Zvox Z-Base 525 photos
The Zvox Z-Base 525 sound bar delivers better-than-average sonics and its unique pedestal design will make you forget it's even there.
Zvox Z-Base 525
The Z-Base 525 is particularly fuss-free; its unique design makes it look like nothing more than a pedestal for your HDTV. Even better, the Z-Base sounds better than most sound bars, although it doesn't have as much of the surround effect as some others. (The step-up Z-Base 575 sounds even better, but it's larger and more expensive.) Like any sound bar, it doesn't compare to a full 5.1 system, but if you can live with the compromises, the Z-Base 525 ($350) is one of the more affordable options with respectable sound, and it boasts an outstanding design.
Design
That's not to say the Z-Base 525 is a perfect fit for every environment. In fact, in our testing environment, we found that the extra 3.5 inches of height put the TV at a higher-than-desired viewing angle. We're probably more sensitive to this than the average viewer, but if you already have a tall TV stand, the Zvox might not be a good fit. Likewise, if your TV is wall mounted, the Zvox may attract more attention to itself.
Connectivity
Zvox did make a strange design decision with its audio inputs: the second audio input is described as a "mixing" input, which means you'll hear sound from two connected devices if they're playing audio. That's not a problem for most devices, which are turned off after use, but if you have an always-on DVR, it will be constantly feeding audio to your Zvox. We're guessing Zvox wanted to keep things simple by not offering the capability to truly change inputs, but it seems like an oversight when DVRs are so prevalent.
(There are a few ways around the problem. If your HDTV has stereo analog outputs, you can use it as a "switcher," which also may allow you too connect more than two devices. Secondly, if your DVR has a dedicated mute button or volume control (separate from that of the TV), you can manually lower it each time you're done watching TV).