Yamaha has announced two new sound bars, combining high-quality audio with the built-in convenience of voice control.
The YAS-209 and YAS-109 are the new sound bars from Yamaha, designed to make it easier for homeowners to connect, control and enjoy their favourite music, movies and more, while also being Alexa-enabled.
As well as the added convenience of interacting through Alexa, the new sound bars also offer enhanced music playback capabilities, featuring Wi-Fi connectivity to play music through Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, and other Alexa-supported music services.
YAS-109 Sound Bar
One of the original players in the sound bar market, Yamaha has continued the tradition of its previous sound bars, providing an immersive experience and modern setup for the smart home era. The YAS-209 and YAS-109 both have a fresh, ultra-slim design for movie and music enthusiasts to discreetly place in front of their TV or mount on the wall without the need for additional brackets.
The YAS-109 features a built-in subwoofer in a compact size, while the YAS-209 includes a separate wireless subwoofer, creating flexible placement options.
The built-in voice control allows homeowners to use Alexa to control the volume, and when giving a voice command, the volume automatically decreases to help Alexa listen to the command.
YAS-209 Sound Bar
A remote control with a dedicated button to initiate Alexa control is included with the sound bars. Alexa can also be muted when desired or turned off completely when the sound bar is bowered down, depending on user preferences.
The new sound bars incorporate Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround decoding, as well as DTS Virtual:X for immersive, virtual 3D surround sound. Post-processing technology also creates a 3D sound field to shroud the homeowner in sound from around and above them without the need for extra speakers.
Both soundbars feature Yamaha Clear Voice Technology, to improve the audibility and clarity of dialogue in movies and TV shows while maintaining overall sonic quality. This feature is particularly useful in action scene and live sports games when background sounds can sometimes overwhelm dialogue and narration.
YAS-209 Sound Bar & Subwoofer
For flexible connectivity options, the sound bars include HDMI input and output with ARC. 4K HDR video is supported for use with HDMI-connected 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc players or 4K streaming media players. Both sound bars support CEC, enabling audio control with compatible remotes. An optical input is provided for use with other devices without HDMI connections.
A free app can be downloaded on apple and Android mobile devices to give homeowners another method to control the sound bar. The same app also allows for playback of music stored on a smartphone via Wi-Fi.