Updated Dec. 20, 2023 8: 22 a.m. PT
Written by
Ty Pendlebury
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Reviews ethics statement
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
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Zvox AV120
7.4/10 CNET Score
Pros
- Crystal clear without harshness
- Affordable
- Easy to set up and use
- Bluetooth capable
Cons
- Won’t work if you lose the remote
- Music subject to volume spurts
- Low frequencies can cause distortion
If TVs sounded any better than they currently do, then I would probably be out of a job. For that matter, so would speaker manufacturer Zvox. For over twenty years, the Massachusetts-based company has produced soundbars designed to make TV audio sound clearer. The Zvox AV120 continues in this tradition, but it comes in at a lower price than ever before.
When it comes to making voices sound better for not much money, the AV120 gets a big star. It has multiple modes designed to improve speech, and it does so without sacrificing treble sound quality for others in the room. The only real downside to the speaker is that it’s not so great with music, but the speaker’s Bluetooth capability does help if you listen to podcasts. Overall, the Zvox AV120 is a solid buy for people who need a sonic boost in their day-to-day television watching.
The speaker is currently on sale for $60, which is a great price, and representatives tell me that its regular price will be under $100 (rather than the original $150).
Design and features
The AV120 is tiny at 15 inches across
Ty Pendlebury/CNETLike the AV357 I reviewed a while ago, the AV120 is a teeny, tiny speaker; only 15 inches wide by 2.2 inches high and 2.5 inches deep. It’s made from plastic and this also helps keep the price low compared to its aluminum siblings. The speaker is black and comes with a choice of either a black or a bronze grill.
The AV120 uses hearing aid technology to accentuate speech, with two different strength levels to choose from, as well as a surround mode. The speaker also includes an “output leveling” feature to reduce the distraction of volume spikes from loud commercials.
The physical inputs are as minimalist as its footprint: a combined 3.5mm/optical connection and USB for playing MP3 files from a thumb drive (old school!). Unlike other Zvox speakers, the AV120 also includes Bluetooth 5.0, so it can double as a music speaker.
The speaker comes with a large remote control with easy-to-read buttons. But keep it safe, as there are no controls on the speaker itself, not even power. This is annoying because the speaker has an auto power-off function and needs the remote to turn it back on.
How does it sound?
I compared the Zvox AV120 against a number of speakers at a similar price, including the Creative Stage V2 and the Yamaha SR-C30, as well as the option most people who buy this are currently using, the T