This review is from: ZVOX 525 Low-Profile Single-Cabinet Surround Sound System (Electronics)
Zvox now has three of these low profile "z base" speaker systems in its lineup -- the 525 (which is the smallest and least expensive), the 550 (the original model), and the more massive 575 (which is called the "Incredibase"). I wanted something as small and unobtrusive as possible to provide sound with a 40 inch LCD HDTV in a moderate sized bedroom or office space and I wanted solid, natural sound for watching movies. I bought this model, the 525, after reading consistently glowing reviews of the original and slightly larger 550.
The cabinet is a tad over three inches high, 24 inches wide and 12 inches deep. It is well finished and solid. The end panels are a piano black lacquer that looks very attractive if you have your HDTV on an open stand with three sides of the Zvox exposed. Yes, you can indeed stand your HDTV right on top of the Zvox. The shipping box comes with a warning sticker that says not to put anything on top of the Zvox that is wider or deeper than the Zvox cabinet itself. However, the specs also say it will support up to 70 pounds. I contacted Zvox directly and asked whether I could use the 525 as a base for my 40 pound, 40 inch Sony XBR9, which is about 36 inches wide. Zvox advised that so long as the pedestal footprint is smaller than the Zvox cabinet and the unit weighs less than the limit, it is fine. Obviously the warning was written by the lawyers, not by the sales and technical staff. Nevertheless, I would not be comfortable going with anything larger than a 40 inch (diagonal) 16:9 flat panel with this unit and would step up to the larger Zvox models for bigger screens.
With an HDTV perched atop it, this unit virtually disappears. All you will see from the front is a matte, charcoal grey mesh grille and, with the power on, a small blue LED that lurks behind the grille. Hooking this up is a snap. You can run the analog output from your CD, DVD, blu-ray, iPod/iPhone or HDTV directly into the two channel RCA plugs in the back; then plug the power in; and then you're off and running. No muss, no fuss. There is a tiny and simple to operate remote, which controls power (on/off), volume, subwoofer, treble and "phase cue" levels (these latter have "+/-" controls). One drawback -- there is no on-screen display for the level controls. Instead, with each 'step' in the levels, which appear to run over a ten step scale, the blue LED flashes to let you know you have made a change with each step up or down. Once you get the hang of it, not a problem.
Now for the sound. Well, you won't mistake this for a $5,000 sound system. No surprise there. However, you will get amazingly potent, natural, well balanced, rich and detailed sound that is somewhat mind boggling given the modest price and size of the Zvox 525. You can even shake the walls and windows a bit if you wish. We watched "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" with the Zvox cranked up. When Dumbledore and Voldemort are going at it, you will completely forget that the wall of sound -- the shattering glass, crackling electricity and rolling thunder -- is coming out of this little box. You won't hear the 525 straining under the load. The highs are crisp and glistening. The bass is taut, without boominess, and while not terrifically deep, it is quite natural. Unless you're one of those folks who needs to feel the low end in the pit of your stomach, you will find it quite satisfying.
The ersatz surround sound from the "phase cue" system isn't a substitute for front and rear speakers, but it does make the sound seem to come from a reasonably broad and deep sound stage, not a slender box three inches high by two feet wide. I've tried fiddling with the "phase cue" control and honestly don't perceive a great variation from phase cue on full and turned all the way down, other than a bit of unusual "reverb" that seems to occur with the control turned up. In short, there is no really directional "surround," but there is a very spacious sound.
For the price of admission, the Zvox 525 delivers quality construction, elegant design and ample listening pleasure. I wholeheartedly recommend it. As this is a newly released model and has not been available from Amazon until now, I bought directly from Zvox. Given my experience with Amazon purchases, I'm sure you'd be well served buying it here as well.
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This review is from: ZVOX 525 Low-Profile Single-Cabinet Surround Sound System (Electronics)
Note that speaker selection is highly personal and subjective, and one should audition a speaker system before buying, if possible (meaning, don't solely rely on someone's opinion, especially mine). And let's face it, one-box audio solutions aren't for the vast majority of people. Fortunately, Zvox allows a 30-day audition period. If you don't like it, send it back on their dime. When one thinks about it, listening to a system at your convenience and in your own home environment is much better (and obviously a more accurate and complete test) than listening to a system for an hour at a high-traffic retail store (although you have to pay for the system and wait to get your money refunded should it not meet your expectations). Also remember that Zvox systems are 2.1 stereo systems, not 5.1 surround sound systems.
I looked at several very promising computer speaker systems before I opted for this Zvox (M-Audio, Audioengine, Razer and Logitech). I was replacing a pretty decent Monsoon 2.1 system that had gotten long in the tooth (it's now supplying sound to my older computer). My decision was made because I knew exactly what to expect from Zvox, while the other systems were unknowns (although all received generally very good to excellent professional and amateur reviews, and all seem like they would do a good job -- matter-of-fact, I probably would have been satisfied with any of them). And while the Zvox was a bit more expensive than most of the others I was considering, I wanted to stay within what I already knew. I also like how the 525 looks and fits on my desktop. It's a sleek looking unit.
This is the second Zvox sound system I have purchased. The other model is the 550 and I use that with my HDTV in the family room. Since both Zvox models use identical speakers and the same 60 watt amplifier, and both have the same quality MDF construction (no plastic), they would naturally sound very similar (although the 550 is a bit more robust because of its larger enclosure size -- over 300 cubic inches larger). One can look at my review of the 550 for details and understand how the 525 system performs. This model has all the positives and negatives of the 550, except I don't have to mess with a direct line-of-sight, credit-card-sized remote. Zvox changed these remotes since I purchased my 550 (although the new remote isn't exactly what I consider a great improvement, other than it is not as restrictive in its line-of-sight).
I find it a bit disconcerting that Zvox doesn't publish the frequency response of this system, but I suspect it can go down to around 50 Hz ... Note: I just emailed their customer service and they stated it goes down to 48 Hz (the 550 is rated down to 45 Hz). Because the room it is in is smaller (about 800 cubic feet vs 1800 cubic feet where I have the 550), it can be overpowering at times. And since my iMac sets on top of this magnetically shielded speaker system, I'm in much closer proximity than I am with my 550, which leads to some unexpected results.
Of interest is my PhaseCue setting. I had to turn this down drastically. The expanded sound stage seemed completely false due to the fact one expects a certain amount of separation when in close proximity to a computer's stereo speakers (hearing sounds far off to my left and right were a bit troublesome to me). Of course, if I were sitting 6 to 8 feet away, a larger PhaseCue setting might be in order.
I rate this system the same as my 550, a solid 7 out of 10, or a 4-star rating (actually, a bit better than 3-1/2 stars), even though my 550 has a deeper bass response (but I like that the 525 is smaller, which was an advantage to me in this particular situation). I'd rate these systems a bit higher if Zvox ever puts out a good remote with a better layout, and allows the user to select the treble, bass and PhaseCue with something other than blinking LED lights as a guide (I'm not holding my breath). Make no mistake, sound-wise, these are very good and accurate systems that pack some surprising punch, and are rated highly by professional reviewers. Plus, these are a breeze to set up (I'm talking minutes). And while I am using this for my computer room (admittedly an overkill), I feel it would be better served in a family room environment, as long as the room is not too large.
Note: If you are looking for a more robust deeper end, these systems are a snap to add any powered subwoofer you may choose (it takes one RCA cable to hook up your sub ... although it does take time and experimenting to set the sub location and crossover point).
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This review is from: ZVOX 525 Low-Profile Single-Cabinet Surround Sound System (Electronics)
I have a 46 inch samsung (lna650), which in its self is a good tv with a great picture, but like most televisions is lacking in sound. The Zbox fills the room with much fuller deeper sound. If you are looking for better sound quality and do not what to spend big bucks for full surround sound, then I would say give the ZVOX a try. The only negative I have is the same as other reviewers. That being there is no display for as to where the treble/bass is set at or what the volume setting is. That is a bit at times annoying.
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This review is from: ZVOX 525 Low-Profile Single-Cabinet Surround Sound System (Electronics)
I always wanted better sound in my bedroom but didn't want the clutter. I thought I'd either have to mount a sound bar above my tv or mount my tv on the wall and set the sound bar below it. While searching on Amazon I first found the ZVOX 325 which had great reviews but I would still have to mount my tv on the wall with our existing tv stand. Than I found the ZVOX 525. I couldn't believe such a thing existed. It's a flat powered speaker that your tv sits on.
As others have mentioned, it's a clean and simple design. You just plug the left and right audio out from your tv to the audio in on the ZVOX. You than turn off the tv's speakers and use the ZVOX as your speakers. Volume is controlled using your existing tv or programmed cable box remote. You'll need the ZVOX remote to make initial adjustments so that the volume is consistent as you switch between cable, dvd, etc. Our cable box, dvd player and apple tv all plug directly into the tv and all the sound comes through the ZVOX. I put a few pictures from my iphone up.
Sound is fine. Movies sound much better. It's not like you crank your bedroom tv up to watch a movie. I wish music sounded a little better at louder volumes. After getting a second apple tv, I moved the old one into the bedroom so we could listen to music in there. Music sounds fine at moderate volume. But at louder volumes it doesn't sound as good as my Logitech Z4 computer speakers which I thought was a fair comparison. Still I'm happy with the purchase. You can always easily attach a small subwoofer. If you don't have an apple tv and want to use your ZVOX for music, you can also find the right audio wires to hook your ipod to your tv and pipe music that way.
One other thing I thought of through this process. I considered those wifi networked systems where you have a series of wireless senders and receivers and content is stored in one location and fed throughout the house. But I was already pretty committed to apple products and I knew my wife and most guests wouldn't know how to operate it. Plus you still end up with a bunch of wires. Getting the right sized powered speakers for a room paired with an iphone/ipod/ipad/appletv which has content that is synced with a main source is the route I decided to go with. Now someone just needs to make a good powered outdoor speaker.
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