Yamaha YAS-209 vs Sonos Arc Which Is A Better Choice?

TVs these days sound crummy because they have gotten thinner in design. Good sound quality speakers are bulky, and manufacturers are yet to find a way to fit those speakers in TVs. The solution to this problem is to have a soundbar. 

The first question that comes to the mind of every individual who values sound quality is which soundbar will be best for them. There are multiple options of soundbars available in the market. Choosing the best quality soundbar would be a task. 

But don’t worry; we are here to assist you out. We will compare Yamaha YAS-209 Vs. Sonos Playbar and let you decide the best one to improve the audio quality of your TV watching experience. 

Now, we will look at the specs, design, price, and sound quality of both the soundbars. And figure out which will be best for you.

Are you feeling excited? If Yes, then go ahead. 

  • About the Yamaha YAS-209 Soundbar – The Best Value Soundbar

The Yamaha YAS-209 soundbar is the improved version of Yamaha YAS-207. It is an elegantly designed 2.1 channel Playbar and has a subwoofer that helps in creating a good bass.

For immersive sonic experience, The Yamaha YAS-209 soundbar comes with DTS Virtual: X psycho-acoustic processing. There are two channels in the soundbar, left and right.

To properly project surround sound, it needs dedicated satellite speakers. But, this problem is being somehow catered to by a virtual surround setting.

The Setup is easy with HDMI or Optical cable. It has a built-in Alexa for voice control and performs significantly well.

The Alexa feature is commendable, as it assists in playing music, asking questions, setting timers and alarms, listening to music and news, and controlling smart devices.

The Sound quality is excellent for watching TV, movies, or listening to music.

Yamaha YAS-209 is the best value play bar which does fantastic work of upgrading the sound quality.  You can play podcasts and music through Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, or Wi-Fi.

The one problem that we saw in it, is the lack of surround sound.

  • About Sonos ARC Playbar – All-in-One Soundbar

The Sonos ARC Playbar provides premium sound quality with little more cost. It offers the best surround sound quality, and there’s no need for supplementary speakers. These soundbars are the best if you have a cinema room or a squarish room.

It is mainly planned to meet the requirements of today’s TVs. It works in two orientations:  wall-mounted or placed on furniture. It sounds much better if it is wall mounted. It offers a multicast multiroom system that enables the user to connect Sonos speakers with Wi-Fi in different rooms. In this way, a home sound system is created that brings everyone together.

Sonos ARC Playbar can be controlled by Sonos app or remote. As it is a smart device, it offers the features of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The Sonos ARC comes with Dolby Atmos and works with those TVs which support it. The Sonos Arc draws on Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby’s latest TrueHD sound codecs for delivering the best lossless sound quality. Dolby Atmos amplifies the 3D soundscape that assists in bouncing the sounds from the walls. This way, it feels that sounds are coming from all angles to your ears.

At last, if you have the budget, then you would not find the best soundbar other than Sonos ARC Playbar.

The Price

The first thing someone looks at while purchasing anything is the price of that product. The soundbars which we are discussing today are both not too cheap. As we know that the quality products are not sold cheaper, same is the case with Yamaha YAS-209 and Sonos ARC Playbar.

Yamaha YAS-209 Soundbar

Yamaha YAS-209 Soundbar comes with a price tag of $349, which is quite reasonable for a soundbar like this. Yamaha YAS-209’s predecessor Yamaha YAS-207 is priced at $300. The asking price for this soundbar is justifiable as it also comes with the subwoofer. Prices on multiple websites like amazon, eBay, or other online shopping sites are the same for YAS-209 Soundbar. If you can find a used one at a lower cost, you may opt for it. But we don’t suggest purchasing the used one. 

Overall, it offers a good value for this money.

Sonos ARC Playbar

The Sonos ARC Playbar costs around $789 that is too costly for some people. Sonos company has given the offer to purchase the refurbished Playbar for $379. And, it comes with a Sonos guarantee as well. It is $30 more than the original Yamaha YAS-209 Soundbar. Although it is being refurbished by Sonos professionals, it is not a new product. If you don’t mind using the used products, you may buy from eBay at a lesser price.

The Verdict

There is a big difference in prices among Yamaha YAS-209 and Sonos ARC Playbar. We suggest you buy the brand new soundbar of Yamaha YAS-209 for $349. Sonos ARC Playbar refurbished Playbar costs around $379, which isn’t fair enough. The fault may occur again, which was refurbished before.

The Design

After the budget, the design is the most important feature a user looks at. The design battle is a bit hard between Yamaha YAS-209 and Sonos Playbar. Both soundbars are attractive by design. The Sonos ARC soundbar has a particularly unique style compared to other soundbars.

The design of the soundbar is an important attribute. Performance is the later stage game. The first thing that matters is appearance. The elegant design attracts the eyes of the buyer and the user.

Let’s discuss the design of both the soundbars separately.

Yamaha YAS-209

The Yamaha YAS-209 comes with the dimensions 2.44 x 4.29 x 36.6 inches. It is long and tolerably long from Sonos ARC Playbar.

The Yamaha YAS-209 has a black design and a simple style. The top and the back of the soundbar, where the inputs are slotted are composed of plastic. The other stuff is made out of mesh. The controls of Yamaha YAS-209 are on the top side, so the control lights will not distract you while watching TV. There are two holes for mounting the soundbar.

The subwoofer is made of melamine and has a standard design. The front and one of the sides are fully surrounded by mesh fabric. The port is made of glossy plastic and is on the front side.

Here check out the unboxing of the Yamaha YAS-209 :

Sonos ARC Playbar

The Sonos ARC Playbar comes with dimensions 35.5 x 3.3 x 5.4 inches. It is also long but a bit less than Yamaha YAS-209 Soundbar.

Overall, the design of Sonos is impressive and would attract anyone who sees it the first time.

The Sonos ARC bar is made of plastic and has spectacular build quality. There’s a plastic grille that covers the front and sides of the soundbar. The purpose of these plastic grilles is to protect the drivers inside the bar.

Overall, the Sonos ARC Playbar is made well.

Here check out the unboxing of the Sonos ARC Playbar: 

The Verdict

For me, the Yamaha YAS-209 is the winner concerning design. It offers more suitable connectivity options, and the overall design is also on the better side. For more details, you can look at the unboxing video of both the soundbars.

The Sound

The Sound is the deciding factor between the Yamaha YAS-209 and Sonos Playbar battle. Without wasting more time, let’s get into the sound details of both the soundbars.

Yamaha YAS-209

Yamaha YAS-209 has a dedicated soundbar, and it comes with a subwoofer included. This soundbar is capable of delivering movie soundtracks with the best surround effects. It also ensures that the dialogue is audible to the listener.

Here you can check the Sound test of Yamaha YAS-209: 

Sonos ARC Playbar

The Sonos ARC Playbar provides vocal clarity even at a higher volume, which is quite impressive. It offers the cinema-quality sound at your home place, which is appreciable as the TV speakers would not give that quality or effect.

Check out the sound test here: 

 

The Verdict

The sound quality of both the Sonos Playbar and Yamaha YAS-209 was commendable. So, deciding the winner based on the sound quality was quite a task. They are almost giving equal output. And, now it depends on the user’s choice of what they prefer.

Conclusion

Overall, the Yamaha YAS-209 is the winner of the battle. It offers the soundbar and the subwoofer set for as low as $349. It is not just because of price, but the design and sound quality of Yamaha YAS-209 is on the top as well.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *