Yamaha's YSP-3000 sex slab will surround you

You wouldn't think it, but Yamaha's YSP-series of sound bars throw a decent faux surround sound in space-challenged apartments and flats. Now they've returned with a new YSP-3000 model featuring 2x HDMI inputs, optional iPod compatibility, XM Neural Surround, and 3rd Generation IntelliBeam with optimizer mic. Inside this 31.5 x 6 x 4.5-inch block you'll find a pair of 3 15/16-inch woofers and 21, 1 5/8-inch beam drivers pushing 82W of total power. Sure, it doesn't pack the 120W thump, HDMI upscaling and analog upconverting, or the component inputs of its bigger YSP-4000 bro. Then again, it doesn't cost $1,800 either. Available now for $1,200.

[Ronny @ Jan 17th 2008 4:53AM]

sex slab? huh?

[karts41 @ Jan 17th 2008 7:15PM]

Worst image to resize ever.

But yeah, definitely not a sex slab.

[Ronny @ Jan 17th 2008 4:55AM]

hmmm .. insertable mp3 player with built in speaker.

how cool would that be?

[Hinke @ Jan 17th 2008 6:07AM]

I'm kinda missing the sex slab part too? And I like it more in black..

Hinke

[alanwestenbroek @ Jan 17th 2008 6:20AM]

Just so we're clear, there's nothing "faux" about the YSP's surround sound. It creates five distinct channels from five distinct points around the room: no phase-y tricks or "virtual" crap going on.

[Ian Tullie @ Jan 17th 2008 6:59AM]

No, it doesn't - it only creates sound from the speakers in the bar, unless you break the unit up into pieces, wire them up and position them around the room.

[Ian Tullie @ Jan 17th 2008 7:11AM]

...and bounces the sound off walls to simulate surround sound speakers. This is clever, I'll grant you, but it's still faux surround sound and highly dependent on the room you're in having good surfaces (curtains don't work, and you can't have anything in the way like other chairs, etc) to bounce off in good places, in particular for the rear speakers, which rely on bouncing off two walls - if you move, you can hear the sound as it comes off the first wall and the illusion is lost.

[Generic @ Jan 17th 2008 7:19AM]

does sex slab imply that, say my girlfriend will be interested

[Generic @ Jan 17th 2008 7:22AM]

does sex slab imply that, say my girlfriend will be interested

[amarnath @ Jan 17th 2008 7:40AM]

Good gadget.... wat more

[Marty @ Jan 17th 2008 8:45AM]

"but it's still faux surround sound and highly dependent on the room you're in having good surfaces"

Right... this is the item for people who really aren't audiophile nuts or who have limited space or have lots of money and are gullible. If you can drop $1,200 on this, why not spend that same amount on a true, mid-range 6.1 or 7.1 system WITH installation? (Heck, you could find one w/ a built-in DVD w/ upscale/HDMI, wireless rear speakers,iPod ready, USB ports AND satellite radio ready for around the same price!)

I don't doubt that it's high-quality and does what it says it does... but every review I read still says these 'surround bars' still don't compare to true surround, and ends up being a good alternative, not replacement, for surround sound.

[Colin @ Jan 17th 2008 9:53AM]

Is it perverse of me that I have always wanted to use one of these Yamaha sound bars as the ultimate center channel speaker in a 5.1 or 7.1 setup?

[bradwjensen @ Jan 17th 2008 10:17AM]

Kind of off target a bit, but Yamaha really should spend more time on their receivers sizes. They have really great receivers.. but do they ALL have to be so huge? Maybe for those people who don't need those millions of inputs in the back, they could build one about double the size of a MacMini with good specs and up to 5.1 surround outputs, 1 s/pdif in, 1-2 left & right in, and 1 coaxial in.

[Jeff @ Jan 17th 2008 10:40AM]

The title of this post was better than the article.

:P

[andy @ Jan 17th 2008 11:16AM]

I have the YSP 1100. It works. It's not as good as my old Paradigm/yamaha setup, but it's passable in the den.


I need HDMI though. Are they using the same wall mounting bracket as the older YSP 800 and YSP 1100?

[cdpage @ Apr 9th 2008 11:05AM]

There are new wall mounts Andy.
SPM-K30 which i believe works for both the 3000 and 4000, and older models too if I'm not mistaken.