VIZIO - M-Series Elevate 5.1.2 Immersive Sound Bar (M512E-K6)

Did you have a budget in mind? I'm quite happy with my Vizio M-Series Elevate.

Under $500 puts you firmly in Vizio territory for best bang for the buck. Again, I love the M-Series Elevate. This is the newer model: [Elevate 5.1.2 Soundbar SE](https://www.vizio.com/en/sound-bar/sb/SL512X-0806). The rear speakers make a huge difference along with the upfiring speakers for Atmos content. I think it's about $420. As for the wiring, you're going to have to plug it in and connect it to the TV (eARC). The rears connect to a wireless sub.

I bought the M-Series Elevate a year ago with a great Black Friday deal on Amazon and I haven't looked back.

That one doesn't have rear or upfiring speakers. I have a Vizio M-Series Elevate. If you can find one still available I'd jump on it. It's been replaced with the Elevate SE. That said, Hisense seems to have replaced Vizio in the bang for the buck category so check this out: [Amazon.com: Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2Ch Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer, 500W, Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth 5.3, EzPlay, 4K HDMI Pass Through, Roku TV Ready, DTS:X, HDMI/AUX/ARC/Optical/USB, 7 EQ Modes : Electronics](https://www.amazon.com/Hisense-AX5125H-Wireless-Subwoofer-Bluetooth/dp/B0CBRXTWGP/?th=1)

I had the M-Series elevate and can say it's an excellent soundbar. If you can find one and it's in the budget, go for it. I just upgraded to the Q990F because, well, because I always want a new toy. :)

I just replaced an M-Series Elevate with the Q990F. The Vizio was a terrific 5.1.2 soundbar but the Q990F is in a different league. I bought it on Woot for $967 with an Amazon Prime Visa (5% back in Amazon rewards) and RetailMeNot gave me another $50. I doubt you'll save much more over that on Black Friday.

I went with the LG G4 and I'm pretty happy with it, but the C4 should be excellent as well along with the comparable Sonys and Samsungs (I helped someone else pick out a TV and he was very happy with his C4). I went with the Panasonic UB820 since it seems like the sweet spot of having all of the necessary specs and for my soundbar I managed to find a good deal on a Vizio Elevate M-Series, but I suggest you look around for everything. For a while I was eyeing a different Vizio device, but this one was one tier up from that one, while still being slightly lower than I've seen the lower tiered one and with the UHD player I found an open box one in great condition for a much lower price than it is new. Vizio makes great bang for your buck for soundbars, but Samsung makes the best one if you're looking high end, but by then you should be going for a real sound system.

I own the elevate M-512-K6, it's the best bang for your buck you'll ever buy this side of a clearance black Friday sale.

About 16 months, I had the previous version for another 2 years. I'm a huge fan of these Vizio sound bars.

[Here’s a list of top soundbars for under $300](https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/best/by-price/under-300) The Vizio M series is probably your best bet for a budget soundbar and overall sound experience. Note that dialogue usually only comes out of the soundbar itself and not the surround speakers, the surrounds are there to add an immersive experience for action scenes where sounds are coming from behind/around you but generally dialogue is limited to the soundbar itself due to the audio mix, so focus on a soundbar with good dialogue vs thinking that adding surround speakers will make your dialogue sound better.

The Elevate SL512X-0806 is a waste of money, if you're going to go for the Vizio Elevate it has to be the M series M512E-K6, [see comparison here](https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/tools/compare/vizio-m-series-elevate-m512e-k6-vs-vizio-elevate-se-sl512x-0806/33243/78229). [List of top 5 soundbars for under $500](https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/best/by-price/under-500)

Depends on what you’re looking for really, the SL only has eARC connection and nothing else. No HDMI IN, no video passthrough, no optical, no remote and has overall lower ratings across the board than the M Series elevate. The M Series Elevate has been on sale for $450 in the past ([see here](https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B09ZX1W6Q6?cpf=amazon-new)). Even at $500 it’s still a better overall product than the SL given all the extras and overall better sound quality.

I’ve had it for about 6 months now, no issues. I think you replied to another comment of mine. I understand you’re worried about reliability (maybe due to the rotating drivers?), but I don’t think you need to worry for a few reasons: 1) The M512E-K6 has been out for a few years now, so they’ve likely ironed out any manufacturing defects by now. Also, this is Vizio’s second sound bar with rotating drivers, so any lessons they learned from building the first one, they’ve applied to this one. 2) This is a very popular 5.1.2 soundbar, mostly because it’s stylish, very well built, and almost nothing sounds as good on the market for the price. The majority of the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. You have to take Reddit with a grain of salt. People mostly come here to complain, so it’s biased towards people with issues, and not the 99% of people who don’t have any issues. 3) If it gives you peace of mind, you can set the up-firing Atmos speakers to always UP, so they’re not rotating as much when switching between Atmos content and regular content. You’ve mentioned you’ve been saving for this bar for a while, and I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed by it.

Well, you don’t have to update the firmware lol. I updated mine and had no issues, mind you that’s just one example. And no problem, you will love it.

I have a Vizio M512E-K6, which is 5.1.2 (2 up-firing in the bar) and while it definitely makes a difference. I do hear sound effects above my head, especially if they’re bass heavy. Does it compare to discrete down-firing height speakers? No, but it does sound immersive, and it’s definitely better than no height drivers at all. Also, make sure to crank the height levels to the max.

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 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?

Do not get the lg soundbar. I have an lg oled and upgraded from the same vizio soundbar to the lg 85tr, and I hated it. Went back and got the vizio 5.1.2 elevate, and I'm so much happier. Much better quality than the v series, but they are both really good value for the money. Lg just doesn't punch enough.

Man ima tell you right now. As someone who had the elevate since its release, it’s not worth the headache bro. It’s a great sounding soundbar, but it’s like that EX that seems so good at first until over time you start to actually see more about them to the point that you just despise them and wondered what you even seen in them at first? Yea lol. Too many software ridden issues, I actually just went through a mini crash out phase. The soundbar just decides it wants to take a vacation time to time and doesn’t respond to you no matter what, won’t even turn on. Will have to wait a few days for it to decide it’s ready to come back. Man I could go on but long story short, look elsewhere for a soundbar, especially for the price. Sounds great, horrible software and customer service.

Sorry I seen this so late, also I don’t have any good recommendations as I haven’t looked at any soundbars since 2020 release. Though I am curious if you ended up getting a setup and which system did you go with?

I went to Best Buy and listened to the LG soundbars. I was not impressed. I went with the Vizio Elevate 5.1.2. I'm very happy with it. Except the fact that there is no volume level indicator. Your right, the LG didn't have enough punch.

It's great when it works but it's so incredibly buggy that my wife now refuses to use it. Constant resets, random loud pops on disconnects, etc. I tried everything with firmware updates and support told me I'm SOL. I just ordered a Bose and will be trashing the elevate because I can't sell it used in good conscience.

Find the original elevate.. only thing beats that your spend 2k … best budget sound bar I ever heard… you can probably find one on amazon or eBay

I live in an apartment and i have neighbors, to me soundbar is the way to go in my case but there is something that i would love to change in a future soundbar (currently i have the vizio elevate) and is a way to have a more separate front left and right channels. It annoys me a little bit when something that is supposed to be in the left or right front channel just sound like the center, unless i sit really close to the soundbar. Is almost a nitpick but something that i’ll consider next time. Other than that i think soundbars are great when you don’t have all the privacy that you’d like.

I have this and love it! I have it paired with my C3 and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t want to upgrade eventually but for not I’m enjoying the elevate

I would steer you towards Vizio. I’ve got a Vizio 512 and it’s really, really good for the price.

Same here....I bought Vizio elevate system. Wow, never going back.

I have a Vizio elevate sound bar etc....more than happy with it.

I'm ngl foe the price the vizo m series 5.1.2 is alright...I mean don't get me wrong none of these are even CLOSE to my all klipsch 5.1.4 system w/ the new klipsch rp1200sw sub, but for my bedroom the vizio m series does great...I will say tho, anyone that wants a GREAT surround system, a subwoofer with a low freq response is SO important...my old sub was the r12sw, which had a frwq response down to 30hz...my new one, goes down to 16.5hz...its literally like an earthquake in movies

It doesn’t come close to my component 5.1.2 setup in my living room, but in my bedroom have a Vizio 5.1.2 m series sound bar that is pretty decent for being a sound bar. It has little rear surround speakers and a sub. Then upfiring atmos speakers in the bar itself. It was like 450 when I got it 3-4 years ago. [doesn’t appear to be available anymore though](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sku/6446231.p?skuId=6446231&sb_share_source=PDP)

It totally depends on the soundbar. I am still impressed with the Vizio 5.1 system’s ability to produce a really nice sounding virtual atmos experience. I also have a Polk Mini ax and in my opinion it doesn’t compare to the Vizio. I also have a Vizio 5.1.2 system and I’ll still stand by that system as THE top of the line budget system. Saying all of that I’ll conclude by saying, none of those systems match my Sony HT-A9, but I wouldn’t expect them to. I had an LG SP7Y and took it back within hours of purchase. It soured me on LG soundbars quickly. Also, if you’re looking for a budget system, don’t count out ONN’s 5.1 or 5.1.2. They both are surprisingly good.

Vizio M Series 5.1.2 and call it a day. Great freaking soundbar for the money. Heck, it rivals my Samsung Q850 which is normally a $1000 system.

100%, best systems for the money and it's not even close.

Ya i like my 9.2.4 eArc 2 10” subs and 4 surrounds blends nice in a open concept kinda area. It was a almost 1800$ back when i got it for 200$ off an older couple a subwoofer plate fried so subs and surrounds didn’t work i called Nakamich ended up sending me 2 new plates for me to swap out after trying a couple things first. They didn’t chsrge me a dime just asked if it worked if i would send mine back w/shipping label they had sent so they could see what happened. You cant get much better customer care then that and they knew I bought it used. Also have a Vizio Mseries 5.1.2 and a jbl 9.1 i do like there 10” sub im using it as a blutooth speaker in my lil garage part of my basement.

The best stand alone is definitely the ambeo max. But I suspect with some creativity could use a surround unit despite your room configuration and if you can pull that off you can get some truly terrific sound for far less. The (VIZIO M Series 5.1.2) is amazing and can be found new for around $300 sometimes. I’ve seen them on the secondary market for $100. I promise you it is the best you can get dollar for dollar.

Vizio M-series? Really good 5.1 for the price range for sure. V-series has a major issue though

Be careful with soundbars and TV combinations with a PC, I cannot get my x570 PC to pass 5.1 channels through the TV (LGCX ) to the soundbar (Vizio M-series) via eArc.

On 10/30/24 i purchased a brand new M-series Vizio 5.1 dolby atmos soundbar from walmart. This unit was brand new in the box, with all hardware still in sealed plastic bags. After setting up unit, it would not switch to the hdmi port consistently. Once it did, it would continue to switch from whatever imput to a random imput. I called the tech support. Gave them the serial number. They checked serial number and went thru over 40 minutes of troubleshooting before it was determined the unit was faulty out of the box. After checking, he determined I bought the unit that day, and it was under warranty. I was told I would get a unit the NEXT DAY ( I asked if I might get it by the next monday) He asked me to verify the purchase, by texting the reciept. I sent him a copy, he asked for a better version, sent him that. He approved the exchange. Got my email addrees, mailing address etc. Was told I would get an email regarding sending the unit back. I never received any phone call back, or email regarding the faulty product. So here we are Tuesday, November 5th and I still have not received the promised unit. THis company sold me a lemon. Now a week later, they tried to say i bought the product in July! After this over an hour on the phone with them approving giving me a WORKING UNIT! So, now they say my unit was not brand new, that it was bought before, and they do not have to do anything about giving me a broken BRAND NEW unit out of the box! They said deal with walmart. A I live 30 miles and a bridge away from Walmart. B They allready approved and never said anything about it being renewed when I was troubleshooting it! SO now they are selling renewed as new? Such horrible practice. I want a brand new working system like they promised! This is the worst. I bought a brand new product and now they dont want to give me a replacement because of the replacement cost. They also said they were going to give me this years model as well!

Found a Vizio M series for 80 bucks, it was a steal. It’s really good

M series is what i would buy. Reviews have looked like it punches above its price point.

Congrats OP! I did this early last year. I went from a basic ass Bose sounds to a Vizio 5.1 with atmos. Had to get a sound isolation pad under my subwoofer because I’m in an apartment building

How does the Vizio 5.1 use Dolby Atmos and not have upfiring speakers? I’m asking because I’m mounting it to the ceiling (golf simulator build and have to put it above a net so I don’t destroy it) so I specifically bought that one because it doesn’t have the upfiring speakers but still has atmos

Vizio's sound bars are surprisingly great. I have an old 5.1 system. The only issue I've encountered is one where it shuts off randomly, but maybe the new systems like that one don't have that problem.

3.1.2 is the soundbar with 3 integrated speakers (Left, Center, Right), 1 subwoofer, and 2 upfiring speakers integrated into the soundbar that bounces sound off your ceiling. It will not give you real surround sound compared to a 5.1 or 5.1.2 atmos system. I would go with Vizio if you want surround sound (Left, Center, Right, Rear Left, Rear Right, Subwoofer). Vizio also has Atmos-Surround solutions with their Elevate series.