Skilled’s Ranking
Professionals
- Glorious encompass sound when used with a pair of rear audio system
- Low peak means the soundbar received’t block your TV display screen
- Nice stereo music listening by way of Spotify Join, Tidal Join, and Apple AirPlay 2
Cons
- Lack of rear upfiring audio system on elective surrounds obscures Atmos impact
- No backlight on distant
Our Verdict
Yamaha’s residence theater system works seamlessly, producing glorious sound with a minimal of fuss.
Greatest Costs Right this moment: Yamaha True X Bar 50A
$699.95
Yamaha makes a triumphant return to the house theater area with the True X Bar 50A soundbar and subwoofer, a system designed to stability ease of use with an immersive viewing expertise and glorious music replica. It’s an efficient all-in-one setup for viewers who need nice sound with a minimal of trouble.
Some residence theater gear is designed to excite the fanatic, loaded with options that tick the bins on an audiophile’s guidelines. Yamaha isn’t all in favour of impressing these prospects, so in the event you’re searching for a setup with all of the bells and whistles, you would possibly wish to transfer on.
Everybody else will admire the polish that Yamaha brings to your complete expertise with the True X Bar 50a. The unit, particularly when used with an elective pair of True X Speaker 1A wi-fi audio system (which Yamaha additionally equipped for evaluation), delivers a superior film watching expertise. Music followers will admire its integration with standard streaming companies and the flexibility to make use of every True X Speaker 1A ($149.95 apiece) as a transportable Bluetooth wi-fi speaker.
It’s necessary to recollect the variations between encompass sound and Dolby Atmos. Residence theater programs on this value vary don’t actually try and ship the total “dome of sound” impact {that a} high-end Atmos system can present, and the True X Bar 50A offers a style with out producing the total expertise.
Lower than full Atmos imaging doesn’t imply that listeners received’t get excellent encompass sound from the Yamaha True X Bar 50A when it’s used with a pair of True X Speaker 1A wi-fi audio system. With that in thoughts, Yamaha has designed a system that’s an impressive worth.
Design & construct
- 2.1.1 channels
- Dolby Atmos & DTS:X
- HDMI eARC interface
The Yamaha True X Bar 50A measures 40 x 2.5 x 4.4 inches (WxHxD) and weighs simply 8.5 kilos. The included subwoofer measures 7.4 x 16.1 x 16 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 20.7 kilos, all of which makes for a comparatively compact soundbar system.
Yamaha contains energy cords for the soundbar and subwoofer, a digital optical cable, and a Fast Begin information, plus two spacers and a paper mounting template in the event you’re planning to hold the soundbar on a wall.
The True X Bar 50A is a 2.1.2-channel system, which incorporates two left/proper entrance racetrack audio system, every with a 1.75 × 2.6-inch cone, 2 left/proper upfiring peak audio system with 2-inch cones, and a pair of built-in subwoofers with 3-inch cones. Every of the six audio system is 30W. The standalone subwoofer has a 6.25-inch cone and places out 100W.
James Barber/Foundry
Subwoofer aficionados will discover that there’s no middle channel speaker on this setup. Yamaha’s sign processing does a superb job of retaining dialog within the middle of the sound area, particularly when the Clear Voice perform is engaged.
This evaluation is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the very best soundbars.
The soundbar has one HDMI eARC port, a further HDMI enter (good for connecting a video supply on to the unit), and one digital optical enter, together with an ethernet port. The unit helps each DTS:X and Dolby Atmos.
James Barber/Foundry
Wi-fi connectivity
- Apple AirPlay 2
- Spotify Join and Tidal Join
- Bluetooth 5.0
The True X Bar 50A works with each Spotify Join and Tidal Join, so customers of every service can management playback straight from throughout the respective apps on a pill or smartphone. Apple machine customers can stream to the soundbar by way of Apple AirPlay 2. Android customers can ship music to the True X Bar 50A by way of a Bluetooth connection.
Yamaha has included full built-in Alexa assist, so customers can use the soundbar’s built-in microphone to handle playback, set alarms and timers, and management different sensible residence gadgets which might be suitable with the Amazon voice assistant.
Distant and app
- Voice- and bass-boosting modes
- Yamaha app (with restricted performance)
- Separate quantity changes for principal soundbar unit, subwoofer, and surrounds
Yamaha has included a well-designed distant that enables a consumer to modify between inputs, select from the 4 audio modes (stereo, customary, film, or sport), mute, and independently management the quantity for the soundbar, subwoofer and every encompass speaker.
James Barber/Foundry
There’s a Clear Voice choice to compress and enhance dialog and a Bass Extension button to enhance the low finish. Alexa customers can summon the voice assistant by way of an Motion button on the highest row of the distant.
There’s an app for iOS and Android, however it simply presents enter choice and a shortcut to the Tidal and Spotify apps in the event you’re utilizing their Join capabilities. You possibly can skip the obtain and probably not miss something. I’ll take this as factors in favor of this method’s ease of use relatively than complain about an app that doesn’t do a lot.
True X Speaker 1A wi-fi audio system
- Double as transportable Bluetooth audio system
- Compact design
- Waterproof
Yamaha has made it simple to create an immersive encompass expertise with a pair of its elective True X Speaker X1A wi-fi audio system, every of which may double as a high-quality transportable Bluetooth speaker.
It could be extra correct to explain them as Bluetooth audio system that may double as encompass for the True X Bar 50A. The audio system are tiny, measuring 7.3 x 2.7 x 2.5 inches (HxWxD) and weighing simply 1.3 kilos. A full cost takes 3 hours and delivers 12 hours of battery life.
Every X1A speaker has a single 2.1-inch full-range driver and two passive radiators. The audio system have an IP67 score, which implies they’re dustproof and waterproof for transient durations in as much as a meter of water. A full cost takes 3 hours to present 12 hours of transportable playback. They join by way of Bluetooth 5.0 and assist the SBC and AAC codecs.
James Barber/Foundry
The True X Speaker 1A is a remarkably good Bluetooth speaker. There’s loads of bass and many element at greater volumes, with zero distortion at any affordable quantity for a speaker this dimension. The one draw back is that two audio system can’t work as a stereo pair, an possibility that might make the 1A a very compelling backup system.
The audio system can cost by way of USB-C, however Yamaha presents the $24.95 CC-T1A charging cradle to make a speaker extra transportable in the event you’re utilizing it as encompass with the True X Bar 50A. Simply choose up the speaker and push the button that switches from Encompass to Solo mode.
Should you’re not planning to make use of the X1A as a transportable speaker, you would possibly wish to skip the charging cradles and go away them plugged into the wall with your personal USB-C charger. Should you’re solely utilizing one X1A as a Bluetooth speaker, you’ll solely want one charging cradle and might save $24.95 by skipping a second.
The X1A audio system paired simply with the True X Bar 50A, and so they often powered down once I turned off the soundbar. I went away for just a few days throughout my testing, and the rear audio system weren’t placing out audio once I returned, however that subject was mounted by merely powering off every X1A and turning it again on.
The encompass expertise is superlative, particularly if you consider how small and straightforward to arrange these audio system are. Should you’re prepared to run them on battery energy after charging them on a tabletop, you may place every speaker wherever behind you with out worrying about wires.
Audio efficiency
- Glorious encompass sound
- Diminished Atmos results with True X Speaker X1A models linked
I examined the True X Bar 50A and True X Speaker 1A by streaming the Apple TV model of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Futurewhich options a superb Dolby Atmos combine. The film maintains the sequence’ dedication to continuous motion and there have been loads of sounds flying round throughout the film’s chase scenes.
Dolby has been remarkably broadminded when it fingers out the Atmos label, and the manufacturer-approved experiences can differ extensively. For me, an optimum Atmos expertise creates a bubble of sound that makes it appear to be sound is coming from a dozen or extra discrete factors across the room. It’s often the upfiring audio system (which bounce peak cues off the ceiling) that generate the “in a bubble” sensation.
The Yamaha True X Bar 50A has a pair of upfiring audio system, however the True X1A encompass audio system don’t. I discovered that the Atmos impact was stronger once I used the soundbar with out the encompass audio system, but I most popular the general expertise with the X1A audio system linked to the system.
If I lowered the default quantity on the surrounds, a number of the Atmos impact returned however I felt like I used to be lacking out on a number of the rear audio results. Ultimately, I most popular the rear surrounds at full quantity despite the fact that it lowered the Atmos results in my lounge.
Put me within the camp that believes a real Dolby Atmos expertise wants a full array of upfiring audio system to finish the spatial audio expertise. Even with out the rear audio system turned on, the Yamaha True X Bar 50A has solely two upfiring audio system, which apparently is sufficient to get the Dolby Atmos seal of approval.
That doesn’t imply you’ll get an inferior expertise with the Yamaha True X Bar 50A soundbar and subwoofer when it’s paired with the True X1A encompass audio system. The audio efficiency and encompass results are excellent, even when they’re not precisely the total Atmos expertise.
Value and availability
The Yamaha True X Bar 50A prices $699.95, and it’s accessible from Amazon in addition to the Yamaha web site.
If you wish to add a pair of True X Speaker 1A models, they’ll set you again a cool $149.95 every, and so they’re additionally on sale by Amazon and Yamaha.
Amazon additionally sells the True X Bar 50A and two True X Speaker 1As in a bundle for $999.85, though that doesn’t get you something in the best way of financial savings.
Do you have to purchase the Yamaha True X Bar 50A?
Yamaha has checked a variety of bins with the Yamaha True X Bar 50A. The low profile means it received’t block your tv display screen in the event you’re placing them each on a tabletop. The pairing with the subwoofer and rear audio system is extremely easy. The audio is superb and it’s simple to make use of the soundbar for stereo music playback. There’s zero trouble if you wish to use a encompass as a transportable Bluetooth speaker, an accomplishment that shouldn’t be taken without any consideration.
There are customers preferring their audio setup to be extra difficult and filled with elective tweaks. This Yamaha system wasn’t designed for you. Should you’re searching for higher high quality audio with out the hassles that may include high-end gear, you’ll admire the Yamaha True X Bar 50A and its glorious encompass expertise.