Pros
- Excellent music and movie replay
- High-quality Atmos simulation
- Subwoofer offers deep, controlled bass
Cons
- No wi-fi streaming
- Not ‘true’ Dolby Atmos
When you’re buying AV equipment you want to make sure it’s not going to be instantly outdated. There’s so many different buzzwords out there — spatial audio, WiSA, eARC — and yet there is one phrase that still looms large in people’s minds: Dolby Atmos. The $399 Yamaha SR-B40A is a 2.1-channel soundbar which can decode Atmos in a convincing way, features a large subwoofer for extra oomph and has a Bluetooth connection for streaming your content.Â
The electronics industry may thrive on buzzwords and ever bigger numbers — more power! more channels! more features! — but one thing that will always matter is performance. The Yamaha SR-B40A may not tick every box on the features checklist, but it sounds better than many soundbars that can. And that’s worth paying for.Â
What it is
Soundbars are ugly. So it is written. While some models like the Klipsch Cinema 400 — with its wooden box and exposed tweeters — are designed to grab our attention, most soundbars opt for a plastic construction and yards of gray cloth. The Yamaha SR-B40A keeps with convention with a 35.85-inch wide box, draped in gray, which is 2.6 inches tall and 5.25 inches deep. There is one faint concession to “design” with a burnished-looking power button. Despite the presence of Dolby Atmos processing, this is a 2.1 soundbar, and the main unit features four 1.8-inch drivers in stereo, plus two 1-inch dome tweeters.
One reason to buy a soundbar like the SR-B40A is for its subwoofer — its larger size affords a better performance in music and movies, specifically. The wireless sub features a 6.5-inch driver, which is large for this kind of soundbar. The cabinet measures 7.6 inches wide and roughly 16 inches…
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