How much should you spend on a sound bar? In the last couple years the sweet spot between sound quality and value has been about $300, and that’s exactly where the Zvox SB380 sits.

Zvox’s sound bars have been consistently well-built and belt out a lot of sound from a compact box. Its specialty is enhancing dialog, making it easier to hear the actors’ voices — as opposed to sound effects — in TV shows and movies. The SB380 continues that trend and adds good looks and solid overall sound.

Unfortunately for Zvox, “solid” is no longer sufficient. The new budget superstar, the Vizio SB3621, easily eclipses the Zvox in sound quality and costs half as much. So does the Yamaha YAS-106, which just like the Zvox doesn’t have a separate subwoofer.

If you really crave clearer-sounding dialog in TV shows and movies, the Zvox SB380 is still worthy of consideration. But also consider the cheaper SB400, which includes Bluetooth and should sound very similar.
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Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/reviews/zvox-sb380-review/