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Hearing Impaired

ZVOX single-cabinet home theater systems reproduce the spoken word with remarkable clarity. We have had a number of customers tell us that ZVOX audio systems make it easier for their hearing-impaired family members to enjoy television programs. Simply put, they can hear audio - especially the spoken word - more clearly, without having to turn up TV volume to the "blast 'em out" level

There are a number of reasons for this:

• The ZVOX  PhaseCue™ system uses an all-channel speaker (or speakers) in the center of the cabinet. This monaural speaker tends to "anchor" the sound, creating clear, robust audio that is easy to hear. This design is particularly effective in reproducing human voices -- announcers, actors, interview subjects. If you adjust the PhaseCue control to a low setting (2-3), the ZVOX system puts a super-strong emphasis on voice reproduction for unmatched clarity.
• ZVOX systems are designed to disperse sound clearly throughout a room. So even if you are sitting far off to the side of the TV, you will still hear voices clearly – even at very low volume levels.
• Because they use high-performance speakers and amplifiers, ZVOX systems produce a wide range of sounds accurately, with very low distortion. This rich, natural sound is easier to hear because it does not include the distortion often associated with cheap, "tinny sounding" TV speakers.
• Try this experiment: turn your TV volume up to a moderately high level, then put your fingers on the cabinet near the speakers. You’ll probably feel the plastic cabinet vibrating – essentially “singing along” with the speakers. These undesired cabinet vibrations often “muddy” the sound of the TV. ZVOX cabinets are made of wood – medium density fiberboard (MDF). MDF doesn’t vibrate like plastic, so there’s no muddiness to the sound.

New: Dialog Enhancement Feature!

Our new Z-Base 555 and 580 systems include a remarkable feature -- our exclusive Dialog Enhancement sound processing.  It uses hearing aid technology to make voices unbelievably clear and easy to understand. Just press the "DE" button on the remote control for the 555 or 580 and voices seem to jump out of the speaker right into your head! It's uncanny how well it works.

Here are a couple of unsolicited letters from our customers:

Dear ZVOX folks, We would like to share our experience. We have a large TV with stereo speakers that I thought sounded good. I've been an audiophile for many years and when I saw the ad in Home Theater for the ZVOX I decided to give it a try. After hooking it up I was checking it out when I noticed my wife sitting next to me had tears in her eyes. I asked her what was the matter. She said I can understand everything they are saying without my hearing aids. I didn't have it turned up as loud as I usually do. She is hard of hearing and this was an emotional experience for her. The enjoyment we are both having is worth far more than the $200 we paid for the ZVOX.

- Lonn & Judy

The ZVOX Speaker was delivered in a timely fashion, by UPS. I am extremely satisfied with the speaker, since my wife and I have had some difficulty hearing the dialog through the TVs speakers. The ZVOX successfully allows the dialog to be heard above any background music. Needless to say, we were very pleasantly surprised that this product produced the results it advertised. The bass and the music production are of high fidelity quality and can more than easily fill our den, if we choose to crank up the volume.

- George, Staten Island, NY

I purchased the ZVOX One-Box audio system. The web-based purchase was easy to complete, I received prompt acknowledgement of the order and tracking information when the order shipped (which occurred within a couple of business days). I had purchased the product to help my wife (who has a hearing deficiency) hear the TV better. She has commented that she really likes the product. All-in-all a very satisfying experience.

- Robin S.

After the purchase of a Sony LCD TV, I was sick to think I had paid $1300 for a TV my wife could not understand all of what was being said, she was continually asking what did she say, what is he talking about, what did he say, upping the volume did not help. I hooked a subwoofer and speakers that came with my computer to the TV, the sound was improved, but they had to be turned on and off separately and not suitable in my livening room, so enter how I found your product. I searched the local stores for something that would take care of the problem, no luck. I searched the internet and found many that did not fit my needs. I have forgotten what I type in Google but I got one site referring to Zvox 315's improvement over the LCD TV's speakers, from there I type Zvox in google. The rest is history. Although I had to turn the subwoofer down low because of my wife's hearing condition, the 315 still has a very good sound. My wife can hear the dialog much better now. Thank you.

- James H.

I am 81 years old and my wife is a little younger. We both use hearing aids part of the time. We found we had difficulty discerning speech in too many movies (we use DVDs or streaming video every day). We tried a "cheap" brand of soundbar and got no relief, so we took it back under warranty. I kept searching the internet and came across your website. I studied all of your popular models and was much encouraged that you knew the kind of problems we elderly have and had worked out solutions. Not only have you wonderfully solved our problem re: hearing speech, but we also greatly appreciate being able to tone down those loud ads. We are not surround sound, home theater aficionados, so we find that aspect just fine for us. In summary, we are thrilled with the 555 and wish we had gotten one long ago. P.S. I'm a retired Psychiatrist and made a living listening to my patients and (hopefully) never missing a word they said ! Hence you can imagine my old age frustration when I can't clearly hear what is said.

- Warden R.