A company that describes itself as "A New Kind of Hearing Company," ZVOX is effectively a consumer electronics manufacturer committed to enhancing and discovering hearing solutions. Based in Swampscott, MA, ZVOX was founded in 2003 by two long-time consumer electronics veterans which started as a traditional home theater speaker company, and soon gained success and industry recognition for its line of soundbars and SoundBases, designed to make speech clearer while watching TV content. In 2014, ZVOX introduced a landmark dialogue boosting and voice clarity enhancement technology that would change the company's focus, finding a broader audience among the over-fifty demographic and consumers with mild hearing loss. Its patented AccuVoice technology uses advanced algorithms that work effectively in soundbars, speakers and headphones, and is even integrated also in FDA-registered hearing aids.
The new ZVOX AV70 portable compact speaker is a great design for conference calls on Zoom, Teams, Skype, Facetime or other video calling systems. Small enough to travel, it is also ideal for use while watching videos on a tablet or laptop computer – producing full-range music and soundtracks while clarifying dialogue.
"The use of video conferencing exploded during the first year of the COVID crisis. But many people had trouble understanding what was being said," comments ZVOX founder Tom Hannaher. "On important business conference meetings, and on millions of family video calls, folks kept asking 'what did she say?' Our little AccuVoice conference speaker fixes that."
Measuring just 4-inches wide by 2.2-inches high and with a convenient hands-free microphone, the AV70 can run for 24 hours on a single charge. Notably, it features ZVOX's proprietary AccuVoice dialogue clarifying technology, to make voices crisp and easy to understand, even at low volumes. The AV70 connects wirelessly to any phone, tablet, or computer – using Bluetooth or a wired connection, and lets listeners hear every word on every call.
"Hearing and understanding speech clearly is a major challenge for seniors with mild to moderately severe hearing loss, as well as anyone using tablets, laptops, speakerphones, and similar devices. The issue has become so common that many people just hope to pick up the missing words or phrase from the context going forward. The technology in the AV70 speaker provides an ideal solution for this growing problem. Whether you're using a tablet or laptop to watch a movie, or participating in a Zoom or Board meeting, or just talking to a loved on the phone, the AV70 can make an enormous difference," explains noted ZVOX audiology consultant, Dr. Thomas Powers, Ph.D.
Using a version of the AccuVoice technology that ZVOX utilizes in its advanced hearing aids and home entertainment A/V speakers, the AV70 both boosts audio frequencies in the range of speech and suppresses background noise. AccuVoice technology literally "lifts" dialogue out of phone calls or TV programming, so voices can be heard more clearly and succinctly, making words easier to understand. Simple topside buttons allow for the activation/deactivation of AccuVoice, volume, pause/restart video – and even phone answer and hang-up.
The ZVOX AV70 is priced at $99.99 and is available now on ZVOX.com.
www.zvox.com
