While Vizio’s new TV lineup has slimmed down and ramped up with some impressive new features, its soundbar line seems to be filling out. Vizio’s latest bars for 2019 offer Dolby Atmos thrills in smaller, more affordable iterations to stand alongside its already-popular (and affordable) Dolby Atmos systems, along with new budget options for a wide array of supplemental sound systems for just about any application.
In 2018, Vizio proved it could stand tall with the big-boy Dolby Atmos soundbars, offering a massive 46-inch Atmos behemoth that competes well with Samsung’s impressive (and much pricier) HW-N950 Dolby Atmos bar. For 2019, Vizio has a slimmed-down 5.1.4 Atmos system, offered in a smaller, 36-inch bar that still serves up fully discrete surround sound speakers and four upfiring drivers to bounce sound off the ceiling and immerse you in hemispheric bliss.
Unlike the mighty 10-inch subwoofer of the 46-inch version, the 36-inch bar serves up a more modest 6-inch driver in its wireless subwoofer. Still, it should be a fair bit cheaper than its $1,000 predecessor, while still offering the full Atmos experience, alongside Chromecast Wi-Fi streaming, Bluetooth streaming, and Google Assistant support.
While this pared-down option won’t be nearly as immersive as a full surround system, it does still offer upfiring drivers for the touted height element of Dolby Atmos, along with a much friendlier profile than most Atmos setups. That includes a “slim” subwoofer designed to easily fit under a sofa. Like the 5.1.4 system, the 3.1.2 bar offers Chromecast Wi-Fi streaming, Bluetooth streaming, and Google Assistant.
Bringing us back to Vizio’s pre-Atmos days, the 2019 5.1 soundbar still offers immersive surround sound with discrete satellite speakers, along with borrowing that same slim subwoofer, allowing for the full surround sound experience from an ultra-tight profile.
Apparently “36” is Vizio’s magic number for 2019. Casting all surround sound frills aside, this 2.1-channel bar offers an utterly simple way to supplement your TV audio with an extremely small footprint. Like the 5.1 version, it also comes with a slim subwoofer, allowing you to set it and forget it under the couch.
Finally, if you’re just looking for any bare-bones solution that isn’t your TV speakers, this teensy micro-bar may suffice. Vizio sees this as a supplemental solution for nearly any room, including the bedroom or even the kitchen.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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