Yamaha YAS-101

The Yamaha YAS-101 won't break the bank, and, more important, it sounds great with TV and movies. Music lovers should look elsewhere, though. The Yamaha YAS-101 includes an integrated subwoofer and an automatic calibration feature that makes setup a breeze, though the bar's connection options are limited.

Performance

Sounds very good for standard TV and movie watching. Although the Yamaha YAS-101's subwoofer is integrated into the body of the sound bar, reviewers say it nevertheless does an admirable job handling low-end sounds, though it won't thump your chest like a solid discrete subwoofer. (The rear of the sound bar includes a sub-out connection if you want to add an external subwoofer.) The mid- and high-ranges sound crisp and clear, though the audio begins to struggle at high volumes and when playing music. Yamaha's Air Surround Xtreme virtual surround-sound mode does a decent job of simulating a 360-degree listening experience, and its area of effect is fairly large, especially for a budget sound bar. However, like most simulated surround-sound solutions, it's not particularly accurate.

Design

The design is sleek and straightforward, but simple. Experts find the thin black bar attractive, and since the subwoofer is built directly into the sound bar, you don't have to worry about setting up additional devices. On the downside, there aren't many connectivity options; the inputs are limited to a single coaxial and a pair of optical digital audio inputs, and there is no way to connect a wireless device via Bluetooth and AirPlay.

Features

Features are few, but potent. The Yamaha YAS-101 lacks most of the bells and whistles found on pricier sound bars, but the ones that it has are very useful. An automatic calibration function takes the hassle out of making your sound bar sound its best, while an infrared emitter on the rear of the unit passes IR signals along to your TV (or other devices) if the sound bar is blocking its sensor. Various sound modes level out volume levels, clarify dialog and more. Dolby Digital and DTS decoders are also on board, but not the more advanced Blu-ray-friendly HD versions.

Value

A great budget sound bar. The Yamaha YAS-101 delivers a fairly big acoustical bang for comparatively few bucks, though more discerning listeners may want to spend a bit more for a discrete subwoofer.

The bottom line

If you want a straightforward, low-cost sound bar that vastly outshines the speakers built into HDTVs, the Yamaha YAS-101 is a great option. If you need more advanced features, however -- such as HDMI ports or built-in HD audio decoding -- you'll have to look elsewhere.