Yamaha SR-B20A Review: Still Good, But Less Of A Value
"With the older YAS-109, the SR-B20A is difficult to sell in this price range."
-
Easy setup
-
Slim design
-
Great sound for movies and TV
-
Missing functions of older models
-
Average sound quality for music
The new affordable soundbar SR-B20A from Yamaha is a special product offering. According to Yamaha, this is a bar that builds on the success of the low-cost YAS line – and in some ways does just that. The B20A has a refreshing, slim design and maintains the coveted entry-level price.
While the most similar to the older YAS-108, the price of the $ 200 SR-B20A is similar to that of the YAS-109. Is it worth investing in the latest model from Yamaha as the older model is still available, often at a cheaper price than the B20A? Or is the company not only fighting against its own product offerings, but also against the entire budget soundbar landscape?
design
The design of the B20A has not changed significantly from the YAS-108 or YAS-109, at least not in its shape. In fact, the dimensions are nearly identical between the three, the main difference being that the older YAS-109 weighs about half a pound more.
Nick Woodard / Digital Trends
The B20A has softened the slightly sharper edges of the YAS models and is wrapped in a more durable, more noticeable fabric. I liked it very much. My significant other can vouch for my audible reaction to the unpacking of the B20A and the fact that I held the seemingly sparkling soundbar in my hand for a moment to admire it, just as the father proudly looked at his coveted lamp in A Christmas Story .
I held the seemingly sparkling soundbar in my hand for a moment to admire it, just as the father in A Christmas Story proudly looked at his precious lamp.
Yamaha has simplified the top control panel of the soundbar and added larger LEDs for better visibility. While I didn't have a YAS internal soundbar to compare the differences, I'll say it was easy to see the indicators on the bar in a darkened living room without the LEDs interfering with the viewing experience.
The SR-B20A is still an all-in-one setup, following the example of the YAS-108 and YAS-109 by excluding an external subwoofer. Yamaha said it improved the design of the bar's built-in woofers, of which there are two, but we'll cross that bridge when we talk about sound quality. In addition, the SR-B20A has an easy-to-use remote control – and offers a remote control app – that is largely unchanged from previous models.
configuration
Part of Yamaha's marketing pitch with the B20A (and the more compact C20A) focuses on the soundbar's ability to effortlessly go beyond the living room. The idea was to provide a soundbar that was easy to set up and use in a wide variety of applications, and I think it nailed the simplicity of initial setup. The bar only requires power and a connection to an audio source, and while I think any soundbar should come with an included HDMI cable at this point, the included optical audio cable will be fine for most situations.
Nick Woodard / Digital Trends
After you've freed the plastic pull-tab protecting the battery from the remote, there's not much left to do to prepare for B20A playback. One of the few benefits of a bar without Wi-Fi connectivity is the ability to jump right into the experience without first connecting the soundbar to your internet and downloading a firmware update. The B20A illustrates this. It's not exactly a compromise I'd like to make, but for those who don't need a soundbar connected, it means extra work.
links
When it comes to connectivity options, the B20A falls short when compared to its YAS elders. Both the YAS-108 and YAS-109 have a corresponding HDMI input and output as well as a digital optical input and an analog audio option. Oddly enough, the B20A took away one of the HDMI ports and added a second digital optical input instead.
Nick Woodard / Digital Trends
I know what the justification for that choice is, and frankly there is a part of me that understands it. The step corresponds to the mantra “Beyond the living room” as well as optimized simplicity. Yamaha wants to make the plug and play process easier no matter where you use the B20A in the house. In theory, most users only need that single HDMI-ARC port to seamlessly connect their TV and soundbar. I get that. I just can't think of a situation where two different optical inputs would be more useful to the average person than two HDMIs. I'm sure there is, but I suspect it is rare.
In addition, as already mentioned, the B20A lacks Wi-Fi capability. I don't think this is a must have in $ 200 soundbars (yet) so I can't face the B20A too hard. However, the YAS-109 has WiFi and is currently still available on the Yamaha website at a discounted price of $ 180. When you add that the YAS-109 has Amazon Alexa built in, you wonder what you gain by buying a newer product for roughly the same cost.
When you add that the YAS-109 has Amazon Alexa built in, you wonder what you gain by buying a newer product for roughly the same cost.
To be as fair as possible to the B20A, it supports Bluetooth Multipoint and supports Amazon Alexa via Bluetooth and a separate Echo speaker like a Dot (or in my case a Flex). While useful and intuitive for a Bluetooth connection, problems can still arise. If the input of the soundbar is changed to HDMI, the Bluetooth connection between the Echo device will be broken and the sound will reset to the point. As a result, with all of these features already on board, as is the case with the YAS-109, the overall experience can't be beat. After spending a long time with the Alexa-enabled Samsung HW-Q800T, I preferred this integrated connection by far.
Sound quality
When we tested the YAS-109, we hailed it as one of the "Most High-Performance, Affordable Soundbars for Overall Fidelity." We found the soft mid-range, the clear high-end and the effective bass reproduction for a soundbar without a separate subwoofer.
Nick Woodard / Digital Trends
Based on the time I've spent with the SR-B20A, I think this bar is very similar to this performance, at least when it comes to watching movies and TV. I was particularly impressed with the low level this bar could produce without a real subwoofer. It won't shake picture frames or rattle windows, but it compliments the rest of the soundstage well. If you're looking for a more pronounced low end, the bar has a subwoofer output so an active woofer can be added to the mix.
The remote's four main listening modes all had different sound profiles, although I focused on the movie mode for most of my content as it sounded the most natural to my ears. More notable were the bar's Clear Voice and DTS Virtual: X technologies, both of which have dedicated buttons on the remote control. Clear Voice was especially helpful in amplifying lower decibel dialogues like Tom Segura's voice on the YMH podcast. Meanwhile, DTS Virtual: X expanded the soundstage, adding depth to some bone-breaking scenes when films like Brawl were shown in Cell Block 99. It's not the same experience as physical surround sound and height channels, but I thought the sound processing would have had an overall positive impact on the content I watched, and I kept it for most of the time.
Playing music was a different experience for me. I don't think it was bad per se, but I think the listening experience was a bit hollow. The standard mode sounded more authentic than stereo in my view, but didn't help erase a generally less impactful sound across multiple musical genres. It may be due to the lack of supported audio formats – the YAS-109 supports WAV, FLAC and AAC formats, among others. Anyway, I've enjoyed music significantly more with bars like the Polk Audio Signa S3 or the Vizio V-Series, although it's important to note that each costs around $ 50 more.
Our opinion
While the Yamaha SR-B20A has tweaked its design, it ultimately retained the affordability and overall sound quality that made the YAS-109 a success. With the older bar still available and offering better features at a similar price point, the B20A is becoming a tough best seller in this price range.
Are there any better alternatives?
It's no longer a secret that the YAS-109, which retails for $ 220 but is available for $ 180 on the Amazon or Yamaha websites, offers better value. If you're looking to spend a few dollars more, the $ 250 Polk Audio Signa S3 is a better option for music, and the $ 250 Vizio V-Series replaces the Yamaha virtual surround experience with physical drivers.
How long it will take?
All technology is out of date at some point, but I don't think basic connections like HDMI or optical audio will go anywhere anytime soon. For a budget option, the B20A should hold on to its relatively versatile compatibility for a while.
Should you buy it?
Only if you want to get the latest soundbar Yamaha has available. The SR-B20A sounds great for movies and TV, and it looks pretty good too. However, this is not the value of the older version, especially if that version is still available.
Editor's recommendations