Technology
ZVOX technology: a little old, a little new, a lot of wood.
Most audio and video products sold today put their focus on digital technology, new “miracle” materials, flashy industrial design and a lot of molded plastic.
But not ZVOX.
Our products use a unique combination of old-school techniques and unique applications of modern technology.
- We like analog.
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ZVOX may be the only 21st century manufacturer of analog surround sound systems. They use some digital circuitry, but they are essentially analog designs.
We believe that analog systems generally have a more musically accurate character. A well-designed analog system sounds natural – with none of the “digital weirdness” we hear in many digital surround sound systems (some stuff just doesn’t sound right).
Also analog is simple. We have yet to encounter a digital audio product whose user’s manual is under 18 pages. Digital, for the most part, is complicated. And life, let’s face it, is already way too complicated. So we like analog.
- We like technology
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Our PhaseCue system generates a very wide sound stage for music -- with the right program material it sounds like you’re listening to speakers eight feet apart from each other. And PhaseCue also create a rich, three-dimensional virtual surround effect with movie soundtracks. Listen to the soundtrack of Master and Commander and you’ll hear deck planks creaking and halyards twanging to your left, to your right and in back of you.
PhaseCue is part science and part art. The system manipulates audio signals – mixing various levels of “in phase” and “out of phase” signal into different speakers – to create this big “out of box” sound effect.
Our Infinite Compliance system connects speaker drivers using special acoustic tubes. The result is a open, “big” sound normally associated with much larger speaker cabinet.
- We like wood.
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There are two reasons why so many speakers today use plastic cabinets. You can make them into all kinds of fun shapes, and they’re cheap. We like fun shapes, and we like saving money. But we really like good sound. And the best speakers – even models selling for tens of thousands of dollars – are made of wood (medium density fiberboard). The same stuff we use in all our systems. It’s acoustically neutral (it doesn’t vibrate, or “sing along” with the music), and it’s solid. We like wood.
- We like high quality speakers
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We could save a lot of money by using cheap speakers with weak magnets and flimsy cones. But we’ve been in the audio business a long time and we appreciate quality speakers. They are what we would want to own ourselves, or sell to our friends. We don’t sell anything else.
The ZVOX PhaseCue system creates three-dimensional, room-filling sound – including virtual surround sound effects – out of one, compact cabinet.
The Competition
How does ZVOX compare with competing simple home theater systems?
Since we introduced our first single-cabinet surround sound system in January of 2004, a number of other companies have
introduced “simple home theater systems.” Bose®, Boston Acoustics®, Denon®, Polk®, Sony®, SoundMatters®, Yamaha® and others now offer surround sound systems that are far simpler to install and use than traditional 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 systems. We frequently get emails and calls asking us to compare ZVOX products to those of our competitors.
For lots of reasons, we don’t like to make direct comparisons with specific competing products. But we do think it’s fair, and helpful, to point out some philosophical and physical differences between our stuff and their stuff. Please excuse us if we generalize a bit. It’s hard not to. And new products that may be exceptions to the rule could be introduced at any time. But here goes...
One, Two, Three, Four....boxes. True single-cabinet surround sound systems are quite rare. The most popular simple home theater uses three or four boxes -- two small speakers, a big subwoofer and, usually, some sort of control box. Some competitors have gotten this down to two boxes -- usually a sound bar and a subwoofer. But all ZVOX systems are true single-cabinet surround sound systems. Speakers, amplifier, powered subwoofer and virtual surround circuit are all in one
box. No external speakers or subwoofers.
No Speaker Wires. No “Umbilical Cord.” Because everything’s in one box, there are no speaker wires to run anywhere. And there’s no garden-hose-sized umbilical cord running from one thing to another. Installation is clean and simple. One connecting cord to your TV. One AC plug.
We Still Use Wood. OK, we’re old school. But MDF (medium density fiberboard) is still our preferred method of building speakers. All our systems are robustly constructed of MDF. No plastic cabinets.
Small Is Beautiful...Except When It’s Not. We’re not sure why, but some of our competitors seem to think they’re in a contest -- to see who can make the smallest speakers. They do this for stylistic reasons and, in some cases, in the pursuit of virtual surround performance. But we have found that it is hard to reproduce a female vocalist, a rumbling motorcycle or a powerful explosion using drivers the size of a coin. The average main speaker in a ZVOX system is 3.25” in diameter. A
speaker driver that size can reproduce music and movie soundtracks with the impact and accuracy they deserve.
Analog Virtual Surround Sound. Virtually all of our competitors use some sort of digital processing to create their virtual
surround sound effects. We prefer our PhaseCue analog virtual surround system because we believe that the absence of
digital manipulation results in a more natural, realistic sound. Listen to a rain storm on a system using digital virtual surround
-- chances are it will sound like white noise (hissing). On a ZVOX system rain sounds, well, wet. The reviewers at AudioVideo
Revolution described this difference quite well in their review of the ZVOX 425 system -- “What I found unique was that it
sounded completely natural. Other single-cabinet surround systems I have listened to may have provided more surround
information, but none as real. This produced a smooth grain-free quality devoid of any digital signature.”
ZVOX Costs Less. Our systems don’t include expensive input switching systems and displays -- because your TV already
has these circuits, and you don’t need two sets. We also don’t pay expensive royalties for virtual surround technology. And of
course we don’t have the expense of all those extra cabinets, wires and connecting cords. So a ZVOX system sells for
between $200 and $700. Most competing systems sell for hundreds more.
®Bose is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation. Boston Acoustics is a registered trademark of D&M Holdings. Polk Audio is a registered trademark of Polk Audio. Sony is a registered trademark of Sony Corp. SoundMatters is a registered trademark of SoundMatters International, Inc. Yamaha is a registered trademark of Yamaha Electronics Corporation.
5.1 surround sound vs. ZVOX virtual surround – which is right for you?
For years, the standard of quality in TV audio has been a 5.1 surround sound system. Five speakers (center, left, right, left-rear, right-rear) and a powered subwoofer -- all connected to a receiver, or part of a “home theater in a box.”
Then, three years ago, ZVOX changed the equation by offering simple, single-cabinet audio systems that provide virtual surround sound -- without all the speakers, and without all the wires.
ZVOX is not for everyone.
We’re the first to admit that our systems are not the perfect choice for every customer. We’d like to present our honest – though biased – opinions about who should buy what. But first, a couple of definitions:
- Home Theater In A Box: HTIBs were invented because people complained about how complicated 5.1 systems were. HTIBs normally consist of a DVD console-amplifier (usually with AM/FM tuner), five speakers, and a subwoofer. While they are relatively easy to set up, they aren’t a lot easier to use than a conventional component home theater system. But the big problem with most HTIBs is sound quality. For reasons that baffle us, most manufacturers use really cheap, really mediocre sounding speakers. We know of several table radios that sound better than most HTIBs. There are exceptions, but all HTIBs we’ve heard that we’ve liked are over $500. And most are around $1,000.
- Component 5.1 Systems: These systems are usually comprised of a surround sound receiver, five speakers (center, left, right, left-rear and right-rear) and a powered subwoofer. Although they vary in quality, many component 5.1 systems deliver very high sound quality – with exceptional surround sound effects and great bass. Good quality systems tend to start at $600-$700, and go up from there.
ZVOX Virtual Surround Systems
ZVOX systems use our PhaseCue virtual surround system, which creates a wide, three-dimensional soundfield while using only one speaker cabinet. While the surround effects of any virtual system including ours – are limited when compared to component 5.1 systems, the sound quality is excellent. It fills the rooms with realistic audio, and creates a listening experience where sounds come from places where there are no speakers. With the right program material you will hear sounds coming from the front, to your left, to your right and, sometimes, from directly in back of you. But if dramatic surround sound effects are very important to you – if you really want to hear the airplane flying in circles around you – you’ll need to buy a five-speaker system.
System Type: |
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Disadvantages: |
| Home Theater In A Box |
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| Component Home Theater |
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| ZVOX Virtual Surround Systems |
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