Yamaha Music launches soundbars with built-in Alexa voice control

Yamaha Music India introduced two new next-generation soundbars, with built-in Alexa voice control in India - YAS 109 and YAS 209.  The new offering combines high-quality audio with the built-in convenience of voice control making it easier for you to connect, control and enjoy music, movies and more. 

These new models offer music playback capabilities, featuring Wi-Fi connectivity to play tunes through Spotify Connect, Amazon Music and Alexa-supported music services. The YAS-109 and YAS-209 continue the tradition of the soundbars from Yamaha, providing an immersive experience and modern setup for the smart home era. Aesthetically, both models boast a ultra-slim design for movie and music enthusiasts to discreetly place in front of their TV or mount on the wall without the need for an additional bracket.

The YAS-109 features built-in subwoofers that deliver rich and deep bass in a compact size while the YAS-209 includes a separate wireless subwoofer, providing flexible placement options and even more expressive bass. The built-in Alexa feature provides volume lowering capabilities, which automatically decreases the volume of movies or music to help receive a voice command. The remote contains a dedicated button to initiate Alexa control. Additionally, Alexa can be muted, when desired, or turned off completely when the soundbar is powered down, based on user preferences.

These sound bars incorporate Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround decoding, as well as DTS Virtual:X for immersive, virtual 3D surround sound. The post-processing technology creates a life-like, 3D sound field that envelops you in sound – from around and above you, all without the need for separate speakers. Both soundbars feature Yamaha Clear Voice technology, which improves the audibility and clarity of dialogue in movies and TV shows while maintaining overall sonic quality. The feature especially shines during action scenes and live sports programs when background sounds might otherwise overwhelm dialogue and narration.

Together, the new soundbars pack all the latest high-performance connectivity options, including HDMI input and output with ARC. 4K high dynamic range (HDR) video is supported for use with HDMI-connected 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc players or 4K streaming media players. Both soundbars support CEC, enabling audio control with compatible TV remotes. An optical input is provided for use with other devices without HDMI connections.

The new soundbars are just as great for music as they are for TV. Besides Spotify Connect and Alexa enabled music services, Bluetooth functionality lets those passionate about music play tunes from any Bluetooth-connected mobile device. A free app to control the soundbar, available for both Apple and Android mobile devices, gives users yet another way to control inputs and volume. The same app allows for playback of music stored on a smartphone via Wi-Fi.

The YAS 109 is priced at Rs 23,990 while the YAS 209 costs Rs 35,490.