Hey everybody, Carl here from Abt, and in this video, we’re gonna be taking a closer look
at the YAS-209 soundbar from Yamaha and talk about what’s changed from the 207, the model
it’s replacing.
And if you liked the 207, you’re really gonna like the 209.
To start off, Yamaha updated the design by rounding out the corners and moving all the
onboard controls and indicator lights onto the top which, I think, makes em less distracting.
Otherwise, the materials seem to be generally the same.
Another thing you’ll notice is that they decided to ditch the analog input on the 209.
You still get an HDMI in that’s updated to be HDCP 2.3 compliant, and out with an
audio return channel, optical, and bluetooth, plus a new feature for the 209, Wi-Fi.
It’s a good move since I can see way more people taking advantage of that, versus having
an analog input.
Plus, with that added wi-fi, you now also get Amazon Alexa compatibility, however it’s
not compatible with google assistant, at least not now, so that’s something to keep in
mind if you already have other smart speakers throughout your home.
And if you’re worried about privacy, there’s a button on top of the soundbar to turn off
the built in microphones if you do choose that.
But that doesn’t completely disable the service.
If you have the mics turned off and you still want to use it, you can always press the Alexa
button on the remote to activate it.
And speaking of the remote, that’s where you’ll find some other upgrades.
The 207 had some great pre-calibrated sound modes built in, but you could only change
them through the app, there was no option on the remote, so people weren’t really taking advantage
of them.
On the 209s remote they have them all laid out so they’re easy to choose from based on
what you’re watching.
You’ve got Movie, TV, Music, Sports, and game, plus stereo, and if you look above those
you’ll see Clear Voice and 3D surround.
The clear voice feature is one that comes in really handy.
I find a lot of times on these 2.1 channel soundbars, the vocals can get buried a little.
This feature makes them stand out more so it’s easier to follow the dialog.
Here’s a sample with it turned off and on…...
I know you’re listening to this video through whatever headphones or speakers you have in front of you, but hopefully you could hear
the difference.
The other button I mentioned, 3D surround, is implemented using DTS virtual X.
This is gonna virtually add object based effects to what you’re watching.
It’s definitely not the same as regular DTS X, or surround sound for that matter,
but it does add some character to whatever you're watching.
The sound on the 209 isn’t radically different than the 207, but don’t get me wrong, that’s
a good thing.
I thought the 207 sounded great for it’s price point.
And speaking of price, our current pricing can be found at the link in the description
below.
Otherwise, the 209s got a very similar driver setup.
There’s 4…...one and three quarters inch midrange drivers and two…...one inch dome
tweeters.
The only slight change made was in the wireless sub.
That now has a six and a half inch woofer where the 207s was only six and a quarter,
which equates to a slightly broader frequency response.
Not a big difference, but a difference nonetheless.
The 209 maintains the same 200 watts of total power that the 207 got and overall it’s
a well rounded sound experience.
Here’s a sample of some music for you to hear as well……..
Another small change to note on the 209 is that because it’s now got that wi-fi built
in, you can play music off your network, but there’s also the new Soundbar Controller
App that you can use with it which makes it much easier to fine tune.
Also, as far as video’s concerned, the 207 could pass through HDR, but the 209 can do
HDR10 and HLG.
All in all, I think Yamaha did a great job with the 209.
There weren’t a ton of changes, but the ones they made have a noticeable impact.
What do you think?
Is it worth the upgrade?
Let us know down in the comments.
If you liked the video remember to leave a thumbs up and make sure to subscribe if you
want to stay up to date on all the great products we carry here at Abt.
As always, thanks for watching, and we’ll see you in the next one.