Design and Features
The Vizio SB36514 is a stylish package. Each piece has a beautiful fabric and faux metal exterior that looks very modern and eye-catching. Unlike something marketed explicitly for gamers, this is meant to fit in any living room and it’s easy to imagine it sliding into a wide array of spaces. For the first part of my testing, I installed it in my office underneath my 43-inch gaming monitor surrounded by Philips Hue and Nanoleaf RGB light panels. Later, it went down into my distinctly less gamerish living room. The system looked right at home in both. Getting things set up was fairly easy once I abandoned the Quick Start guide and downloaded a full product manual from the Vizio website. The Quick Start guide advised me to set up the system using Vizio’s SmartCast Mobile app to automatically receive software updates. The prompts were simple and easy to follow, but the soundbar refused to pair and got locked in a loop. After I gave up using the app, held the power button to manually enter pairing mode, and connected via Bluetooth like any other device, SmartCast picked up on the connection on my next try and gave me no more trouble.
Unlike other home theater systems I’ve used, each satellite speaker connects to the subwoofer which then pairs with the soundbar wirelessly and automatically. This is an excellent solution which saves a lot of the hassle of traditional surround sound setups by minimizing wires traced around your room. It’s also perfect for Vizio’s “ideal” surround sound setup which has the subwoofer next to your couch and the satellites spread out behind you on either side. The kit also includes mounting hardware, which will be necessary if you plan on using the system’s Dolby Atmos features. Atmos, unlike normal surround sound solutions, uses upward firing drivers that reflect sound from the ceiling to give the illusion of height in the soundscape (which is very cool in games and movies). You don’t need to get this perfect thanks to the calibration tools built into the remote, but placing them too low forces you to turn up the volume to get the proper depth effect. 
The SB36514 works by combining an array of upward and forward firing speakers in a 10-channel mix. There’s a dedicated center channel which is excellent for making sure that dialogue stays clear even in intense action. On the far left and right of the soundbar are woofers responsible for the middle frequencies and passive radiators for bass. Surrounding the center port are two upward firing speakers to create the height effect. The satellite speakers also feature an upward and forward facing driver to drive the sound reflections from your ceiling. The other piece of the puzzle is the subwoofer. It’s powerful and easily rumbled the floor in our living room. When placed in my office for gaming, I had to leave Night Mode enabled to keep the rumble from being heard throughout the house. I was surprised at just how large and wide of a sound the woofer was able to provide, though at times it did feel a little loose. With a low-end of 40 Hz, however, it’s definitely capable of delivering a growling rumble for immersive gaming and movie watching experiences. Around the back of the soundbar you’ll find a range of inputs to match just about any device. Vizio recommends connecting the bar to your TV via the HDMI (ARC) port if your set supports it, but you can also connect through RCA/3.5mm, Optical, Bluetooth, or even play files through a USB drive. Do note, however, that Dolby Audio and DTS: Virtual X are only supported across HDMI and Optical inputs. If your soundbar is positioned near your router, you can also connect to the internet with an ethernet cable and save a WiFi connection. 
Controlling the system is done through the remote or a series of buttons on the top of the bar, though the onboard controls are fairly limited. The remote, on the other hand, features a built-in screen that allows you to easily change parameters like selecting the EQ preset (Movie/Music/Direct), adjusting the subwoofer, calibrating the height of the satellites, and more. I was honestly very impressed at how much functionality was built into such a small remote. With the SmartCast App, many of these changes can also be applied via your smartphone. 
Another neat feature is that the SB36514-G6 has Chromecast built in. Being able to quickly cast music to the soundbar is a nice feature by itself, but I was more impressed by the ability to create groups from my Chromecast enabled devices, which let me send a single sound source throughout my entire house. This meant I didn’t have to pause my movie while going to the kitchen for a quick drink, because I could continue listening on a Google Home smart speaker.
Performance
The Vizio SB36514 is a powerfully loud system that holds up well even at high volumes. At its peak, it’s rated to produce up to 100dB of sound and it’s only at upwards of 90% volume where I began to notice distortion. Thankfully, this is painfully and dangerously loud, so it’s unlikely anyone would choose to listen this loud. Instead, I found 50-60% volume to easily suffice and offered a clear, detailed sound. Listening to music, I adjusted the EQ on my smartphone to lower the bass and bring out the highs. Once I did it sounded great,but it would be nice if the SB36514 offered a bit more customization in EQ levels. Over Bluetooth, I wasn’t able to enjoy DTS or Dolby Audio, but there was still a very forward and encompassing effect produced from the upward firing and forward facing speakers that felt very immersive. To get the Atmos effect, I swapped over to Spotify through my TV’s HDMI connection and loaded up the Dolby Atmos playlist. The effect is enrapturing, as if you’re sitting in the middle of a stage. Watching the movie Gravity with Atmos takes the score to another level. Like Spotify’s playlist, the score here was encompassing but had a much better sense of movement that was well-matched with the motion of characters on the screen. Music would seem to shift place in keeping with characters floating into frame. The SB36514-G6 took an already tense and enthralling film to a whole other level of enjoyability.
Avengers: Endgame, on the other hand, was good but less impressive. While the positionality of sounds did seem to be an improvement on traditional surround sound, the mix seemed to play it safe and much more traditional than the likes of Gravity for an overall less impressive experience. Gaming on the Vizio SB36514 was phenomenal. Playing The Division 2 with full Atmos support was one of the best game experiences I’ve had with any speaker setup. The added element of height definitely enhances the immersion in the game. As a player, I felt as if I were in D.C. with my character; echoes and shouts sounded as if they were actually coming from above and around me. I can’t say that this gave me the competitive advantage I hoped for, at least no more so than a good gaming headset, but it definitely made the game more immersive and fun. Unfortunately, the list of games that support Atmos is still limited. It’s not as simple as loading up any game and getting the full Dolby treatment. Still, the DTS virtualization does an admirable job when the speakers are positioned correctly, and the bass rumble from the sub definitely adds to the cinematic and even tactile qualities of action games. Is it worth $699, though? The experience is great but that’s an expensive premium when a similar solution, the Vizio SB36512, can be had for $300 less and also offers Dolby Atmos. Even as impressed as I was, that’s a tough price tag to swallow.
Purchasing Guide
The Vision SB36514-G6 is available on Amazon with an MSRP of $699.from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/2TSxyCg
This could be a real lead forward for personal gaming... Revolutionise gaming
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