Skip to main content

Zvox’s latest dialogue-clarifying ANC headphones are just $70

Zvox has announced its latest active noise canceling (ANC) wireless headphones, the $70 AV52, which offer better reduction of outside sounds versus the earlier AV50 model, according to the company. The headphones come in black, white, blue, and rose and are available starting December 21 at Zvox.com.

The AV52 include Zvox’s AccuVoice technology, which it has adapted from hearing aids. It’s the same dialogue-enhancing tech that Zvox used on its first headphones, the AV50, and its many TV speakers. Zvox’s algorithms attempt to identify speech and vocals so that they can be emphasized over the background sounds, making them easier to hear.

Zvox AV52 ANC Headphones.
Zvox

With support for Qualcomm’s aptX Bluetooth codec, latency should be kept at an acceptable 3 milliseconds to 6 milliseconds when using the AV52 with a compatible smartphone or Bluetooth transmitter.

The AV52’s design mimics that of the Sony WH-1000XM4, with folding hinges and a well-padded headband. The two products also offer the same light weight — just over half a pound. But instead of touch controls, the AV52 uses physical buttons, like the Bose QC 45 ANC headphones.

Zvox AV52 ANC Headphones.
Zvox

The AV52 offers three key improvements over the AV50, according to Zvox: Better noise cancellation and call quality, plus longer battery life. The AV52 use a hybrid ANC system as compared to the single-mic system employed by the AV50, which Zvox says should give the AV52 about 15% better performance when reducing ambient noise.

The onboard voice mic is now able to cancel out most non-voice sounds so that your callers will be better able to hear your voice, and not distracting background sounds. Finally, battery life has been substantially increased. The AV52 can get a claimed 24 hours of playtime with ANC enabled — much better than the 15 hours offered by the AV50.

Included in the box is a zippered carrying case, a USB-C charging cable, an an analog cable for those times when you need to plug in instead of going wireless.

We won’t know how the AV52 compare to other ANC headphones until we try them, but at $70, even if they can’t quite compete with the likes of Sony or Bose, they could still be an excellent set of affordable noise-canceling cans.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
AIAIAI’s latest headphones let you ditch the cable, not the quality
AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ headphones.

When it comes to wireless headphones, there's usually a trade-off: Lower-quality audio for the convenience of going wire-free. But Danish audio company AIAIAI's (pronounced "eye-eye-eye") latest headphones, the $350 TMA-2 Studio Wireless+, are an attempt to give folks -- especially musicians and other audio creators -- the best of both worlds. The wireless headphones come with a dedicated wireless transmitter that's been designed to deliver low-latency, lossless CD-quality sound for those who need a better-than-Bluetooth wireless signal.

Better yet, the wireless cans still have a fully wired option for those time when you need to hear your source instantly and with no additional processing. Swapping between modes is simple -- the headband has a switch that lets you instantly flip between standard Bluetooth mode and AIAIAI's Wireless+ mode.

Read more
Monoprice’s Monolith headphones based on exotic AMT tech cost just $1,000
Monoprice Monolith AMT headphones.

Monoprice, the online seller best known for its superlow prices on audio and video staple accessories like HDMI cables and connectors, has been slowly edging into the enthusiast end of the market with its Monolith brand of high-performance gear. Monolith speakers, subwoofers, amplifiers, and headphones all follow the tried-and-true Monoprice formula of taking established technology and then producing it a much lower prices than the big brands. But now, the company has its sights set on something completely different, with the just-announced $1,000 Monolith AMT, a set of wired headphones that use Air Motion Transformer (AMT) drivers.

Monolith's previous headphone models have incorporated dynamic drivers or planar magnetic drivers in both open and closed designs. And while planar magnetic drivers aren't popular with casual listening audiences, they've been used on a wide variety of audiophile-grade headphones from companies like Beyerdynamic, Focal, Sennheiser, Audeze, and more.

Read more
Yamaha’s new 3D ANC headphones take aim at the AirPods Max
Yamaha's YH-L700A 3D noise-canceling headphones.

Yamaha's latest wireless headphones, the $500 YH-L700A, appear to be priced and designed as the ultimate alternative to Apple's $549 AirPods Max. In addition to active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes, the YH-L700A feature the company's version of spatial audio, which it enables via head-tracking -- the same technology that Apple uses in its AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. They're available starting today on Yamaha's website and soon from retailers like Best Buy.

Yamaha calls the spatial audio feature 3D Sound Field with head-tracking. Unlike spatial audio on the AirPods Max, which requires an Apple device like an iPhone or Apple TV 4K, plus the support of streaming apps like Apple Music, Netflix, or Disney+, Yamaha's tech is much more universal. According to the company, the headphones can convert traditional two-channel stereo into a 360-degree sound field at the push of a button. You can also choose between seven 3D sound modes depending on what you're listening to. These include Cinema, Drama, and Music Video (for video content), Audio Room and Background Music (for music), and Outdoor Live and Concert Hall modes (for performances).

Read more