Yamaha has unveiled their newest inexpensive soundbar, and it appears to be a very alluring bundle, especially when compared to the Sonos Ray, which is vying to be the least expensive option on our list of the best soundbars.
The Yamaha SR-C30A will go on sale in October for $279/£299/AU$399, depending on where you live. With the exception of HDMI-ARC compatibility, Bluetooth wireless streaming, and – most significantly – a wireless subwoofer to handle bass, the Yamaha SR-C30A costs roughly the same as the Sonos Ray’s stated pricing.
The subwoofer of the Yamaha SR-C30A is just 160 X 335 X 364 mm (or 6-1/4 x 13-1/4 x 14-3/8 inches) in size, while the soundbar is only 600 X 64 X 94 mm (or 23-5/8 x 2-1/2 x 3-3/4 inches) in size. This means that it will function with the top 32-inch TVs and larger, and the subwoofer is compact enough to fit even in tight spaces, as this helpful illustration from Yamaha shows.
There are two 4.6 cm drivers in the soundbar, and a 13 cm bass driver in the subwoofer, so this is a rather basic configuration in terms of speakers. The Sonos Ray has four drivers, thus having just two could result in less dynamic and clear sound. Although the Yamaha gets to delegate that task to the subwoofer, the Sonos Ray’s speakers also have to handle bass, which might significantly offset that on-paper deficit.
We’re dubious about the effectiveness of that from only two drivers, but we’ll find out how valuable it is once we get our hands on it. Yamaha is promising some kind of virtual surround support here, which can be managed via an app a review of it later in the year.
An advantage over the Sonos Ray is that you get multi-point Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to switch at will between playing music from your phone and from devices like an Amazon Echo Dot and Wi-Fi connectivity. And because it is a Yamaha bar, the sound quality for music should be superior to that of many less expensive soundbars.
We have high expectations for the Yamaha C30A because our reviewers were really impressed with the similarly priced Yamaha SR-B20A and SR-C20A.
