Reviews of the Vizio Sb3820-c6 38-inch 20 Channel Sound Bar

Test Results

Market Context

The Vizio SB3820-C6 is a 2016 entry-level 2.0 soundbar from Vizio. While it has a sub-out input if you desire to add a subwoofer down the line, Vizio doesn't sell these separately. This bar competes with other budget-friendly 2.0 soundbars such as the Vizio SB3220n-F6 or the Sony HT-S100F.

Blueprint

The Vizio SB3820-C6 is a simple-looking, black plastic soundbar with silver caps on both ends, just like the Vizio SB3220n-F6. It has a fabric cover only it can hands collect dust or rip.

This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer.

This soundbar doesn't come up with satellite speakers.

Width 38.2" (97.0 cm)

Top 3.0" (7.6 cm)

Depth 3.0" (7.6 cm)

The Vizio SB3820-C6 is a wide soundbar and may have issues plumbing fixtures between the legs of most 55" TVs. It may besides cake your screen if your Goggle box sits flush on the table.

Width Due north/A

Summit N/A

Depth Due north/A

This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer.

Width Due north/A

Pinnacle N/A

Depth N/A

This soundbar doesn't come with satellite speakers.

Bar Mounting Universal (holes on back)

This soundbar has two openings on its back. The first 1 is for the detachable ability cable, and the 2d ane is for the connectivity inputs. On the downside, the shape of the wall-mount makes this soundbar slightly stick out from the wall rather than lay flush.

Enclosure No Subwoofer

This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer.

Mounting No

This soundbar doesn't come with satellite speakers.

The Vizio SB3820-C6 has a decent build quality. The front and top parts of the bar accept a material covering while the rear and underside apply a practiced quality plastic. On the downside, the cloth covering tin can rip and it can too collect dust or dirt.

HDMI Cable Length N/A

Digital Optical Cablevision Length 1.ii m (3.9 ft)

• Manual
• Wall-mount template
• 2x Wall-mount screws
• 2x Wall-mountain brackets
• Remote
• 2x AAA batteries
• 11-ft power cable
• Coaxial audio cablevision
• Stereo RCA to 3.5mm audio cable
• Optical cable

Sound

Tested Preset No Preset

Slope 0.28

Std. Err. 3.37 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 71.iii Hz

High-Frequency Extension eighteen.five kHz

The Vizio SB3820-C6 has an adequate stereo frequency response. As this soundbar doesn't take a subwoofer, it doesn't produce deep thump or rumble and it struggles to produce a bass with dial and warmth. The treble is also a piffling dark across the range simply this soundbar still manages to produce a somewhat neutral sound.

Suggested Preset No Preset

Suggested Bass Setting iii

Suggested Treble Setting ane

Slope 0.08

Std. Err. 2.58 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 70.3 Hz

Loftier-Frequency Extension nineteen.9 kHz

Crosstalk Mistake 2.55 dB

The Vizio SB3820-C6 has a good stereo soundstage that's bigger than the bar itself. It has a centered focus that tin can help objects audio as if they're coming from a more accurate pinpoint location rather than from a more full general surface area. However, its soundstage seems a bit wider on the right side than on the left side, even when it's centered on a table.

SPL @ Max Volume 93.9 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 0.65 dB

Update 09/23/2020: We've discovered a value input issues that would cause the Dynamics box results to be slightly off. All soundbars reviewed since January 30th, 2020 have been updated.

The Vizio SB3820-C6 has bang-up stereo dynamics. It tin become loud plenty for house parties or large rooms, which is nice. At higher volumes, it produces a few compression artifacts and some pumping, specially in the bass range, but it may not be noticeable to all listeners.

Weighted THD @ 80dB 0.41

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 2.14

The Vizio SB3820-C6's full harmonic baloney operation is skillful. The THD falls within expert limits at moderate volume. At max volume, there's some baloney that results in harsh and impure frequencies but this may not exist noticeable to all listeners.

Localization Phantom

Slope -0.45

Std. Err. 2.97 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 92.two dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 0.67

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 1.79

The Vizio SB3820-C6 has a decent heart channel performance. While it doesn't take a dedicated center channel, information technology uses its left and right drivers to simulate a phantom center. The upshot is a fairly balanced sound that produces accurate audio and dialogue. Withal, it won't be as clear or detailed sounding like that of 3.0 or higher channel soundbars that have a defended center channel.

Localization Stereo (Downmix)

Slope -0.44

Std. Err. 2.98 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 89.7 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 0.76

Weighted THD @ Max Book 1.52

7.1 Rears No

Like most ii.0 soundbars. the Vizio SB3820-C6 has a bad environs operation. Information technology has to downmix surround content into stereo, so it can't reproduce objects in the surround image very clearly, which affects the immersion of surround sounds. However, it does offer three virtual environs modes only we don't currently test their performance.

Localization Non Supported

Slope N/A

Std. Err. N/A

SPL @ Max Volume N/A

Weighted THD @ 80dB Northward/A

Weighted THD @ Max Book North/A

This soundbar doesn't support Atmos.

Room Correction No

Dialogue Enhancement No

Auto-Volume/Night Mode Yes

Subwoofer Level Aligning No

Bass Adjustment Yes

Treble Adjustment Yes

EQ No

Surround Level Adjustment No

Rear Level Adjustment No

Height Level Aligning No

Virtual Surroundings Yeah

This soundbar has poor sound enhancement features. It lacks a dialogue enhancement feature and, unlike the Vizio SB3220n-F6, has no EQs at all, which is pretty disappointing. Instead, it offers 3 virtual surround features chosen DTS Virtual 10, DTS StudioSound, and DTS TruSurround but we don't currently test this. In that location's also an motorcar-volume fashion as well as bass and treble adjustment.

Connectivity

Optical Audio In one

HDMI ARC No

HDMI Out No

Total HDMI In No

Analog Sound In 3.5mm (Aux) 1

RCA In Yes

USB for Files 1

Ethernet No

The Vizio SB3820-C6 has a limited corporeality of inputs. There'south a standard sound jack, digital input, RCA input, and an optical-in. In that location's also a USB input if you want to play files directly from your wink drive and a sub-out input so you can add together a subwoofer downward the line. There are no HDMI ports, though, and then y'all won't be able to use it equally a hub for your media devices.

eARC No

Dolby Atmos No

Dolby Digital No

Dolby Digital Plus No

DTS No

DTS:10 (eARC only) No

Dolby TrueHD (eARC only) No

DTS-HD MA (eARC just) No

5.one PCM (eARC simply) No

This soundbar doesn't have an HDMI ARC port.

Dolby Atmos No

DTS:Ten No

Dolby Digital No

Dolby Digital Plus No

DTS No

Dolby TrueHD No

DTS-Hard disk drive MA No

5.i PCM No

This soundbar doesn't have any HDMI ports.

Dolby Digital Yes

DTS No

Although this soundbar has an optical connection, it can only play Dolby Digital files. This shouldn't be an outcome for most though as there's a lot of content available in Dolby Digital. However, some Blu-rays are DTS only, then they won't play on this soundbar.

ARC North/A

Optical 43 ms

Full HDMI In Northward/A

Bluetooth Yes

Wi-Fi No

Chromecast built-in No

Apple AirPlay No

The Vizio SB3820-C6 has passable wireless playback options. It just supports Bluetooth but at the least, it'southward easy to stream music or podcasts from your mobile device.

4k @ 60 Hz Passthrough No

4k @ 60 Hz @ 10 fleck Passthrough No

4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:iv:4 Passthrough No

HDR10 Passthrough No

Since this soundbar doesn't support HDMI, at that place's no video passthrough.

Sub Wireless No

This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer.

Sat Wireless No

This soundbar doesn't come with satellites.

Additional Features

Display No

The Vizio SB3820-C6 uses the aforementioned fix of vertical lights on the forepart of the bar every bit the Vizio SB3220n-F6. They flash in different patterns to permit y'all know which setting y'all're on, but while the lights are more visible on this model, information technology can still be difficult to know which setting you lot're on if y'all don't have information technology memorized.

This soundbar uses five concrete buttons found on the top of the bar. From here, you can plough the bar on/off, change inputs, pair upwardly with a Bluetooth device, and control the volume.

Universal Remote No

This soundbar comes with a remote that you tin use to command audio playback when you're continued via Bluetooth or USB. Y'all can also change inputs, toggle betwixt different surround sound modes, and adjust for treble and bass. On the downside, it doesn't have a screen unlike some other Vizio models such as the Vizio SB36512-F6 and it tin can be hard to know which input you're on.

Amazon Alexa No

Google Banana No

Apple tree Siri No

App Name No App

iOS No

Android No

Acts Equally A Remote No

Controls Soundbar's Settings No

Casts Device Files No

This soundbar isn't compatible with Vizio's SmartCast app.

Ability Saving Standby

HDMI CEC (TV Remote Control) No

Every bit this soundbar doesn't support HDMI, you lot won't be able to use your TV'due south remote to command it. On the upside, it has a standby mode to assistance save power when you're not using it.

Compared To Other Soundbars

The Vizio SB3820-C6 is a 38" two.0 channel soundbar. Although it looks nigh identical to the Vizio SB3220n-F6, It'south slightly longer and has a slightly worse overall performance. Withal, compared to other two.0 soundbars in this range, it has a more than neutral sound profile and it tin get fairly loud. Information technology even offers two additional virtual surroundings audio features and a sub-in port, if you ever want to aggrandize your setup in the time to come, which is a nice touch. If you lot're shopping around for soundbars, cheque out our recommendations for the best budget soundbars, the best minor soundbars, and the best soundbars under $200.

The JBL Link Bar is a better overall 2.0 soundbar than the Vizio SB3820-C6. The JBL can deliver a more punchy and warm bass, it has an HDMI-in port, and it tin can support Dolby Digital content. It too has EQ presets. On the flip side, the Vizio has a slightly better center and surround performance, even though information technology uses a phantom center aqueduct and downmixes environs content into stereo.

Although the Vizio SB3820-C6 is a 2.0 aqueduct speaker, it has a better performance than the 2.one aqueduct AmazonBasics 2.i Aqueduct Bluetooth. The Vizio has a better-counterbalanced sound profile and has fewer compression artifacts at max volume. Information technology as well has a phantom center aqueduct and it tin can downmix surround content. While it doesn't have EQs, it has bass and treble adjustments every bit well every bit iii virtual surroundings sound features. The AmazonBasics, on the other side, offers a dialogue enhancement feature.

The Vizio SB3820-C6 is a better overall 2.0 soundbar than the TaoTronics TT SK-023. The Vizio has a more counterbalanced sound profile, a phantom center, and information technology can downmix surround content, allowing it to back up Dolby Digital content. While information technology lacks an EQ, it has an automobile-volume feature, and you lot tin can even conform the bass and treble. The TaoTronics is much smaller, though, and can easily fit between the legs of most 55 inch TVs.

While the Vizio SB3220n-F6 and the Vizio SB3820-C6 are both 2.0 soundbars with an almost identical look, the SB3220n-F6 slightly outperforms the other. The SB3220n-F6 produces more bass and offers EQs to assist customize your audio experience. All the same, the SB3820-C6 is longer, it can go slightly louder with fewer pinch artifacts, and it doesn't misconstrue as much at max book. It also has 3 additional surround sound features available.

+ Show more than

montgomeryfescithavers.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/vizio/sb3820-c6

Share this post