Kenn is a writer that’s fascinated by all things tech. Having been born curious about how everything works, he spends his time taking things apart to put them back together, and shares what he finds out through writing.
The Vizio V Series V21X J8 is an entry-level soundbar that delivers heavy bass, making it ideal for movie enthusiasts. It offers sound adjustment and dialogue enhancement but lacks WiFi and Apple Airplay support.
We’re reader-supported. Commissions finance our mission. Our ‘True Score‘ system independently powers ratings. Learn more
Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
The Vizio V21x J8 is an entry-level 2.1-channel soundbar that was first made available in 2021.
The soundbar ships with a subwoofer, and despite its lack of support for popular audio formats such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, its soundstage is wide enough to deliver an immersive listening experience. This is because its audio sounds as though it is coming from multiple directions.
Top-tier speakers can produce an even wider and more accurate soundstage, and unlike the J8, they also feature a dedicated center channel for more distinct vocals.
As for wireless playback, the J8 only allows for Bluetooth streaming, and it also has several physical inputs, such as an Optical Audio In, an AUX port, and one HDMI port. Again, the best soundbars offer more HDMI connectivity, but the J8 allows for what is standard for most wired connections.
The Vizio V Series V21X J8 is an entry-level soundbar that has great latency for on-the-mark audio synchronicity when playing movies or watching TV shows.
It should suit buyers who prioritize a heavy bass sound over anything else. The soundbar delivers a deep rumble and punch by default, but fortunately, it features sound adjustment and enhancement settings that can be configured to produce a more neutral sound when needed. This includes dialogue enhancement features that sharpen voice detail when watching movies or TV shows.
The soundbar also has a large soundstage for immersive listening. Music lovers will enjoy how loud the soundbar gets; however, its lack of a graphic EQ might be disappointing. It also has limited connectivity due to its lack of WiFi, Apple Airplay, or Chromecast support.
ReasonS to Buy
Bass and treble adjustments
Dialogue enhancement feature
Bluetooth-compatible
Gets loud
Incredible value
Reason to Avoid
Soundbar rattles with the bass turned up
Poor surround performance
No height channels
Disappointing center channel performance
No support for Wi-Fi, Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay
Vizio V21X J8 Specs
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
Depth
7.68"
Dialogue Enhancement Feature
–
Energy Star Certified
Yes
HDMI ARC
–
Height
2.28"
Number of Audio Channels
2.1
Subwoofer
Included
Surround Sound Supported
DTS TruVolume, DTS Virtual:X
Voice Assistant
na
Wall Mountable
Yes
Weight
3.84 lbs
Width
24"
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth
Wireless Subwoofer Connectivity
Yes
Works With
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Soundbars based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Low End Roll Off (Hz)
35.125
High End Roll Off (Hz)
12,901.592
Max Volume Test (db)
94.5
Latency (ms)
45
THD @ 80dB
0.53
Can You Trust What You Read Online?
Fake reviews are taking over tech journalism—45% of sites are faking product tests. Don’t be misled.
Sign up now for exclusive access to Gadget Review’s bombshell investigation and uncover the truth about tech journalism.
Plus, stay ahead with our daily newsletter, packed with insights you can trust.
The Vizio V21x J8 is an entry-level 2.1-channel soundbar that was first made available in 2021.
The soundbar ships with a subwoofer, and despite its lack…
The Vizio V21x J8 is an entry-level 2.1-channel soundbar that was first made available in 2021.
The soundbar ships with a subwoofer, and despite its lack of support for popular audio formats such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, its soundstage is wide enough to deliver an immersive listening experience. This is because its audio sounds as though it is coming from multiple directions.
Top-tier speakers can produce an even wider and more accurate soundstage, and unlike the J8, they also feature a dedicated center channel for more distinct vocals.
As for wireless playback, the J8 only allows for Bluetooth streaming, and it also has several physical inputs, such as an Optical Audio In, an AUX port, and one HDMI port. Again, the best soundbars offer more HDMI connectivity, but the J8 allows for what is standard for most wired connections.
The Vizio V21x J8 ships with a subwoofer just like the Vizio V21 H8, but the J8 includes an AUX port that owners can use…
The Vizio V21x J8 ships with a subwoofer just like the Vizio V21 H8, but the J8 includes an AUX port that owners can use to connect older devices, and this is not included with the V21x H8. However, the H8 gets just a bit louder compared to the J8. Check it out in our Vizio V21 H8 review.
The Vizio V21x J8 is slightly outmatched by the Yamaha YAS 209 because the Yamaha soundbar features built-in voice assistant support for Amazon Alexa, which…
The Vizio V21x J8 is slightly outmatched by the Yamaha YAS 209 because the Yamaha soundbar features built-in voice assistant support for Amazon Alexa, which the J8 doesn’t have. The YAS 209 also has an app owners can use, which is not the case with the Vizio J8. We’ve also covered the YAS 209 on our Yamaha YAS 209 review.
The Vizio V21x J8’s surround sound performance is no match for the Vizio V51-H6 because the H6 consists of a 5.1-channel setup while the V21x…
The Vizio V21x J8’s surround sound performance is no match for the Vizio V51-H6 because the H6 consists of a 5.1-channel setup while the V21x J8 is a 2.1-channel sound system. The H6 also includes a set of two satellite speakers, which are not present on the J8 and gets louder than the J8 on max volume. Feel free to go through our Vizio V Series V51 H6 review to see what else it has to offer.
