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Doshisha unveils GS-SP1 Grand Speaker soundbar designed for hard-of-hearing seniors

The GS-SP1 Grand Speaker soundbar by Doshisha helps seniors hear TV shows better without turning the volume up. (Image source: Doshisha)
The GS-SP1 Grand Speaker soundbar by Doshisha helps seniors hear TV shows better without turning the volume up. (Image source: Doshisha)
Doshisha has announced the GS-SP1 Grand Speaker, a soundbar designed to help the hard-of-hearing hear dialogue and higher-frequencies better, without having to turn the volume up, through the use of dual horn speakers and audio equalization.

Doshisha has announced the GS-SP1 Grand Speaker soundbar designed to help those who are hard-of-hearing to hear their TV shows and movies better. The 20-watt soundbar uses a combination of dual 5-watt horn speakers and audio equalization in addition to dual 5-watt speakers to make dialogue easier to hear.

Unlike Sound Fun's Mirai Speaker Mini, which utilizes a flat driver bent along one dimension, the Grand Speaker utilizes horn speakers to transmit enhanced sound over a long distance with minimal falloff in volume. The sound from the horns remains 1.5 to 1.7 times louder than that from a TV set at 3 meters (9.8 ft.). The enhanced sound can be directed to two listeners by swiveling the horn speakers up to 15° to the side and tilted up to 3° upwards. Others only hear the normal sound, preventing the sound from feeling too loud.

The soundbar comes with five audio equalization modes: Clear, Normal, News, Movie, and Music. Each mode is tuned to make the various sources more enjoyable and easier to hear for the hard-of-hearing. The Normal mode specifically raises the sound in the 200 Hz to 600 Hz frequency range to make voices easier to understand. This mode also compensates for the natural loss in high-frequency sensitivity in older adults by raising the sound in that range.

The Doshisha Grand Speaker will be released April 28 at an MSRP of 39,600 yen (~$279) at the company's online store. The Grand Speaker measures 410 x 142.5 x 70 mm (16.1 x 5.6 x 2.8 in.) and weighs 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs.). Readers who don't want to import the Grand Speaker from Japan can try the Sound Fun Mirai Speaker Mini sold here on Amazon US.

The horn speakers of the GS-SP1 Grand Speaker can be swiveled and tilted to direct enhanced sound to two listeners. (Image source: Doshisha)
The horn speakers of the GS-SP1 Grand Speaker can be swiveled and tilted to direct enhanced sound to two listeners. (Image source: Doshisha)
The GS-SP1 Grand Speaker soundbar uses horn speakers to produce directed audio that does not fade quickly over a long distance. (Image source: Doshisha)
The GS-SP1 Grand Speaker soundbar uses horn speakers to produce directed audio that does not fade quickly over a long distance. (Image source: Doshisha)
The GS-SP1 Grand Speaker uses audio equalization presets that further enhance voices and high frequencies for those who are hard-of-hearing. (Image source: Doshisha)
The GS-SP1 Grand Speaker uses audio equalization presets that further enhance voices and high frequencies for those who are hard-of-hearing. (Image source: Doshisha)
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 04 > Doshisha unveils GS-SP1 Grand Speaker soundbar designed for hard-of-hearing seniors
David Chien, 2025-04-22 (Update: 2025-04-23)