Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2015 are behind us, but this doesn't mean there are no deals to be found on sound bars and other cool electronic gear. Amazon's Gold Box deal today is for VIZIO's highly rated 5.1-channel soundbar, the S5451w-C2. Today only (whie supplies last), you can get this 5.1-channel sound bar for just $299.99 with free shipping. The's a savings of $200 off its regular price.
Here's the link:
VIZIO S5451w-C2 5.1-channel soundbar on Amazon.com
Sound bars are a great solution to improve the sound of TV and movies, but they usually are lacking when it comes to providing a really immersive surround sound experience. That's not the case with this VIZIO sound bar. The main unit is a discrete 3-channel soundbar for front center and right speakers, but it also comes with a wireless subwoofer for deep extended base and a pair or rear speakers. They call the rear speakers "wireless" but actually they do have wires which connect to the wireless subwoofer module. So you connect the soundbar directly to your TV, then put the subwoofer somwhere near the back of your room and plug the rear speakers into that.
According to VIZIO, the S5451w-C2 can crank out up to 104 dB of sound (SPL) with less than 1% harmonic distortion. That's loud enough for a nice sized living room or basement. Our own Ken Sander reviewed this precise unit and found that it offered "nicely balanced sound for both music and movies" and "truly discrete 5.1 channel surround with a nice big sweet spot." Read the complete review here: VIZIO S5451w-C2 review. Ken rated the system 3.5 stars out of 4, and really the price was the only sticking point. But for $299.99 instead of $499.99, this sound bar is a total steal.
The unit's 54-inch width increases the width of the soundstage and makes it an excellent match to a large flat panel TV, 55 inches or wider. It also works well to add surround sound to a projector-based big screen system. It can be either stand mounted or wall-mounted, depending on your needs and preferences.
The unit can be connected to your TV via HDMI, optical digital, coaxial digital or analog audio inputs, or you can use one of these for the TV and plug other devices in as well. It even comes with all the cables you could possibly need to get yourself connected. IT also comes with a powerful remote that allows you to adjust the sound to your taste or switch among the various inputs. It includes built-in decoding for Dolby Digital, DTS and PCM sound so it's compatible with pretty much any source you could throw at it. It also includes Bluetooth technology so you can stream music from your phone or tablet wirelessly.
The Amazon price is good today only (December 1, 2015) and only while supplies last.