By: Xephyroth

Xephyroth — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 22:02:04 +0000

INTRO:
The Yamaha SR-C20A is a compact sound bar best suited for smaller setups—whether it’s for an apartment living room, bedroom or computer desk, this sound bar hopes to have you covered.
SETUP & CONNECTIONS:
Let’s get right into it. Setting up this sound bar is very easy, just as any should be. You plug in the power, and you connect it to your audio source via 1 of 4 options.
Most modern TV’s these days have an HDMI port labeled ARC on them. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel, and by plugging one end of an HDMI cable (not included) into your TV’s ARC port and the other end into the sound bar, you’ll be ready to go. You may have to change some sound settings on your TV to route sound over this HDMI port instead of the built-in speakers, so you may need to reference your TV’s manual. Just be aware that you’ll need to bring your own HDMI cable, since this sound bar does not come with one for some reason.
Alternatively you could consider using optical if you plan to use this sound bar with a computer or modern TV. Some low-budget TV’s don’t have ARC support, but nearly all do have optical output, leaving this as your next-best option, since Yamaha included an optical cable in the box. On TV’s, this will usually just be labeled as “optical”, but desktop computers and docking stations will usually have it labeled as “S/PDIF”. Not all computers will have S/PDIF (my small form factor custom computer doesn’t), but the vast majority of desktop computers do, while most laptops don’t.
If you’re using the optical out on your TV, you’ll want to plug into the optical input labeled “TV” on the sound bar, but if you’re using the optical out on a receiver or other device, you’ll want to plug it into the optical jack labeled “OPTICAL” on the sound bar. Be sure to remove the small plastic caps from both ends of the cable, and refrain from bending the cable, as fiber optic cables don’t bend like HDMI cables and will be rendered useless if they can’t refract light correctly.
Another option is to use the 3.5mm ANALOG jack for sound. Unlike HDMI and Optical, you cannot get Dolby Digital or Dolby Pro Logic II audio through this method. If available, I recommend using the LINE-level output jack on your source audio device to prevent double amplification. If you’re on a device that only has a 3.5mm headphone jack to use, you’ll want to balance the volume levels on both your source device and the sound bar to avoid distortion, clipping, and more importantly blowing out the speaker drivers.
Lastly, you can use Bluetooth by touching the input control on the sound bar or pressing and holding “Bluetooth” on the included remote until the Bluetooth light starts blinking on the sound bar. I had no problems connecting 2 devices over Bluetooth simultaneously, but you’ll only get output from one device at a time, so you’ll need to pause playback on one device to start playback on another. I also found the latency to be great even when playing video games or videos via a Bluetooth 5 connection.
I highly recommend reading the online manual, as it has a lot of great information and details a ton of features not explained in the included paper manual.
DESIGN:
I like the minimalistic look of this sound bar. Some people prefer not to be able to see the driver behind the fabric, so I tried shining a flashlight right up against the fabric and could not see the drivers. So aesthetically, it won’t leave any surprises, but maybe some curiosity about what it looks like behind that cloth. The sound bar has some nice small rubber feet to lift it up a couple millimeters so it doesn’t leave strange marks.
A simple array of LEDs will tell you which input you’re currently on, but I found that this wasn’t particularly helpful in darker environments where I couldn’t read the labels below the LEDs. I chose to use this sound bar at my desk under my computer monitor and couldn’t really read the labels without getting really close to look. It could have been nice to see a proper LED clock-like display or something, as I’ve seen them on much cheaper sound bars, but for usage at my desk, I’m glad it takes a simple approach so it doesn’t distract me. There’s also the ability to dim the LEDs to 3 settings: normal, dim & off. The LEDs will brighten when you’re changing settings, but will dim again after a few seconds.
The remote control is also very easy to guide—all the main options are on the remote control, making it easy to find everything.
OTHER FEATURES:
There’s a smartphone companion app called Sound Bar Remote that you can download to control the sound bar over a Bluetooth Low Energy connection. I found it to work very well for functioning the same as the physical remote control.
There are some hidden functions that are only discoverable by reading the online manual like HDMI Control, Child Lock, Auto Power Standby, Bluetooth Standby & Dolby Digital Compression. Some of these features do require the usage of the remote control, so I recommend NOT losing it.
It would be nice to see the ability to configure these advanced features from within the app. It’s definitely a missed opportunity at the time of this review. Most users will likely not reference the advanced online manual, so they’ll never end up learning about these features, and there’s still a low chance that they’d bother trying to use the app, but Yamaha could have made some mention of the online manual for more advanced features.
SOUND:
In terms of sound quality, the SR-C20A delivers decent sound in a compact form factor. Your experience will differ if you use a wall-mount versus a TV stand (you should reference the online manual to configure the soundbar’s frequency response to match your configuration), but overall, I’d say it’s full-bodied with a relaxed treble response. It doesn’t fatigue the ears, which is important if you’re using this in a tighter space where you’ll be listening closer to the sound bar.
I think it’s important to remember that this isn’t promising to deliver the absolute ultimate experience, but a great experience for your small setup. It’s been great for dialog, video, music, & gaming. I’ve got access to expensive audiophile headphones, studio reference monitors, as well as surround systems, but having a humble sound bar like this at my computer desk just makes things easy without needing to hook up a bunch of things and press a bunch of switches.
I primarily use this sound bar to listen to music and play games at my desk, while also frequently enjoying videos on YouTube with a lot of dialog, and I’ve got no complaints about its ability to do those things well.
The SR-C20A has the following sound modes:
Stereo: This mode is the simplest one without any surround sound. The sound stage is more narrow and focused, but best suited towards music, as there’s really no processing.
Standard: This mode widens the sound stage just a bit. Yamaha says this is best suited for general content such as sports, sitcoms and reality shows. I’d say the amount of surround sound processing is pretty minimalistic and is actually nice for music, as well.
Movie: This mode further widens the sound stage, but I honestly am not sure I could differentiate if there are any other meaningful differences compared to Standard mode.
Game: This has the widest sound stage of them all. The effect can lead to a more immersive experience, but this is always subjective. I was actually impressed with this mode, even though I don’t typically use virtual surround.
For all of the above sound modes, I honestly didn’t find any of them to be distasteful. Usually with sound bars I find that there’s only one or two modes that are usable, but I think Yamaha took a conservative approach by not overdoing it, and I can appreciate that. The differences are minimal, but provide enough differentiation to give a consistently enjoyable experience for any type of content.
There’s also a Clear Voice mode which will emphasize the frequencies of human speech that is typically good for TV shows, podcasts & news. Yamaha’s approach here is not over-accentuated like I find on most sound bars. Remember, they’re expecting you to be positioned closer due to the compact nature of the sound bar, so there really isn’t a need to overdo it, and I can agree with this approach. All of the other frequencies are still very present and maintain a clarity without compromise.
Lastly is the Bass Extension mode that accentuates the bass response without bleeding into the midrange. Your mileage will certainly vary for this experience, as different surfaces will have different resonance properties. In my case, my desk is just a slate tabletop with no “chamber” to resonate, so I preferred this mode to be on and the subwoofer to be maxed for the fullest experience. But if used with a TV stand with a closed back, I would foresee more resonance and you’ll want to adjust the subwoofer settings to ensure you maintain a balanced audio experience.
CONCLUSION:
The SR-C20A is a sound bar designed to deliver big sound for compact setups. If you’re looking to add a decent sound bar at your desk or a small space, Yamaha has done a good job at delivering a simple, clean solution. The experience has been enjoyable, overall, and with a bit of reading of their online manual (which is actually organized very well), you can leverage some additional features and maximize the experience for your setup. I look forward to seeing how Yamaha iterates on this design in the future.

By: BestBuyBuyer

BestBuyBuyer — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:10:10 +0000

I selected this as I wanted a compact single unit soundbar that would be an improvement over my TV’s built-in speakers. This unit delivered just that at a nominal cost. Without a separate subwoofer, it fits neatly into a tight space and delivers the improvement I was looking for at a value price.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 22:58:24 +0000

Great sound. Enhances movie and gaming experience. Integrated subwoofer makes adequate bass but not quite powerful. As long as you dont turn it up all the way, it makes well balanced sound. Highs aren’t strong either as there are no dedicated tweeters. Left and right loudspeakers are good enough to cover a wide range of frequency and dialogues are its strongest point (clear voice setting: on). When connected via bluetooth and playing bass heavy music with Bass Ext. on and “subwoofer” all the way, it’s quite boomy and louder than a battery powered bluetooth speaker. It’s only a 2.1 channel so it won’t recreate a theater-like surround when watching movies or playing video games but there is clear stereo separation. It’s shy of 2ft wide and fits well nestled between my 40” tv stands. Connected via HDMI arc allows me to control it with tv remote and automatically bypassing the tv’s built in speakers. Got it on sale at $130, which is worth it. IMO, MSRP is a little high for its features and sound quality.

By: Homeworkout80

Homeworkout80 — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 18:47:33 +0000

Sounds decent for being my first sound bar. Its a big upgrade compared to tv speakers. I didnt want to spend to much money on a soundbar. Easy to hook up, basically straight forward. I used optical cable to tv. and pluged in the power cord to soundbar and it works. If your using this method make sure you take of plastic tips on optical. I didnt have to go on my tv menu /audio to change audio settings on my tv it changed automatically but you might have to on different brands of tvs. Highs sound good as well as the bass or lows. It does have built in woofer which is good because I didn’t want a separate sub just the bar. The actual bar is not to big nor to small I’d say medium size. Feels light so cant say much about the quality of speakers. I got the warranty for it.

By: JeffM

JeffM — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 05:34:06 +0000

As part of a TV upgrade for my mom, I wanted to get her a soundbar that would fit on a small table. She is in no way an audiophile, so a simple bar would do.
This soundbar fits right between the feet of her 50″ TV and looks great. But the sound: right away, my mom noticed the fuller, richer sound. This small bar even produces some bass.
I connected the bar via eARC, so mom can control her sound with just her TV remote.
In all, very impressed. For the price, and for the size, soundbar is great value.

Comments on: Yamaha – 2.1-Channel Soundbar with Built-in Subwoofer – Black

By: Xephyroth

By: BestBuyBuyer

By: Bryan

By: Homeworkout80

By: JeffM