One other baffling omission, particularly on a high-end system with encompass audio system that may be positioned nearly wherever: There’s no room correction.
Restricted Streaming
Yamaha MusicCast through Simon Cohen
Yamaha MusicCast through Simon Cohen
Music streaming is a combined bag, largely due to Yamaha’s restricted choices. The True X Encompass 90A helps Apple AirPlay, Tidal Join, and Spotify Join, nevertheless it doesn’t work with Google Forged or Alexa Forged. It really works with DLNA servers, however not like another Yamaha merchandise, there’s no Roon help.
I discovered that the MusicCast app’s native help for streaming companies proved to be essentially the most dependable high-quality possibility, although sadly, it’s a really restricted set: Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, SiriusXM, and Pandora. Bluetooth can be an possibility, however with solely SBC and AAC codecs, it’s finest for informal listening.
Nonetheless, listening to lossless, hi-res FLAC tracks from Amazon Music and Qobuz was exhilarating, particularly when utilizing the All listening mode.
Backside line? Yamaha’s True X Encompass 90A can enthrall you with its readability and precision. It provides breathtaking realism to motion pictures and reveals, typically revealing particulars that lesser soundbars obscure. A lot of that efficiency interprets to music, too, so long as you don’t thoughts its streaming service limitations. The absolutely wi-fi surrounds present glorious immersion and plenty of flexibility, each by way of placement and use as a secondary sound system.
However Yamaha prices a hefty value for the True X Encompass 90A, and with a giant funding comes massive expectations. The dearth of inputs, the dearth of management over the middle channel degree, and the absence of room correction are severe omissions. Apple Music subscribers who wish to get the highest-quality audio must also word the absence of any solution to get a lossless or Dolby Atmos sign to the soundbar, with out using an middleman machine like an Apple TV 4K. That’s plenty of compromises.
This makes it arduous to offer the True X Encompass 90A an unqualified advice. However should you worth its strengths and don’t thoughts its weaknesses, Yamaha’s flagship is an efficient, if expensive, sound addition to any TV setup.