About.com Rating



With the VHT510, Vizio offers a self-contained, easy-to-setup surround sound audio system that complements a flat panel television for an intimate, satisfying home theater viewing and listening experience. The VHT510 combines a self-amplified sound bar with SRS audio processing housing the left, center, right channel speakers, plus two additional surround speakers, with a wireless subwoofer. The subwoofer receives audio signals from the main unit sound bar without a long and unsightly audio cable.

After reading this review, also check out my supplementary Photo Profile

Vizio VHT510 5.1 Channel Home Theater System - Package Contents

1. Sound Bar/Main Unit

2. Wireless Subwoofer

3.Satellite Speakers with 20 foot speaker cable (2)

4. Power adapter for Sound Bar

5. Power cable for subwoofer

6. Remote control and battery

7. Sound Bar stands & screws (pre-installed) (2)

8. RCA stereo cable

9.User Manual

10.Quick Start Guide

Product Overview - Sound Bar/Main Unit

1. Channels: Three (Left/Center/Right)

2. Amplifier: Class D 25 watts-per-channel at .01% THD.

3. Speakers: 3-inch Midrange and 3/4-inch Tweeter each for Left and Right channels. Two 2 3/4-inch Midrange and one 3/4-inch Tweeter for the Center Channel.

4. Frequency Response: 100Hz - 20KHz

5. Inputs: One set of RCA analog stereo line inputs and one Digital Optical Input.

6.SRS TruSurround HD processing of two-channel, Dolby Digital, and DTS source signals.

7.SRS TruVolume provides dynamic range adjustment.

8. Wireless transmitter: 2.4Ghz Band. Wireless Range - Up to 60 feet (line of sight).

9. Dimensions: With Stand 39.86 inches W x 4.63 inches H x 4.25 inches D (1012mm x 117mm x 108mm) w/o 39.86” W x 3.75” H x 4.25” D (1012mm x 95mm x 108mm)

10. Weight: 7.8 lbs (3.5Kg) w/Stands - 7.4 lbs (3.4Kg) without Stands

Product Overview - Satellite Speakers

1. Class D 25 watts-per-channel at .01% THD (amplifiers for satellite speakers are housed in the subwoofer).

2. Speaker Drivers: Each speaker houses two 2-inch Midrange drives and one 3/4-inch Tweeter

3. Frequency Response: 250Hz - 20KHz

4. Dimensions: 2.86 inches x 7.5 inches x 4" inches (73mm x 190mm x 102mm)

5. Weight: 2.2 lbs (1Kg) each

Product Overview - Wireless Powered Subwoofer

1. Power output: 60 Watts.

2. Frequency Response: 35Hz - 100Hz

3. Driver: 6.5 inches supported by a rear mounted port.

4. Power On/Off: Two way switch

5. Dimensions: 11.25 inches W x 13 inches H x 11.86 inches D (286mm x 330mm x 301mm)

6. Weight: 14.6 lbs (6.6Kg)

7. Connections: Wireless - 2.4 GHz Up to 60 feet - Clear Line of Sight. Inputs provided for wired connection of Satellite surround speakers.

NOTE: The amplifiers for satellite surround speakers are also housed in the subwoofer.

For a closer look at the speakers, subwoofer, and their connections and control options, check out my supplementary Vizio VHT510 System Photo Profile.

Additional Hardware Used in This Review

Blu-ray Disc Player: OPPO Digital BDP-93.

DVD Player: OPPO DV-980H DVD Player

CD-only Player sources included: Technics SL-PD888 and Denon DCM-370 5-disc CD Changers.

Home Theater Receiver/Speaker System combination used for comparison: Harman Kardon AVR147 with Cambridge Audio Minx S215 5.1 channel speaker system (on review loan)

TV/Monitor: A Westinghouse Digital LVM-37w3 1080p LCD Monitor.

External Tuner: Samsung DTB-H260F (using HDMI output for video feed into TV/Monitor and analog audio outputs into the Vizio VHT510).

Additional Software Used in This Review

Blu-ray Discs used included scenes from from the following: Across The Universe, Avatar (2D), Hairspray, Iron Man 1&2, Kick Ass, Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour, Sherlock Holmes, The Expendables, and The Dark Knight.

Standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: The Cave, Godsmack: Changes, House of the Flying Daggers, Kill Bill - Vol 1/2, Hero, Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut), Lord of Rings Trilogy, Master and Commander, and U571.

CDs: Al Stewart - A Beach Full of Shells and Uncorked, Beatles - LOVE, Blue Man Group - The Complex, Joshua Bell - Bernstein - West Side Story Suite, Eric Kunzel - 1812 Overture, HEART - Dreamboat Annie, Nora Jones - Come Away With Me, Sade - Soldier of Love.

Setup and Installation of the VHT510

Physically setting up the VHT510 is easy. The provided Quick Start Guide and User Manual are both very easy to follow. The Sound Bar main unit already has its table stands attached, and there are simple instructions provided on how to move them if you want to wall mount the sound bar. In addition, when you unbox the satellite surround speakers, speaker wire is already attached, but is removable, if needed. Lastly, the subwoofer unpacks easily - all you need to do is attach the power cord.

Once you unbox everything, place the sound bar in front of the room, either above or below your TV. Then place the satellite surround speakers on either side of your main listening position, just slightly behind the plane where your seating position is located.

Now comes the tricky part. Unlike most packaged home theater systems, the satellite surround speakers don't connect to the main unit located in the front of the room. Instead, the satellite surround speakers need to be connected to the subwoofer. This means that the subwoofer needs to be placed somewhere to the side or behind the main listening position (Vizio recommends corner placement), so that the satellite surround speakers can be connected to it.

The reason you need to connect the satellite surround speakers the subwoofer is that the subwoofer actually houses the amplifiers for the two additional speakers. The subwoofer, in turn, communicates with the sound bar unit via wireless transmission. The sound bar transmits both the surround and low frequency information to the subwoofer and subwoofer then distributes the surround and low frequency information accordingly to itself and the surround speakers.

After you have the system physically set up, turn on the subwoofer and sound bar and follow the instructions for synching the two together. Then connect your sources. Ideally, you should connect all your sources to your TV, then connect either the analog or digital optical audio output from your TV to the sound bar. If your TV does not have any audio input or output connections, then connect the audio outputs of your sources (such as a DVD player or cable/satellite box) to the sound bar.

Now you are ready to tweak your system. The remote control, via a slide-out door, provides input selectors, separate volume controls for the front, surround, and subwoofer, bass and treble tone controls, and on/off controls for SRS sound processing options (SRS TruSurround HD, SRS Wow HD, and SRS TruVolume).

Proceed to Page 2: Audio Performance, Pros/Cons, and Final Take.