Sound bars are used because they’re convenient — they don’t take up room like having a set of speakers does. But giving up surround sound seems a given since all the speakers are contained in single cabinet staring dead-on at the person watching the TV. But the Yamaha YAS-203 Sound Bar’s got that covered: its “surround sound” feature actually lives up to the name.
Looking At You
Solidly built, with some subtle touches like a curve to the front of the sound bar and rounded corners on the accompanying wireless subwoofer, both come with an all piano-black finish that blends in with any home theater system. Use an optical cable from the TV’s output to the sound bar and that’s the end of the cabling — the sub is wireless and syncs automatically once both are turned on (its 6 1/2” woofer is large enough to drive the bass in a bedroom or similarly moderate space). Added inputs consist of a coax digital audio and analog stereo RCA, should additional devices wish to connect directly (for example, a Blu-ray player). An IR-pass through lets the TV remote work even if the sound bar is blocking the TV’s IR panel, with the Yamaha remote able to “learn” the TV functions if desired. The dedicated buttons for inputs (including Bluetooth) removes the reemote’s “learning curve”.
Listening At You
A row of 9 LED indicators on the front panel notes the modes of operation, as there is no visual menus. “Clear Voice” stands out due its ability to enhance voices, and I found this to be a real winner when watching sports or news broadcasts. Also built-in, and similar to those found in other sound bars, is being able to maintain a constant volume level (eliminating a consistent issue with audio content coming in over a cable box) and a “bass boost.” Most useful when needed is being able to adjust the audio delay for when the audio isn’t synched up with the image — an in-often occurrence but vexing when it happens.
A Sound Investment
The big question is sound quality. In “real-world” use (i.e., watching TV shows, playing movies, etc.), I found this system provided a quality audio experience, one in which the sound was clear and had a wide dynamic range. The Bluetooth transmitted audio sounded equally good as well. But most interesting was the “Surround” function because the enhanced surround effect seemed to bring in audio from either side of the room, although the “behind-the-viewer” audio cues were often weak. This increase in the sound field definitely enhanced the viewing experience by making surround effects “sound” more realistic as to their position in space — in many cases the ear was being completely fooled into thinking that there was other speakers in the room. Considering that the sound bar has only two drivers (2 1/8” in size), it’s all the more surprising that it lives up to Yamaha’s claim of providing a virtual surround audio experience.
The Overall Package
Sound bars might look the same from the outside, but Yamaha’s YAS-203 knows a good thing when it hears it — by making sure the viewer hears it too (200 watts of total power being more than sufficient). $399.95 (retail) is in no way exorbitant for getting a space-saving “surround sound” audio system for a HD TV set.
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