I had a chance to test and compare two models: Vizio V21-H8 vs Samsung S50B and this review should help people who are looking for a good soundbar. The Vizio V21-H8 was rated 5.5, while the Samsung S50B has a rating 4.6.
Each of the models under consideration has active amplification type. A noticeable difference is the number of channels that V21-H8 has 2.1 and S50B has 3.0. The built-in subwoofer is not implemented in any of these models. An external subwoofer connects to the V21-H8 via wired and wireless, but S50B has wireless connection type. Audio features and specs of considered models we rated 6 out of 10 in our ranking.
Soundbars do not have AirPlay support. The units in this comparison do not support Spotify.
Both models do not have a wireless Wi-Fi interface. Soundbars from this comparison have Bluetooth support. 0/1 HDMI inputs/outputs are in each of soundbars. As in the V21-H8, so in the S50B there is the HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC). Connecting devices via USB is possible in both models. We rated the connectivity of the V21-H8 at 6 out of 10, while the S50B was rated 7/10. The manufacturer of the V21-H8 provides a device control application. The Vizio V21-H8 equipped with a microphone. The models under consideration cannot become part of a multiroom system.
Dolby Atmos audio decoder support is not implemented in either the V21-H8 or S50B. Devices from this comparison cannot process surround sound due to lack of DTS:X. The V21-H8 was rated 5/10, while the S50B received a mark of 6/10 for multichannel surround.