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Vizio SB3851-C0 38-Inch 5.1

69K views 266 replies 67 participants last post by  KeithJohnson 
#1 ·
Has anybody here tried out the new VIZIO sound bar SB3851-C0 38-Inch 5.1


I can see a lot of info on VIZIO S3851w-D4 38" 5.1 but very little on the new one. Is the new on same as the old model but in a new package??
 
#236 ·
SB3851-C0/ PS4 Settings

Hello Everyone!
I am new to the forum and new to sound bars/home theater audio also.
My wife bought me the SB3851-C0 and while it seems to be great for video games, I truthfully do not know whether it is doing a good job during movies. I have tried to scour the thread a bit, but not entirely sure if anyone found resolution. So I guess I'll post a few questions and if anyone can give me some insight, i'd appreciate it greatly. I apologize if some of my questions seem basic, I have never owned anything like it.

1. Is it best to connect via optical straight to the tv or straight to PS4/XB1?
2. What should I select in the PS4 audio settings to optimize the sound and receive true surround sound?
I just was watching Jurassic World, and parts you'd expect to sound loud were soft, while other parts were loud.

3. Should I try a splitter to connect both my XB1 and PS4 via Optical?

Thank you all for your help!
 
#237 ·
So on the 40" sound bar, everything hooked up via HDMI/ARC if I set my Blu-ray player or PS3 to Bitstream, the Dolby (most often) or DTS light will illuminate, but I get nothing in the rear speakers. Using the Disney setup/maximize features on Pixar discs, I get sound from the rears during the setup, although the rear right and rear left both emit sound, however, the channel being tested is louder. But during playback, I get nothing from the rears. The PS3 showed Dolby Multi-Channel sound using Bitstream on a disc, but when I switched to LPCM, it showed Dolby 5.1. Still, the Dolby light on the sound bar wouldn't illuminate, which I would understand since the PS3 was decoding the audio.

Short story, on the 40" sound bar, using HDMI ARC, is anyone getting true 5.1 audio? I like what I am hearing with the L/PCM option, but I'm not sure it is true surround sound rather than faux surround. I wonder if I'm better off going back to optical to the TV, which simplifies things for me somewhat rather than using ARC.
 
#238 ·
Hi guys & gals,

I need to figure out this system by this weekend as Best Buy's stupid 15 day return policy is stupid.

I'm having a couple issues with this setup but they should be easy to answer since I have a simple setup. I'm an audio noob and would really appreciate your help. :confused:

Setup (all hooked up with HDMI):


TV - LG 47LM6700
Blu-ray - Sony BDP-S590
Video Game - Retron

Sound bar is hooked up with ARC HDMI to TV and I watch Netflix/Hulu. No cable TV.

1). I'm having trouble getting the (red? yellow?) DTS light on my sound bar. That's true 5.1 not downmix, right? Would hooking it up via optical increase sound quality?

2). My TV remote used to work with the sound bar out of the box but now it doesn't wake up the system anymore when I press vol +/-. The EcoPower setting is "On".

3) Is there another way to make the subwoofer lower other than turning it down and turning down the bass?


What do you think? I'm seriously lost and contemplating keeping this thing (70% - Keep & 30% - Take back)

The sound bar does go off and on during Netflix/Hulu but it doesn't bother me. It cuts out more when I play Super Mario Bros. 3 on my Retron.

Thank you
 
#239 ·
So you have the 38" version? I wasn't aware it supported HDMI-ARC, but the 40" version does. I am going to assume you have the 40" model, which is what I have.

So the HDMI-ARC is flakey in general, not just on this sound bar, from what I have read. A handshake has to occur between devices, and if it fails, you lose the ability to control the bar with your TV remote. This happens to me everytime I turn on the TV. I contacted Vizio to lodge my complaint in hopes to just say, "Yep. Me too. Please add me to your list of complaining users and maybe we'll get a firmware update." But I honestly don't know if it's the bar or my TV fumbling the handshake, or perhaps ARC is just crap in general, I don't know. I still use it though.

The remote thing is funny because I programmed the TV remote to work with the bar, so you would think that it would fall back to that method, but it just ignores the remote altogether.

I messed with my bar and set up so much that I performed a reset on the bar after getting everything hooked back up the way I wanted, which was successful in giving me the Dolby and DTS lights. Hold down Power and Mute on the bar simultaneously until the lights start flashing. I think the instructions are in the manual.

The sub power can be adjusted on the remote. Short of that, you can put the bar into Night Mode or just unplug the thing, but you'll lose the rear speakers. Maybe it has to do with the environment because I have no issue with mine, but I am in a finished basement, so mine sits on carpeted floor over concrete. I have no issues with it at the default.

I had an old 2.1 Vizio sound bar from 2013 that would be behind a second or two. It liked to go to sleep too quickly or something. The 5.1 bar doesn't do that. I'd often pause content with my 2.1 bar and I'd lose a second or two of dialogue, but not with the 5.1. Sometimes there is a problem where I will lose the center channel when I first switch to a new source, but that's all.

I hope this helps.
 
#242 ·
So I'm not worried about that other stuff anymore because now I have a bigger fish to fry.

The sound on the back two speakers cuts in and out especially during music scenes. The audio will drop out for a second or two on both or either speaker and I any figure out why.

I think I'm going to end up getting a refund unless someone can help me figure this out, however my last day to return it is tomorrow (the 25th).

I'm desperate and could really use some advice on this problem.
 
#243 ·
Start from scratch. Seriously. Disconnect everything. Reset the bar. Then go through the setup process. I'm wondering if there is loose cabling somewhere. If optical is your only connection from the sound bar to the TV, this is simple to do. And remember that many TVs will only pass audio from OTA or built-in apps as bitstream audio, so you won't get Dolby or DTS from sources plugged into the TV via HDMI, such as a Blu-ray player.
 
#247 ·
I am having a bit of a problem with this soundbar maybe one of you guys can help.


I am using TOSLINK to connect to my HTPC. When i run the speaker test using the remote every channel plays perfect. However when i test DTS and DD on my PC the LEFT/CENTER/RIGHT channel on the soundbar all sound good however the Rear right and rear left BOTH play sound for the "REAR LEFT" and "Rear right" parts of the test.


what am i doing wrong?
 
#249 ·
I recently purchased a SB3851-CO and I found that when I connected the soundbar to my TV via Optical cable I see the 2 white LEDs for DD 5.1 surround from watching TV (Comcast box hooked into TV via HDMI) however when I use my Blu Ray player (into TV via HDMI) I do not get 5.1 or DTS audio as only one white LED indicator lights up. While watching Blu Ray with this setup I believe I get the 2.0 virtually mixed to sound like 5.1. I rewired my setup to have an optical cable go directly from my BR player into the soundbar and then I got the “amber” DTS indicator. I reached out to Vizio tech support and was told:

“You can still get surround sound without that light being lit up for your BluRay player. We suggest having the soundbar connected to the TV, and the devices through the TV.”

I don’t believe this, however. It definitely seemed like not true 5.1/DTS and there was a noticeable difference when I plugged the BR directly into the soundbar via optical. Does anyone have suggestions on how I can have 5.1 while watching TV and 5.1/DTS while using the BR without buying a Optical switch box to switch audio inputs into the soundbar? Note neither my TV nor BR player have digital coax outs.

Another question/concern: due to the above problem I am considering swapping the 3851 with the SB4051-CO. I recently purchased a Vizio TV (M50-C1) which supposedly will actually pass 5.1/DTS via HDMI ARC so the 4051 would in theory solve my issue described about with the 3851 by giving my 5.1/DTS without the need of a switchbox. I am curious, however, if the SB4051-C0 supports Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio. I am aware that I would not be able to use ARC for these audio formats but if I’m paying the extra money to upgrade I would like to be able to use the upgraded audio formats as my BR player already supports them.
 
#250 ·
I recently purchased a SB3851-CO and I found that when I connected the soundbar to my TV via Optical cable I see the 2 white LEDs for DD 5.1 surround from watching TV (Comcast box hooked into TV via HDMI) however when I use my Blu Ray player (into TV via HDMI) I do not get 5.1 or DTS audio as only one white LED indicator lights up. While watching Blu Ray with this setup I believe I get the 2.0 virtually mixed to sound like 5.1. I rewired my setup to have an optical cable go directly from my BR player into the soundbar and then I got the “amber” DTS indicator. I reached out to Vizio tech support and was told:

“You can still get surround sound without that light being lit up for your BluRay player. We suggest having the soundbar connected to the TV, and the devices through the TV.”

I don’t believe this, however. It definitely seemed like not true 5.1/DTS and there was a noticeable difference when I plugged the BR directly into the soundbar via optical. Does anyone have suggestions on how I can have 5.1 while watching TV and 5.1/DTS while using the BR without buying a Optical switch box to switch audio inputs into the soundbar? Note neither my TV nor BR player have digital coax outs.

Another question/concern: due to the above problem I am considering swapping the 3851 with the SB4051-CO. I recently purchased a Vizio TV (M50-C1) which supposedly will actually pass 5.1/DTS via HDMI ARC so the 4051 would in theory solve my issue described about with the 3851 by giving my 5.1/DTS without the need of a switchbox. I am curious, however, if the SB4051-C0 supports Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio. I am aware that I would not be able to use ARC for these audio formats but if I’m paying the extra money to upgrade I would like to be able to use the upgraded audio formats as my BR player already supports them.
 
#253 ·
Vizio SB3851-C0 vs. SB3851-C0M

I wonder how many people know there are 2 different models of the 38" 5.1 Sound Bar.

The older Vizio SB3851-C0 (Subwoofer Speaker: 5.25”, Sound Pressure Level: 100 dB, no HDMI)

The updated Vizio SB3851-C0M (Subwoofer Speaker: 6”, Sound Pressure Level: 102 dB, 1x HDMI, 1x HDMI (ARC))
 
#254 ·
I wonder how many people know there are 2 different models of the 38" 5.1 Sound Bar.

The older Vizio SB3851-C0 (Subwoofer Speaker: 5.25”, Sound Pressure Level: 100 dB, no HDMI)

The updated Vizio SB3851-C0M (Subwoofer Speaker: 6”, Sound Pressure Level: 102 dB, 1x HDMI, 1x HDMI (ARC))
Sounds like they realized that making two completely different systems so close in size (38" and 40") didn't make much sense, and just combined the 38" bar with the sub and internals from the 40".

I wonder if they'll continue to offer both sizes at all?

It's still very confusing though, many stores (Amazon included) are still selling the 'C0' version without HDMI, with no indication that there's even a newer one available.
 
#259 ·
Can anyone tell me if the 38" version has a different physical appearance than the 40"? Obviously its longer, but the 40" feels like a solid unit with a metalish grill, while the 38" had some type of mesh on it (the speakers were also placed in a different place.

Not sure if I saw an old 38" model on display or if they are truly different.
 
#260 ·
SB4051-C0 satellites lack high frequencies

Sorry for posting about the 40" SB4051-C0 in this thread, but I was advised to do so as this thread is more active than the others.

I just set up a SB4051-C0, and while everything is working (passing dolby 5.1 to the bar via toslink TV passthru is getting decoded by the bar properly), I have noticed a distinct lack of high frequency output in the satellites. I tested with Joe Kane's HD Essentials, the audio test from the Blu-ray of WALL-E, and a 5.1 test I created myself about 10 years ago. All demonstrate that the pink noise coming from the rear satellites sounds "muffled" compared to the front soundbar. (By "muffled", I mean lacking high-end, not quiet).

Is this normal? I thought the rear satellites were supposed to have the same frequency range as the front soundbar drivers...
 
#261 ·
I have the 40 inch version of this bar. I have a question that hopefully doesn't cone off dumb. I have the bar connected to my Vizio tv through HDMI ARC. I have my PS4 connected to the tv via HDMI and connected to the sound bar through Optical. I have the PS4 set to Bitstream. When I am on HDMI ARC input I hear sound through the rears. When I am on Optical its hit or miss on sound through the rears.

On ARC input does it always have sound through the rears? Or do I have something set wrong that optical doesn't always give me sound?

If I adjust settings on the ARC input do they carry over to each input or does each input save their own?

Thanks. I want to be sure I'm using this bar to the best of its ability.
 
#262 ·
make sure your vizio audio output is set to dolby or dts and make sure surround sound is turned on. I have the same setup except mine is 42" soundbar system. Also my optical audio cable goes from the tv to the soundbar that's it and hdmi cable from the ps4 to the tv, I have nothing connected directly from the ps4 to the soundbar. Not sure if that fixes it for you but something to look at.
 
#263 ·
Finally tried that. Drawback there was that lost control of the bar turning on and off from TV remote which the wife won't like. Lol.

Interesting when I did that I could set the PS4 to Optical and get sound out of all speakers despite only being connected to TV by HDMI and nothing to the bar but Optical to TV. When I set the PS4 to HDMI for sound I lost sound from the satellites. Of course time was short and I only was able to try it on Star Wars Battlefront and check if it happens to movies.

Dumb question but will games not always utilize surround?
 
#264 ·
Just purchased this soundbar (the version without HDMI) from Amazon. Had an interesting time hooking it up to my lg c6p as I was trying to use the digital optical cable and had zero success. Not sure if I was doing something wrong or what.

Finally made a connection by bluetooth. It sounded pretty good in the limited time I had with it. One thing I did notice was that if I got close to the rear satellites it sounded like there was a constant sort of static sound coming from them.

Other issue I had was all of the sudden the sound would just stop working. Bluetooth would show as still connected but I would have to go into tv settings and impair or switch sound modes then turn bluetooth back on and reconnect to get sound back. Did this at least three times tonight. Anyone else have this issue or know what I should try?
 
#265 ·
Sorry for cross posting, but I figure someone reading this thread may be able to help me:

Sony Soundbar with Vizio subwoofer?
Hello...

This is probably a stupid question, but I figure it's worth asking.
I have a Sony HTCT 150 sound bar that I bought a few years ago, and it's been very good and I probably should have just let it be.
I recently got a great deal on a Vizio SB3851-CO, which uses a wireless subwoofer wired to two satellite speakers to provide 5.1 surround sound.
I thought surround sound would be an upgrade, but the Sony sounded much better and had a far greater range of adjustments and settings to choose from.
Here is my question: both units send a signal to their subwoofers via bluetooth. Would it be possible somehow to pair the Sony sound bar with the Vizio subwoofer, thus gaining me the surround speakers for the Sony?
I'm no audiophile and I'm guessing I wouldn't get true 5.1 surround sound, probably just more speakers sharing the 2.1 signal or something, but I'd probably be ok with that. I suspect the two units wouldn't be able to pair at all (I have to drag the Sony out of storage to test this out).
So...am I wasting my time here? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to how I would pair the two units and get the quality and options of the Sony bar, but the extra speakers and possibly surround sound of the Vizio sub and satellites?
Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!
 
#266 ·
Random question for anyone who has been lucky enough to get an NES Classic Edition and try it with the SB4051-C0. The sound cuts in and out for me regardless of input (HDMI direct, optical out from TV, ARC). If I connect directly to my TV and use its internal speakers, it's totally fine. Has anyone else encountered this? I'm guessing the NES outputs 2-channel PCM but it seems to mess up with the SB4051 for some reason.
 
#267 ·
Hi All,

I hope someone can help me with my setup. My wife and I just purchased a cabin for a summer weekend getaway a few months ago. It's not possible for me to use a full 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system so here's what I'm working with.

On black Friday I purchased a Vizio D50N-E1. It has 2 hdmi inputs plus a spdif/optical out and stereo rca out.
I just purchased the Vizio 38" Sound Bar with the hdmi ports.

I have an Onkyo TX-NR646 I would like to use with this to switch my sources which are an Xbox One S, Apple TV 4th Gen, Amazon FireTV.

I might also add a Dish Network box if I can't get enough bandwidth to stream.

I contacted Vizio support and this was the reply:
When you introduce something like a receiver to the mix it complicates a lot of things. I will outline the set up that might be applicable depending on how the receiver operates:

If the receiver is acting as a pass-through for your output devices(For example, DVD player hooked into receiver via HDMI and receiver hooked into TV via HDMI) then you would want to hook the sound bar into the TV using the optical cable.

If it isn't hooked up this way, I would recommend contacting Onkyo as the main question is whether the receiver is capable of supporting the sound bar. The sound bar can hook into anything with an optical or HDMI ARC port and will support 5.1 audio this way.


I currently have the sound bar hooked up to the tv via the toslink cable but I would love to get the Onkyo in the mix. I've received no response yet from Onkyo so I was hoping someone might know how to accomplish this.

Thanks,

Keith
 
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