Let's take a look at the comparison between Vizio V21-H8 and Sony HT-A7000. It will become clear that among these two devices, the HT-A7000 is more suitable for the role of a home soundbar. According to the results of our comparison, V21-H8 received 5.5 points out of 10 possible, and HT-A7000 was rated 8 points.
The V21-H8 is rated 6 of 10 against 9 for the HT-A7000 according to the audio features rating.
It worth understanding the difference between the two types of amplification: a passive soundbar does not have its own amplifier and receives amplification from the signal source, while an active soundbar has a built-in amplifier. The same active type of amplification is used in the V21-H8 and the HT-A7000.
There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound. It is worth noting one of the main differences, the V21-H8 has 2.1 channels, while the HT-A7000 has 7.1.2 channels.
V21-H8 | HT-A7000 | |
---|---|---|
Built-in channels | 2.1 | 7.1.2 |
Amplification type | active | active |
Output power, W | N/A | 500 (overall) |
Separate speaker (in package) | 0 | 0 |
Separate speaker connections | wired, wireless | has not |
Soundbars can have a built-in or external subwoofer. The first type is inseparable from the soundbar body, but for the second, you can choose a good location for deep bass. A built-in subwoofer is only present in the HT-A7000. The V21-H8 comes with an external subwoofer.
V21-H8 | HT-A7000 | |
---|---|---|
Built-in subwoofer | ✖ | ✔ |
Separate subwoofer (in package) | ✔ | ✖ |
Separate subwoofer connections | wired, wireless | ✖ |
Unlike stereo, when reproducing multichannel sound, each specific direction of sound corresponds to its dedicated channel with a separate independent loudspeaker, which creates a three-dimensional sound stage. The V21-H8 received rating 5 out of 10 for multichannel audio processing, but the HT-A7000, in the same category, earned 10 out of 10 points.
The peculiarity of Dolby Atmos is that this format is object-oriented, that is, each object of the audio signal is sounded separately and linked to its spatial location. Dolby Atmos surround sound support is implemented only in Sony HT-A7000.
DTS:X is an algorithm for processing sound scenes by the processor, linking directly to objects, rather than channels, and calculating the optimal distribution of sound output in a room. The manufacturer has implemented DTS:X technology only in HT-A7000.
V21-H8 | HT-A7000 | |
---|---|---|
Dolby Atmos | ✖ | ✔ |
Dolby (other) | Dolby Digital | Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, Dolby TrueHD |
DTS:X | ✖ | ✔ |
DTS (other) | DTS Virtual:X | DTS HD High Resolution Audio, DTS HD Master Audio, DTS ES |
The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services.
The popular Spotify service is available on the HT-A7000.
V21-H8 | HT-A7000 | |
---|---|---|
Apple Music (AirPlay) | ✖ | ✔ |
Amazon Music | ✖ | ✔ |
Spotify | ✖ | ✔ |
Other streaming services | has not | Pandora, SoundCloud |
The existence of a sufficient number of current connectors significantly expands the functionality of the device. For example, only through HDMI is it possible to implement the transfer of object-oriented formats, and the presence of a Bluetooth connection will allow remote control, etc. The devices received different ratings for connectivity: Vizio V21-H8 was rated 6 out of 10, and Sony HT-A7000 was rated 7 out of 10.
The presence of Wi-Fi in the soundbar allows you to get rid of wires when connected to a sound source and get minimal audio latency when playing content from streaming services. Wireless connection via Wi-Fi is possible on the HT-A7000.
Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for speaker systems, which provides excellent quality and minimal audio latency. The availability of Bluetooth protocol, we can see in both models. The V21-H8 has 0/1 HDMI inputs/outputs, but the HT-A7000 got 2/1 HDMI inputs/outputs from the manufacturer.
HDMI ARC is a very usefull technology that creates a two-way communication channel between a TV and another device. This is convenient since there is no need to use optical and other cables in the system. HDMI ARC is basic for both soundbars. Connecting external devices via USB can be done on both models.
V21-H8 | HT-A7000 | |
---|---|---|
WI-FI | ✖ | ✔ |
Bluetooth | ✔ | ✔ |
Ethernet (RJ45) | 0 | 0 |
NFC | ✖ | ✖ |
HDMI input/output | 0/1 | 2/1 |
HDMI ARC | ✔ | ✔ |
HDMI eARC | ✖ | ✔ |
HDMI CEC | ✖ | ✔ |
Optical digital input/output | 1/0 | 1/0 |
USB | 1 (USB 2.0) | 1 (USB 2.0) |
Coaxial digital input/output | 0/0 | 0/0 |
Analog audio input/output (RCA) | 1/0 | 0/0 |
Headphone output | 0 | 0 |
Subwoofer output | 0 | 0 |
Voice control is designed to make operating the device more convenient. This allows you to control basic soundbar functions from anywhere in the room.
Proprietary applications allow you to control your soundbars remotely. This is possible both via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The V21-H8 has its own remote control application. Only Vizio V21-H8 has a built-in microphone.
Some soundbars can be part of a multi-room system and it is an affordable solution for sounding the whole house. However, it is impossible to create a multiroom system based on each of these soundbars.
V21-H8 | HT-A7000 | |
---|---|---|
Voice control | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | ✖ |
App control | ✔ | ✖ |
Microphone | ✔ | ✖ |
Remote control | ✔ | ✔ |
Multi-room | ✖ | ✖ |
V21-H8 | HT-A7000 | |
---|---|---|
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in | 100 x 27.4 x 37.6/39 x 11 x 15 | 130x8x14.2/51.2x3.2x5.5 |
Weight, kg/pounds | 2/5 | 8.7/19 |