Yamaha unveils duo of entry-level soundbars

YAS-93 and YAS-103 to go on sale in April

Soundbar stalwart Yamaha has announced a pair of new affordable models that will go on sale next month. The YAS-93 and YAS-103 (pictured) will retail for £180 and £230 respectively, and offer optical, coaxial and phono audio inputs, but eschew HDMI.

The YAS-93, says Yamaha, replaces last year's YAS-101 in the product stable. Unlike the company's multi-driver higher-end 'sound projectors', it makes do with a quartet – two 2.5in full-range units and two 3in subwoofers. A lengthy bass reflex port is on hand to improve low-frequency output, while the twin-driver woofer arrangement employs what Yamaha describes as 'large' magnets and voice coils.

These sonic features mean the 'bar is certainly not the slimmest on the market (it's 91mm high). With this in mind, it features a rear-mounted IR flasher that will pass IR signals on to your display if its own receiver is obscured.

Onboard technology includes Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround support, plus Yamaha's UniVolume mode that allows the soundbar to maintain a consistent output across different inputs, channels, etc. A virtual surround option, dubbed Air Surround Xtreme, is also offered, as is Clear Voice for dialogue improvement. Amplification is rated at 2 x 30W for the L/R channels and 60W for the subwoofer configuration.

The step-up YAS-103 model features the same driver array, sound processing and amplifiers, but adds Bluetooth streaming and smartphone/tablet control via Yamaha's Home Theater Controller app.

For more details, check out uk.yamaha.com

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