Zvox AV357 review: Premium soundbar improves your TV’s voices

Are you putting up with indecipherable dialogue on your Tv? There are numerous alternatives to countering very poor audio, but acquiring a new soundbar is a good spot to get started. Massachusetts-dependent organization Zvox pretty much invented the soundbar, and it truly is been refining its types in the nearly 20 decades since. Immediately after a detour into hearing aids, the organization has been applying what it learned to establish its line of AccuVoice speakers, which contains every little thing from the entry-degree ZV100 ($100) to this new flagship AV357 soundbar — which lists for $350 but is on sale suitable now at $300. 

With its MDF design (that is engineered wooden for those unfamiliar with the acronym), the AV357 is both equally bigger and more appealing than move-down versions. Characteristics are relatively sparse — there isn’t Bluetooth streaming — but its performance is earlier mentioned and over and above what you would count on from the dimensions.

That claimed, compared to other soundbars at this price point, the Zvox lacks a large amount of functions. Competitors beat it handsomely for will have to-haves like highly developed connectivity and usability — as does the Zvox AV257, which is currently out of inventory. But at the close of the day, the AV357 is very well-created and tends to make Tv dialogue and songs audio superior than any tv by itself.

What is it?

The Zvox AV357 is a single, 24-inch soundbar intended to make improvements to dialogue from your Tv. It would not provide Bluetooth, HDMI or other conventional fripperies but it does have twelve levels of voice improvement. Some soundbars have a single dialogue method, if they are blessed, so this indicates the AV357 is very configurable in comparison.

The unit offers 6 levels of AccuVoice strengthen, as well as an extra 6 levels of SuperVoice accessed via the remote’s AccuVoice button. SuperVoice is intended to reduce background appears and strengthen dialogue even further more. Other audio modes include things like a volume leveling method (for loud commercials), PhaseCue virtual surround and bass and treble controls.

The Zvox has just two inputs: an analog and an optical electronic. The analog input lets buyers to join a Tv or an Amazon Echo for computerized muting when issuing commands. The bar itself is lined in a reasonably appealing black ash veneer and measures 23.75 inches extensive, 4.19 inches deep and two.75 inches high. I was applying a relatively small-slung Westinghouse Tv throughout my tests and found that the soundbar did block its IR port. If that is a difficulty for you, there sadly is not a wall-mounting option (however you could likely locate a third-bash solution).

You can system your TV’s distant to regulate the speaker’s volume levels or use the included distant, which has a quality come to feel to it and massive buttons to aid men and women with small eyesight. (It lets you to entry the speaker’s extra functions, however it would have been excellent to incorporate a SuperVoice button due to the fact this is not obvious without having consulting the manual.) Alas, compared with other Zvox speakers I have tested, the AV357 would not have controls on the unit. This could be an difficulty if, like me, you misplace the distant and require to change down the audio in a hurry.

The soundbar is powered by a 24-watt Class D electronic amplifier — just like the AV257 — and a complement of three-inch, total-range speakers. If you want more bass oomph, there is a combined headphone and subwoofer output.

Individually, I want the functions of the AV257 to the AV357 as it offers both equally the further optical-analog input and has controls on the unit. It can be also $80 less expensive. Although I haven’t heard the AV257, the other primary dissimilarities are the AV357 is much broader and it functions wooden design. The improved physical volume most most likely contributes to the bass excess weight that I heard. But could I convey to the soundbar was wooden and not aluminum by hunting at it? Not really. It was a black blob in entrance of the Tv. I essentially want the special, brushed seem of Zvox’s aluminum soundbars to the AV357’s to some degree pedestrian black ash.

How does it execute?

When location up the AV357, I necessary to tweak the audio to get it just how I wanted. It wasn’t quite all set to go out of the box — likely thanks to it applying an analog Tv resource in its place of electronic. For occasion, I necessary to reduce “Lo” by two, or bass drums sounded unfastened and floppy. In addition, AccuVoice configurations two and earlier mentioned had been loud and too ahead and vibrant — not good for songs. Last but not least, when established in SD three (Surround three) method, the soundbar was capable of a extensive plenty of soundstage and bass for songs. 

In my preceding activities with Zvox soundbars, one of the company’s dependable strengths — in addition to excellent dialogue — has been the sum of bass the manufacturer can squeeze out of a compact cupboard. Of training course, this indicates a large amount of behind-the-scenes sign processing, and I found this could lead to some strange conduct. Bass-heavy songs could pulse in and out to the beat, for instance. 

Luckily for us, this was much less of an difficulty with the AV357. Although I did notice delicate fading results on the sparse spoken-word interlude of Fucked Up’s Year of the Horse Act one, I only heard it once throughout my week with the speaker. Even Alt-J’s notoriously speaker-destroying 3WW didn’t overload the cupboard with its deep bass mattress — at minimum, not right after pulling back the bass regulate earlier.

With further more songs listening I found Foals’ What Went Down was in particular pleasing. It can be a cliche, but I really did test to see if the Vizio V21 was on as the bass seemed too deep, too tuneful to be from the Zvox’s modest enclosure.

As you would count on, supplied the company’s primary pitch, the Zvox was superior with voices than the Vizio V21 (our recent finances beloved). The AV357 available enhanced detail, reminding me of audiophile-quality loudspeakers, and it was in particular capable of deciphering gritty British cop demonstrates like Line of Duty. 

The AV357 offers so many tailored options that it encourages tweaking, but those can be taken too far. Based on the method, you could locate that midrange heavy appears come to be unnatural (e.g., Supermode two and three accentuated turning bedsheets in John Wick), making them audio like they’d been sitting out in the frost overnight. Also, at AccuVoice’s greatest levels the brighter audio could be unpleasant for relatives associates who do not require much guidance with hearing voices.

As you would count on, the Vizio ran rings all-around the Zvox for home theater pleasure. In the course of Avatar’s thanator chase scene, the thump of the Vizio’s wi-fi sub enhanced the drama. Meanwhile, the Zvox arrived off a minor skinny obvious, but skinny. What I didn’t count on was the Zvox’s dynamics. It could not be in a position to pump out bass, but if you do not use the volume leveling characteristic, the AV357 handles dynamic shifts very well — like the tranquil jungle appears of Pandora broken by gunfire.

Should really you obtain it?

Zvox is not the only organization making dialogue-enhancing soundbars: Polk, Samsung and Vizio all provide versions with voice improvement, however they provide minor in the way of personalized configuration. The Zvox AV357’s 6 levels of voice regulate are a little something no other soundbar organization can provide. But if you really require AccuVoice, there are less expensive Zvox soundbars that also include things like it, which includes the $100 AV100. 

The more high-priced SB500 and SB700 also include things like AccuVoice in addition to Bluetooth, and the SB500 is much bigger (making it worthy of the further $80). It also has a assortment of onboard controls if you cannot locate the distant. 

Characteristics and design apart, the AV357’s primary attraction is its audio performance: It can be one of the clearest, most dynamic soundbars you are going to locate in a modest enclosure. Its performance belies its dimensions, as it is capable of outstanding clarity and a deceptively deep bass. It can be also amazingly good with songs. Remaining produced of wooden is one of its minimum appealing characteristics.