What good is a 60-inch 4K TV if you can’t hear what anyone is saying?
As part of its longstanding attempt to improve sound quality for TV viewers, Zvox introduced a new soundbar designed specifically for senior citizens. Calling the inability to hear TV dialogue an “epidemic,” Tom Hannaher, Zvox founder, said poor TV audio quality, a lack of priority on the importance of dialogue by Hollywood, and an exposure to loud rock concerts have all attributed to one frustrated generation.
“The average TV speaker we’ve tested costs less than 25 cents,” Hannaher told TWICE. “The TVs in 1956 sounded better than the ones in 2016.”
The AccuVoice TV speaker, a 17-inch soundbar with three drivers enclosed in an aluminum cabinet, employs patent-pending technology to act as a hearing aid that not only makes audio louder, but can specifically extract the dialog for clearer reproduction, Hannaher said. It also uses the company’s PhaseCue surround-sound technology and output leveling system for loud commercials. The speaker has toslink optical digital and 3.5mm inputs, and comes with a remote control.
Zvox has taken to Kickstarter to market the product — as of this writing, it had raised $19,050 of its $30,000 goal — but it also plans to sell the AccuVoice through its traditional distribution channels. Zvox is trying its hand at crowdfunding to raise additional awareness for the product and for the company, Hannaher said. While the Kickstarter audience may skew younger than the AccuVoice’s intended user, consumer feedback has shown they will instead find it a useful holiday gift for their parents, he noted.
Kickstarter backers can purchase the speaker for an early-bird pledge of $155. It will carry a $249 suggested retail when it ships in September. It will be sold through Amazon, BestBuy.com and Crutchfield.com.