Vizio V21d-J8 Soundbar
Sound & Vision|August - September 2021
Sound Bargain
LESLIE SHAPIRO
Vizio V21d-J8 Soundbar

Whoever complained that you get what you pay for never listened to Vizio’s V21d-J8. The company’s latest 2.1-channel soundbar is a $100 entry-level model offering strikingly clear sound. Although the V21d-J8 lacks a dedicated subwoofer, it delivers a fair amount of upper-bass impact. For the price, it can’t be beaten.

This budget bar is an all-in-one 2.1 system that uses two full-range drivers and two 3-inch woofers. Vizio calls these “subwoofers,” but with a specified range reaching down to 60Hz, I’m more comfortable calling them woofers.

Setup

The fabric-wrapped V21d-J8 has a pleasant, rounded shape and can sit on a flat surface or be wall-mounted using slats located on the bottom. Its full-range drivers are front-firing when the soundbar is placed on a flat surface with the woofers facing up; when positioned in wall-mount orientation, high-end clarity gets lost, so the setup will have a sound-quality impact. A line of LED indicators is used to signal the soundbar’s functions—you’ll want to keep the manual nearby to help decipher them.

This story is from the August - September 2021 edition of Sound & Vision.

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This story is from the August - September 2021 edition of Sound & Vision.

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