Yamaha SR-B30A review

The SR-B30A is Yamaha's answer for people who want more bass than a compact bar gives but do not want a subwoofer on the floor. Yamaha builds two subwoofer drivers into the single cabinet with a ported bass-reflex design, and adds Dolby Atmos support and a Bass Extension feature for more weight. For dialogue, Clear Voice makes human voices more audible when music and effects compete, which is the core need of this list. Four sound modes cover stereo music, standard TV, games and movies, the remote has its own subwoofer level control, and tone controls are in the Yamaha Sound Bar Remote app. Setup is a single HDMI or optical cable, and HDMI-CEC with eARC lets the TV remote handle basic functions. Bluetooth covers music, but WiFi streaming is not listed, and Yamaha does not list upward-firing drivers. We could not confirm the US price on Yamaha's site as fetched, so check it before buying.

Who it is for

Smaller living rooms and dens where you want fuller bass without a separate subwoofer box.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Dolby Atmos in a single-body design
• Dual built-in subwoofer drivers with a bass-reflex port
• Clear Voice for dialogue clarity
• Four sound modes, Bass Extension and a separate subwoofer level control
• HDMI with eARC and CEC, optical and Bluetooth

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Fuller bass without a separate sub
• Strength: Clear Voice is on the remote and in the app
• Strength: TV remote control through HDMI-CEC
• Weakness: No upward-firing drivers listed
• Weakness: No WiFi streaming listed
• Weakness: We could not verify a US price on Yamaha's page

Key facts

• Design: Single body, 2 built-in subwoofer drivers
• Dialogue control: Clear Voice
• Sound modes: Stereo, Standard, Game, Movie
• Connection: HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth

Where it ranks

Yamaha SR-B30A is No. 9 in our Best Soundbars verdict.