Alexa, Meet Our New Sound Bars. Yamaha Unveils Two New Models with Built-in Alexa Voice Control

BUENA PARK, Calif., June 17, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The originator of one of the world's first sound bars just made a new statement for the category, combining high-quality audio with the built-in convenience of voice control. Today, Yamaha is introducing two new sound bars, the YAS-209 and YAS-109, making it easier for you to connect, control and enjoy your favorite music, movies and more – all with native Alexa voice control.

In addition to the integrated convenience of one of the country's most popular voice assistants, these new models offer enhanced music playback capabilities, featuring Wi-Fi connectivity to play tunes through Spotify Connect, Amazon Music and Alexa-supported music services.

The YAS-209 and YAS-109 continue the tradition of the previous award-winning and best-selling sound bars from Yamaha, providing an immersive experience and modern setup for the smart home era. Aesthetically, both models boast a fresh, ultra-slim design for movie and music enthusiasts to discreetly place in front of their TV or mount on the wall without the need of 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.

Just as careful consideration was given to helping fans experience the true sound of their favorite music and home entertainment, the built-in microphones for integrated Alexa control were methodically approached as well. Yamaha collaborated with the Alexa team at Amazon to implement the preferred method for microphones, focusing on both quality and spacing.

"Building voice control into these sound bars will allow our customers to simplify, integrate and control their home entertainment system with Alexa," said Alex Sadeghian, director, Consumer Audio, Yamaha Corporation of America. "Movie and music fans will enjoy both the features and performance. When coupled with the option of two different models, it's an unbeatable combination for fans who truly expect more from a sound bar."

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 included remote contains a dedicated button to initiate Alexa control. In addition, Alexa can be muted, when desired, or turned off completely when the sound bar is powered down, based on user preferences.

"The integration of Alexa expands the potential for home entertainment and smart home conveniences to both be accessed directly from a sound bar," added Sadeghian, "from checking the weather and time of day to controlling compatible smart devices including lighting and scenes in your home with simple voice commands."

As the world's largest maker of musical instruments and audio products, that expertise from Yamaha extends to the design of these sound bars to deliver true sound reproduction for music and entertainment experiences.

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 sound bars 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 sound bars 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 sound bars support CEC, enabling audio control with compatible TV remotes. An optical input is provided for use with other devices without HDMI connections.

The new sound bars are just as great for music as they are for TV. In fact, 90 days of free access to Amazon Music Unlimited is included with both sound bars. 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 sound bar, 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.

Pricing and Availability
The Yamaha YAS-209 ($349.95 MSRP) and YAS-109 ($239.95) sound bars will be available in July.
To learn more about the YAS-209 or YAS-109, please visit https://yamaha.io/2RgXSnC

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) is one of the largest subsidiaries of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of award-winning musical instruments, sound reinforcement, commercial installation and home entertainment products to the U.S. market. Products include: Yamaha acoustic, digital and hybrid pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio equipment, Steinberg recording products and NEXO commercial audio products, as well as AV receivers, amplifiers, MusicCast wireless multi-room audio systems, Blu-ray/CD players, earphones, headphones, home-theater-in-a-box systems, sound bars and its exclusive line of Digital Sound Projectors. YCA markets innovative, finely crafted technology and entertainment products and musical instruments targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, music, professional audio installation and consumer markets.

SOURCE Yamaha