When comparing Sonos Playbar vs Vizio SB3821-D6, the Slant community recommends Vizio SB3821-D6 for most people. In the question“What are the best soundbars for music listening?” Vizio SB3821-D6 is ranked 1st while Sonos Playbar is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose Vizio SB3821-D6 is:
When compared to other soundbars within the same price range, the Vizio does an excellent job in generating detailed sound and a wide sound stage.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Great for playing music
This system's combination of nine individually amplified speakers creates a very detailed and clear sound. It has great soundstage and instrument separation, which is quite beneficial for music listeners (and also film watchers too).
Pro Wall mountable, with automatic calibration
This soundbar is wall mountable and has a position sensor to recalibrate the soundbar if the position is changed from horizontal to vertical.
Pro Supports digital surround signal
The Sonos supports digital surround signal, like Dolby Digital.
Pro Very upgrade friendly
Most people will find this soundbar’s audio output to be sufficient, but if you want to add extra bass or surround sound, it’s possible to do so by adding Sonos speakers. Furthermore, setting them up is easy to do, as the Sonos mobile and PC applications will recognize the new speakers and will automatically recalibrate everything for optimum sound quality.
Pro Easy to set-up and use
This soundbar is made for simple use, with a very straightforward setup. It has just one optical input port for sound and two Ethernet ports for network use. All you need to do is connect the optical cable to your TV, an Ethernet cable to your router and install the Sonos Controller app on your smartphone or a PC. The app will help you go through all the necessary steps to pair your TV remote with the system, add additional speakers, sort your music library in the network or connect the soundbar to an existing Sonos multi-room setup.
Pro Wi-Fi support
The Sonos supports Wi-Fi, for music streaming.
Pro Amazing sound quality for its price
When compared to other soundbars within the same price range, the Vizio does an excellent job in generating detailed sound and a wide sound stage.
Pro Good sound processing for movies
Built-in sound processing in movie mode does an excellent job expanding the sound and leveling the volume of dialogue and action scenes.
Pro Improved music listening experience with built-in sound processing
Built-in sound processing in music mode widens the soundstage for a greater stereo effect. It makes each instrument individually distinguishable.
Pro Capable of filling a large room with clear sound
This soundbar can easily fill a large room with crystal clear sound and clearly distinguishable left and right channels, improving the cinematic experience.
Pro Cables included
The Vizio ships with various connection cables, so there's no need to purchase additional input cables.
Pro Comes with a companion app
This soundbar comes with a Vizio companion app.
Pro Prepared to be wall mounted
This soundbar can be wall mounted using the included mounts.
Pro Compact and unobtrusive size
Both the soundbar and the subwoofer are compact, so the main unit doesn't require a large stand and the subwoofer can be hidden easily.
Pro Supports wireless connectivity
You can connect to this soundbar via Wi-Fi, for media streaming, a feature that is usually only available on soundbards in more expensive price ranges. Bluetooth is also supported.
Pro Varied options for wired connectivity
The Visio has an optical, a coaxial and two analog sound inputs and also an Ethernet input to connect it to your home network.
Pro Easy to set up media streaming via Wi-Fi
This soundbar has integrated Chromecast support. Its allows streaming media over Wi-Fi and is easy to set up and use.
Pro Simple to understand remote control
The remote control is intuitive and easy to understand.
Cons
Con Expensive
The Sonos is a quite expensive soundbar, definitely not aimed for those on a budget.
Con Limited connectivity
The soundbar only has one dedicated optical input to connect external devices.
Con Aluminum parts can get warm
The aluminum used in the unit’s body works as a radiator for the speakers, so the aluminium pieces can get warm.
Con No support for high resolution audio formats
This soundbar does not support high resolution audio formats, like Dolby TrueHD. You can work around this limitation by streaming the signal in a different format to the soundbar, but this degrades quality.
Con Lacks bass power
The Sonos lacks the room-shaking bass effect that's essential for action packed movies. For that, you’ll need to buy an external subwoofer.
Con Surface finish looks cheap
The system has a plastic and black cloth finish that's similar to the one found on most cheap soundbars.
Con No HDMI inputs or outputs
This soundbar has no HDMI support.
Con Confusing LED lights for information display
There is no front display on the soundbar, instead it has LED lights that give out information by blinking. They are not easy to understand and you may have to refer to the user manual to decipher them.
Con Sound is only in stereo
There are no extra speakers for virtual surround modes, so the sound only comes in stereo.
Con Subwoofer can feel quieter than other available options
Even though this soundbar's subwoofer extends bass response quite well, it can sometimes seem quiet compared to its competitors.
