Sound & Vision (2019-04)

wide
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The small rectangular box sat in my foyer for days

before I realized it was the Zvox soundbar I’d been

waiting for. My god, this thing is small, I thought as I

pulled the AccuVoice AV203 TV Speaker out of the

box. I was immediately impressed with its he and

build quality and as curious as ever about how the

diminutive bar would perform.

Zvox is a pioneer in outboard TV sound, having

introduced the first successful soundbar in 2003 at

a time when “home theater in a box” speaker pack-

ages were touted as a “simple” but effective alterna-

tive to the speakers built into most TVs. In truth,

the typical HTiB with its six speakers and gaggle of

wires was a pain to set up. When the Zvox 315 Sound

Console arrived, it was a breath of fresh air, offering

excellent sound quality from a single elongated

speaker that was a cinch to hook up and use.

Zvox has evolved and expanded its product line

over the years, introducing the first “soundbase”

and the first soundbar to incorporate hearing aid

technology that “lis voices out of background

sounds,” making dialogue easier to discern for those

with hearing loss. The company calls the technology

AccuVoice and it’s the main araction of the AV203.

The AV203 is a model of simplicity with three

equally spaced 1.5 x 3-inch drivers and a 24-wa

amplifier ensconced in a sturdy brushed-aluminum

enclosure measuring 17 x 3 x 3 inches. It has a

manageable set of controls that provide six levels of

AccuVoice processing, which progressively shis

and narrows the frequency band as you toggle up,

three levels of Zvox’s PhaseCue virtual surround

processing, bass and treble controls, and an output

leveling mode that smooths out volume swings

among different TV channels or inputs. Everything

is controlled through a compact remote that sat

comfortably in the palm of my hand.

Seing up the AV203 is a cinch as the bar offers

only three connection options: a minijack for

analog hookups to older TVs (cable included), an

optical digital port (cable included), and a minijack

output for headphones or a subwoofer.

Within seconds of plugging the supplied optical

cable into my HD cable box, the system was up and

running, proving handily that it could run circles

around the tiny squawkers built into a 55-inch LG

TV. The AV203 excelled at bringing dialogue (or

vocals) to the forefront, and did a decent job of

keeping obnoxious commercials in check when

output-leveling was engaged (the result wasn’t

entirely consistent but that likely had more to do

with the program material than the processing).

I enjoyed the upgrade in sound the AV203

provided with a variety of programming, including

the BBC’s outstanding music showcase, Later...

with Jools Holland. I found that punching up the

bass and using the AccuVoice 1 seing with

Surround Level 1 (for music) and 3 (for movies)

provided the best balance between intelligible

vocals (or dialogue) and reasonably full sound.

The climactic firebomb scene in A Bronx Tale

demonstrated the lile speaker’s prowess with

movie soundtracks in a surprisingly potent way as

a car carrying thugs exploded, trapping all inside.

It also tested the volume limit of the lile speaker,

which was more than adequate for my 12 x 15-foot

space. Dialogue was easy to discern during street

scenes and even those set in the noisy club.

If you have a mild to moderate hearing loss,

you’ll appreciate Zvox’s AccuVoice feature, which

highlights voices by zeroing in on progressively

higher midrange frequencies as you raise its level.

Just keep in mind that these changes in tone (espe-

cially from the top three seings) will sound tinny to

a normal ear — sort of like an old transistor radio.

Make no mistake, if you’re looking for a

soundbar capable of delivering big, powerful

enveloping sound with movie soundtracks, the

AV203 is not your bar. Rather, the AV203’s specialty

is delivering sound that's noticeably beer than

you could ever hope to get from your TV’s sound

system with the unique ability to isolate and clarify

voices and dialogue for those who suffer from a

mild to moderate hearing deficiency.

quick take

Zvox

AccuVoice

AV203 TV

Speaker

BY BOB ANKOSKO

Tiny Enhancer

RATING

PERFORMANCE

FEATURES/

ERGONOMICS

BUILD QUALITY

VALUE

SPECS

Drivers: 1.5 x 3-in

high-output full-range (3)

Enclosure Type:

Extruded aluminum

with slotted port

Rated Power:

(watts): 24

Connections: Optical

digital input, 3.5 mm

analog/digital input,

3.5mm headphone/

subwoofer output

Dimensions (W x H x D,

inches): 17 x 3.1 x 2.9

Weight (pounds): 2.8

Accessories:

3.5mm stereo cable,

3.5mm to stereo RCA

cable, optical cable

Color Options:

Black, titanium gray

THE VERDICT

The AV203 TV speaker

just might be a godsend

for viewers with hearing

loss who have difficulty

discerning voices and

movie dialogue.

Price: $200

Super compact

Nice build quality

Easy to set up and use

AccuVoice modes aid the

hearing impaired

Sound could be fuller

Virtual surround is subtle

AT A

GLANCE

(^22) [ April May 2019 [soundandvision.com