Sound Advice
By Don Lindich
Week 46, 2020
A great photo gift: This week’s gift recommendation is a wonderful product that can be enjoyed by anyone who wants to brighten up living and work spaces with beautiful photographs.
Mixtiles are 8×8-inch photo tiles that stick and re-stick without nails or hammering. They are designed to be ordered in quantity and arranged as wall art. Just upload your photographs through the website or the app, place your order and they are delivered in about a week. The visual impact they make must be seen to be appreciated and I suggest visiting the Mixtiles website to see some of the possibilities. I have several examples posted on my website as well.
Through November 20th you can get a special deal on Mixtiles. They are normally $11 each but with the code SAVE50 you buy 10 and get 10 free. Getting 20 Mixtiles for $110 provides a lot of decorating options for multiple rooms, or you can arrange them all in a giant photo arrangement. Gift cards are available as well, and shipping is always free.
Mixtiles are a great idea that is both affordable and brilliantly executed. When I see lots of arranged tiles with smiling faces, it makes me smile, too. mixtiles.com
Q. My question is about the ZVOX AV157 TV Speaker and the SB380 soundbar. Both are the same $199 price with the coupon that expires on Nov. 3rd. Which do you recommend as best for the hearing impaired?
-J.Z., Breezy Point, MN
A. The SB380 is a full-sized soundbar with a built-in subwoofer. It provides a home theater experience, complete with big sound and deep bass. It also has 6 AccuVoice settings that lift the voices up over the soundtrack to make them easier to understand.
The AV157 TV Speaker is a smaller speaker that is optimized to improve TV dialogue. It has 6 AccuVoice settings as well as 6 special SuperVoice settings. SuperVoice improves dialogue clarity even further by reducing background sounds while using AccuVoice to lift the voices over the soundtrack. The AV157 is the clear choice for the hearing impaired, or anyone who wants to improve their TV sound without going to a larger home theater soundbar.
I should add that the AV157 has generated one of the most eye-opening and overwhelmingly positive reader responses in recent memory. Here is a sampling of emails I received since the column featuring it first ran.
“I just wanted to let you know that I bought one of these units. I’m 87, use hearing aids, and have been wearing remote headphones. Since I bought this unit, I can’t believe the clarity of sound that the ZVOX produces. Thanks for writing about this product.”
-B.B., San Jose, CA
“Don, your recommendations are SO good…have benefited so many! This week it was the ZVOX AV157…big upgrade to my previous ZVOX AV200.”
-D.R., Fremont, CA
“I received the ZVOX AV157 and it is really great, in fact so great that I ordered two more today for use at my two lake cabins, and was able to get the discounted price.”
-J.L., Clarissa, MN
The good news for those who missed out the first time is the coupon code has been extended through November 23rd. You can continue to use the code VOTE2020 at zvox.com to save $100 on the AV157, bringing the $299 price down to $199 with free shipping. The code is only valid on the AV157.