If you find yourself constantly riding the volume remote—cranking it up to hear dialogue, then rushing to turn it down when the action kicks in—you’re not alone. Modern flat-screen TVs are thinner than ever, leaving almost zero room for decent speakers. The result? Muffled speech, buried dialogue, and permanent reliance on closed captions.
At ZVOX, solving this exact problem isn't just a side feature for us—it’s our core focus. We take dialogue clarity seriously because we know how frustrating it is when you can't understand what you're watching.
That’s why we were proud to see The New York Times Wirecutter feature our flagship AccuVoice AV855 Soundbar in their comprehensive soundbar guide. When it came to the heart of what we do—delivering crystal-clear speech so people can truly enjoy TV again—Wirecutter highlighted just how effective the AV855 is for anyone struggling to understand dialogue.
Here is a look at what Wirecutter had to say about the AV855, why we engineered it, and how to get the best performance out of it in your home.
What Wirecutter Said About the ZVOX AV855
In their review, Wirecutter highlighted how effective the AV855 is at lifting human voices out of background noise:
"At the lowest setting, the AV855 sounds like a good, one-piece soundbar, with balanced sound and a decent amount of bass. At the highest settings, the sound is similar to the extremely midrange-boosted sound we’ve heard from hearing aids, excluding almost everything but dialogue."
They also noted that the AV855 delivers a fuller, more satisfying listening experience than smaller dialogue speakers, giving viewers real bass without sacrificing vocal clarity.
Why We Engineered the AV855 with 20 Levels of Voice Boost
Generic soundbars treat dialogue as an afterthought, often offering a simple "Voice Mode" toggle that just boosts high frequencies. We took a completely different, hearing-aid-inspired approach to voice clarity.
-
20 Fine-Tuning Levels: The AV855 offers 10 levels of AccuVoice and 10 levels of SuperVoice. Lower settings give you a natural, warm sound, while higher settings lift speech out of dense soundtracks and soften distracting background noise.
-
Built-in Dual Subwoofers: At under 2 inches tall, the AV855 houses dual subwoofers inside its brushed aluminum cabinet. You get warm, room-filling sound and rich bass without requiring a bulky external subwoofer.
-
Output Leveling: No more jolting awake during commercial breaks. Our Output Leveling technology automatically tames sudden volume spikes and lifts quiet passages.
A Pro-Tip on Wirecutter’s Setup Feedback
Wirecutter noted that during testing via HDMI ARC, they occasionally experienced minor communication hiccups between their TV and the soundbar (like power sync delays).
HDMI communication standards vary across TV manufacturers, which can sometimes cause unpredictable behavior. If you ever encounter handshaking issues with your specific TV brand, here is how to resolve them easily:
-
Switch to an Optical Connection: The AV855 includes an optical digital audio input on the back. Connecting an optical cable bypasses HDMI communication issues completely, providing a rock-solid, permanent audio signal.
-
Use the Dedicated ZVOX Remote: Because standard TV remotes can't adjust between our 20 specialized AccuVoice levels, keeping the ZVOX remote close by ensures you always have instant access to voice clarity adjustments.
Ready to Stop Asking "What Did They Say?"
Whether you have mild to severe hearing loss or you’re simply tired of struggling to understand fast-paced TV dialogue, the AV855 was engineered specifically for you.
Try it risk-free in your living room: Learn more about the AccuVoice AV855 Soundbar on our official store.
