The Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer is easy to use every day. This device is particularly interesting for users with impaired hearing, or for those who watch movies and series in a noisy environment or at night. Both compact and practical, the Faller Audio Oskar TV sound amplifier makes dialogue clearer without having to increase the volume. Available for €269, will this unique device become a daily staple?
Faller Audio Oskar: accessories
The Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer comes with a charging base and power cable. Designed as a Plug and Play solution, the Oskar’s box also contains the cables needed to connect a television. An optical cable and a 3.5mm mini-jack cable therefore complete the package.
Faller Audio Oskar: presentation
History
Faller Audio is a German brand and a subsidiary of Sonoro, a manufacturer with a particularly strong presence in Germany. Founder Marcell Faller had the idea to create Faller Audio when he noticed that his father was having difficulty hearing dialogue when watching a film or series. Thanks to his expertise in high fidelity and by working with ENT specialists, hearing care professionals and various research institutes, Marcell Faller developed the Oskar voice enhancer.
Audio design
The Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer is designed for a specific task: to make dialogue easier to hear for viewers. To do this, it is equipped with two 1.4” full range drivers. There is also a passive radiator to provide more depth in the upper mids. The TV sound amplifier conveniently has its own 2 x 2 watt amplification system.
To suit all hearing levels, the Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer features three sound modes. An algorithm adjusts the dynamics of the program’s sound to make dialogue more intelligible. From level 1, the lowest, to level 3, the highest, voices stand out from other sound effects and background noise is reduced. A button on the side of the speaker makes it easy to select one of these sound modes.
Battery life
The Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer’s main strength is how convenient it is. It is equipped with a rechargeable lithium battery that ensures up to 16 hours of use. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy an entire evening watching TV without worrying about having to charge the battery. It also allows the amplifier to be placed anywhere in the room, such as on a coffee table or the sofa’s armrest, to enjoy the best experience.
When the Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer’s battery is flat, the user has two options. They can either place the speaker on the charging base that is plugged into the mains, or they can charge the speaker directly from the mains via the USB-C port, using the cable supplied with the device.
Design and format
The elegant and compact Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer sits on a black plastic base. The speaker is covered with gray fabric, which gives the device a refined look. Light and compact, it is also equipped with a solid handle that makes it easy to carry when it is charged.
When it is placed on its charging base, the Faller Audio Oskar TV sound amplifier is very discreet. It is just under 13cm high, 16cm wide and 6.6cm deep. As a result, it can be placed on the TV cabinet while it’s charging. When placed close to the screen, it’s a good idea to turn up the volume for clearer dialogue. In wireless mode, the speaker takes up little space on a sofa armrest or coffee table, for example.
Connectors
The Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer has two sets of connectors. The first is situated on the device’s charging base. In addition to the USB-C power input, it has a 3.5mm mini-jack auxiliary input and a Toslink optical input. Both input allow you to connect the base of the voice enhancer to the television. It is a shame that it doesn’t feature an HDMI ARC port, which all new TVs are equipped with.
The other connectors of the Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer can be found on the Bluetooth speaker. There is a headphone output next to the USB-C charging port. The latter allows you to connect wired headphones to enjoy custom volume during a home theater session with several people. What’s more, with the headphones connected to the portable speaker, the viewer is freed from the constraints of cable length and can enjoy greater freedom of placement in the living room.
Faller Audio Oskar: key specifications
- Drivers: 2 x 35mm + 1 passive radiator
- Amplification: 2 x 2 watts
- Rechargeable lithium battery, 16 hours of autonomy
- Low latency wireless transmission
- Mini-jack aux input, optical input, headphone output
- Dimensions with base (WxHxD): 160 x 127 x 66mm
- Weight: 877g
Faller Audio Oskar: configuration
One of the main strengths of the Faller Audio Oskar voice amplifier is its simple setup. It’s a true Plug and Play solution. To use it, simply connect the charging base to the TV via the optical or auxiliary mini-jack input, then plug the base into the mains. For our review, we decided to use the optical input. The speaker then automatically detects the television. Setup only takes a few seconds.
Faller Audio Oskar: listening impressions
Although the Faller Audio Oskar voice amplifier is primarily intended for people with impaired hearing, the device can prove practical in many situations, even for people with good hearing. Whether it was in a large living room or a small sitting room, the Oskar voice amplifier performed well.
We first tested it in a small living space, where it proved very effective. When the dishwasher is running, for example, it’s usually difficult to hear dialogue on the TV without significantly increasing the volume. Thanks to the Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer, dialogue become audible again without generating a cacophony in the living room. Similarly, when opening the window, traffic noise no longer had an impact on listening comfort. This was true whether the speaker was used from the charging base or wirelessly.
In a larger living room, the voice amplifier came into its own thanks to its portable design. To clearly hear the dialogue in a film, simply position the speaker one meter away from you. With the film Dunkirk by Christopher Nolan, a director known for creating movies with dialogue that is sometimes difficult to hear, the scenes at sea with Cillian Murphy were undeniably clearer. Despite the wind and the sound of the waves, conversations between the various characters were perfectly transparent and smooth. What’s more, for users who like to continue watching programs until late at night, the speaker section lets you watch TV without turning up the volume too loudly. This means that neighbors and other household members won’t be disturbed by the noise.
The three sound modes were also very practical. For sporting events and matches, if an interview is being conducted in the mixed zone (reserved for the media), the first sound mode is sufficient for a user with no hearing loss. On the other hand, in a less optimal situation, such as a pitch-side interview close to the fans, modes 2 and 3 enable the voices to be separated more clearly, making the discussion more intelligible.
Placed on the base or in portable mode, the speaker transmitted the TV’s audio without latency with the picture, offering optimum user comfort. This was also demonstrated during a headphone listening session with the Marshall Monitor II ANC Diamond Jubilee headphones. What’s more, the Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer’s base and speaker exchange on a low-latency LC3 frequency band (2,402 GHz – 2,480 GHz). Consequently, there’s no interference with other connected devices in the home (connected speaker, WiFi amplifier, etc.).
Faller Audio Oskar: who is it for?
The Faller Audio Oskar voice enhancer is primarily designed for those suffering with hearing loss who want to be able to hear TV dialogue more clearly. However, the device is much more versatile. It can be useful for people with a large living room who want a device to fully discern voices without having to increase the TV volume too much. Users with smaller spaces, with household appliances such as a dishwasher in close proximity, will also benefit from the qualities of the Oskar TV sound amplifier.
Faller Audio Oskar: conclusion
The Faller Audio voice enhancer is rightly described as a simple, practical solution for getting the most out of film and TV dialogue. Its ultra-simple setup makes it particularly suitable for users looking for a Plug and Play solution. Versatile, it’s equally at home in large or small spaces. Its 16-hour battery life guarantees long home theater sessions in total comfort. What’s more, its compact size and sleek design make it easy to install beside your TV.
We liked:
- The clear dialogue with all types of content
- The three sound levels
- The ease of use
- The compact format
We would have liked:
- An HDMI ARC port
