Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Yamaha’s latest cheap-seats sound bar looks better, connects faster

Ryan Waniata
By

yamaha yas
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Yamaha’s YSP-5600 sound bar, which offers brilliant Atmos and DTS-X virtual surround sound, is one of the most impressive (and expensive) sound bars on the market right now. However, the company hasn’t forgotten those looking for a cinematic upgrade on a strict budget either, today unveiling the brand’s latest entry-level sound bar, the YAS-106.

An upgrade to Yamaha’s popular YAS-105, the next number up in the order offers a makeover of sorts in the design, as well as a few welcome new features.

Recommended Videos

Related: Yamaha’s powerful new N-R602 receiver takes multiroom up a notch

The Yamaha YAS offers a sleeker, curvier design than the 105 while still offering the hallmarks of its sound engine, including dual down-firing “subwoofers” and twin bass reflex ports, allowing it to carve out some low-end thunder without the need for a separate wireless subwoofer.

But it’s the bar’s inclusion of HDMI support that marks the biggest change over its predecessor. Unlike the YAS-105, the YAS-106’s single HDMI input offers both HD audio and 4K video passthrough to directly connect your video component, be it a gaming console, Blu-ray player, or 4K UHD Blu-ray player. As Yamaha points out, the setup allows for accurate 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound support to correctly feed the system’s virtual surround DSP. If your TV is equipped with ARC, you can also use just a single HDMI cable to send audio and video, as well as sourcing TV sound back into the bar on a single cable.

In addition to HDMI, the YAS-106 also offers a single digital Optical input, and Bluetooth connection to  stream music from your phone and connect to Yamaha’s handy Home Theater Controller app to control audio parameters wirelessly. If the single bar isn’t enough power for your home theater setup, the bar also provides a subwoofer output to wire up the sub of your choice.

While many of these features have become standard on pricier bars, it’s nice to see all those modern conveniences in one place on a bar with an MSRP of just $200. One feature the YAS-106 doesn’t offer is compatibility with Yamaha’s new multi-room audio system, MusicCast, which allows you to connect multiple Yamaha speakers and even A/V receivers in a Sonos like system over Wi-Fi. You’ll have to move up a few notches in the sound bar food chain to land those features.

That said, Yamaha’s new YSP-106 offers a lot of bang for its $200 price point. The unit is slated to hit shelves in mid-August.

A version of this post first appeared on our “brother site” Digital Trends.

Ryan Waniata
Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is an audio engineer, musician, composer, and all-around lover of all things tech, audio, and cinema. Hailing…
What UFC champions Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling eat while cutting weight in fight week
Spoiler alert: There's a lot of protein
Chicken breast and broccoli

Whether you're a fan of mixed martial arts (MMA) or just curious about the behind-the-scenes routines of professional fighters, you might be wondering how UFC champions "Suga" Sean O'Malley and Aljamain "Funkmaster" Sterling get ready for fight week.

One slightly controversial part of their prep is cutting weight up to the fight. Weight cutting is a common practice in most combat sports and refers to dropping weight before a competition to compete in a specific weight class.

Read more
Shohei Ohtani all but gone, MLB franchise LA Angels may also lose Mike Trout: Report
Our GM hopes they both move to Chavez Ravine to play for The Dodgers
Shohei Otani playing baseball

The Los Angeles Angels may be on their way to a major team overhaul. Shohei Ohtani, who is one of the best and most innovative two-way players in the history of baseball, has already made it clear that he wants to leave the team, and now, news has broken suggested that Mike Trout, the team's other major star, could also be on his way out the door. Needless to say, losing both of their major stars could have an enormous impact on what the Angels look like moving forward.
Shohei Ohtani is almost definitely leaving
At the end of this season, during which Ohtani has been riddled with injuries, the phenom will be a free agent, and those closest to the league suggest that he's likely to sign with another team. Everyone from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Mets is expected to pursue him this off-season for understandable reasons, and Ohtani has previously made it clear that he's not necessarily thrilled with the way this season has gone for the Angels, who are set to miss the playoffs completely.

Ohtani has yet to formalize any sort of deal with another team, but the question seems to be more about where he'll end up than whether he'll stay with the Angels. The team did choose to hold onto him past the trade deadline, a move they say they don't regret, so it's still possible that the two sides find some way to come to an agreement. In all likelihood, though, Ohtani's time with the Angels is done, and he'll be in a new uniform when the next season starts.

Read more
She shed? Yoga studio? Man cave? For $11k, this incredibly nice Costco shed can be whatever you want – with a catch
Buy it by October 1 if you're interested
A person doing yoga outside of a she shed.

All adults want their own private space. She shed, man cave, reading nook, yoga studio, scream hut — whatever you want your personal bubble for, Costco wants to grant your wish. As if a Costco membership didn't already open doors to magical worlds, they offer a deal to take if you want a personal sanctuary in your backyard. If this sounds too good to be true, there are a few things to know before you run to your local Costco, but see if this fantastic offer could make your shed life goals happen for you.

What you want to know about the Gorilla Escape 12x10 Shed
Let's dive into the good stuff you care about.
The shed details

Read more