VIZIO SB36512-F6 36” Dolby Atmos Sound Bar Preview

See the complete review for the VIZIO SB36512-F6 36” Dolby Atmos Sound Bar.

Dolby Atmos and other height-effect surround systems are all the rage these days. Having your sound come only from ear-level speakers is so 2010. Until recently, the only way to get this cool height effect sound was to either install dedicated speakers in your ceiling or attach special up-firing “add-on” height speakers to your existing tower or bookshelf units. As is typically the case with technology, the trickle-down effect is in full force and now we are seeing easier and more cost-effective ways to get those effects into your home.

Enter VIZIO’s SB36512-F6 36” Dolby Atmos Sound Bar. I sampled their SB4051-D5 sound bar system a few months ago, and came away impressed with its overall performance for the dollar. Needless to say, I was intrigued when I saw VIZIO’s announcement of their new Dolby Atmos-capable sound bar systems and asked them to send me samples for review. The first of these systems, the SB36512-F6, is a 5.1.2 system that houses two upward-firing height speakers in a 36” main sound bar. Like the SB4051 system, there are two separate surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer. The SB36512-F6 uses a more traditionally shaped subwoofer than the slim one included with the SB4051 but is still rated down to 40Hz. The SB36512-F6 system has the same inputs as the SB4051-D5 as well as support for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet connectivity. Google Chromecast and VIZIO’s SmartCast are also supported so streaming apps like Pandora or Spotify can be “cast” to the sound bar. All of this is controlled by the included remote or through VIZIO’s Smartcast app, available for either Android or iOS.

Just like the SB4051, the SB36512-F6 system is well-constructed and easy to use. Installation was incredibly simple, and I had the sound bar up and running in less than 15 minutes. The SB36512-F6 played back everything I threw at it without a hitch and has a few nice additions to its feature set over previous VIZIO models.

Can you really get convincing Dolby Atmos surround sound for $500? Did the SB36512-F6 impress just as much as the last VIZIO sound bar I had in my family room? Keep an eye on Secrets in the coming weeks for my full review.

See the complete review for the VIZIO SB36512-F6 36” Dolby Atmos Sound Bar.