Skip to main content

Vizio cleans up its face with new 2013 sound bar line

Image used with permission by copyright holder

With bezels fast becoming a thing of the past, the habitat for built-in TV speakers is rapidly disappearing. As a result, external options like speaker systems and/or sound bars are now virtually essential for the audio-conscious television owner.

We saw quite a few innovative sound bars this week at CES 2013, and though Vizio’s new 42-inch S4251W sound bar – part of the 2013 line it showcased at the event – doesn’t exactly raise the bar on sound bars in generalit does exceed Vizio’s previous efforts by adding in enhanced connectivity (including Bluetooth), a wireless subwoofer, and a clever and convenient remote feature.

Recommended Videos

Via a built-in LCD display, Vizio’s proprietary Display Remote shows the sound bar’s status, eliminating the need to rely on the often tiny letters and numbers on its face. Those with larger TV rooms will no doubt find this a subtle-but-welcome improvement.

On the audio side of things, the bar itself houses two 2.5-inch drivers while a 6-inch driver is tucked away in the system’s wire. Add in the rear satellites and you’ve got plenty of boom, plus clear audio with an SNR of 102dB. This should prove a solid system, well-suited for filling small to average sized rooms.

This 42-inch model is part of Vizio’s 2013 Home Theater Sound Bar line which also includes 40-inch and 54-inch models, each of which corresponds to a different range of TV sizes. Aside from that, the principal differences are the sub sizes (8-inch for the 54-inch, 6-inch for the others) and power levels, with the 54-inch model also sporting a slightly larger cabinet to accommodate high-excursion drivers.

The S4251W is expected to retail for $330, which is a bargain based on what we heard at CES. No word yet on release date, though Vizio did indicate at CES that the bars should be coming available sometime this spring.

Adam Poltrack
Former Contributor
Adam is an A/V News Writer for Digital Trends, and is responsible for bringing you the latest advances in A/V…
Plaud Note, the professional-tier AI notetaker, is 20% off for Prime Day
Four colleagues have a conversation around a Plaud Note AI notetaker.

Lately, as I've been working through stressful hospital visits with family, I've encountered something I haven't in quite awhile. As I hear doctors, nurses, and family say things, I'll be completely unable to remember them moments later. There's just too much going on all at once. Early in my career I encountered the same issue. There were just so many new facets of what I was doing entering my head all at once, from many sources, that it was impossible to keep track of it all. If only there were AI notetaking tools that have helped me through this. AI notetaking tools like Plaud Note and Plaud NotePin, which are both 20% off for Prime Day (from $159 to $127 for either device, saving you $32) and available by tapping the button below.

PLAUD Note Voice Recorder

Read more
Anker Products were already on sale — then Prime Day dropped the price further
A man at a laptop with an Anker Prime Charging Station.

It's summer and Prime Day 2025 is here. That means, if you're a business owner, you might consider putting things on sale. But what are you to do if your things are already on sale? You could just continue the sale you have. But that's not what Anker, creator of popular power banks and charging stations, has done. Instead, they put their sale on sale. Here's the absolute best of what Anker has to offer at this time, as well as their great new price.

Anker Prime Charging Station (8-in-1, 240W) — Was $149.99 with 33% off, now is $99.99

Read more
Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 finally on sale: save $600 for Prime Day
projector in room setup

Big-screen dreams? This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Valerion’s VisionMaster Pro 2, the flagship laser projector that’s dominated Reddit AV threads and wowed CES attendees, is finally seeing its first-ever price drop. And it’s a good one.

For Prime Day 2025, the VisionMaster Pro 2 is 20% off, bringing the price down to $2,389. That’s $600 in savings on what many home theater fanatics consider the best projector in its class.

Read more