The current flashing-LEDs method is harder to understand. The USB port also needs to support something beyond WAV if it is ever going to be used.
Measurements
I measured the Vizio S5451W-C2 sound bar using a UMIK-1 calibrated microphone and RoomEQ Wizard software. Measurements are performed outside with gating applied to eliminate reflections. For the sound bar frequency response, 80Hz – 20,000Hz is tested with the subwoofer turned off. The subwoofer itself is measured using the CEA-2010 method.
Most frequency response measurements use the 1kHz test tone as a referece, but here that is in a dip. The response is up to +13dB from 1kHz, but only -2dB below it. Measuring from 1m or 2m produces the same result. With a single driver providing the full range we don’t see any crossover points or anything else here.
I made CEA-2010 measurements with both RoomEQ Wizard and Igor Pro. Neither one is able to produce passing values for 20 Hz, 25 Hz, or 31.5 Hz. The 2nd and 3rd order harmonics are often larger than the fundamental frequency. I would consider 35Hz – 40Hz the lowest frequency the subwoofer can adequately reproduce. The 25Hz test result is below.
Under Igor Pro, the Vizio subwoofer produces 102.5 dB from 2m at 63 Hz and 97.5 dB at 40Hz. 50Hz is unable to pass for me.
Instant Theater Sound
If you are picking a sound bar over a receiver and speakers, you probably care a lot about convenience. You don’t want to deal with a lot of complexity and wires but you still want good sound. Few sound bars include surround sound for this reason, because once you add wires you lose the simplicity.
With their innovative approach of running the surrounds off a wireless subwoofer Vizio has made a true surround system with soundbar simplicity. With that simplicity it delivery a big, powerful sound that will complement any large TV or projection system. I know many people who don’t hesitate to spend $2,000 on a huge TV but never want to spend more than $500 on an audio system to match. Before I’ve never known what to recommend to them. Now I’ll just send them after the Vizio S5451W-C2 and know it will satisfy them.
| Review Summary |
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| Product: | Vizio S5451W-C2 |
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| Reviewer: | Chris Heinonen |
| Pros: | True 5.1 surround, good sound, easy setup |
| Cons: | Could use a better subwoofer and discrete tweeters |
| Summary: | If you want a true 5.1 surround sound system to match with your larger TV, or even a projector, the Vizio S5451W-C2 is a fantastic option. |
| Value: | |
| Performance: | |
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