By: Dipin Sehdev
Soundbars have been getting bigger, louder, and more complex. While that might appeal to hardcore home theater fans, it creates a real problem for the average person. Where do you put a 48-inch-long soundbar in a modest living room, kitchen, or bedroom? For many, the answer is simple: you can’t.
That’s why ZVOX’s newest model, the AV835 (MSRP $269.99), feels like such a smart and refreshing move. Instead of competing in the “bigger is better” arms race, ZVOX has taken a step in the opposite direction—shrinking its acclaimed AV855 soundbar down to a more manageable size without sacrificing the things that matter most: clear dialogue, room-filling sound, and simple setup.
Available now at Amazon and ZVOX.com, the AV835 is designed for TVs 32 inches and larger, with a footprint that makes it a natural fit in bedrooms, kitchens, dorm rooms, or secondary living spaces. And while it may be compact, it’s not a compromise—it’s a carefully engineered solution for one of today’s biggest TV frustrations: bad audio from ultra-thin displays.
Why Smaller is Smarter
Over the past decade, TV design has gone razor-thin. That’s great for aesthetics but terrible for sound. The built-in speakers in most flat-panel TVs are weak, thin, and often pointed down or backward. Dialogue—the single most important part of the soundtrack—gets lost in the mix.
Most people buy a soundbar to fix this issue, but lately soundbars have ballooned in size. Some are nearly as wide as the TVs they sit beneath, and many require extra satellites or subwoofers. That makes them awkward to install in smaller spaces and, in many cases, overkill for what most people actually need.
ZVOX has taken a different path with the AV835. By keeping it just 17.6 inches wide, under 2 inches tall, and 5 inches deep, they’ve made a soundbar that fits neatly under almost any TV without dominating the space. It’s not about impressing your friends with Dolby Atmos logos or sprawling speaker arrays. It’s about fixing bad TV audio in a way that’s simple, effective, and affordable.
Dialogue First: ZVOX’s AccuVoice & SuperVoice
ZVOX has built its reputation around dialogue clarity, and the AV835 continues that tradition. It offers:
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10 levels of AccuVoice: A patented technology that uses hearing-aid algorithms to pull dialogue forward, making voices crisp and clear—even at low volumes.
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10 levels of SuperVoice: An additional boost that reduces background sounds and distractions so dialogue stays intelligible during noisy action scenes.
That’s a total of 20 levels of voice enhancement, giving viewers more fine-tuned control than almost any soundbar in this price range.
The result? You no longer have to crank the volume just to hear what someone is saying during a quiet conversation, nor ride the volume button every time an explosion or car chase takes over.
Output Leveling: Goodbye Loud Commercials
Another smart feature baked into the AV835 is Output Leveling. This technology automatically smooths out volume spikes between content. That means:
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No more commercials blasting at twice the volume of your show.
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Quiet dialogue moments become easier to hear without raising the volume.
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Action scenes hit with impact without being jarringly loud.
For anyone who’s been startled by a late-night commercial break, this is a genuine quality-of-life improvement.
Compact Design, Serious Hardware
Don’t let the small footprint fool you—the AV835 has been engineered to deliver a full-range listening experience. Inside its sleek aluminum chassis, you’ll find:
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Two 2.95-inch built-in woofers for bass response that’s punchy but not overwhelming.
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Two 1.46-inch front-firing drivers that handle mids and highs with detail and clarity.
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PhaseCue® Virtual Surround technology, which simulates the effect of a multi-speaker surround system, including a virtual center channel for enhanced dialogue separation.
It’s a clever combination: physical drivers for power and detail, plus digital signal processing for immersion and depth. In practice, the AV835 produces a soundstage that feels much bigger than its size would suggest.
Premium Build for Everyday Spaces
While many budget soundbars feel plasticky, ZVOX has given the AV835 a brushed aluminum enclosure and metal grille. The result is a soundbar that looks more upscale than its price suggests.
Because it’s so compact and low-profile, it can slide under most TVs or sit comfortably on crowded media consoles. For bedrooms, dorm rooms, or kitchens where space is limited, it’s an especially elegant solution.
User-Friendly Experience
One of ZVOX’s strengths is usability, and the AV835 doesn’t overcomplicate things. Features include:
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A hidden digital display that shows volume and input source, disappearing when not in use.
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An IR remote control with large, easy-to-read buttons.
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HDMI-ARC compatibility, which means you can control the AV835’s volume, mute, and power with your TV’s remote—no need to juggle multiple controllers.
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Additional connections: optical input, 3.5mm analog input/output, and USB.
Setup takes minutes: plug it into your TV via HDMI-ARC, and you’re good to go.
What It Doesn’t Have (and Why That’s Okay)
The AV835 does not include Bluetooth streaming or wireless features. That might sound like a downside, but it’s consistent with the product’s focus: fixing TV audio. By skipping features that add complexity and cost, ZVOX has kept the AV835 affordable and streamlined.
If you want a wireless speaker for music streaming, ZVOX offers other options. But if you want a dedicated, compact, no-nonsense TV sound solution, the AV835 nails it.
Specs at a Glance
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Dimensions: 17.6″ W × 5″ D × 1.9″ H
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Weight: 3.2 lbs
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Drivers: Two 2.95″ woofers + two 1.46″ front-firing drivers
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Dialogue Enhancement: 20 levels (10 AccuVoice, 10 SuperVoice)
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Virtual Surround: PhaseCue® with virtual center channel
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Inputs: HDMI-ARC, Optical, 3.5mm analog, USB
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Output Leveling: Yes
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Bluetooth: No
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Power Supply: 15V DC adapter
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Accessories: IR remote control (large buttons), batteries, all necessary audio cables
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Finish: Brushed aluminum with metal grille
Pricing and Availability
The ZVOX AV835 is available now for $269.99 at Amazon and ZVOX.com.
For those purchasing directly from ZVOX, promo codes and occasional discounts can bring the price closer to $199.99—a great value considering the performance and build quality. ZVOX also offers free shipping and a 60-day satisfaction guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.
Who It’s For
The AV835 isn’t a soundbar for cinephiles chasing Atmos or those building out full-blown home theaters. Instead, it’s designed for:
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Apartment dwellers who need a space-saving sound solution.
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Bedroom setups where a large soundbar would overwhelm the TV stand.
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Dorm rooms and small living rooms where simplicity and clarity matter most.
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Older viewers or anyone who struggles to hear dialogue clearly.
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People frustrated with modern TV speakers who want a fix that doesn’t involve cluttering the room with subwoofers and satellites.
In short: it’s for anyone who values clear, balanced, practical sound over feature overload.
Final Thoughts
With the AV835, ZVOX proves that smaller can indeed be smarter. By shrinking down its popular AV855 into a more compact package, the company has created a soundbar that directly addresses real-world problems: thin TV audio, limited living spaces, and the frustration of not being able to hear dialogue clearly.
At $269.99, the AV835 strikes an excellent balance of price, performance, and practicality. It doesn’t chase trends or add unnecessary bells and whistles—it simply makes your TV sound better, which is ultimately the point of any soundbar.
For bedrooms, kitchens, dorms, or any secondary setup, the AV835 is an easy recommendation. And for those who’ve been holding off because “soundbars are too big,” this may be the one that finally makes sense.
ZVOX AV835: compact, affordable, and exactly what many people need.
