Vizio Elevate Soundbar Innovates How We Enjoy Dolby Atmos with rotating speakers
On June 30th 2020, Vizio released its top of the line soundbar the Vizio Elevate. A bundle unit consisting of a 13 driver soundbar with two additional Atmos enabled surround speakers and a sub woofer pushing powerful bass down to 30Hz. Equating to a 5.1.4 surround speaker system. In our previous posts we covered some other soundbars that are uniquely suited to be the best Dolby Atmos soundbars on the market. But the Vizio Elevate has innovated the design and capabilities for the future of Dolby Atmos soundbars.
The Vizio Elevate does come with a higher price tag compared to other units on the market tagged at $999.99. The Samsung HW-Q950T has similar performance capabilities and specs but this unit is also priced fairly high at $1,700. Now from our experience with any technology, more times than not, you get what you pay for. I, for one support investing good money into a good device. If it suits your needs than why settle for less? The Vizio Elevate is equipped to deliver a truly immersive experience in any sized room thanks to its 107 decibels capability. With a solid build consisting of part thick vinyl wrap and part gun metal aluminum the unit feels rather sturdy for also being part plastic.
Connectivity and Limitations
Similar to most other soundbars on the market, the Vizio Elevate comes with two seperate HDMI inputs, one of which supports eARC, as well as optical digital, 3.5mm analog audio and a 3.5mm “voice assistant” input, USB and Bluetooth. The Elevate is also equipped with Wi-Fi Connectivity and supports Spotify Connect as well as Chromecast built-in. One Downfall this unit has is the lack of support for Apple AirPlay. Another feature left out of this device that is debatable as a downfall or not is the lack of a built-in voice assistant. Some may prefer this feature to be left out due to disturbing your audible entertainment when the wake word is activated. On the other hand though, this unit is equipped to easily setup as a default speaker for a Google or Echo speaker nearby.
Motorized Speakers
The highlight feature of this product is the innovative design of rotating speakers. Dolby Atmos is only truly captivating with the assistance of additional height and surround speakers. In previous builds these upward firing Atmos drivers are static and can only project from one set location. The Vizio Elevate has a smart and intuitive system which detects when a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X format is being played back which triggers the rotating speakers to lift up into position revealing the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X logos on each end of the bar. This soundbar is breaking barriers not only because of its revolutionary design but because the performance actually lives up to. Most soundbars on the market are made to perform for home theaters as well as music, but most fall short on one of these ends. The Vizio Elevate so far has not disappointed any reviewers yet, actually they have had the opposite reaction. Most are very pleased with the superior immersive quality for movies and music. A rare feature among most soundbars on the market.
This unit has revolutionized the design for Atmos soundbars to come in the future. We can assume the features and performance of this unit will have other companies thoroughly reviewing their designs and striving for new heights. We have not tested this soundbar in person, at Beyond Stereo we are currently utilizing the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar. If you have had the pleasure to listen to this unit let us know what you think below in the comments. Are the reviews accurate? Is this device truly milestone for Atmos enabled soundbars? Let us know!
If you are looking for a soundbar at a lower budget with similar specs, checkout one of our last post 5 Ways to Consume Spatial Audio or Best Black Friday Sales for Dolby Atmos Soundbars.
