ZVOX AV355 AccuVoice Low-Profile Soundbar – The Soundbar that Actually Fits Under Your TV
If you are looking for a soundbar, one of the biggest considerations is size. First and foremost it needs to fit under your TV. If your TV is wall-mounted, perhaps you have some flexibility. But if it is on a stand, you end up with fewer options. Sure, there are ways of raising that TV, but that’ll just cost you more money! You got the soundbar because it was an inexpensive way to make the dialogue easier to understand (or so you thought). We’ve covered ZVOX soundbars before so we were excited to hear they’d released the AV355 AccuVoice low-profile model. Let’s take a closer look.
Size
The new ZVOX AV355 has much of the same technology as the other AccuVoice soundbars, this one is just low-profile. What does that mean? Well, the AV355 measures in at a measly 2.2 inches tall! That should fit in front of most TVs without blocking the picture. It is 24 inches wide and 3.5 inches deep. The front grille comes in three finishes – black, graphite, or bronze to match your decor.
Technology
Like the other ZVOX AccuVoice soundbars, the low-profile AV355 has six AccuVoice modes and six SuperVoice modes. Each of these modes helps boost dialogue in slightly different ways. Why might you want this? Each room presents its own acoustic problems. While some soundbar solutions offer a dialogue enhancement mode or two, there is no guarantee that these will work in your room. If you aren’t going to fix the room, you are going to need as many options as possible. ZVOX offers you that.
The AV355 has both digital and analogue inputs for receiving the audio from your TV. ZVOX offers a remote with the low-profile AV355 AccuVoice soundbar, but promises you can control it with your TV remote as well. There is a large, digital readout visible through the grille that will help with setup and volume control.
Drivers and Sound
The ZVOX AV355 AccuVoice low-profile soundbar has three full-range drivers along with a “virtual subwoofer.” What is a virtual subwoofer? Well, ZVOX doesn’t really say. We think we can spy some front ports through the grille. We are guessing there is probably a folded horn behind the full-range drivers to augment the bass. While this won’t provide the most even of sound, it is likely to accentuate the frequencies that will make your listening experience much more pleasant.
ZVOX also offers an Output Leveling feature that provides dynamic range compression. In essence, this increases the volume of the softest sounds while reducing the volume of the loudest sounds. Many AV receivers have this capability (often called “night mode”). For those that are annoyed at how loud commercials can be in comparison to the TV shows, this feature is a must.
Our Take
When shopping for soundbars, many people worry about two things – price and size. If it costs too much, or won’t fit under their TV, it is out of contention. The ZVOX AV355 AccuVoice low-profile soundbar currently costs $200 at Amazon and other outlets (list price is $300 so grab it while you can) and it is only 2.2 inches tall. The only other consideration is how it sounds. While we haven’t had a chance to review one of the AccuVoice soundbars from ZVOX, the reviews of them are pretty universally good. Mostly, we believe, because of all the dialogue enhancement options. If you are looking for a small soundbar to fit under your TV, the ZVOX AV355 AccuVoice low-profile model should be on your list.
