One of the most interesting options to improve the audio quality of your television without having to spend a lot of money and mount a lot of paraphernalia in your living room are the sound bars: they are small and if you find a good one, their sound can be spectacular.
Let’s analyze the Yamaha YAS-103 sound bar that has 120W of power, bluetooth and application for smartphones
Characteristics Yamaha YAS-103
- 3D Ready: No
- Number of Speakers: 4
- Supported channels: 2.1
- Surround Xtreme audio processing
- Dolby Digital: Yes
- DTS: Yes
- Dolby Pro Logic II: Yes
- Dolby TrueHD: No
- DTS Master Audio HD: No
- Weight: 4Kg
- Dimensiones: 89 x 12,1 x 10,9 cm
- Power: 120W (30W x 2 + 60W)
- With Bluetooth and App control
- With coaxial input, RCA stereo input and digital connections for TV (1) and DVD / BR (1). Without HDMI.
Opinion and analysis Yamaha YAS-103
The Yamaha YAS-103 soundbar offers powerful sound for home theater without the aid of an external subwoofer.
Design and connectivity
This soundbar has a sleek gloss black finish, with curved edges and round speaker grills at both ends. The finish has a somewhat “plastic” look but can be forgiven due to its price.
It is a sound bar that is not particularly thin and that fits perfectly with a 40 ″ television. It is designed to stand on the table or on the wall. For the table, there is a pair of feet at the bottom (removable for wall mounting), which provides us with a stable, vibration-free platform.
The front panel is very simple. We are going to find a row of lights that indicate the selected sound mode. A row also lights up when the volume is being adjusted.
On the back we find the available connections: coaxial digital, stereo analog and two optical digital inputs. The inclusion of two optical ports is a real bonus (you can connect a Blu-ray to one and the other to your TV). The lack of HDMI ports will be a drawback for people who want 3D or 4K. There is also no USB port but it can be connected with other devices via Bluetooth.
Functionalities
Through Bluetooth we will be able to send 7.1 surround sound and to make up for the lack of a subwoofer, Yamaha has incorporated all kinds of technologies including advanced bass extension processing, dual 7.5cm woofers and a very long, straight bass reflex. shaped like a trumpet at the exit.
It also has a function that enhances the sound of the voice and a volume unifier to avoid volume changes when, for example, advertising comes in.
It has a total power of 120W, with 2 x 30W in the main speakers and 60W in the subwoofer. The main drivers are 6.5cm cones, with no separate tweeters.
As it does not have a subwoofer, it is very easy to install, practically plug in and that’s it. Not much to configure: subwoofer level and a selection of stereo and surround modes. We can do everything from the included remote control, which is quite simple and does not have much complication. We can also install the application for iOS or Android on our smartphone, with which we can control all the fundamental aspects of this sound bar.
Performance
Spectacular the sound that this sound bar can provide us without a subwoofer or other speakers. Put on an action movie and every crash, bang or bang sounds forceful and dynamic. The sound feels somewhat forced when we raise a lot of volume, but it is within acceptable limits. What really stands out is the presence of the bass on the YAS-103 and it shows that the built-in woofers and reflex port make this soundbar very effective. The sound is deep and thunderous.
A little more control over the sound parameters wouldn’t hurt, but most of the time it handles the mids well and creates a solid, cohesive sound. The YAS-103 also sets the tone in the high frequencies, being very pleasant and giving a crisp touch to the effects and the vocals.
The Air Surround Xtreme provides spacious sound, but it’s not really surround sound.
He also does a good job of listening to music. The ease and convenience of connecting your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth is a huge advantage.
conclusion
The Yamaha YAS-103 is an impressive soundbar for the price. It is elegant and manages to create a fairly immersive sound without the help of other speakers or subwoofers. It is also easy to install and control, and the Bluetooth connection works really well. On the other hand, it does not have HDMI inputs and there are one or two small sound defects (which are practically imperceptible).
In favor:
- Very good sound quality
- Good quality price
- Easy to use and connect
- Con bluetooth
- With smartphone app and remote control
Against:
- No HDMI connection
- I design something “plastic”
