Yamaha YSP-3000 Digital Sound Projector (black)
Manufacturer: Yamaha Part number: YSP-3000/B
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- If you can look past its limited video capabilities, the Yamaha YSP-3000 is an otherwise recommendable single-speaker solution for home theater buyers who don't want a traditional 5.1 channel surround system.
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CNET editors' review
Yamaha YSP-3000 Digital Sound Projector (black) price range: $694.00 - $999.99
- Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
- Edited by: Matthew Moskovciak
- Reviewed on: 05/21/2008
- Released on: 08/15/2007
The good: Yamaha's single-speaker surround system features 21 1.5-inch "beam" drivers, two 4-inch woofers, built-in digital amplifiers, and proprietary surround processing; eliminates the need for an AV receiver; 1080p HDMI switching; FM radio and XM radio capability; autosetup with the supplied microphone.
The bad: Skimpy connectivity; no onscreen setup menu via HDMI; lacks the dynamic oomph of an equivalently priced 5.1 channel system; lacks finesse on two channel music; you'll probably have to add a subwoofer.
The bottom line: If you can look past its limited video capabilities, the Yamaha YSP-3000 is an otherwise recommendable single-speaker solution for home theater buyers who don't want a traditional 5.1 channel surround system.
Editors' note: As of July 2008, Yamaha has released a follow-up product, the YSP-3050. That model is almost identical to the YSP-3000 reviewed here, but it offers the noteworthy upgrade of analog-to-digital HDMI video conversion.
Editors' note 11/12/2009: The rating of the Yamaha YSP-3000 has been changed since publication to better reflect its value compared to competing home theater systems.
Now that almost every audio company is selling a "surround bar"--that is, a single, long speaker that attempts to mimic the enveloping sound of a real 5.1 system--it's easy to forget just how new the technology is. Yamaha was the first to roll out a consumer-oriented sound bar back at CES 2005, and CNET declared the Yamaha YSP-1 a "Next Big Thing" finalist and went on to give a solid rating. The issues we had on the YSP-1 are pretty much the same ones we have with all surround bars--they're usually expensive and don't sound that great with music.
Yamaha is still a leader in the surround bar market, and the company has reshuffled its YSP single-speaker surround lineup for 2008. The YSP-3000 ($1,000 list, $700 street), the subject of this review, fits between the no-frills, entry-level YSP-900 ($700 list, $500 street), and the fully loaded YSP-4000 ($1,600 list, $1,100 street). The YSP-3000 boasts 1080p HDMI switching, XM satellite radio compatibility, and an FM tuner. Like all YSP speakers, the YSP-3000 speaker has built-in power amplifiers and proprietary signal processing. Just hook up your HDMI video source--DVD, Blu-ray player, game console, or cable box--and you're good to go. No need to buy an AV receiver (though non-HDMI sources will have to be run directly to the TV).
Design
A perforated metal grille covers most of the YSP-3000's front panel; below the grille there's an LCD readout that relates volume level and processing status, and farther to the right is a volume control and an input selector. The speaker feels solidly constructed, and its 25.4-pound weight feels surprisingly heavy for its size. The speaker is 31.5 inches wide, 6.1inches high, and 5.9 inches deep, which is not quite as long as some other sound bars we've tested, but it may be too tall to fit under some TVs. If that's a problem for you, the YSP-300 can be wall mounted with the optional SPM-K30 bracket.
The included remote control is pretty good for enthusiasts, but those who are less tech-savvy may be intimidated by its numerous buttons and functions. We liked that we could directly adjust individual channel volume levels and that the remote could also control a TV. On the downside, the input buttons are small, the remote isn't backlit, and there's little differentiation of button size within each section, making it difficult to navigate by feel. Of course, you can always upgrade to a quality universal remote.
The YSP-3000's 21 1.5-inch microdrivers create surround sound by bouncing the front-left, front-right, and surround channels' sound off your room's walls; the center channel's sound is projected directly from the YSP-3000 to the listening position. Your room's acoustics can play a significant role in the sound you hear; bare walls work best, and objects in the room, such as chairs, drapes, or furniture, may adversely affect the quality of the surround sound. If your room is pretty cluttered with stuff, you may want to opt for a sound bar that doesn't use sound reflection technology, such as the Polk SurroundBar 50 or Definitive Technology SSA-50. The YSP-3000's bass is supplied by a pair of 4-inch woofers, and both the microdrivers and woofers are each powered by their own digital amplifier, with total power rated at 82 watts.
Features
Yamaha's IntelliBeam autosetup and calibration system couldn't be easier to use. Just bring up the onscreen menu, plug in the supplied microphone, and the automated procedure takes just a few minutes to complete. While the autosetup worked quite well, we managed to improve the sound by tweaking the manual setup adjustments. If your dealer has qualified technicians, they might be able to eke out better performance than you'll get with the autosetup. Surround processing modes include Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, DTS Neo:6, Neural Surround, and Yamaha's proprietary Cinema DSP technology. Audiophiles will note there's no support for the newest Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack formats, but we're betting most audiophiles will be sticking with separate speakers anyway.
Most of the speaker's connectors are recessed into its rear panel: there are two HDMI inputs and one output; two stereo analog inputs; a subwoofer output; two optical and two coaxial digital inputs; a dock terminal for Yamaha's YDS-10 iPod dock; and an XM antenna jack for use with XM's Mini-Tuner Home Dock. Not bad, but the YSP-3000 lacks video inputs for composite, S-Video, or component sources, such as a cable box or the Wii. Also note that the YDS-10 iPod dock can only be used for audio--movies and photos won't work. The front panel has a 3.5mm jack for handy connection with portable audio players.
Unfortunately, the YSP-3000's menus aren't available over its HDMI output, so if you're using a HDMI set, you'll need to also hook up the YSP-3000's composite video output to your TV to see the menus. While that might have been passable two years ago when HDMI was still in its infancy, it's really an unacceptable workaround for such an expensive product in 2008, even if you only have to access the menu every so often.
The YSP-3000 has many of the same features as the flagship YSP-4000. The YSP-4000 adds more surround modes, two component video inputs, three composite video inputs, analog to digital (HDMI) conversion of those aforementioned video inputs, and, most importantly, twice as many microdrivers. Then again, if you're not interested in any video connectivity, there's the even more affordable YSP-900, which sounds identical to the YSP-3000 and costs significantly less.
Performance
The YSP-3000, like all of the other Yamaha YSP speakers we've tested to date, is capable of projecting a large, immersive soundfield. No other brand's single-speaker surround systems are even close; Yamaha YSP speakers are state of the art in that regard. That holds true for listeners seated directly in front of the YSP-3000 and listeners seated off to the sides of the couch. We could even stand up and walk around the room and the sound remained spacious. However, while the speaker can be used without a subwoofer, we wouldn't recommend it as the YSP-300 won't produce any deep bass on its own. We used a Yamaha YST-FSW100 sub for most of our listening tests.
The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Blu-ray disc sounded good enough for us to forget that all of the sound filling the CNET listening room was coming from the YSP-3000. Sound quality was generally quite good, but when the demands of the naval battle scenes upped the ante, the Yamaha speaker's limitations became obvious. The ships' cannon blasts didn't have the same impact we'd get from a 5.1 channel speaker/subwoofer combination like Aperion's Intimus 5B Harmony SD. The Yamaha YST-FSW100 subwoofer was partly to blame, as it didn't have the sock of the Aperion's Bravus 8D sub. The YSP speaker can also be overtaxed and sound strained by highly dynamic special effects. So overall surround sound was excellent, but judged on a sound-quality basis, the YSP speaker sounded less clear and detailed than Polk's SurroundBar 50 single-speaker surround system.
We switched to music, and the Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense concert DVD rocked pretty hard; the audience's cheers and claps were projected well forward of the speaker. CD sound was less satisfying overall, though it was definitely at its best when we listened in stereo. True, separation was fairly narrow in stereo mode, but engaging the YSP-3000's surround processing to create a more room-filling sound also adversely affected the sound quality, making it hazy, harsher, and generally less satisfying. In any case, the Black Key's blues-rock lacked punch and orchestral classical music had a muffled quality. The YSP-3000 was more enjoyable with Blu-ray and DVDs.
User reviews
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YSP-3000 does not do what Yamaha claims
by Thomjw on October 16, 2007
Pros: Good surround using the auto-setup and microphone
Cons: Yamaha states that with the optional YDS-10 ipod dock, you can watch video on your monitor thru your video ipod. It DOES NOT. Yamaha confirmed this when I complained.
Summary: Although the YSP-3000 does sound good, and is easy to set up, the fact that its capabilities with respect to its optional YDS-10 ipod dock are erroneous AND the company ...
Summary: Although the YSP-3000 does sound good, and is easy to set up, the fact that its capabilities with respect to its optional YDS-10 ipod dock are erroneous AND the company has adopted what I consider a "Let them eat cake" attitude when I notified them of the error, I must rate this product a 5. Yamaha rates a 1.
Updated
Besides Yamaha's terrible customer service, I have now had this stinker for almost 2 months.(never did hear back from Chuck, the customer service supervisor, when I complained about this product not doing what they claimed it would do). Its surround sound is adequate at best. I guess I should have known......Yamaha has never been a very good product in my opinion. There are other surround bars on the market that are better, or at least on a par as this unit, that cost less.....AND these companies have great customer service. Philips and Panasonic are 2. As I said in my first review, if the company you do business with has shoddy customer service, take your business elsewhere. Usually when customer service is bad, the products they sell are bad as well.Updated
Well Billy, (or is this Chuck?)I checked the specs.......and due to MY discovery, Yamaha changed the specs on their website. BUT they still haven't changed those specs on a few of the vendor's websites that sell this product. Botoom line is this; I discovered the error because I specifically bought this product so that I could not only listen to my ipod thru it, but watch my videos as well. You'd think a big company like Yamaha would dot all of their i's and cross all of their t's before releasing a new product. I caught this the very first week they were on the market.....saving them a ton of headaches in the process. What do they do? They ignore me, my calls, and my emails. So......Billy........IF you had actually read my reviews with any kind of understanding, you would have realized that I did read the specs, and that is why I give Yamaha Customer Service (this means you Chuck) a big fat ZERO.Updated
I find it rather humerous that some want to disparage me by stating that I need to read the specs more thoroughly. I suggest you go to OneCall.com and read what Yamaha originally stated this inferior product would do. (I'm sure that Yamaha is monitoring this site...and will make sure that OneCall gets the updates now that I've listed their site as one that has not been updated) BUT, they miss the point. The point is that Yamaha's cutomer service is HORRIBLE! Not only are Yamaha products "run-of-the-mill" and cheap. (AND made that way), but they do not back their products. So...go ahead and buy Yamaha....at some point you'll be sorry you did.6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Gotta check the specs
by billy_sive on December 18, 2007
Pros: website is pretty clear
Cons: very expensive
Summary: On Yamahas website the specs for this product specifically say that its ipod compatibility is limited to audio only.
Summary: On Yamahas website the specs for this product specifically say that its ipod compatibility is limited to audio only.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Really? 2 HDMI inputs?
by da_bombdiggidy on November 18, 2009
Pros: I love the idea. HDMI switch is perfect.
Cons: Only 2 HDMI inputs? 3 should be minimum. 4 would be perfect.
Summary: I don't have this but really want something like it. Don't you hate when you read about a product and it has everything but 1 thing. And, the ...
Summary: I don't have this but really want something like it. Don't you hate when you read about a product and it has everything but 1 thing. And, the one thing missing is a deal breaker. For me, only having 2 HDMI is it. I was looking at the Sony unit but I don't have space for the subwoofer. This sounded like the next best thing until I read about the HDMI limit. Like all people I want simple. I have a U-verse box and Blu-Ray in my bedroom. I'd love to add one more device, maybe a AppleTV or Mac Mini but wah wah wah... no. For the cost of this unit compared to the Sony, it should have more connectors. One could argue if you need more get a full on AV receiver but all I want is HDMI. This has become a modern day standard and makes sense. Adding 1 more would kill the companies profits.
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Excellent Sound, ease of use, slim and clean appearance
by tjalonzo on March 25, 2009
Pros: Mimics surround amazingly well, crisp sound, performs well with blu-ray. Not bulky, sleek appearance, easy setup.
Cons: Needs a sub, lacks depth of sound without a sub. Audio over HDMI is only available on one of the two imputs, lacks overall connectivity and upconversion options.
Summary: I combined the system with the Mirage 360 sub that also emulates surround sound, and it creates an incredible combo. The setup was incredibly easy, and the overall sound quality ...
Summary: I combined the system with the Mirage 360 sub that also emulates surround sound, and it creates an incredible combo. The setup was incredibly easy, and the overall sound quality is amazing considering that its all coming from one relatively small source. If you have a lot of components, especially HDMI, you will have to find ways to get everything connected since there is only one audio over HDMI source, the second is passthrough only. I ended up plugging everything into my TV, and using a single optical out from my tv to the surround and it works great. The only thing connected directly to the YSP is my PS3 for blu-ray via hdmi.
This system fills the room with sound, and with the addition of the sub, it really performs better than any HTIB you can buy. For the money, this system will create an excellent home theatre solution, outside of a living room that is a "great room" that doesnt provide walls to bounce the sound off of. Even then, the direct sound is wonderful.
If this unit had video upconversion, and more HDMI imputs that all supported audio over HDMI, it would have received 5 stars. But then again, find another HTIB system that has these features, you will be hard pressed. -
amazing!!!
by primo75 on November 16, 2008
Pros: hdmi inputs
Cons: at startup it switches to tv mode on its own even if i have selected another mode
Summary: this thing rocks simply put. i have a pretty big room with heavy curtains on one side and this still bounces sound off it. easy to setup plug the mic ...
Summary: this thing rocks simply put. i have a pretty big room with heavy curtains on one side and this still bounces sound off it. easy to setup plug the mic in place in your listening area and hit setup it goes through a series of test sounds and sets itself up for your room. now i have a powered sub hooked up the this for max sound really needs a sub if you ask me. you can plug hdmi right into this unit only 2 in and 1 out but that works for me bluray and directtv. if you had a nice room not funny shaped or way to big i could only imagine how good this would sound
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Excellent sound and ease of operation for the price
by gbcalif on December 25, 2007
Pros: Bounces sounds off walls / pictures (glass framed) and clean setup - 1 HDMI per component - LOVE IT
Cons: Would like more HDMI inputs, but can live with that...
Summary: Poor Thomjw didn't read well enough.....
EXCELLENT UNIT FOR THE PRICE - WILL PROBABLY UPDATE TO THE YSP-5000 IF YAMAHA COMES OUT WITH ANOTHERSummary: Poor Thomjw didn't read well enough.....
EXCELLENT UNIT FOR THE PRICE - WILL PROBABLY UPDATE TO THE YSP-5000 IF YAMAHA COMES OUT WITH ANOTHER0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Yamaha
- Part number: YSP-3000/B
- Description: The YSP-3000 offers great new features such as 1080p-compatiable HDMI, iPod compatibility and a wide variety of beam settings including My Surround for true multi-channel surround sound enjoyment from a single component.
General
- Product Type Speaker system
- Width 31.5 in
- Depth 4.5 in
- Height 6 in
- Weight 19.8 lbs
- Enclosure Color Black
Audio System
- Components AV receiver, Speaker system
- Sound Output Mode Surround Sound
- Built-in Decoders DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II
- THX certified Yes
- Surround Sound Effects CINEMA DSP, IntelliBeam, Neural Surround
- Sound Effects SRS TruBass
- Equalizer Yes
- Digital Sound Processor (DSP) Yes
- DSP Preset Qty 3
- DSP Presets Movie, Music, Sports, 5ch stereo
- Surround System Class 5.1 channel
- Output Power / Total 82 Watt
- Built-in Display Fluorescent
- Display Dimmer Yes
- Additional Features iPod ready, Magnetic shield, On-screen display, XM satellite radio ready, Compressed music enhancer
- Digital Storage Media None
Connectors
- Coaxial Digital Input Yes
- Optical Digital Input Yes
Equalizer
- Equalizer type Parametric
Speaker System
- Speaker(s) 21 x Speaker - Built-in - 2 Watt, 2 x Speaker - Built-in - 20 Watt
- Driver Details Speaker : 1 x Tweeter driver, Speaker : 1 x Woofer driver
Radio
- Type Radio tuner - FM - Digital
- Digital Tuner Band XM
- Tuning Display Fluorescent display
- Additional Features XM HD Surround Sound
Turntable
- Type None
CD System
- CD system type None
DVD
- Type None
Cassette System
- Cassette system type None
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
MD System
- MD system type None
Headphones
- Headphones Type None
Microphone
- Type None
Remote Control
- Remote Control Remote control - Infrared
Remote Control (2nd)
- Type None
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x IPod docking, 1 x FM antenna, 2 x HDMI input ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ), 1 x HDMI output ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ), 2 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ), 2 x Digital audio input (optical), 2 x Digital audio input (coaxial) ( RCA phono ), 1 x Composite video input ( RCA phono ), 1 x Composite video output ( RCA phono ), 1 x Subwoofer output ( RCA phono ), 1 x XM antenna, 1 x Audio line-in ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Power
- Power Device Power supply - Internal
Miscellaneous
- AV Furniture None
- Included Accessories Optimizer microphone
Dimensions & Weight (Shipping)
- Width (Shipping) 38.2 in
- Depth (Shipping) 10 in
- Height (Shipping) 11 in
- Weight (Shipping) 27.1 lbs
Product series
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Yamaha YSP-3000 Digital Sound Projector (black)
Manufacturer: Yamaha
Specs: Speaker system, AV receiver, None, Black, Surround Sound, 2 Watt, 20 Watt, 82 Watt, Remote control (Infrared), 31.5 in x 4.5 in x 6 in
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Yamaha YSP-3000 Digital Sound Projector (silver)
Manufacturer: Yamaha
Specs: Speaker system, AV receiver, None, Silver, Surround Sound, 2 Watt, 20 Watt, 82 Watt, Remote control (Infrared), 31.5 in x 4.5 in x 6 in
Manufacturer info
- Yamaha
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Yamaha products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.yamaha.com/
- Address:
6600 Orangethorpe Ave.
Buena Park, CA 90620 - Phone: 714/522-9000
- Email: infostation@yamaha.com
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