Speakercraft CS3

Can't wait to hear more. What made you pick it over the ZVOX?

Does it have a dialog enhancement mode in addition to the surround mode?

Several reviews mention the ZVOX 420 but I haven't seen a review comparing it with the more similar zvox 580.

My wife purchased one for her parents who are getting on in years. Since getting a Samsung LCD last year they have complained about intelligibility issues, She did some shopping around (at my suggestion) for a sound bar. She liked the idea of the under TV one box approach versus a separate sound bar / woofer, especially since her folks have the TV on a credenza. She did compare the Zvox (assume 580 because it was the $500 one) and found the SpeakerCraft to have much clearer dialog. Incidentally the spouse is a classically trained musician who knows what stuff is supposed to like. So I trust her judgement. The folks received the unit a few days before Christmas and are loving it - they live out of state from us so it had to be shipped. Apparently, it was also an easy install for them - PCM out from the TV into the box - done. OK so maybe not an audiophile review - but certainly a "real world" one.

Thanks - I'm basically after something that yields the best dialog and general sound for normal TV watching. I have a pioneer plasma monitor that doesn't have its own speakers and have been using a pair of powered computer speakers for audio for the past couple of years. It works but it's ugly and its not great for dialog.

I'm a musician too. And I kind of hate the overwhelming aspect of most home theater setups. If I'm watching the Daily Show or sports I really don't need the seats to rattle. I've got drums for that!

We have a pretty good conventional 2 ch stereo in the same room for music and sometimes movies that we might want to really crank.

Thx

Can you sync the remote with the tv remote as you can with the zvox. Or in my case with directv remote.

I purchased this last week and was shocked by how great it sounded compared with all of the other soundbars in Best Buy and Magnolia. It was even better at home with nice depth of sound without side walls to bounce soundwaves. The bass is incredible for the size of the unit. This past weekend I came across a B&W Panorama v1 on closeout for $1100 so I've been A/B'ing the last 2 days. The Speakercraft holds it own against the B&W which was originally $2200! I think the B&W outperforms with a tiny bit more dynamic range, but the Speakercraft is better in terms of sound depth and simulated surround. I haven't decided which one I will keep, but now I know the Speakercraft is a stellar performer. Is the B&W worth twice as much (on close out)? I'm not sure yet. Worth it at $2200? No way.
Edited by JayF - 1/14/13 at 6:26pm

The CS3 is a great sounding little package!

It does have a few issues, one being the dinky little remote that comes with it, but it's packed with features for something so simple and compact.

i saw this at bestbuy and it ook of the grille. I didn't get a chance to audition it but im a bit skeptical about the sound because the midrange drivers are very small in my opinion. I like the fact that it has a tweeter. so i kind of doubt the good reviews for this soundbar even though it looks well built

Has anyone listened to this and compared it to a zvox 580 for example?