
Sonos
Beam (Gen 2)
Compact, easy setup, great value, but virtual Atmos disappoints.

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I have an ultimea x70 which sounds great and for the price i think it's a steal. And otw is the new x100 dual by ultimea and im expecting that 1 to be soo much more than the x70 I am already happy with. I've had the vizio elevate se which was decent and even tried walmarts onn 5.1.2 which for 200 bucks isn't that bad tbh.
Check eBay for some food soundbars. I just purchased an open boxed Vizio elevate se for 299, I believe
Did you end up making a decision? Personally, I would choose Vizio over all Tim because of their reputation for making great sound bars for an affordable price, but up firing speaker speakers do make a difference. Did you look at the new Vizio Elevate 5.1.2? I actually have the SV510M up in my office (and it’s excellent), but I also have the Vizio M-series Elevate (5.1.2) downstairs in the living room and I can tell you the up firing speakers are definitely worth the improved overhead effects.
Ahh ok, well I hope you’re happy with whatever your choice is! Just to clarify, I’m referring to the new Elevate SE 5.1.2, not the original 5.1.4, which was much larger and heavier. The Elevate SE is only 7–12 lb more than the SV510. Not sure how much of a difference that makes for shipping.
I own a 5.1.2 Vizio sound bar (M512E-K6), and I had a 5.1 Polk prior to that. Personally, I think the .2 is worth it. Is it going to sound as good as discrete down-firing ceiling mounted Atmos speakers? Of course not. But, the .2 does add a sense of verticality, especially if you choose the right system. As a Vizio owner, I’m biased, but there are a plethora of reputable reviews out there praising Vizio sound bars for their Atmos performance, especially for the price. If you’re going to pick between the two you have in the screenshots, I would definitely go with the Vizio Elevate. It’s reviewed well, and discreet height speakers are always going to be an improvement over none at all, even if they’re up-firing.
Yeah, like I said, it’s nothing like down firing ceiling mounted but for certain models, you can definitely hear overhead effects, with mine you can especially if LFE. I think it also depends on room, size ceiling, height, and all that. Even if they don’t produce overhead effects, they do improve the sound stage vertically, at least a little bit, and in OP’s case, that Elevate is the better system, especially for $100 less. Like I said if he had to pick between those two, I would definitely get the extra drivers, especially for less, why not?
I wonder if that system is manufactured by Vizio? maybe they haven't been part of Walmart long enough for that to be the case but awesome it works well for you. I have helped 2 family members get soundbars recently and each got the Vizio Elevate 5.1.2 which surprised me at how well it does with content generally. I love recommending this one for not to much money.
I’ll second this, as same, I love mine. The auto-rotate feature when Atmos kicks on is soooooo satisfying
I got a Vizio Elevate 5.1.2 on sale for $250. I love it.

Sonos
Beam (Gen 2)
Compact, easy setup, great value, but virtual Atmos disappoints.

Sonos
Arc Ultra
Immersive Atmos, strong bass, but pricey and weak for music.

Samsung
HW-Q990D
Powerful, immersive sound, great value; but music and software issues.

Samsung
Q990F (HW-Q990F/ZA)
Good for movies/Atmos, but music and sub are inconsistent.

Samsung
Q990F
Easy setup, powerful bass for movies, but poor for music.

Ranked #1
Sonos - Arc Ultra

Ranked #1
Sonos - Beam (Gen 2)

Ranked #1
Sonos - Arc Ultra

Ranked #1
Sonos - Playbar

Ranked #1
Sonos - Arc Ultra