In a nutshell, the Yamaha Yas-207 means great performance and pricing with a tad too fewer features. These days you can find several entry-level soundbars and it is tough to arrive at a decision regarding them in the sense which one to buy. There are many things you must consider from Google Cast connectivity to virtual surround and other big decisions have to be made such as whether you need a subwoofer or not. It is tough to pick the right audio equipment from the host of soundbars available.
Yamaha Yas-207 is light on features and is a bit bland in appearance, and so might not fit everyone’s idea of a home theatre. However, for the people having a limited budge and space for additional bass, this model will be satisfactory like the others on our guide. It comes with balanced sound quality and there are a few cool virtual surround sound tricks available.
The Yamaha Yas-207 is a budget speaker and yet it is not free from tough competition. The price tag of $300 or £349 means that Yamaha Yas-207 has to face difficult competition from Sony’s HT-MT300 or LG SH7B soundbars which also support Airplay and Google Cast and they have plenty of other features as well. However, if you are not too keen on a lot of features and can live with the fundamental design the Yamaha Yas-207 will be a good choice. Let’s see some of the reasons why.
Features
Design
This Yamaha model doesn’t do anything to move the world of soundbar design. It’s just a black bar and has a rectangular subwoofer. When you have clogged the Yamaha symbol there is no way of telling the maker that created this model. This might be good if you are trying to build a furtive system but for a layman, it is a bit too generic. Check our comparison of the best models: https://theproductanalyst.com/best-soundbar/
On the front side of the soundbar, you can find touch controls for switching the input, controlling the volume, and for power control. These controls come with green indicator lights which display the input that is active and also can work as the volume control. These green lights appear similar to the 1990s stereos that provide Yamaha Yas-207 with the appearance of an outdated design straight out of the box. If you are conscious of the soundbar design you may wish to try Sonos Playbase and Sonos Playbar.
As far as the ports go, Yamaha has included HDMI ARC, HDMI inside a 3.5 mm analog jack and it comes with an optical connection. You can also find a USB-A port which is available for firmware updates. We will discuss this more in the performance description.
The dimensions of the soundbar are 36.62 x 2.37 x 4.25 inches (W x H x D). The speaker configuration is 5.1 and it claims to have an audio power of 200W. The connections include 1 x 4K/HDR HDMI and there is a loop through with a 1X optical audio input and a 3.5 mm audio port. You can also find Bluetooth on the bar.
Subwoofer Design
The subwoofer design is pretty generic as well and that is a bit disappointing. The subwoofer comes with a straightforward rectangular box having a black cloth covering for the driver. There is a bass port available on the subwoofer front and the backside, you can find a power port with a pairing button for syncing up with the soundbar. The subwoofer and the soundbar are already paired by design and therefore it is not necessary to set them up.
Remote Control
Yamaha comes with a good remote control which has easy to use and large buttons. These remote feature buttons allow you to switch the input, and toggle the stereo and surround modes. There are options available for enhancing the bass and dialogue. The remote will allow you to alter the balance of the bass and enhance the dialogue of a program. The balance of the bass can also be altered by using the remote control and you can control the soundbar volume which is a well-appreciated and neat feature.
Performance
This Yamaha soundbar has an excellent sound quality and it offers a crisp deep and high bass. The dialogue that comes out from the soundbar is clear and loud for TV programs and movies and you also get an option for enhancing the dialogue further by pressing Clear Voice button available on the remote. The author recommends the sound to be used in middle or higher levels for this soundbar but it can be a lot of basses so it is recommended that you bring it down by one level.
DTS Virtual: X
This was one of the first soundbars that added support for DTS Virtual: X. The company also added support for DTS Virtual Surround to its YAS-207 model. DTS Virtual: X is the digital signal processing system of the company which aids the soundbar to have more conventional surround sound speaker effect. Another important thing to note here is that YAS-207 needs you to have a firmware update for using the DTS Virtual: X and you may wish to update it quickly as the virtual surround sound is practically impossible to listen to from out of the box.
Conclusion
Yamaha yas-207 is a good choice for the buyers looking to enhance their TV and movie watching experience further at a lower cost. The model offers a balanced sound, easy setup, along with DTS virtual surround sound processing which some of you may enjoy. But if you have limited space available you might wish to try the Sony HT-MT300 which is smaller and comes with a slim wireless subwoofer.
It is also possible to slide it under the couch. There are other options available which will make for a better choice if you are looking for a multi-room setup for the sound system.
But overall, the Yamaha YAS-207 soundbar is a great value and packs a great sound quality for the given price. The addition of DTS Virtual: X at this price point is a great thing but then its performance is below par with a sound that is artificial sounding.
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