I reviewed a soundbar designed to boost dialog for the hard of hearing, and the results impressed me

Date:
Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Zvox AccuVoice AV855 is a godsend for those having issues hearing dialog, but not so much for anyone else.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Zvox AccuVoice AV855 review The Zvox AccuVoice AV855 is not my favorite soundbar, but it does something unique for the hard-of-hearing that will make it the ideal buy for some people. Just about every other soundbar has a dialog mode that can help boost that part of a movie or show, but none does it quite to the extent of Zvox.

Its not the first soundbar Ive come across for this purpose. The smaller Zvox AV157 that the company put out last year worked to achieve similar results, though the AV855 is better in every way (unless you want a smaller soundbar). Of course, its pricier, too. As a regular soundbar, the Zvox AccuVoice AV855 checks most of the boxes, incorporating things like HDMI ARC (missing from that AV157 I reviewed last year), but comes a little short for those that
dont care about its voice-boosting AccuVoice feature. Theres no Bluetooth or WiFi Streaming, the spatial audio feature isnt all that impressive, and, most importantly, the audio can sound a bit boxy.

But if you have trouble hearing dialog in your desired media, this soundbar may be the most extreme or robust solution out there. It may not be the best soundbar overall, but its tough to beat for vocal intelligibility. (Image credit: Future) On the aesthetics side of things, the Zvox AccuVoice AV855 is fairly utilitarian looking. Basically, its a black, rectangular box with minimal curves, notable mostly for the durable metal housing its in. Thats okay in my eyes, because this is a soundbar with a purpose (which Ill get to in a bit).

Its height is a bit lower than some soundbars, measuring at just under two inches, making it slot under a TV a little easier than some other models Ive tested.

What is somewhat exciting about its design is the fact that, along with its four front-facing drivers (two for the center channel), it has two upward-facing ones for adding height to spatial audio though this comes with a major catch that we'll return to in just a moment. There also are bass
ports on each side to help improve the low-end response. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Another thing I appreciate on the AccuVoice AV855 is the fact that it has an LED display hidden behind the grill, so that every time I make any kind of adjustment, it will actually display whatever level its at or adjustment
thats been made. This is something thats often missing on soundbars that are double the price.

The port selection here is pretty good. Having HDMI ARC is typical though
was missing from the smaller AV157 I reviewed last year but it also has optical, line-in, line-out, and USB connections. Theres no wireless or Bluetooth connectivity, unfortunately, so it doesnt quite double for
listening to music off any source other than your TV.

Interestingly enough, there are no controls on the soundbar itself. All the manipulation comes via the remote (so dont lose it). Thankfully, the remote enables you to adjust the AccuVoice for dialog boosting, the PhaseCue for spatial audio, bass, treble, and volume, along with things like changing
input and muting.

Since the AV855s focus is mainly on providing a robust dialog mode for those that have trouble hearing speech in media (or just want it clearer), the feature list outside of that is a bit muted. Theres no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi streaming, as I mentioned, and it cant be paired with other speakers.

It does, however, come with spatial audio. Now, it doesn't support Dolby
Atmos or DTS:X, so the results are notably less pronounced than I was expecting. Audio just sounds a little bigger when using this feature, which
is called PhaseCue, but not as distinct as when Im using full-fat Atmos. At least it has three levels to select from, though. (Image credit: Future) The star of the show is Zvoxs dialog booster. It's not like Zvox is the only company offering this, but the way the company implements it is much more aggressive than you'll find elsewhere.

Most dialog modes just do a minor boost to the mid-range where voices typically sit. AccuVoice does that, but boosts it significantly more than any other dialog mode Ive used. Dialog modes on other soundbars typically have three levels. The AV855 has 10. But theres more to it, as this soundbar also attenuates or reduces the high and low frequencies at the same time, and in more and more extreme fashion as you go up the levels.

Now, if you dont have any issues with hearing (lets exclude Christopher Nolan movies), then the AccuVoice mode gets increasingly unpleasant to listen to, with the sound increasingly resembling listening through an old phone with
its boxy-all-sharp-mids results. But this feature, at least at its most extreme settings, is not for you.

Those that do have hearing issues will find it incredibly helpful, as it does a fairly good job at isolating voices. In this respect, AccuVoice does its
job well and it's far cheaper than the Sonos Arc Ultra and its AI-aided dialog-boosting modes, which are also designed with the hard of hearing in mind .

The overall sound of the Zvox AccuVoice AV855 seems influenced by the AccuVoice feature, and always has a little bit of boxiness to it. Its not something that really gets in the way when I watch a TV show (and I feel most people wont notice), but is more noticeable when watching movies that typically have more audio elements, like a more filled out soundtrack. Music is similarly affected.

The low-end is actually fairly pronounced something I was quite surprised by considering soundbars typically lack in this category when not paired with a subwoofer. It doesnt go as low as a system with a sub, but it still had some rumble.

Ultimately, it does what it's designed for very well, but what it's designed for just isn't what everyone necessarily needs. I'd happily recommend this to people who find they need speech made clearer to follow movies and shows, and it does offer the added benefits of better bass and directionality than the built-in speakers of most TVs. (Image credit: Future) Zvox AccuVoice AV855 soundbar review: price and release date How much does it cost? $369.99 (about 290 / AU$570) When is it available? Available now Where can you get it? Available in the US At $369.99 (about 290 / AU$570), the Zvox AccuVoice AV855 is among the more expensive of the best cheap soundbars out there. The Zvox AVV157 I mentioned before was initially released at $249 / 159 / AU$458 but
is now about $200. It certainly comes with more limitations, such as worse sound and no HDMI ARC, but its quite a bit cheaper.

When it comes to other cheap soundbars, the Majority Naga 60 can be bought five times over for the price of the AV855. And it sounds a bit better, too. However, it doesnt touch the power of the dialog mode of this soundbar.

If you really need that dialog boosting mode, then the price is a relative drop in the bucket. The Zvox AccuVoice AV855 is only available in the US at the time of writing. Zvox AccuVoice AV855 soundbar review: specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Dimensions

33.7 x 5 x 1.85 inches / 856 x 127 x 47 mm (soundbar)

Speaker channels

3.1.2

Connections

HDMI ARC, optical digital audio, USB, Line-in (Aux), Line-out

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X

No

Sub included

Built-in

Rear speakers included

No

Other features

AccuVoice, PhaseCue, Output leveling (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Zvox AccuVoice AV855 soundbar? Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The dedicated dialog modes are the star, and upfiring speakers are nice, but it lacks of a lot of other mod cons.

3 / 5

Sound quality

The AccuVoice feature works wonders for intelligibility, but the soundbar itself can be a bit boxy.

4 / 5

Design

The design is good if utilitarian, but the built-in display is very welcome.

4 / 5

Value

The price might seem high for a cheap soundbar, but its worth it for the AccuVoice feature if it's what you need.

4 / 5 Buy it if You have trouble hearing dialog The AccuVoice feature works extremely well at its stated function. If you have issues with hearing, this is the best bet for focusing audio on the dialog of your chosen media. You want all the fine tuning at your fingertips The remote, as utilitarian as the soundbar, enables you to adjust all the AV855s settings in one place no need for an app or anything complicated. You need a short soundbar Its height may not seem like a huge deal, but many soundbars can end up blocking the
receiver on the TV, or even the bottom of the picture. So the AV855s short stature (though its fairly wide) is a consideration for getting it. Don't buy it if You care about audio quality above all else Its features, particularly the AccuVoice one, are nice, but they dont make up for sound quality. If this is your top priority, I suggest looking elsewhere. You dont need dialog boosting The AccuVoice feature is the main reason to get this soundbar. If
you dont feel like youre having trouble hearing dialog, there are other soundbars to consider instead. Zvox AccuVoice AV855 soundbar: also consider Majority Naga 60 The Majority Naga 60s biggest asset is its low, low price. Even though it is a single unit, it does have a built-in subwoofer and
ability to project 3D audio. Of course, both are a bit limited and the soundbar itself has a habit of distorting at higher volumes. Read our full Majority Naga 60 review Zvox AV157 The Zvox AV157 is a cheaper option for getting that dialog boosting feature. Its not quite as robust with that boosting and skips the spatial audio (as well as the HDMI ARC), but it is quite a bit cheaper. Read our full Zvox AV157 review How I tested the Zvox AccuVoice AV855 soundbar (Image credit: Future) Used regularly for a week Tested with all sorts of media Tested the different modes I used the Zvox AccuVoice AV855 soundbar regularly for a week, streaming all sorts of media from movies to shows and music.

I pressed every button on the remote to check out the different modes as well as EQ settings. I also spent some time with the AccuVoice and PhaseCue features.

Ive tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test. Read more about how we test First reviewed: April 2026 Zvox AccuVoice AV855: Price Comparison No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/zvox-accuvoice-av855-review


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