Our Verdict
Decent for mixed usage. The Yamaha YAS-207BL has a good audio reproduction that will be suitable for most music genres and dialogue content like podcasts and audiobooks. However, it has sub-par performance with surround channels and doesn’t support height channels, resulting in a less immersive listening experience. The bar has a small tilt favoring bass frequencies and will be better suited for bass-heavy music genres, but this won’t be too audible for most. Also, its soundstage isn’t that wide, and it will downmix 5.1 surround content down to 2.1.
- Neutral sound signature.
- Decent build quality.
- Good overall stereo performance.
- Lacks sub-bass.
- Barebones app.
Good for dialogue. You can use this soundbar to listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or other similar content types. The sound profile is fairly neutral and the overall reproduction of voices will be accurate. It can also get pretty loud and you can also use the Dialogue Enhancement feature to get an even better listening experience. You’ll be able to stream content from your phone wirelessly, but unfortunately, it doesn’t have an auto-volume or night mode to normalize the sound of your different type of content.
Decent for music. The audio reproduction of this soundbar is accurate, but has a slight overemphasis in the bass, adding a bit of boominess. While its soundstage isn’t very wide, it's well-focused and doesn’t sound too defused. There’s not much compression at a moderate volume, but when pushed at the maximum volume, you might hear a bit of pumping and compression artifacts in the bass range, especially on bass-heavy genres. On the upside, you can easily adjust the level of the subwoofer separately.
Okay for movies. This soundbar has good overall audio reproduction, but it doesn’t do well with surround channels. On top of that, the soundstage isn’t that wide and it doesn’t have height channels. All of this will result in a less immersive listening experience. This 2.1 setup will downmix 5.1 content and won’t sound as real as other setups. On the upside, the compression performance is good and you have a few features to customize your sound a bit to your liking, although you won’t have room correction.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 30, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 27, 2019: Review published.
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Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Yamaha YAS-207 is a decent performing soundbar that offers good sound for music and dialogue at an affordable price. It won't be the best option for movies like some high-end soundbars since the YAS-207 doesn't support Atmos. See our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars under $300, and the best budget soundbars.
The Yamaha YAS-209 is a slight improvement over the Yamaha YAS-207. It performs a bit better at max volume but doesn't seem to get as loud as the previous model. However, it should still get loud enough for most people. The YAS-209 has a slightly better sub as well, which produces deeper bass. It also now supports Wi-Fi wireless playback, which the YAS-207 lacks.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is better than the Yamaha YAS-207 for most uses. The Sonos is a better-built 5.0 setup with a small, standalone design. Unlike the Yamaha, it supports Atmos content and has better center and surround performances. There are also some more sound enhancement features available, like room correction. However, it doesn't come with a dedicated sub like the Yamaha. As a result, the Yamaha reproduces a much more extended low-bass. That said, you can always buy a compatible sub from Sonos to add to your setup separately.
The Sonos Arc is better than the Yamaha YAS-207. The Sonos is a 5.0.2 setup that's better built. Unlike the Yamaha, it supports Dolby Atmos content and has built-in voice assistant connectivity. It also has better soundstage, center, and surround performances and more sound enhancement features available. The Yamaha has a dedicated sub that helps reproduce a more extended low-bass. It also has a Full HDMI In port, unlike the Sonos.
The Yamaha YAS-207 is better than the TCL Alto 7+. Its audio reproduction is more accurate and great, and it performs better at max volume, although it is a bit quieter than the TCL. It has a Full HDMI In port and supports DTS as well, which the TCL lacks. On the other hand, the TCL is surprisingly well-built and doesn't have any fabric on the bar.
Test Results
