That sleek new flatscreen TV on your wall may deliver stunning 4K visuals, but it still lacks the powerful, room-filling sound you crave for action movies and concerts.
A high-quality soundbar system delivers the audio impact you’ve been missing. But getting those speakers set up properly involves some key steps.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the full process for setting up a Vizio soundbar.
From strategically placing the components to connecting them optimally, pairing wireless speakers, programming remotes, and configuring smart features.
Follow these best practices and you’ll be immersed in surround sound in no time.
Unboxing and Placement
Carefully unpack the soundbar, subwoofer, surround speakers, cables, power cords, remote controls, brackets, and other included accessories from the original boxes and packaging.
Retain all packaging materials in case any items need to be returned for exchange or refund.
Inspect each component for any signs of damage during shipping. Check that all accessories listed on the packaging are present.
Power on the soundbar, subwoofer, and surround speakers by pressing their power buttons and observe initial boot up sequences including flashing lights and startup screens which are normal.
The soundbar may prompt for selections of initial settings for language, EQ modes, network connections etc. Use the remote to navigate setup menus.
Position the soundbar centered horizontally below your TV, placing it at or slightly above ear height when seated for optimal audio clarity.
Allow a few inches of clearance above and below the soundbar for proper ventilation and cooling.
Place the subwoofer on the floor near an electrical outlet, avoiding direct contact with furniture which can cause unwanted vibrations.
Face the subwoofer port towards the listening area. Place it along the same wall as the soundbar if possible.
Position the surround speakers at ear level angled inwards at a 45 degree angle towards the central seating area, spaced 4-6 feet apart to create a wider immersive surround soundstage.
Place stands or mounts at seated ear height.
For a streamlined aesthetic, consider wall mounting the soundbar using the included wall brackets. Determine optimal mounting height and location directly centered below your TV.
Use a stud finder to locate studs, pre-drill holes if needed into studs, and securely affix brackets to wall using provided screws. Slide soundbar over brackets until it clicks firmly in place.
The soundbar has adjustable rubber feet allowing you to angle it upwards towards the central seating position which improves audio coverage and directs sound towards the listeners.
Rotate feet clockwise to raise the front of the soundbar or counter-clockwise to lay flat.
Connecting to TV
HDMI ARC Connection (Preferred Method)
Use the HDMI cable included with the soundbar to connect the HDMI ARC ports on both the TV and soundbar. This single cable allows advanced bidirectional transmission of digital audio signals between the devices for best sound quality.
Ensure HDMI-CEC device control is enabled on your TV settings.
Insert the HDMI cable firmly into both ports until it clicks into place.
For troubleshooting, verify secure cable connections at both ends, toggle the TV input selection to the correct HDMI port labelled ARC, adjust TV audio settings to PCM or Stereo formats if sound is distorted, update TV software/firmware, and reboot HDMI-CEC controls.
Using the correct matching HDMI ARC ports allows the TV remote to control soundbar volume. HDMI ARC also supports advanced Dolby and DTS surround sound signals not available through optical.
Optical Cable Connection
Alternatively, use a digital optical cable to transmit audio from the Optical output port on the TV to the Optical input port on the soundbar. This is a more basic one-way analog connection limited to 2-channel stereo.
Verify cable connections are fully inserted and secure at both ends.
Note the soundbar remote will not control TV volume when using Optical. Check TV audio output settings if no sound transmits properly. Optical cannot pass through 5.1, Dolby Atmos or DTS:X surround signals.
Connecting Surround Sound Speakers
Wireless Satellite Speaker Pairing
For immersive multi-channel surround sound, the included wireless satellite speakers must link to the soundbar via Bluetooth.
Initiate wireless pairing mode by pressing and holding the Pair or Connect button on the bottom or rear of the soundbar until its light blinks.
Then press and hold the Pair button on the left surround speaker until its light indicator blinks to begin syncing it with the soundbar.
Once paired, repeat this process for the right surround speaker. Upon successful pairing to both speakers, the soundbar will display a confirmation message or chime.
Place paired surrounds equidistant from the centered seating position.
Wireless Subwoofer Pairing
The wireless subwoofer should automatically pair and connect to the soundbar when plugged in nearby via Bluetooth.
If issues arise, engage manual pairing mode by pressing and holding the Pair or Connect buttons located on the rear of both the soundbar and subwoofer until their light indicators blink.
Wait until a solid Bluetooth light appears on both devices indicating successful pairing. Strategically place the subwoofer to prevent muffled or booming bass resonance from nearby walls or corners.
Face the sub port toward the listening area.
Adjusting Subwoofer Audio Level
Use the included remote control to finely adjust the subwoofer’s audio volume level.
Navigate to Audio Settings > Subwoofer Level and increase or decrease the bass output as desired when testing with audio or video containing heavy low frequency sound effects and soundtracks.
Bluetooth Pairing and Audio Streaming
Pairing Devices to the Soundbar
To wirelessly stream music, podcasts, audiobooks and more, pair mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and smart home devices to the soundbar via Bluetooth.
Initiate Bluetooth pairing mode on both the external device and the soundbar.
Accept the connection confirmation prompts once the soundbar name appears in the device’s list of available Bluetooth devices. The soundbar can actively transmit streamed audio from only one paired device at a time.
Streaming Audio and Reconnecting to Paired Devices
Once successfully paired via Bluetooth, play audio on your external device and it will stream directly to the soundbar’s speakers. Move devices closer together within 30 feet if connection reliability drops.
Previously paired devices automatically re-pair and connect to the soundbar when brought back into close wireless range.
Manually re-initiate Bluetooth pairing through system settings if desired. Switch the soundbar input mode to Bluetooth to begin streaming audio.
Wi-Fi Setup for Casting and Voice Assistants
Connecting Soundbar to Home Wi-Fi Network
Navigate to the soundbar’s network settings menu and select the option to view and connect to nearby wireless networks.
Choose your home Wi-Fi network name from the list and enter the correct password when prompted. Confirm the connection is active on the soundbar.
This provides the soundbar with internet connectivity for casting audio from apps and configuring wireless voice assistants.
Reboot the soundbar or Wi-Fi router if connection issues occur like failed setups or dropped streaming. Enable WPA2 encryption and 5GHz Wi-Fi frequency for optimal performance.
Casting Audio from Media Apps
With the soundbar now connected to your home Wi-Fi network, you can cast audio from media apps on your smartphone, tablet, or computer including Spotify, YouTube, TuneIn Radio, Pandora, Apple Music, Audible, and more.
Open the desired app, tap the Cast button, and select the soundbar name from the list to seamlessly stream audio over your local Wi-Fi network.
Useful for streaming music, news, podcasts, audiobooks and more without draining your device’s battery.
Configuring Voice Assistant and Voice Controls
The Wi-Fi connection also enables advanced hands-free voice assistant capability such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and proprietary integrated voice assistants.
Follow app setup instructions to link the soundbar to your preferred voice assistant account.
Configure desired voice commands for convenient hands-free audio playback control, music streaming, volume adjustments, smart home device control and more.
Programming TV Remote for Volume Control
Pairing TV Remote with Soundbar
To conveniently control soundbar volume using your TV remote, initiate pairing mode on both remotes simultaneously.
On the soundbar remote, press and hold the TV and Volume Up buttons until the Bluetooth or pairing light blinks twice.
Do the same on the TV remote by holding Volume Up until the volume symbol blinks twice. Keep both remotes nearby and oriented head-on during pairing.
Troubleshooting Tips
If pairing fails, restart the process keeping both remotes close together pointed at each other. Check battery levels and replace if low.
Consult user manuals for both TV and soundbar for alternative remote code programming instructions.
Using TV Remote to Control Volume
Once properly paired, the TV remote will now power on/off and adjust volume on the soundbar.
Use the soundbar remote for other audio controls like bass, treble, EQ, input selection, surround modes. Allowing convenient single remote use.
Conclusion
Setting up a Vizio soundbar system to enhance your TV’s audio can be a seamless process when following the proper steps.
Carefully unpack all included components and position them in an optimal listening configuration. Prioritize connecting the soundbar to your TV via HDMI ARC or optical cables for pure digital audio quality.
Wirelessly pair the subwoofer and surround speakers to the soundbar for immersive bass and surround sound.
Take advantage of the soundbar’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to stream music from your personal devices and favorite apps.
Configure integrated or external voice assistants for handy hands-free controls. And with the right remote pairing procedures, you can conveniently command volume adjustments directly through your TV remote.
Minor tweaks to settings like EQ modes, subwoofer levels and remote configurations allow you to finely tune the system to your preferences.
With this comprehensive set-up guide to reference, you’ll be enjoying your new Vizio soundbar’s incredible cinema-like audio in no time. Let the immersive entertainment begin!