New soundbar by Vizio, no sub. Anyone have this or heard it in the store? MSRP is $199.99, but Walmart has it for $148.00. Vizio website: *******/8DCzJ . I have a small living room, would this sound ok with my Samsung 40LNA630 using Toslink?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfpdjp /forum/post/16681208
Show me someone who thinks this piece of crap sounds good and I'll show you someone who (A) works for the manufacturer and just wants to take your money or (B) has never, ever heard a well set up home theater package. I can send my wife to a flea market with $200.00 and she's guaranteed to find more value in the crap she'll find there than you'll get from that piece of junk. Save your money man. Does it really make sense to buy it? Would you advise a friend to buy the same thing? Do you really think you'll be happy with the decision a year from now?
Go find a homeless person and give them $200.00 if you can't stand having the money in your wallet. That person will be far happier for your generosity than Wal Mart will ever be and a year from now you'll feel better and you won't have that piece of junk sitting under your TV.
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Originally Posted by barnburner /forum/post/16681823
Well, I'm retired, and don't work for anybody.
As has been stated before, if you require a true 5.1 surround system - then this bar is not for you.
However, to characterize this as junk, is just not in any way accurate. It's a compromise system for those that want a significant improvement over their tv sound, that don't want to deal with a lot of speakers/cables, and don't want to invest a lot of money into improving their sound. For people in that category, like myself - it does a very good job. It certainly exceeded my own expectations.
If anyone is considering this soundbar, I would recommend they purchase it somewhere where they can return it without any restocking fees, and form their own opinion - since that's the only one that counts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRG3 /forum/post/16684774
Hey BarnBurner, thanks for the tip; I have noticed the same thing.
One other tip -- and this may apply only to VSB200 owners who have added a sub-woofer in conjunction with a Vizio TV -- but if you use the "Fixed" setting in the Analogue output setting instead of the "Variable", you will get a cleaner bass sound. With the variable setting you can control the volume of both the TV and the soundbar, however the sound is "boomier" and somewhat distorted.
Btw, has anyone tried the Optical input? I am currently using the RCA jacks for now but am considering trying out the other.
Thanks for your remarks.
Jim
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfpdjp /forum/post/16687450
It's not about 5.1 or 7l1. It's about being ripped off. If soundbar systems were restaurants, this Vizio would be the dumpster behind McDonalds. If they were women, this thing is a plastic blow up doll. You can't even buy a decent remote control for $200.00 bucks and they present this piece of plastic with $2.50 worth of electronics built into it as a solution?
(maybe it's only $1.50. The 4 color box it came in actually cost more to produce)
I'm sick and tired of seeing honest people misled into throwing their money away on junk. Why not spend it on lottery tickets....you might get lucky and then you can buy a real system.
Of course, you could also rationalize one of these things as a toy instead of an actual piece of consumer electronics. You're 10 year old might find it acceptible as long as his friends don't laugh at him for owning a cheese stereo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfpdjp /forum/post/16687450
It's not about 5.1 or 7l1. It's about being ripped off. If soundbar systems were restaurants, this Vizio would be the dumpster behind McDonalds. If they were women, this thing is a plastic blow up doll. You can't even buy a decent remote control for $200.00 bucks and they present this piece of plastic with $2.50 worth of electronics built into it as a solution?
(maybe it's only $1.50. The 4 color box it came in actually cost more to produce)
I'm sick and tired of seeing honest people misled into throwing their money away on junk. Why not spend it on lottery tickets....you might get lucky and then you can buy a real system.
Of course, you could also rationalize one of these things as a toy instead of an actual piece of consumer electronics. You're 10 year old might find it acceptible as long as his friends don't laugh at him for owning a cheese stereo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfpdjp /forum/post/16715145
JRG3
Thanks for showing me the specs. It’s exactly what bothers me about Vizio, Walmart, etc., and the way products like that soundbar are marketed to consumers.
For example, they claim it has 102db of dynamic range and then say it’s maximum output is 98db. Which is it? (it can’t be both)
Here’s what I mean…If it’s power output is 20 watts, then 20db below that is equivalent to .2 watts. 20 db below that is .002 watts. 20 db below that is .00002 watts. At 60 db below maximum output, the product would be inaudible in an average room and yet they spew out this 102db dynamic range garbage in an effort to convince the consumer that the product has value.
What bothers me is the lie, the fact that the lie is used to sell it, and the fact that otherwise intelligent people like yourself may actually believe those numbers to the point where value appears to exceed price and you make a purchase because of a fraudulent statement.
If you’ve really read any of my other threads then you should know what I’m campaigning for is specification integrity. If you like the way it sounds then congratulations. The question I have is this: would you have bought it if they had printed the truth about what it is and what it does on that little sales card at Wal Mart?
Personally, I believe that 8, possibly even 9 out of 10 people would still buy the product. However, the one or two consumers who may have made a different decision have been cheated and the people (or product) with whom they might have chosen to do business with otherwise have been cheated as well.
At a $200.00 level it’s no big deal. (Or is it…if you’re on a fixed income?) But at $500.00 or even a $1000.00, this trend of deception is significant.
Hardly a day goes by when you don’t read about an elderly or retired couple who’ve been scammed out of a significant amount of money by some shyster. You may laugh when I say that specification embellishment in consumer electronics with the intent to influence consumer behavior is the same thing…but it is both in concept and in practice.
No right minded consumer should tolerate it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by barnburner /forum/post/16724872
It was obvious to me from the start that the stats Visio was pushing, were designed to make it appear better than it is. That doesn't make them any different than any other business - they all do it.
That said - I tested it, and liked it - so I didn't care.
It is what it is - a simple, inexpensive alternative for people who prefer/need that option.
It's obviously not the equal of the more expensive sets, but, this much is undeniable.
It's a dramatic improvement over the sound from your widescreen tv, at a very inexpensive price.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfpdjp /forum/post/16715145
JRG3
Thanks for showing me the specs. It's exactly what bothers me about Vizio, Walmart, etc., and the way products like that soundbar are marketed to consumers.
For example, they claim it has 102db of dynamic range and then say it's maximum output is 98db. Which is it? (it can't be both)
Here's what I meanIf it's power output is 20 watts, then 20db below that is equivalent to .2 watts. 20 db below that is .002 watts. 20 db below that is .00002 watts. At 60 db below maximum output, the product would be inaudible in an average room and yet they spew out this 102db dynamic range garbage in an effort to convince the consumer that the product has value.
What bothers me is the lie, the fact that the lie is used to sell it, and the fact that otherwise intelligent people like yourself may actually believe those numbers to the point where value appears to exceed price and you make a purchase because of a fraudulent statement.
If you've really read any of my other threads then you should know what I'm campaigning for is specification integrity. If you like the way it sounds then congratulations. The question I have is this: would you have bought it if they had printed the truth about what it is and what it does on that little sales card at Wal Mart?
Personally, I believe that 8, possibly even 9 out of 10 people would still buy the product. However, the one or two consumers who may have made a different decision have been cheated and the people (or product) with whom they might have chosen to do business with otherwise have been cheated as well.
At a $200.00 level it's no big deal. (Or is itif you're on a fixed income?) But at $500.00 or even a $1000.00, this trend of deception is significant.
Hardly a day goes by when you don't read about an elderly or retired couple who've been scammed out of a significant amount of money by some shyster. You may laugh when I say that specification embellishment in consumer electronics with the intent to influence consumer behavior is the same thingbut it is both in concept and in practice.
No right minded consumer should tolerate it.