Yamaha YSP4000 BL
 

Everyone knows that a simple surround sound bar can’t be better than a high quality 5.1 or 7.1 channel audio system. However, if you are not a fan of loose cables, you might be interested in getting a Yamaha YSP4000. This is a surround bar which can be used by those who are not interested in 5.1 or 7.1 system, but want to get high quality sound from surround audio system. The design of your new audio system will certainly look great along with your TV. The YSP 1 wasthe first surround bar offered by Yamaha and the YSP 4000 is the result of a couple revisions.

The Yamaha YSP4000 is a $1,800 surround bar which doesn’t look that special when you first see it. In fact, it seems to be a simple wide speaker and it can easily go unnoticed. However, this is not just a basic audio system. It is one of the best ones available at Yamaha and you will get a large array of features and amazing sound quality as soon as you plug it in. It is no surprise that this product is often considered better than most 5.1 or 7.1 channel system when it comes to sound quality and surround capabilities.

Setting up the Yamaha YSP4000
This audio system is 40 inches wide, 8 inches tall and 6 inches deep. It is larger than most surround bars, but it also has more power and offers higher sound quality. The entire ensemble weighs 35 pounds. You can mount the system on a shelf or place it on a wall with the help of a SPM-K30 bracket. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come in the box and buying it will set you back another $80 or so.
You can use the Auto Setup feature which will tell you exactly where you place the surround bar. If you don’t like the solutions it offers, you can experiment with the position of the system yourself. The surround bar can be adjusted manually to aim its sound to far, near, left, right, up and down. Spending a few minutes changing these settings is recommended.

Sound
The sound offered by this system comes at 120 watts of power and the surround bar contains 40 drivers of 1.5 inches each and two 4 and a quarter inch woofers. They have the ability of producing surround sound, even without having the classical 5.1 set up. The technology behind it is complicated, but these speakers will basically bounce the sound off the walls and you will end up hearing sounds all around you. This means that the system is not recommended for those who plan on using it in a room with no back wall or with a large open space behind the viewer. Because the quality of the surround feature may differ from room to room, it is best to set up the Yamaha YSP4000 before starting a movie. You will get a microphone which has to be plugged in and after you start the IntelliBeam calibration system, the sound bar will know exactly what to do.

The entire process won’t last more than 3 minutes and the end result will certainly be noticed. If you are planning on moving the system around or watching different types of programs, you can set up 3 IntelliBeam settings, save them and switch through them until you get the perfect experience, no matter what you are watching. If you plan on listening to live or classical music, you might want to try the 5 Beam mode, which will bring the sound quality to a whole different level. This system uses a few modes: 3 Beam, 3 Beam and Stereo, 5 Channel Stereo, 2 Channel Stereo, My Beam and My surround. If you plan on watching a movie while someone is sleeping, you can use the Night Mode. With this option, the surround bar will dampen the effect of loud sounds and avoid sound spikes. The lack of an external subwoofer can be compensated by experimenting with some of the sound settings available in the menu.

Instead of having to listen to the sound as it comes from the sound bar, you can improve the experience by switching through seven DSP modes. Three of them are recommended when listening to music, other three for watching movies and the last one will sound great when watching sports. The “My Beam” feature is also recommended if you are enjoying the Yamaha YSP4000 alone. In this case, the system will focus its attention on you and you will have a better sound experience.
A good part about this surround bar is that you can play with the levels until you find the right set up. This will certainly come in handy when you are trying to watch a movie where the dialogue has to be distinguished from the ambient sound. With the YSP4000 you can forget about struggling to hear what the actors are saying when they’re running through explosions because the dialogue will always get through to you.

The surround bar uses a Compressed Music Enhancer which will perform admirably when you are listening to music. This system will make any MP3 file sound better and you will certainly notice the difference. You can use your iPod in the optional iPod dock if you have one. The dock costs almost $200, but it will certainly make your life easier. You just have to connect your iPod and start playing your favorite music with the help of the remote you receive with the YSP4000. If you don’t want to get the iPod dock, you can connect an mp3 player through the 3.5mm jack located on the front panel.

Yamaha YSP4000 SL

 

Pros and Cons
The Yamaha YSP4000 will certainly satisfy everyone when it comes to sound quality. It can fit under most flat screen TVs and its design is attractive. You can use it for watching 1080p movies with the help of a simple receiver. After you finish the 5 minute set up, you will enjoy the design of this surround bar and you can forget about loose wires and cables.

You will also like the included FM radio.

There aren’t that many problems with this audio system, but there are some. The remote you will receive doesn’t have backlight and you might have problems pushing the right buttons if you are doing this in the dark. Some people will probably want to add a subwoofer to this system, which can be done easily, but it will certainly affect your budget. The surround bar can’t decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD master Audio, which might a problem to some. However, it can decode sound for Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II.

The Yamaha YSP4000 is easy to set up and operate. You just have to take a look at the two HDMI inputs and the one HDMI output. With a simple HDMI/HDMI cable, you can transmit both HD content and sound, so you won’t have to worry about additional cables. This is the easiest setup possible, but you can also use the two component inputs and the two component outputs available. You will also notice two COAX connections and two optical ones, along with four analog audio inputs. You won’t find S-video connections, but you will get three composite inputs and one composite output. If you want to add a subwoofer, you can do it through a special jack.
If you plug in an HD video source, you can use the YSP4000 to convert the signal to 480p, 720p or 1080i resolution. However, the system can’t handle HDMI 1.3. It only supports HDMI 1.2 and you will have to make a few changes to the source if you want to make it work.

Conclusion
The Yamaha YSP4000 is perfect for those who want high quality sound for their small or medium sized room. If you are looking to get full bass sound in a very large room, you have to start searching for another system. However, even without window shattering bass, the system performs fairly well and it certainly offers clean sounds. Even with all the options available, you can enjoy the excellent sound quality just by plugging the system in and pressing play. The surround effect is not just an illusion and people will try searching for the source without realizing that it is in front of them. Even with the lack of a subwoofer, the Yamaha YSP4000 surround bar is worth its price tag and it won’t let you down.

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