ZVOX outs the Z-Base 525 audio system for flat panel owners, neat freaks

Do you know the one crappy thing about small flat panel TVs? The sound sucks. Really, it does, but generally you don’t want extra speakers and whatnots cluttering up your space. There are a few options like a Bose Wave Radio or even self-powered computer speakers, but ZVOX has something now too. The Z-Base 525 is 24″w x 12.5″d x 3.5″h box that house all the goods needed to enrich the audio. Just put your TV on top, says the presser.

Now I can’t attest to the quality of the audio, but it has got to be better than what comes from the stock TV speakers. This isn’t ZVOX’s first time on the merry-go-round so I would imagine that it sounds good enough. You can’t expect the world though as the audio gets piped in through just left and right audio cables. But I’m a big fan of simple but yet effective audio devices and the Z-Base 525 seems to be just that.

The Z-Base 525 just started shipping and carries an MSRP of $399.99.

Ultra-Compact Z-Base System from ZVOX Brings Surround Sound
to Bedrooms, Offices, and Other Tight Spaces
Small enough to fit on a standard 12-inch bookshelf, the ZVOX Z-Base 525 is perfect
for 22″-32″ TVs—or for use with multimedia PC systems
Swampscott, Massachusetts, Sept. 7th, 2009 — ZVOX, the company that pioneered the concept of single-cabinet home theater, has announced the introduction of the Z-Base 525, a smaller version of its popular Z-Base 550 system. The Z-Base 525 measures 24″w x 12.5″d x 3.5″h, and will fit on a standard 12-inch deep bookshelf—making it ideal for countless applications such as bedrooms, dens, offices, family rooms and kitchens.
The ZVOX Z-Base 525 also provides an elegant alternative to traditional PC sound solutions by acting as a space-saving base for the computer’s monitor. Despite its compact size, the 525 reproduces music and movie soundtracks with remarkable accuracy, filling the room with three-dimensional surround sound. The Z-Base 525 incorporates five speakers, a powered subwoofer, amplifiers and PhaseCue virtual surround circuitry—all in one low-profile cabinet, with no external subwoofer required.
“This is the first home theater system to specifically address the space restrictions commonly found in bedrooms and offices,” says Tom Hannaher, ZVOX president. “Now you can put a Z-Base 525 on a bookshelf, put a 32″ LCD TV on top of it, connect the two with one wire and bingo—you have a bedroom home theater.”
Unlike most all-in-one home theater systems, the ZVOX 525 employs a hand-built, cross-braced wood (MDF) cabinet with beautiful hand-lacquered high-gloss black end panels. The top of the Z-Base 525 is finished in rugged, scratch-resistant black vinyl that is less likely to be marred by objects such as the TV
placed on its surface. Set-up of the Z-Base 525 requires very few steps: Simply place the unit on a table, shelf or cabinet. Place your stand-mounted flat-panel TV on top of it. Plug in AC power, one connecting cord to the TV and you’re done! Sit back and enjoy big, realistic sound including remarkable bass from the built-in powered subwoofer. The Z-Base 525 uses the ZVOX PhaseCue™ virtual surround system to create wide, three-dimensional sound, as if you are listening to speakers eight feet apart from each other, with movie sound effects that literally surround you. You get a room full of sound without a roomful of speakers and messy wires! The ZVOX Z-Base 525 has an MSRP of $399.99 and will be shipping September 1st, 2009.
Specifications
• (5) 2″ full-range speakers and (1) 5.25″ subwoofer
• PhaseCue virtual surround sound
• Auto-on/auto-off circuit
• Remote control included
• (2) Analog stereo inputs (mixing inputs)
• Power: 60 watts
• 24″w x 12.5″d x 3.5″h

This post is tagged: Headline, zvox