Not everyone wants a Dolby Atmos death star parked under their TV with wireless subwoofers, detachable rears, and a setup menu that feels like it was designed by NASA. The reality in 2025 is that a large chunk of consumers—regardless of age—just want something that sounds better than the tinny, phoned-in TV speakers that manufacturers often treat like a design afterthought. That’s not a knock on Sony or Hisense, both of whom have actually managed to cram some surprisingly decent drivers (and even small subwoofers) into their higher-end sets lately. But if you’re not mounting your TV on a wall and don’t have a ton of space on your media console—or if you just don’t care about being on a first-name basis with DTS:X, eARC, and the rest of the alphabet soup—the ZVOX AV855 might be exactly what you’re looking for.
It’s a one-box, no-fuss solution that focuses on what actually matters: dialogue you can hear and sound that doesn’t suck. And with 20 levels of voice boost thanks to ZVOX’s patented AccuVoice tech, you’ll finally stop yelling “what did they just say?” at the screen—that’s reserved for your kids or mother in-law.
Designed for people who value clarity and performance over gimmicks, the AV855 also includes dual built-in subwoofers for actual low-end presence and ZVOX’s PhaseCue virtual surround processing to keep things immersive without needing extra speakers cluttering your space.
One HDMI-ARC cable is all it takes to get things running, and yes—you can finally use your existing TV remote for volume, mute, and power. No complicated pairing process, no app to download, no unnecessary nonsense. Just better sound, out of the box—and possibly the end to those angry phone calls from your mother in South Florida who wants to know why that $1,000 soundbar you told her to buy never works properly. Sorry Samsung. I tried. Thank G-d she can’t watch during the forthcoming Jewish High Holidays.
Fixing a Problem
If you’ve ever missed half the dialogue in your favorite show because the background explosions or dramatic cello swells drowned it out, you’re not alone—and you’re probably not thrilled about cranking the volume only to get blasted by the next car chase. Enter the ZVOX AV855, the brand’s most sophisticated implementation of its AccuVoice technology yet.
Think of it as hearing-aid tech for your TV, minus the stigma and the co-pay. The AV855 uses advanced algorithms to surgically extract dialogue and elevate it above the rest of the audio clutter—so you’re not reaching for the remote every five seconds or arguing with your spouse about who mumbled what. With 20 levels of voice clarification (including 10 levels of “SuperVoice,” which tames background noise even further), the AV855 doesn’t just make dialogue clear—it makes it intelligible without the subtitles or closed captions that make your screen look like a teleprompter in a nursing home.
And for those of us who’ve had a near-heart attack from a loud commercial after watching a quiet scene? The AV855’s Output Leveling tech steps in to smooth out those volume spikes, giving you a more balanced and less jarring listening experience. Whether you’re watching Jeopardy! reruns or slogging through a Christopher Nolan film, this soundbar keeps the voices up front and the drama where it belongs—on screen, not in your ears.
Advanced AccuVoice Tech and Smart Features
The AV855 may be ZVOX’s most advanced soundbar to date, but it’s also one of the easiest to live with—especially if the idea of running HDMI cables and figuring out ARC settings makes you want to fake your own disappearance. Designed for simplicity and clarity, the AV855 crams a surprising amount of tech into a soundbar that’s just 1.85 inches tall, 5 inches deep, and barely tips the scale at 5 pounds. No subwoofer. No satellite speakers. No app. Just clean dialogue and full-range sound from a sleek, brushed-aluminum box that disappears under almost any TV.
Under the hood, the AV855 features four internal drivers: dual 2.95″ woofers for low-end grunt and two 1.46″ front-facing drivers for mids and highs. The bass won’t wake the neighbors, but it’s present and tight enough for most living rooms—and let’s be honest, the people buying this aren’t chasing reference SPLs or doing subwoofer crawl tests in their rec room. ZVOX’s PhaseCue virtual surround processing adds a surprisingly convincing spatial effect and includes a simulated center channel, which enhances vocal intelligibility and imaging without the mess of actual rear channels or ceiling bouncers.
And yes, this thing is actually built well. Metal grilles, real aluminum, and a no-nonsense aesthetic make it look more serious than your average plastic bar-o-sound. There’s also a hidden four-character display behind the grille to show volume and input source without blinking LEDs or touchscreen nonsense.
Also onboard is Output Leveling, which reduces those sudden commercial volume spikes and evens out overly quiet segments—perfect for those late-night binges when you don’t want to wake up the house (or your cat).
Connectivity is refreshingly simple: HDMI-ARC, optical, 3.5mm analog, and USB. No Wi-Fi. No Bluetooth. No firmware updates to screw things up. Just plug it in, connect to your TV, and use your existing remote to control volume and power like a normal person.
- Power: 15V DC adapter
- Dimensions: 33.7″ W × 5″ D × 1.85″ H
- Weight: 5 lbs
- Bluetooth: No
- Inputs: HDMI-ARC, Optical, 3.5mm analog, USB
- Voice Clarification: 10 AccuVoice + 10 SuperVoice levels
- Virtual Surround: PhaseCue
- Output Leveling: Yes
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been squinting at dialogue and riding the volume button like it’s a seesaw, the ZVOX AV855 might be exactly what you need. For $369, you get a soundbar that skips the Dolby Atmos marketing circus and just makes your TV sound human again. No Wi-Fi. No app. No mystery meat setup process. Just simple, effective dialogue clarity in a sleek aluminum box that fits almost anywhere.
Not everyone wants detachable speakers, booming wireless subs, or firmware updates that brick their system mid-episode. Some of us just want to hear what the hell the characters are saying. And in a market flooded with bloated “smart” gear, the AV855 is smart because it isn’t.
Where to buy:
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