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Features
Overview: The ZVOX Z-Base550 HSD is a single-cabinet audio system
for use with TVs, iPods and other MP3 players, and PCs. It combines high-quality
speakers, a built-in amplifier, a built-in subwoofer, and ZVOX PhaseCue virtual
surround sound processing to give you an easy surround sound solution. Since there
are no speaker wires to deal with, you just need to connect the power and audio
cables to get started.
Placement: Most 32"-50" flat panel TVs can be placed
directly on the Z-Base550 HSD. The TV should be 90 pounds or less and the base should
not exceed 26" wide x 14" deep.
PhaseCue: The proprietary PhaseCue virtual surround sound system
manipulates the phase of the separate channels to fool the ear into believing that
sound is coming from a variety of sources throughout the room. You can control the
size of the sound stage and the amount of virtual surround effect using the included
remote control. Dynamic soundtracks from movies and live recorded music programs
provide a rich, 3-dimensional sound, while the surround effect is somewhat less with
TV programs and newscasts. Note: While the surround experience isn't
the same as a high-quality 5.1-channel system, the performance is much better than
the speakers built-in to most TV's.
Speaker Configuration: The ZVOX Z-Base550 HSD uses five Ferrofluid
cooled 2" main speaker drivers with neodymium magnets. The drivers use the Infinite
Compliance system, which connects the outer two speakers with an acoustic tube, to create
a big sound from a small cabinet. The speakers are magnetically shielded, allowing the
unit to be placed near a CRT TV or monitor.
Subwoofer: In addition to the five main speakers, the Z-Base550
HSD has a down firing high-mass, long-throw 5-1/4" subwoofer in a ported enclosure.
An optional powered subwoofer can be connected via the single rear-panel RCA output.
The subwoofer output is full range.
Power Output: The ZVOX Z-Base550 HSD has a built in 60 watt
amplifier that drives all of the speakers.
Cabinet: The ZVOX Z-Base550 HSD has an MDF (Medium-Density
Fiberboard) wood cabinet.
Auto Power: The Z-Base550 HSD has an auto power on/off circuit.
The power automatically turns on when an audio signal is sensed (the power LED
changes from green to blue). When you turn off the audio source, the Z-Base550
HSD's power will automatically turn off after approximately three minutes with
no signal. There is also a power button on the remote to override the auto power
circuit and a master power switch on the back panel.
Inputs/Outputs: The ZVOX Z-Base550 HSD has three inputs on
the rear panel; stereo RCAs, coaxial digital (single RCA), and optical digital
(Toslink). The digital inputs will accept either 2-channel PCM or Dolby Digital
bitstream signals. A single RCA output allows you to connect an optional powered
subwoofer.
Remote: The included remote has controls for power, mute, volume,
PhaseCue effect level, subwoofer output, and treble level.