About 3 years ago I experienced auditory damage as a result of an MRI procedure, during which I was not given adequate ear protection. Since then, my hearing has been declining, and I found TV watching frustrating, because I missed so much, particularly during movies on Netflix. I bought a Bose Solo 5 soundbar, which has a simple on/off feature that enhances dialogue, and for a while, it helped. Then, that, too, lost its usefulness as my hearing worsened. Sometimes I'd have to back up several times on my DVR to catch a key word or phrase, and if that failed, I'd have to turn the volume up really high. It made me feel old, which I am not.
Recently I saw the ZVOX soundbars advertised, read reviews of them on Amazon and also by independent review sites, and was greatly encouraged. The AV157 seemed to be the best suited for my needs, and $179 seemed like a fair price--certainly less expensive than hearing aids.
I took down the Bose and set up the ZVOX last night. Out of the box, I was a bit skeptical, because the unit is so small-- about 2/3 the size of the Bose soundbar. But already, I can say without qualification that the ZVOX ties for first place, along with my Dyson Absolute stick vacuum cleaner, as the most useful and life-enhancing purchase I have made in a long time.
I am a moderately technically savvy female, and had no difficulty setting it up, though it takes no particular skill. The directions are annoyingly on one huge, double sided piece of paper instead of a booklet, but they are written in good English and are easy to follow. The soundbar is essentially "plug and play." First, I attached the power cord and plugged it into an outlet. The Bose soundbar also had connected to the TV with an optical digital toslink, so initially, I didn't use the one provided by ZVOX. But I wasn't happy with the sound quality, and noticed that the cable on the ZVOX was about twice the thickness of the Bose cable. So I switched to the new one, and the improvement was amazing. When I disconnected the Bose cable, the sound reverted to the TV sound, and it sounded like a it was coming from the crystal radio I built with my dad as a 6th-grade science project. What a difference! (So if you have a non-ZVOX optical connector, don't use it.)
I am pleased with the remote. It's simple and small, so there's less clutter. (The Bose came with a monstrous remote that controlled everything but the refrigerator, and I disliked it immensely.) As described, it has a few simple controls--for volume, mute, Accuvoice, Surround Sound, and Other (which is for adjusting treble and bass).
Accuvoice has 6 levels of what I'll call "clarity of dialogue." To get the additional 6, you hold down the Accuvoice button for several seconds, and it switches over to "Super." I didn't find much difference between the first and second sets of functions, though, and settled on one (Accuvoice 5) that worked for me without being unpleasantly shrill. The crispness of dialogue seems to vary with the TV show or movie, and interestingly, did not degrade the quality of sound on the Music Choice stations. I am able to turn the volume down to "normal" volume, and can still understand every spoken word. The background sounds (and sometimes background music) are toned down, but is still there; it's just no longer distracting. I haven't tried the treble/bass adjustments, and frankly, don't have a need to do so, because I'm so happy with the current sound quality.
So, although the description says there are 12 settings, when you add the three options for virtual Surround Sound, there really are 36 options! This feature is surprisingly good, and I am incredulous at the quality of sound that come out of a little 17" piece of technology.
One other feature that I like is that the preset, default setting is that the soundbar turns off when the TV is turned off. (This can be changed, so that it can be turned off and on manually.) I like this better than the Bose, for which I had to turn the sound on and off separately. The thing I don't like, however, is that there's no indicator light on the unit that shows whether it's on or off.
A package insert boldly states that if you're having difficulty with the unit, don't send it back, call ZVOX. But I have had no problems, so I cannot rate the quality of Tech Support.
Overall, I could not be happier with this purchase. It makes me wish, though, that the ZVOX 157 had been available while my mother was still alive. She was severely hearing impaired, even wearing high-tech hearing aids, and it would have made her evenings of TV watching so much more enjoyable.
One final note. I bought this soundbar 4 days ago (6/21/21). Tonight I recommended it to a neighbor, whose husband (in his late 70's) has such difficulty hearing that he watches all TV with subtitles on. When I looked on Amazon, the price had gone from $179 to $249, from the same seller and for no apparent reason. This is not OK, and I'm going to phone Amazon for an explanation.
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This item: ZVOX Dialogue Clarifying Sound Bar - Patented Hearing Technology, AccuVoice TV Sound Bar with 12 Levels of Voice Boost, 17" Home Theater TV Speakers, Ideal for Smart TVs - AV157 Black
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This Item  ZVOX Dialogue Clarifying Sound Bar - Patented Hearing Technology, AccuVoice TV Sound Bar with 12 Levels of Voice Boost, 17" Home Theater TV Speakers, Ideal for Smart TVs - AV157 Black | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $209.99 | $199.99 | -11% $399.99 List: $449.99 | $129.99 | $199.95 | $179.95 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Sunday, Apr 6 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Apr 6 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 7 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Apr 6 | Get it as soon as Sunday, Apr 6 | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | ZVOX Audio | ZVOX Audio | ZVOX Audio | ZVOX Audio | Amazon.com | Walts TV |
| speaker size | 17 inches | 5.25 inches | 2 inches | 10 inches | 7 centimeters | 600 millimeters |
| power source | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | DC | DC | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
| connectivity tech | Wired | Optical | Wi-Fi | Wired | Bluetooth, Auxiliary, HDMI, Optical | wired, wireless |
| speaker type | Soundbar | Soundbar | Subwoofer, 3D, Soundbar, Woofer, Surround Sound | Soundbar | Soundbar,Subwoofer | Soundbar,Subwoofer |
| mounting type | Bar Mount | Bar Mount | Bar Mount | Bar Mount | Wall Mount | Wall Mount |
| weight | 3 pounds | — | 12.6 pounds | 1 pounds | 7.1 pounds | 3.97 pounds |
| control method | voice | remote | remote | remote | — | voice, remote |
| model name | AV157 | AV157 | SB500 | AV100 | SR-B20A | SR-C20A |
| surround channels | 2.1 or 3.1 | 2.1 | multi-channel | 2 | — | Virtual 5.1" or "Virtual 7.1 |
| subwoofer diameter | 3 inches | 3 inches | 4 inches | 2.5 inches | 0 inches | 3 inches |
Product Description
Find the ZVOX Soundbar for you
 AccuVoice AV100 |  AccuVoice AV157 |  AccuVoice AV257 |  AccuVoice AV357 |  SoundBar SB380 |  SoundBar SB500 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Customer Reviews
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2,223
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2,140
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345
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318
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998
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76
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Price
| $129.99 | $209.99 | — | — | — | $399.99 |
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Why this model?
| Small size, powerful sound | Superior flexibilty & clarity | Superior flexibilty & clarity | Great value; high-grade sound | Great value; high-grade sound | ZVOX's top-of-the-line system. |
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Dimensions
| 10" x 2.75" x 2.5" | 17" x 3.38" x 2.88" | 17" x 3.38" x 2.88" | 35.5" x 3.3" x 5.7" | 35.5" x 3.3" x 5.7" | 43.9" x 3.3" x 5.7" |
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TV Size Pairing
| Any Size | Any Size | Any Size | Any Size | 37" - 65" | 50" - 80" |
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Placement Options
| Front of TV; wall mounted | Front of TV; wall mounted | Front of TV; wall mounted | Front of TV; wall mounted | Front of TV; wall mounted | Front of TV; wall mounted |
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AccuVoice Modes
| 6 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
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Output Leveling
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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Amplifier Power Wattage
| 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 140 |
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Driver Count
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 (full-range); 1 woofer | 3 (full-range); 1 woofer | 3 (full-range); 1 woofer |
I can understand dialog again
I have profound hearing loss in my right ear and some loss in my left ear. Watching TV programs and movies was a frustrating experience, because in spite my top-of-the line hearing aides, I was unable to understand the dialog. Trying to read close captions was not an ideal solution. With this sound bar, I am almost completely satisfied. I would like better explanations of how to adjust the settings.
Top reviews from the United States
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Top reviews from other countries
- Thomas ReadReviewed in Spain on March 8, 2024
I am glad I found this ZVOX
Color: BlackVerified Purchase -
LookReviewed in Italy on February 9, 2022
Funziona per migliorare la voce
Color: BlackVerified Purchase -
Norbert MöllerarndReviewed in Germany on February 14, 2022
Deutliche Verbesserung
Color: BlackVerified Purchase - Ron SkeltonReviewed in Canada on July 29, 2023
Good while it lasts, but ZVOX stands behind it.
Color: BlackVerified Purchase
