The Yamaha True X Bar 50A is a low-profile, elegant soundbar that’ll look good under any TV. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
ZDNET’s key takeaways
The Yamaha True X Bar 50A
The sound produced by these speakers is rich, deep, well-blended, and spacious.
I just wish the setup process was more seamless and simple.
For months, I was one hundred percent certain the JBL Bar 1000 soundbar couldn’t be beat. It offers incredible clarity of sound, rich bass, and brilliant surround via two wireless speakers.
When Yamaha sent me the True X Bar 50A to review, I assumed it wouldn’t be able to stand up to the sound the JBL delivered. Given that the Yamaha sells for roughly half the price of the JBL, that assumption was a fairly safe bet. And even though my audiophile ears could easily tell the difference between the two (with the JBL coming out on top), for the money, the Yamaha True X Bar 50A is hard to beat.
Also: One of the loudest Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested is not made by Sonos or Bose
One thing to remember is that I was also sent a True X Speaker 1A, which is sold separately and runs for $150 each. If you want surround (which you should), now you’re talking about $850 for the whole kit. Another thing to keep in mind is that I only reviewed this connected to my television and didn’t opt to test how music might sound via this speaker. For me, a soundbar serves a single purpose… to replace built-in TV speakers that rarely offer sound of much quality.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the review.
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The specs
Drivers – Front L/R: 4.6 × 6.6 cm (1-3/4 × 2-5/8
This Yamaha soundbar delivers glorious sound for half the price of my $1,000 JBL
