I'm beginning to believe that I might owe Vizio an apology. Somewhere in the miasmic swirl of mistaken notions and half-baked prejudices that exists inside my head, I've ignorantly clung to the idea that Vizio is near-single-handedly culpable for all the woes that plague the AV world. 'They're nothing but mass-market whores who couldn't care less about picture or, especially, sound quality,' I often mumbled to myself. Of course, it's easy to understand why I came to that conclusion when you learn that the majority of my experience with Vizio gear has come from quick glances at 'stack 'em deep' displays in the zoo-like atmosphere of the local Sam's Club.
Additional Resources
• Read more soundbar reviews by Home Theater Review's writers.
• Explore pairing options in our Subwoofer Review section.
• See more reviews in our HDTV Review section.
So I wasn't expecting much when Vizio's new S4251w-B4 soundbar and wireless subwoofer arrived in a golf-bag-shaped box. I'm not as phobic about soundbars as some people are, but a soundbar with surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer for $329.99 seems like a surefire recipe for disappointment. Still, I wanted it to sound good .. for a variety of reasons. For starters, there's the affordable price tag. Then there's the bit about the subwoofer being wireless. (Wires, however, are used to connect the surround speakers to the sub.) Although it's not earth-shatteringly unusual, the fact that the S4251w-B4 has an attractive, narrow profile and comes with brackets for wall-mounting is a big plus. An even bigger plus is the system's Bluetooth connectivity for pairing with smartphones, tablets and the like. But for me, the system's most compelling aspect is a remote control twofer: 1) the system comes with a small but powerful remote control that sports a very simple, intuitive button layout along with an LCD status/menu window at the top, and 2) the S4251w-B4 has the limited ability to learn the IR commands for volume up/down and mute from your TV's remote control. For me, remote controls can make or break a system, and too often the remote control is an aspect of a product that gets shortchanged in the design process. In this case, though, the remote control and the learning capability that comes with the S4251w-B4 looked quite promising.
The Hookup
The S4251w-B4 soundbar is a hair over 42 inches in length and well under four inches in both height and depth. At 9 pounds, it has just enough weight to make you think that there's either a small brick or some serious (as in, this ain't no toy speaker) electronics and amplification inside. The industrial design is traditional: a long rectangle covered mostly by a black grille cloth that's spruced up with a bit of silver and shiny black plastic stretching across the bottom of the bar. The audio-only jack panel (the S4251w-B4 does not do video switching) is recessed in the back on the left side, and the jack for the removable AC cord is likewise recessed on the back of the right side. It's a good design, because all the connections are easy to access if you choose to use the two threaded inserts on the back of the soundbar - in conjunction with the included brackets - to mount the speaker on the wall. The inserts are thoughtfully spaced 16 inches apart in order to align with the studs in a standard wall. The brackets, which are not much more than small, bent pieces of steel, have keyhole slots to be used for securing the soundbar to the bracket. Buttons for power, source switching, and volume are on the back but, since that part of the soundbar's cabinet narrows near the edge, the buttons are relatively easy to reach. Two thin rubber pads on the bottom of the S4251w-B4 help keep the bar from sliding on a stand or shelf should you choose not to mount the soundbar on the wall.
- The VIZIO Support homepage provides the latest trending support topics and support videos, user manuals, product registration, along with tech specs and troubleshooting steps. Information about the S4251w-B4 including specs, quick start guide and troubleshooting steps.
- Aug 09, 2018 This is a great sound bar! The Vizio SB3220n-F6 sound bar allows for many different forms of connection to your device and has plenty of volume. Okay, it's not concert hall fidelity, but (a) you're not paying $400 for it and (b) it's fifty times better than the television's on-board speakers.
- VIZIO is the maker of the top-selling 4K HDR TVs and America's #1 Sound Bar Brand. Vizio also produces other audio/video equipment such as High Definition Surround Sound systems, LCD monitors and HDTV accessories. The company released its first Blu-ray Disc player in August 2009.
I have had this sound bar for 3 weeks now and I love it! It works perfectly with my phone via Bluetooth and I am able to stream music all day. It's loud enough to reach my kitchen from the living room. The subwoofer provides smooth & crisp bass. My sister has a Bose sound system and this Vizio sounds better in my opinion.
The S4251w-B4's subwoofer is a slim, rectangular black box with a six-inch subwoofer driver covered by a black grille on one of the long sides and a three-inch port on one of the short sides. On the side opposite the port is the power cord, the power switch, a pairing button, and two RCA jacks for speaker-level connection to the surround speakers. The system's two small surround speakers cosmetically match the soundbar, have rubberized bottoms, and include wall-mount brackets very similar to the ones that are used with the soundbar. If any component piece of the S4251w-B4 system is underwhelming in heft and feel, it's the surround speakers. They're a mere 7.5 inches tall, a bit over three inches wide, and about 2.75 inches deep. Although they're not quite as light as a feather, they do feel as if they'd blow away in a heavy wind.
Just like the brackets for the soundbar, the surround speakers' brackets are an easy two-screws-and-you're-done install; the downside is that they don't allow the speakers to be angled toward the listening area when mounted on the sidewalls of the room. I think this is one reason why Vizio recommends positioning the surround speakers, along with the subwoofer, in the back of the room. Another reason for placing the surrounds and sub near one another along the back wall is that it minimizes the required length of the speaker wires running from the sub to the surrounds.
The S4251w-B4's remote control is sparse in design, sporting only six buttons and a navigation pad; however, it's notable for the presence of the small LCD window at the top of the remote. Since the S4251w-B4 lacks a video output, it also lacks an onscreen menu or GUI. Instead, the remote's LCD window allows you to move through and adjust multiple menu options and parameters, such as surround levels, bass and treble levels, subwoofer level, Bluetooth pairing and more. It's a clever design that keeps the remote simple and uncluttered, while still allowing for higher-level manipulations. The low-res LCD, however, is not backlit, so it can be very difficult to see in a darkened room.
Whether you mount the soundbar on the wall or set it on a cabinet, setting up the S4251w-B4 is extremely easy. I placed the soundbar on top of the lowboy-style BDI cabinet that sits under my wall-mounted Samsung plasma TV. Even though the BDI cabinet has a glass top, the rubber pads on the bottom of the soundbar would not let the speaker budge. Because my room is 24 feet long, I decided to mount the surround speakers on stands along the sidewalls and angle them in toward the listening area accordingly. As the manual suggested, I initially installed the subwoofer in one of the room's back corners. The wireless subwoofer automatically pairs with the soundbar, and the surround speakers use the aforementioned RCA-jack connectors instead of spring-clip terminals for the speaker-wire connections. This means they're quick to hook up and impossible to wire out of phase (although it doesn't prevent even a highly trained professional like myself from getting the color-coded left and right channels backwards). The drawback of using speaker cables with RCA-jack connectors, however, is that if the wires aren't long enough, you have to add to them using barrel connectors or buy a longer RCA cable.
The S4251w-B4 does not include test tones or auto-calibration circuitry, nor does it include HDMI connectivity. As mentioned previously, it's an audio-only system with five inputs: an optical digital input, a coaxial digital input, two analog stereo inputs, a USB port (for .WAV file playback), and the Bluetooth input. This audio-only configuration means you'll have to choose between best performance and easiest operation. Hooking up your AV sources - let's say a Blu-ray player and a cable/satellite tuner - to the HDTV and connecting the HDTV's digital audio output to the S4251w-B4 will allow you to use the HDTV for video switching. In this situation, you'll also want to take advantage of the learning capabilities of the S4251w-B4 and teach the soundbar the IR commands that your TV remote control uses for volume up/down and mute. Then you can set the S4251w-B4's remote aside and use the TV's remote for day-to-day movie/TV watching. Although this setup requires minimal brainpower, the audio signal that comes out of the HDTV and into the soundbar will be a two-channel down-mixed version of the original DTS or Dolby Digital soundtrack.
From a sound-quality standpoint, you're better off connecting the digital audio outputs of your AV sources (up to two of them, anyway) to the S4251w-BW. Because the S4251w-BW is capable of decoding Dolby Digital and DTS bitstreams, the resulting audio quality will be more dynamic and slightly cleaner, with more discrete surround effects placement. However, this setup will force you to switch inputs on both the HDTV and the S4251w-BW when going from one source to another. It's your call; I'll give you my thoughts on the performance differences in a moment.
Read about the performance of the Vizio S4251w-B4 soundbar on Page 2.
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VIZIO
QUICK START GUIDE
Model: S4251w-B4
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Your Unit is designed and manufactured to operate within defined design limits, and misuse may result in electric • The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert shock or fire. To prevent your Unit from being damaged, the following rules should be observed for its installation, use, the user to the presence of un-isolated, dangerous voltage within your Unit that may be of h and maintenance. Please read the followi
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Package Contents ............................. 4 Controls & Connections ......................... 5 FIrst-Time Setup ................................ 8 Using the Remote .............................. 14 Adjusting Sound Bar Settings ..................... 15 Program Remote ............................. 17 Reset to Fact
Vizio S4251w B4 Firmware
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PACKAGE CONTENTS VIZIO INPUT MENU Remote Control This Quick High Definition Sound Bar with 2 x Satellite Speakers with Batteries Start Guide Wireless Subwoofer Digital Optical Stereo RCA to 3.5mm Coaxial Audio 2 x Satellite Speaker 2 x Power Cable Audio Cable Cable Audio Cables Cables 2 x Sound Bar Wall 2 x Satellite Wall 4 x Wall Wall Mount Mount Brackets Mount Screws Template Mount Brackets (Size: M4 x 10) 4 x Velcro Cable Cable Ties Management Tie 4
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CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS Back of Sound Bar (USB 5) (Digital 3) (Aux 1) Power Port USB Port Coaxial In Analog Audio In (Optical 4) (Aux 2) Digital Optical Analog Audio In Audio In 5
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Back of Sound Bar Control Buttons are located here: Power Input Bluetooth Input (Hold to force pair, See “Bluetooth Pairing” on page 20) + Volume - 6
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Back of Subwoofer Back of Satellite Speaker Pairing Button LED Indicator Satellite Speaker Satellite Speaker Port (Connects to Subwoofer) Ports (Connects to Speakers) Power Switch Power Port 7
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FIRST-TIME SETUP Connect one of the included cables to ONE TV 1 Connection ports are located here: audio output as shown.* BETTER BETTER GOOD GOOD DIGITAL OPTICAL DIGITAL COAXIAL 3.5MM TO 3.5MM TO CABLE** CABLE** RCA CABLE RCA CABLE CHOOSE ONE CABLE: BETTER GOOD AND CONNECT IT TO YOUR TV *Not all TVs have the audio outputs shown above. To connect the Sound Bar directly **When using either of the Digital Inputs, if there is no audio: (A) try setting the TV to your other devices (Blu-ray playe
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Vizio S4251w B4 Soundbar
2 Connect a Power Cable to the Sound Bar. 3 Plug the Power Cable into a Power Outlet. 9
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BACK OF SUBWOOFER 4 Connect a Power Cable to the Subwoofer. 5 Plug the Power Cable into a power outlet. 6 Flip the Power Switch into the On position. 10
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Connected the Satellite Speakers to the Subwoofer 7 using the included Satellite Speaker Audio Cables. Match the color coded speaker cable to the matching speaker port color. 11
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8 Sound Bar is centered below the TV. For the best surround sound experience, position the Sound Bar, Subwoofer, and Satellite Speakers as shown. The Sound Bar and Satellite Speakers should be close to ear level. Note: If you have speaker stands for the satellite speakers, you can fasten the speaker wires along the stand with the included velcro cable ties. 12
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Top Top 9 10 Remove the battery cover Insert the included batteries by gently sliding it away and gently slide the battery from the remote. cover back into place. 11 Turn your TV on, then press the Power button VIZIO on the remote to turn the Sound Bar on. Power Input INPUT MENU Press the Input button to switch between audio sources. For example, if you connected your TV to Input 1, set the Sound Bar to Input 1. Hardware Setup is complete. 13
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USING THE REMOTE Display Menu Displays Sound Bar settings Press to access the menu settings. VIZIO Input Power Press to change input source. Press to turn on or off. INPUT MENU Up/Down Enter/Play/Pause Press to cycle through settings Press to select an option. and options. Press to Play or Pause. Previous Press to return to previous track. Next (Changes audio settings in Menu) Press to skip to the next track. (Changes audio settings in Menu) Volume - Volume + Press to decrease volume. P
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ADJUSTING SOUND BAR SETTINGS LED Indicators are located here: Press the Menu button and use the Up/Down Arrow buttons on the remote to access the different functions and acoustic settings of the Sound Bar. Each function and setting will be displayed on the remote control’s LCD display. The LED Indicators will behave differently with each function. Function LED Behavior Description (When searching for device) Bluetooth Pairing Press the Enter button on the remote. The Sound Bar will be discove
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Function LED Behavior Description Subwoofer Levels Two center LEDs Press the Next/Previous button to increase/decrease the level of the subwoofer. indicate Subwoofer The LED indicators will move to the right with increasing levels and to the left level 0. with decreasing levels. Subwoofer Surround On: Press the Next/Previous button to enable/disable Surround. When enabled Surround On/Off (On), all inputs will produce 5.1 surround sound. When disabled (Off), 5.1 Surround Off: surround sound
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PROGRAM REMOTE You can program your Sound Bar to accept TV remote IR commands. Press the Menu button on the remote, then use the Up/Down buttons to navigate to Prg Remote. Use the Next/Previous buttons to toggle through Learn Vol -, Learn Vol +, and Learn Mute. Function LED Behavior Description (Waiting to learn) Learn Volume Flash from Left to Right Down and back Press the Play button to put the Sound Bar into learning mode. Learn Vol - continuously. While the Sound Bar is in le
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RESET TO FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS Function LED Behavior Description Reset To reset the Sound Bar to factory default settings: Reset No 1. Press the Menu button on the remote control. All Indicator LEDs 2. Use the Up/Down buttons to navigate to Reset No. Reset Yes will flash three 3. Press the Next button to navigate to Reset Yes and press the times confirming Play button. ConfirmYes factory reset. 4. ConfirmYes is displayed. Press the Play button to continue. Confirmed 5. Confirmed is disp
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RE-LINKING THE SUBWOOFER WITH SOUND BAR Your Subwoofer has already been paired with your Sound Bar by VIZIO. However, you may need to pair the Subwoofer to the Sound Bar if there is no sound coming from the Subwoofer. What does pairing mean? Pairing means to wirelessly connect. 1 2 Back of Sound Bar Back of Subwoofer First confirm that the power switch is in the ON position. Press and hold the Power button on the back of the Sound Bar for 5 Seconds. The LED indicators on the front Press an
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BLUETOOTH PAIRING To pair the Sound Bar with a Bluetooth device: 1. Press and hold the Bluetooth button on the Sound Bar for five (5) seconds or use the BT Pair menu option from the remote (see “Adjusting Sound Bar Settings” on page 15). When the Sound Bar is in Bluetooth Pairing Mode, the LED Indicators on the Display Panel on the front of the Sound Bar will light sequentially from left to right and back again. Once the device is paired, the LED Indicators will stop flashing. 2. You can n