Home Audio/Video ZVOX Intros Dialogue-Enhancing Speaker with SuperVoice Technology

ZVOX Intros Dialogue-Enhancing Speaker with SuperVoice Technology

Speaker and dialogue-enhancement-product manufacturer ZVOX Audio has introduced a compact, Alexa-ready TV speaker that features the company’s new SuperVoice dialogue-clarifying technology with 12 levels of dialogue boost. The AV157 ($299.99) uses ZVOX’s patented hearing aid algorithms to make spoken words clearer, and is also designed to reduce the level of background sound in TV programs. The AV157 is the latest addition to ZVOX “hearing” products for consumers who have difficulty understanding TV programming dialogue.

“The best way to understand our SuperVoice technology is to picture a stage,” says ZVOX founder Tom Hannaher. “But instead of a row of actors, imagine a row of sounds. Our proprietary AccuVoice technology, that we introduced in 2016, clarifies voices and brings them forward on the stage. Our SuperVoice technology takes the other sound effects into the background – ‘pushing them backstage’ – so they don’t interfere with voice intelligibility.”

The AccuVoice AV157 speaker combines six levels of AccuVoice dialogue boost, but also allows the consumer to add SuperVoice algorithms to each of those levels – giving the user 12 levels of dialogue boost. “With 12 levels of dialogue clarifying technology,” Hannaher says “the AV157 is perfect for people who have no hearing issues at all (but want better sound than what you get from a flat-screen TV) and it’s also beneficial for people with fairly serious hearing issues.”

In addition to the dozen levels of dialogue boost, the AV157 also includes ZVOX’s new “Alexa Ready” feature which allows a user to connect an Alexa Echo device to Input 2 and use it while listening to TV programming. For example, a viewer can be watching a football game and ask Alexa for the score of another game. The AV157 automatically turns down the sound of the football game long enough for the listener to hear Alexa’s answer through the speaker, then automatically turns up the soundtrack for the game.

The speaker requires only a single-wire hookup, and measures 17” x 3 3/8” x 2 7/8”. It comes with a remote control, but it also can be programmed to respond to most infrared remote controls. It also comes with a one-year warranty.