Nothing beats a multi-channel audio system for bringing immersive sound to home theaters, but most folks don’t really want to deal with the imposing requirements it entails. Hence, the rise of the sound bar. And if you want the best, most capable sound bar you can get your hands on, we can’t imagine a whole lot of models offering better hardware than the Yamaha YSP-5600.
A part of the company’s new MusicCast audio system, it actually feels a disservice to call it a sound bar. Why? Because the darn thing packs a whopping 44-speaker array, making for a sound bar that is, without doubt, unlike any other you’re going to find.
Like some of the company’s previous sound bars, the Yamaha YSP-5600 utilizes “sound projecting,” which uses precisely-positioned speakers to bounce the sounds off surrounding surfaces in order to create a surround sound image. Unlike previous sound bars, though, this one comes with support for 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos surround, which it manages by using six speakers on each side to bounce sound off the ceiling, mimicking the action of traditional overhead speakers. Each one of the 44 speakers, by the way, is controlled by an individual delay timer, apart from having its own independent amplifier circuit, ensuring it can reproduce 3D surround sound in as accurate a manner as possible. Features include DTS:X support, ten Cinema DSP 3D settings, four listening modes, and real-time sound optimization that adjusts the direction of the sound projections based on how the onboard microphone sonically assesses the room.
Scheduled for a December release, the Yamaha YSP-5600 is priced at $1,700.