Let’s be honest: the speakers built into modern flat-screen TVs are, for the most part, terrible. In the relentless pursuit of thinner and sleeker designs, audio quality has become an unfortunate casualty. I remember setting up a brand-new 4K TV in my bedroom, excited for a cinematic experience, only to be met with sound that was thin, tinny, and completely lacking in depth. During action scenes, explosions sounded like popping bubble wrap, and in quiet, dialogue-heavy dramas, I found myself constantly reaching for the remote, cranking up the volume to hear whispers, only to be blasted out of my seat by the sudden swell of a musical score. This constant volume adjustment isn’t just annoying; it completely pulls you out of the immersive experience that movies and shows are meant to provide. The problem is that the tiny, rear-facing speakers on most TVs simply can’t produce the rich, full-range sound needed to bring audio to life. Without a dedicated solution, you’re missing half the story.
- Compact, versatile design – Sleek, rounded all-black finish with easy-to-clean textured surface, optimized for small-med rooms.
- DTS Virtual:X – Sound Enhancement for room-filling, floor-to-ceiling virtualized sound
- Full-Range Speakers – 2 full-range speakers in the sound bar provide coherent sound and brilliant clarity.
What to Consider Before Upgrading Your Sound
A soundbar is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for reclaiming the audio experience your television was meant to deliver. It’s a simple, all-in-one speaker system designed to project clear, powerful, and immersive sound directly toward you, the viewer. The main benefit is an immediate and dramatic improvement in audio fidelity, especially for vocal clarity. Suddenly, dialogue becomes crisp and intelligible, sound effects gain impact, and music scores feel expansive rather than compressed. It bridges the gap between the stunning visuals of your 4K TV and the underwhelming performance of its native speakers, transforming your living room or bedroom into a more capable home theater without the complexity and clutter of a full multi-speaker surround sound system.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the exact frustrations I described: apartment dwellers, bedroom TV watchers, or anyone with a small to medium-sized room who wants a significant audio upgrade without breaking the bank or running wires everywhere. It’s for the person who values simplicity and effectiveness over endless tweaking and complex setups. On the other hand, a compact 2.0 soundbar might not be suitable for dedicated audiophiles seeking the thunderous, room-shaking bass and true rear-channel surround sound of a high-end 5.1 or Dolby Atmos system. If you have a large, open-concept living space or demand the most powerful cinematic experience possible, you might consider a larger soundbar with a dedicated subwoofer and satellite speakers as a more fitting alternative.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: Measure the space below or in front of your TV. A compact soundbar like this 24-inch model is designed to fit seamlessly with smaller TVs (typically under 50 inches) without blocking the screen or IR sensor. Consider whether you’ll place it on a media console or mount it on the wall, and check if the necessary mounting hardware is included or readily available.
- Capacity/Performance: Look at the number of channels (e.g., 2.0 means two channels, left and right) and supported audio formats like Dolby Audio. Features like DTS Virtual:X are crucial in compact bars, as they use processing to create a simulated surround sound effect, making the soundstage feel much wider and taller than the physical unit. Frequency response (e.g., 70Hz – 20kHz) gives you an idea of the range of sounds it can reproduce, with a lower first number indicating better bass potential.
- Materials & Durability: Most soundbars in this price range are constructed from a durable plastic enclosure. Look for design elements like a textured surface, which can be easier to keep clean and free of fingerprints than a glossy finish. While not a premium material, a well-constructed plastic body is perfectly adequate for a stationary piece of electronics and helps keep the cost down.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: Connectivity is paramount. An HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) port is the gold standard for simplicity, allowing you to control the soundbar’s volume with your existing TV remote. Other options like Optical and Bluetooth provide versatility for connecting to older TVs or streaming music from your phone. For long-term care, a simple wipe-down with a microfiber cloth is all that’s usually required.
Keeping these factors in mind, the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar stands out in several areas, particularly for its blend of performance and compact design. You can explore its detailed specifications here.
While the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- 【𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭】: Elevate faint sounds to vibrant with automatic loudness boost. Experience immersive sound through 4 versatile...
- Hear your TV better: Designed with simplicity in mind, the Bose TV Speaker is a small soundbar that clarifies speech and is a simple fix for better TV sound
- All-new acoustic architecture with Sound Motion technology fills every inch of the room and precisely place sounds all around you
First Impressions: Impressive Value Straight Out of the Box
Unboxing the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar was a refreshingly straightforward experience. VIZIO has clearly put thought into the user experience, as confirmed by numerous user reviews praising the superb packaging. Everything was neatly compartmentalized, and to my delight, the box included every cable we could possibly need: HDMI 2.0, Optical, and a 3.5mm audio cable. This is a huge plus, as many competitors in this price bracket force you to purchase essential cables separately. The bar itself feels solid and well-constructed despite its plastic enclosure. At 24 inches wide, it’s delightfully compact, sitting unobtrusively under our 43-inch test TV without a hint of blocking the screen. The all-black finish and textured top surface give it a subtle, modern aesthetic that blends in rather than stands out. It’s lightweight but doesn’t feel cheap. The initial impression is one of incredible value; it feels like you’re getting more than what you paid for before you even plug it in.
What We Like
- Excellent audio clarity, especially for dialogue, a massive upgrade over TV speakers.
- DTS Virtual:X technology provides a surprisingly wide and immersive soundstage.
- Extremely simple setup with all necessary cables included in the box.
- Compact and sleek design is perfect for smaller rooms and TVs.
- Outstanding value for the price point.
Drawbacks
- The included remote control feels flimsy and cheaply made.
- No on-screen display or visual number for volume level.
- Potential product version confusion (some newer, different models lack HDMI ARC).
A Deep Dive into the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar Performance
A product can look great on paper, but the true test is how it performs in a real-world environment. We spent weeks with the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar, putting it through its paces with blockbuster movies, dialogue-heavy TV series, a wide variety of music genres via Bluetooth, and even some console gaming. This wasn’t just about listening; it was about experiencing how this compact unit could transform a room’s entire audio landscape. Our deep dive focused on the core pillars of the user experience: the simplicity of its setup, the quality of its sound, and its everyday liveability.
Setup and Connectivity: Plug-and-Play Simplicity
Getting the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar up and running is about as simple as it gets, a sentiment echoed by countless users who praise its effortless installation. VIZIO’s inclusion of HDMI, optical, and aux cables right in the box is a thoughtful touch that we can’t overstate. For our primary test, we used the HDMI cable to connect the soundbar to our TV’s HDMI ARC port. This is, without a doubt, the superior method. The moment we plugged it in and powered everything on, the TV immediately recognized the soundbar, routed all audio through it, and—most importantly—allowed us to control the soundbar’s volume and power using our existing Vizio TV remote. This CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) functionality is a game-changer for daily use, eliminating the remote-control clutter that plagues so many home theater setups. As one user happily noted, “YES, we can use the TV remote that came with our Vizio M65 4K TV to control the volume on this sound bar.”
We also tested the optical connection, which worked flawlessly, though it sacrifices the single-remote convenience of HDMI ARC. Bluetooth pairing with a smartphone was equally seamless; the soundbar appeared instantly in the phone’s Bluetooth menu and connected with a single tap, providing a stable connection for music streaming from across the room. It’s important, however, to address a critical point raised in some user feedback. There appears to be confusion in the market between different model numbers, with a newer, similarly named model (V214x-K6) reportedly shipping without an HDMI port. Our test model, the V20x-J8, absolutely includes HDMI ARC. This highlights the importance of verifying the specific model and its features before purchasing to ensure you get the connectivity you expect. For those who value the ultimate plug-and-play experience, ensuring your unit has HDMI ARC is key.
The Audio Experience: From Muffled TV Sound to Cinematic Clarity
This is where the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar truly shines, especially considering its price. The jump in quality from our TV’s built-in speakers wasn’t just an improvement; it was transformative. We started our test with a dialogue-heavy scene from a political thriller, a scenario where our TV speakers often turn conversations into a muddled mess against the background score. With the Vizio bar, every word was crisp, clear, and centered. We no longer had to strain to hear or ride the volume remote. This is the single biggest problem this soundbar solves, and it does so brilliantly.
Next, we threw a high-octane action sequence at it. While the two full-range speakers won’t deliver the kind of window-rattling bass you’d get from a dedicated subwoofer, the sound was impressively dynamic. The frequency response reaching down to 70Hz provides enough low-end punch to make effects feel impactful rather than hollow. The real magic, however, comes from the DTS Virtual:X processing. With this mode enabled, the soundstage opened up dramatically. Sound effects seemed to come from well outside the physical confines of the 24-inch bar, creating a virtualized, room-filling audio experience. One user perfectly captured this feeling, stating the “surround sound effect which almost makes it feel as if you are in a movie theater.” While it can’t replicate the precision of true surround sound with rear speakers, it does a remarkable job of making the audio feel bigger and more immersive, adding a vertical, floor-to-ceiling dimension to the sound that is genuinely impressive in a 2.0 system. For anyone looking for that cinematic boost in a small space, this soundbar delivers an experience that far exceeds its compact size.
Design, Build, and Everyday Usability
Living with the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar day-to-day is a pleasant and unobtrusive experience. Its compact, 24-inch frame is its greatest physical asset. It’s perfectly proportioned for secondary setups in bedrooms, offices, or dorm rooms, and it won’t overwhelm a smaller media console. The low-profile design (just over 2 inches tall) ensures it stays out of the way of the TV screen and its remote sensor. The matte black plastic and textured top are practical design choices, resisting dust and fingerprints far better than the glossy finishes common on other electronics. It’s a design that’s meant to blend in and let the sound do the talking.
However, the daily experience isn’t without its quirks, many of which were highlighted in user reviews and confirmed in our testing. The primary point of contention is the remote control. It’s small, lightweight, and made of a plastic that feels undeniably cheap. One user described it as “the cheapest thing I’ve ever seen,” and while functional, it lacks the reassuring quality of the soundbar itself. Another significant usability issue is the lack of any visual volume indicator. When you adjust the volume, a series of white LEDs on the side of the bar light up, but there’s no on-screen number or persistent display to tell you the exact level. As one user noted, “The only thing I dislike is that there is no number or indicator of how high or low the volume is.” This is a minor annoyance that you eventually get used to, but it’s a curious omission in an otherwise user-friendly product. These are, however, small trade-offs in what is overall a very polished and high-value package.
What Other Users Are Saying
After extensively testing the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar, we found that our experience aligned closely with the consensus among buyers. The overwhelming sentiment is one of pleasant surprise at the quality delivered for such an affordable price. One user summed it up perfectly: “I was a concerned about quality since it’s so much less expensive than most sound bars. But it’s great! It’s all we need to project sound across the room.” Another self-proclaimed non-audiophile who upgraded from monitor speakers called the improvement “transformative” for their gaming experience, praising the unexpectedly good bass.
The praise for ease of setup is nearly universal. A reviewer impressed with the packaging noted, “Vizio included extra wires for every setup contingency… It was really easy to setup.” This out-of-the-box readiness is a major selling point.
However, the criticisms are just as consistent and mirror our own findings. The cheap-feeling remote control is a frequent target. One frustrated user recounted how it fell apart after being dropped on a carpet, while another couldn’t even get the included batteries to fit properly. The lack of a visual volume level display is another common gripe, which, while not a dealbreaker for most, is a frequently mentioned annoyance. Finally, the confusion surrounding the HDMI port on different models is a valid concern, with one early adopter warning others that a “newly refreshed” model they received lacked the feature entirely, forcing them to use optical instead. This feedback is crucial for potential buyers to be aware of when making a purchase decision.
How Does the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar Compare to the Competition?
The budget soundbar market is fiercely competitive, but the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar holds its own by focusing on core performance. However, different users have different needs, and several alternatives offer unique features that might make them a better fit for certain situations.
1. Wohome 2.1 Channel Sound Bar with Subwoofer
- Powerful Sound from Dual Large Speakers: The tv speakers Features two large full-range speakers for balanced treble and mid-range performance. Each speaker delivers 20 W peak power, combined with a 40...
- Enhanced Deep Bass with 5 Inch Wired Subwoofer: Experience deeper, more powerful bass with a large-size woofer and spacious cabinet design. Perfect for movies, games and music, delivering richer and...
- RGB-IC Ambient Light Design: The sound bar for smart tv with 20 LED light strip creates a vibrant atmosphere, perfect for parties and holidays like Halloween and Christmas. It also provides a soft...
The most significant difference with the Wohome soundbar is its 2.1 channel configuration, meaning it includes a separate, albeit wired, subwoofer. This makes it an excellent alternative for someone who prioritizes bass response above all else. If you want to feel the rumble in action movies and enjoy bass-heavy music, the dedicated subwoofer of the Wohome will deliver a more impactful low-end experience than the Vizio’s all-in-one design. The inclusion of colorful backlighting also gears it more towards a gaming setup or a user looking for a more expressive aesthetic. The trade-off is the extra space and wiring required for the subwoofer, making the Vizio a better choice for those seeking ultimate simplicity and a minimalist footprint.
2. Amazon Fire TV Soundbar
- Amp up your audio - Fire TV Soundbar enhances TV audio with dual speakers for fuller sound, clearer dialogue, and deeper bass—all in a compact design.
- Immersive sound - Enjoy a three-dimensional virtual surround sound experience with DTS Virtual:X and more detail with Dolby Audio.
- Easy setup - Just plug in the included HDMI cable to the HDMI eARC/ARC port on your TV to instantly enjoy audio that's always in sync.
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is perhaps the Vizio’s most direct competitor. It is also a compact 2.0 channel soundbar that supports DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio, putting it on equal footing in terms of core audio processing technology. The key differentiator here is ecosystem integration. If you already use a Fire TV or other Alexa-enabled devices, this soundbar is designed for seamless integration within that environment. For users deeply embedded in the Amazon ecosystem, the promise of simplified setup and control via their Fire TV remote could be a deciding factor. For those who are not, the Vizio offers a more brand-agnostic solution that comes with the bonus of an included HDMI cable, which the Fire TV Soundbar often lacks.
3. Bkmojit 100W Sound Bar Detachable 2-in-1
- 【Immersive Deep Bass Stereo Sound】 Sound Bar with 3D Surround Sound & Deep Bass – Features 2 full-range speakers, 2 tweeters, 2 bass diaphragms, cinematic audio. Enjoy crisp highs, balanced...
- 【3 Dynamic RGB Light Modes】 Enhance your viewing and gaming experience with vibrant RGB lighting that reacts to your audio. Control the lights by long-pressing the button on the soundbar or remote...
- 【Multiple Inputs 】Easily connect to your Smart TV, projector, or gaming console via Bluetooth 5.3, ARC, Optical, AUX, or USB. Compatible with many types of TVs and more, this sound bar offers...
The Bkmojit soundbar offers a unique proposition: versatility. Its detachable 2-in-1 design allows it to function as a single horizontal soundbar or as two separate vertical tower speakers. This is a fantastic feature for users who have limited horizontal space under their TV or who prefer the classic look and wider stereo separation of traditional speakers. It also features multiple equalizer modes and RGB lighting, appealing to gamers and users who enjoy customizing their setup’s look and sound profile. While the Vizio focuses on doing one thing exceptionally well, the Bkmojit is for the user who values flexibility and customization over the Vizio’s plug-and-play simplicity.
Our Final Verdict: Is the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar Worth It?
After extensive hands-on testing, we can confidently say that the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar (model V20x-J8) represents one of the best values in home audio today. It is a simple, elegant, and remarkably effective solution to the plague of poor built-in TV speakers. It delivers on its promise of clear dialogue, a surprisingly immersive soundstage thanks to DTS Virtual:X, and an effortless setup process. For anyone with a small-to-medium-sized room, a TV under 50 inches, and a desire for a massive audio upgrade without a massive price tag, this soundbar is an enthusiastic recommendation.
While the flimsy remote and lack of a volume display are valid quirks, they are minor trade-offs for the exceptional audio performance you get for your money. It’s the perfect audio centerpiece for a bedroom, apartment, or dorm room. It proves you don’t need a complex or expensive system to fundamentally transform your viewing experience.
If you’ve decided the VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Sound Bar is the right fit, you can check its current price and purchase it here.
Last update on 2025-10-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API