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Yamaha YAS-109 Review

This soundbar is sure to improve your home theater experience and is easy to plug in and start enjoying, though the audio quality is far from top-notch
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Yamaha YAS-109 Review
Credit: Yamaha
Price:  $220 List
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Manufacturer:   Yamaha
By Michelle Powell and Matt Bento  ⋅  Nov 11, 2021
53
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#9 of 10
  • Sound Quality - 45% 4.3
  • Ease of Use - 35% 6.2
  • Volume - 15% 6.0
  • Style/Design - 5% 4.9

Our Verdict

A soundbar is a necessary accessory to a large flatscreen, but if you're pinching pennies after purchasing the TV of your dreams, the Yamaha YAS-109 is a good budget option, especially if your home theater is in a smaller room or apartment setting. It's easy to set up, offers full compatibility with Amazon's Alexa, and has a dialogue enhancing “clear voice” setting that makes it easy to hear what's being said without raising the volume. However, its performance falls short in terms of pure audio performance, and we have several other recommendations that sound better at a similar price point.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Good connectivity
Great dialogue enhancement mode
REASONS TO AVOID
Overall audio quality is unimpressive

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Bottom Line Though audiophiles will want to steer clear of this model, it's a decent option for a home theater setups in smaller homes or apartmentsWhile this model doesn't have a lot of features, it sounds excellent at an excellent priceThis is hands down the best choice for folks on tight budgetAn easy to use and compact bar with below-average sound qualityThis soundbar offers above-average connectivity and a useful features set, but doesn't sound as nice as our favorites
Rating Categories Yamaha YAS-109 Sony HT-S350 Vizio V-Series 2.1... Bose TV Speaker Polk Audio Signa S3
Sound Quality (45%)
4.3
7.1
5.6
5.6
5.2
Ease of Use (35%)
6.2
5.8
6.9
5.9
6.1
Volume (15%)
6.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
Style/Design (5%)
4.9
6.8
5.4
9.0
4.7
Specs Yamaha YAS-109 Sony HT-S350 Vizio V-Series 2.1... Bose TV Speaker Polk Audio Signa S3
Dimensions 2.13" x 35" x 5.13" Bar: 2.6" x 35.5" x 3.5"
Sub: 15.4" x 7.5" x 15.13"
Bar: 2.28" x 36.00" x 3.20"
Sub: 9.9" x 8.25" x 8.25"
Bar: 2.6" x 35.5" x 3.5"
Sub: 15.4" x 7.5" x 15.13""
Bar: 2.15" x 35.43" x 3.22"
Sub: 13.4" x 6.72" x 12.2"
External Subwoofer No (optional) Yes Yes No (optional) Yes
Inputs (wired) Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), HDMI in, USB (update only), Ethernet, Subwoofer out Digitcal audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC) Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), 3.5mm AUX VA, 3.5mm AUX, USB Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), 3.5mm AUX Digital audio in (optical), HDMI (ARC), 3.5mm AUX, USB
Supported Audio File Formats Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS Digital Surround Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono, LPCM 2ch DTS Dolby Dolby
WiFi-enabled Yes No No No Yes
Bluetooth Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Voice Assistants Alexa n/a None, but has a dedicated 3.5mm AUX port to connect a VA device n/a Google Assistant
App Yamaha Sound Bar n/a n/a n/a n/a
Remote control? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Max Volume 85dB 102dB 95dB 91dB 88dB
Syncs with: None None None Bose Simplesync enabled speakers Chromecast and/or Google Home enabled devices

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Yamaha YAS-109 Sound Bar is an affordable, all-in-one home theater package with Alexa support and several features that can enhance your viewing experience beyond just making your TV louder. It has full connectivity via HDMI ARC, an optical cable, and outputs for an additional subwoofer, and several listening modes that are more appropriate for listening at lower volumes or gaming.

Performance Comparison


yamaha yas-109 - while this model gets plenty loud, we were disappointed by the...
While this model gets plenty loud, we were disappointed by the overall sound quality.
Credit: Laura Casner

Sound Quality


We assign a lot of weight to our sound quality metric, and, unfortunately, sound quality is not this soundbar's forte. Its bass is booming and fairly overpowering when the volume is cranked. Our testers are not impressed with this model when using it exclusively for listening to music, as its EQ settings are limited to adjusting the bass level. At max volume, the audio quality doesn't decrease significantly, though it's worth noting that we measured 85 dBa when this soundbar is turned all the way up, making it one of the quieter models we tested.

yamaha yas-109 - this soundbar bar is easy to set up, but its app controls are fairly...
This soundbar bar is easy to set up, but its app controls are fairly limited.
Credit: Laura Casner

Things start looking up a bit when we consider TV audio, which is why you're looking into soundbars in the first place. The “Clear Voice” feature effectively enhances dialogue without increasing the volume. This comes in handy when trying to view an action movie with dynamic sound after your kids or roommates have gone to sleep. Despite the bass-heavy performance, the dialogue is crisp and clear even over music or the chaotic sounds of explosions and gunfire.

Ease of Use


Initial setup is straightforward for this model if your TV has an HDMI or optical connection. Just plug into your TV and power connection and you're ready to roll. However, some patience is required once you get over the shock of your improved viewing experience and it's time to set up the app controls on your phone and connect the soundbar to WiFi for Alexa assistance. The app is pretty disappointing, as it's very basic and doesn't provide much in terms of additional controls, plus it doesn't update in real time as you adjust settings via the included remote or the touch-sensitive buttons on the soundbar. Connecting to WiFi requires some button pressing and additional time for a software update. Once you're connected to WiFi, you're afforded four different ways to adjust volume and settings—the app, the included remote, Alexa voice control, and the buttons on the soundbar.

yamaha yas-109 - you can control this model with the included remote, the app, or...
You can control this model with the included remote, the app, or Alexa.
Credit: Laura Casner

The remote is easy and intuitive to use, and when it's out of reach, you can just holler at Alexa to raise and lower the volume, skip tracks, or set an alarm.

Sound Customization


As we hinted at when describing the app controls, there's not a lot of customizable parameters for the Yamaha YAS-109 Sound Bar, though it does have eight preset modes and the option to connect a subwoofer via a wired connection. In addition to the useful clear voice mode, there are separate modes for sports, gaming, movies, TV programs, and surround sound. The surround sound functions use this model's DTS Virtual X support to simulate sounds coming from different heights, “surround” being a bit of a misnomer.

Design/Style


A cloth mesh covering surrounds much of this soundbar, and after lots of testing, we prefer the durability of a hard plastic shell, which is also much easier to keep clean. Several LED indicator lights signal Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, which listening mode you're currently using, as well as Alexa's response status. The bar sits low and shouldn't block the tv unless it's flush with the stand or table, or the soundbar can be mounted to the wall.

yamaha yas-109 - the yamaha yas-109 is wrapped completely in cloth mesh, which isn't...
The Yamaha YAS-109 is wrapped completely in cloth mesh, which isn't very durable or easy to keep clean.
Credit: Laura Casner

Value


The Yamaha YAS-109 is a decent value. It has a good feature set, and while it doesn't sound amazing, it sounds good for a budget model and is worth the money for the improvement over your TV's speakers. However, there are other options for around the same price that sound significantly better.

Conclusion


This soundbar will without a doubt improve your home theater experience and is a budget way to get a lot more from your big flat screen. It's adequate in smaller living rooms and apartment settings where the proximity of your neighbors will naturally limit your sound system; however, this is not the soundbar for discerning audiophiles who are willing to spend a little more for better quality sounds.

Michelle Powell and Matt Bento