Yamaha YAS-209

The YAS-209 also sounds better than it has any right to at this price. Audio comes through crisp and clear, with impressive width and depth, and the included subwoofer bolsters explosions, footsteps, and your favorite bassy tunes.

Spacious, weighty sound ; Well-placed ‘surround’ effects ; Clear, projected dialogue

Less room-filling than some ; Rivals are subtler and punchier ; Struggles in stereo

The YAS-209 gets a lot right, but a few sonic flaws keep this soundbar off the top spot

Expansive soundstage ; Well-integrated bass ; Attractive and understated ; Good build quality ; Simple to setup

Lacks MusicCast ; 2.1 config won't deliver true surround envelopment - no surprise at this price

This 'bar and sub combo is does exactly what it was designed to do: upgrade the sound of your TV. Surround sound isn't the aim of the game here, but for sonic superiority over your usual TV output it's a great option.

The Yamaha YAS-209 offers excellent sound in a compact size. Amazon Alexa is useful and the mics work well in loud environments. The soundbar's implementation of DTS Virtual:X offers a rich surround effect. The subwoofer is more articulate and offers...

There's no onscreen display and the LEDs on the top are too small to see from your chair.

The Yamaha YAS-209 smart soundbar delivers excellent sound quality, whether it's playing music or movies, along with the convenience of Alexa.

The Good ; The Yamaha YAS-209 offers excellent sound in a compact size. Amazon Alexa is useful and the mics work well in loud environments. The soundbar's implementation of DTS Virtual:X offers a rich surround effect. The subwoofer is more articulate...

The Bad ; There's no onscreen display and the LEDs on the top are too small to see from your chair.

The Bottom Line The Yamaha YAS-209 smart soundbar delivers excellent sound quality, whether it's playing music or movies, along with the convenience of Alexa.

Decent build quality. Very good stereo performance. Well-balanced sound profile.

Poor surround performance.

The Yamaha YAS-209 is a decent soundbar with a well-balanced sound profile. It has a great frequency response, and the subwoofer helps produce good bass. The soundbar won't offer an immersive listening experience because of its lack of surround sound...

Impressive sound using standard virtual surround modes ; Alexa onboard ; Easy setup

DTS Virtual:X surround mode sounds distractingly harsh ; Bass Extender mode is overkill ; Limited Alexa control over native soundbar features

The YAS-209’s biggest sonic draw (along with the cheaper, Alexa-less YAS-207) is its support for DTS Virtual:X, a virtual sound format designed to create immersive surround effects not just on the sides and behind you, but also from above. DTS...

Good-looking soundbar ; Surround sound via DTS Virtual:X ; Speech is crystal clear ; Voice control via Alexa

Subwoofer is big and heavy ; App isn't very user-friendly ; LED lights cannot be seen when sat down

The

Clear and resonant dialog ; Excellent for music ; Alexa inside

Lacks low-frequency effects when movies are playing ; Only 1 HDMI input

can't match the YAS-209 in sound quality or Alexa performance. Of the current choices, the YAS-209 hits an attractive middle ground.