For the first time ever, Yamaha is including Dolby Atmos support as a feature on not one, but two new products: the True X Bar 50A and True X Bar 40A. These new brand-busting releases are the True X soundbars. If you're not already excited, get excited, because they came with friends.
Yes, in addition to two new soundbar releases, the 50A and 40A are designed to be paired with an external soundbar, the SW-X100A, and -- what we're most excited about -- a pair of wireless surround speakers, the True X Speaker X1A.
Before getting into the extras, let's talk about the True X soundbars. As technical upgrades of their previous soundbars, the YAS-207 and YAS-209, these new models have many similar features.
The 50A is the more expensive model, featuring six drivers in total. Most excitingly, there are two left and right racetrack drivers; this is the first time Yamaha has included these drivers in a soundbar, so we can expect a strong, deep sound from the 50A. Previous Yamaha soundbars have relied on smaller circular tweeters and mid-range drivers. The 50A also has two height speakers and a dual built-in subwoofer. The one thing it doesn't have is a centre speaker, which engineers decided to leave out to conserve space and widen the soundfield. Instead, they left the dual subwoofers completely in-compromised, meaning big, booming sound from this product.
The main difference between the 50A and 40A is the inclusion of the external subwoofer unit. Otherwise, the two models are largely identical. They both have HDMI eARC, optical, and wireless connection options, including Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and AirPlay 2. As for control options, you can use a remote control, the Sound Bar Controller App, or connect the soundbar to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. And, of course, they both support Dolby Atmos, with the two height speakers providing immersive overhead sound.
Another unique feature on these soundbars is the option between four sound modes: Stereo, Movie, Standard, and Game. Users can switch between these settings at any time, and can also choose from two sound enhancement settings, Clear Voice and Bass Extension.
As for the SW-X100A subwoofer, there isn't too much to report. A standard Yamaha subwoofer, the SW-X100A offers additional bass and boominess to the True X system. With a 160mm cone-type driver, the subwoofer boasts a frequency range of 35 - 100 Hz. While it's only included with the 50A, it can easily be added to the 40A to enhance the system as well.
The most intriguing part of the new True X package is the X1A surround speakers. These tiny wireless speakers act as rear speakers to enhance the surround sound experience of the system, and can easily be placed anywhere. The fun secret is that they also function as portable speakers you can take on the go. They're water and dust resistant and offer 12 hours of listening on a single charge. With a single 55mm driver, they produce impressive sound quality for the size, and can be wall-mounted if you so choose.
Yamaha chose practicality, customization, and flexibility for the True X system, allowing users to configure their system as it suits them. Set to release in three versatile colors: carbon grey, light grey, and black, we should see the True X speakers hit the market around September of this year.
Photo credit: Yamaha
