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The best gear for building a home theater in your dorm
To the extent that your shoebox of a dorm will be your home for the next nine months, you should do whatever you can to make it feel cozy and inviting. To that end, we've included some home-theater items in our back-to-school guide, and we've ensured everything is reasonably compact (you can hold off on your first 65-inch set until you have your very own pad). From media streamers to speakers to a handful of small- to medium-sized TVs, you have options if you want to upgrade from watching Netflix off your 13-inch laptop.
ZVOX intros three new Z-Base models, lowers the pricing soundbar
Because it's never too early to get a start on Christmas 2012, ZVOX has announced the release of three new Z-Base models, the most affordable members of that soundbar line, all designed to live beneath flat screen TVs. The low-end Z-Base 220 packs three full-range speakers, a subwoofer and a 35-watt amplifier in a DVD player-sized footprint for $200. The 320 measures 24 inches and will run you an extra $50. At the high-end is the Z-Base 420, a 28-incher with five speakers, a 5.25-inch subwoofer and a 45-watt amplifier. That one'll cost you $300. All three soundbars also feature the company's proprietary PhaseCue II virtual surround sound system. More info after the break.
Zvox returns with a few new sound base speaker setups
We were impressed by the stereo sound Zvox's 425 and 550 soundbars produced when we checked them out a few years ago, and now the company has announced two new models in the Z-Base 555 and Z-Base 580. As indicated by the name, these aren't just skinny bars that sit in front of your TV, they're an entire box meant to be placed underneath one's flat panel. That difference gives them the space to deliver quality sound, and these new models expand the line with a few new features including Dialogue Emphasis and output leveling. Both are shipping now, the 555 sports a $399 MSRP, while the 580 sports a more powerful amplifier and larger speakers to justify its $599 price.
ZVOX intros 430, 440 soundbars and 525, 575 soundbases
The limitations of typical crappy built-in TV speakers just can't be overstated, and with the current "thin is the new black" trend in TVs, things aren't likely to get better. ZVOX has introduced two soundbars and two soundbases to its lineup of all-in-one speaker systems that are pretty much guaranteed to make you wonder why you ever put up with your TV's craptastic sound. The 430 ($450) and 440 ($550) soundbars each come in at only 5-inches deep and 5.5-inches high, but pack a trio of 3.25-inch cones along with a 4-inch woofer for the bass. Flanking the speaker/TV stand Z-Base 550 we liked so much are the slightly smaller, $400 Z-Base 525 and the 35-Hertz-reaching, $800 IncrediBase 575 (pictured). Yes, that kind of money could get you a whole HTIB setup -- along with the wires and boxes that shoppers considering an all-in-one are looking to avoid. Hit the links for details. Read - ZVOX 430, 440 soundbars [Warning - PDF link] Read - Z-Base 525 soundbase [Warning - PDF link] Read - IncrediBase 575 soundbase [Warning - PDF link]
Engadget HD's recession antidote: win a ZVOX 325 soundbar
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget HD didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. Today we've got a ZVOX 325 soundbar up for grabs. Coming right from the middle of ZVOX's lineup, the 325 will pump out a surprising amount of sound, so it's good for either a "secondary" system or a smaller/streamlined living room. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Big thanks to ZVOX for providing the cheer!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) ZVOX 325 soundbar. Approximate value is $300. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until July, 28th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Engadget HD's recession antidote: win a ZVOX Z-Base 550 soundbar
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget HD didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. Today we've got a ZVOX Z-Base 550 soundbar to tuck discretely away beneath that new flat panel TV. One lucky commenter will be treated to this unit that scored high marks on both audio and appearance in our own review. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Big thanks to ZVOX for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) ZVOX Z-Base 550 soundbar. Approximate value is $500. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until July, 16th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Engadget HD's recession antidote: win a ZVOX Mini soundbar
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget HD didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. Today we've got a cute little ZVOX Mini soundbar to give away. Perfect for a bedroom, this little guy can pull duty for music and/or TV and will sound so much better than the dreck that passes for TV built-in sound. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Big thanks to ZVOX for providing the cheer!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) ZVOX Mini soundbar. Approximate value is $200. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until July 14th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
ZVOX 425 and 550 soundbars review
We admit that we've been pretty hard on the soundbar concept. It's not that we're not on board with with concept of a simplified and streamlined audio setup; it's just that the pesky laws of physics imposed by a single, small enclosure don't appeal to us: diminished bass response, a lack of SPLs and perhaps most importantly, a reduced sense of "surroundedness" from our surround-sound. But clever designers can leverage technology to wring some magic out of soundbars, to the joy of those with limited space. And if the number of soundbars on the market is any indication, consumers like the concept. To check up on some current offerings and get a good listen for ourselves, we got our hands on two offerings from ZVOX -- the top-of-the-line 425 model and a new entry with a clever bit of design, the 550. Follow us past the break for our review.%Gallery-36970%
ZVOX's Z-Base 550, for when even two speaker cabinets are too many
ZVOX is bringing a new Z-Base 550 model (ZVOX415 pictured) to its lineup of one-box home theater systems that fit oh-so-nicely right underneath your new flatscreen. The Z-Base 550 is meant to compliment 32-inch to 47-inch displays with its combination of a 60-Watt amplifier, 3x2-inch primaries, 5.25-inch subwoofer and PhaseCue virtual surround processing in one chassis so all you have to do is supply an audio signal and enjoy. Personally, we'll stick with old-fashioned discrete speakers littered throughout the room; but if your setup demands a more streamlined approach, you've got until November 1 to save up $500 for a 30-day trial with the Z-Base 550.Update: PR sent along a photo of the Z-Base 550, so we've added it in.
