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CNET editors' rating:
3.0 stars
Good
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Product summary
The good: Virtual surround "1.1" system includes a single 4-inch-high soundbar speaker and full-size subwoofer; eliminates the need for other speakers; built-in FM radio.
The bad: Undernourished dynamic oomph; no video-switching capabilities; only supports three inputs plus iPod dock; no auto setup or calibration; wireless subwoofer would've been nice; best suited to modestly sized, clutter-free, squarish rooms.
The bottom line: The Yamaha YAS-70's included subwoofer and affordable price tag make it a tempting choice for virtual surround fans, but it lacks the impressive sonics of its pricier Digital Sound Projector siblings.
Specifications: Type of speaker: speaker system; Color: Black; Amplification type: Active; See full specs
Price range: $299.99 - $499.95
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 12/19/2007
- Released on: 11/01/2007
Yamaha's YSP Digital Sound Projector single-speaker surround systems have been popular for good reason: they produce room-filling sound from a single speaker. The catch is that they're expensive: list prices start around $700 (the YSP-900) and go up to $1,600 (for the excellent YSP-4000), and--because the higher-end models include video connections as well--they can be a little complicated to set up. The new YAS-70 "Air Surround" system is significantly more affordable, easier to install, and best of all, comes with something even the priciest YSP lacked: a subwoofer. The sub adds palpable bass to the "1.1" system, but the speaker's limitations were obvious when pushed to the limits with action-packed DVDs. Those whose home theater choices are limited to less demanding sonic fare may well find the Yamaha YAS-70 Air Surround to be worth its $500 street price, if only for its clutter-reducing design and ability to replace a baseline AV receiver. But if you want a single-speaker system with more oomph and better definition, you'll want to save up and invest in a more expensive model, such as the ZVOX 425--or those aforementioned Yamaha step-up products.
Design
Thanks to the subwoofer handling the bass duties, the main speaker section of the Yamaha YAS-70 is a lot sleeker and thinner than any YSP speaker ever offered by Yamaha. The form factor will complement flat-screen displays, and--since the YAS-70 is just 4 inches high, 4.1 inches deep, and 36 inches wide--it can squeeze into places larger systems cannot. Satin black cloth grilles flank the central control panel, which offers an LCD readout and controls for input selection, volume, and power standby. The speaker can be placed on a shelf over or under a TV, or wall-mounted with the keyhole slots on its rear panel. It weighs a little under 10 pounds.
The subwoofer is certainly the biggest we've seen packaged with a virtual surround speaker: it's 11.1 inches wide, 19.5 high, and 13.4 deep, and weighs a little over 33 pounds. The Sony stylists didn't work their magic on this one--it's a plain, unadorned box, finished in black vinyl, and the front baffle is covered with a black cloth grille. A total of three cables run between the sub and speaker: there's one control cable and a pair of flat speaker cables that bundle the six speaker channels (three channels each). The three cables are each 13 feet long. By comparison, the Boston Acoustics TVee Model Two has a wireless subwoofer (just a power cable is required), but that's an avowed stereo model that makes no claim to virtual surround.
The remote offers direct control over different types of surround processing: Movie, Music, Sports, and Games. It also lets you adjust the relative volume of the Center, Subwoofer, and Surround channels.
The YAS-70 lacks auto setup and calibration, but even so, we found setup chores to be more straightforward than any of the YSP speakers we've tested here at CNET. The tweaking possibilities are simple enough to implement. For example, with the remote you can experiment with the projected angle of the sound "beams" that bounce/reflect off your room's sidewalls to create a enveloping surround effect. The factory default setting is "40 degrees" and that sounded pretty good, but when we bumped it up to 60 degrees the surround field shrank down into the width of the speaker itself. We next tried 30 degrees and preferred that because it projected the sound farther out into the room. It's a painless tweaking operation, and we had the whole thing dialed in less than two minutes. Just be aware that the technology works by reflecting sound off walls, so bare walls work best, and objects in the room such as chairs, drapes, or furniture may have an adverse effect on the quality of the surround sound. Also, we had the YAS-70 speaker centered on the short wall of the rectangular room, and room symmetry is required to produce the best surround effect. Corner placement would be a worst-case scenario for the YAS-70 or any virtual surround system.
Features
The Yamaha YAS-70 is designed to completely replace a 5.1-channel speaker system. The subwoofer houses the amplifiers and the bulk of the connectivity options, keeping the main speaker as thin and cable-free as possible.
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Where to buy
Yamaha Air Surround YAS-70:
$299.99 - $499.95
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