When you've got a small apartment and hate wires like I do, something like the Yamaha YSP-800 sound projector is an agreeable compromise. To be frank, the sound experience is a fraction of a proper home theater system, but it actually quite surprising what 23 sound beam drivers can recreate in terms of a surround sound experience, and I don't ever regret getting one of these compact home theater solutions.
Well...okay...I do regret not waiting a bit longer to get one of their new updated sound projector solutions after reading about the newest features.
The YSP-4000/YSP-3000 are Yamaha's most recent additions (joining the previously announced YSP-900) and they've got a few new enviable new options and features unavailable on my model. The YSP-4000 is powered by forty sound beam drivers and two midbass speakers, while the YSP-3000 gets by with just 21 beam drivers, both calibrated to recreate Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6. But the real big selling point with these two new models is the inclusion of HDMI pass-throughs and analog/720p/1080i upscaling to 1080p, for those of you so lucky to have a capable HD monitor set. Both models are iPod and XM Satellite Radio ready, with 2 HMDI input/outputs and even an integrated FM tuner. The overall package looks like it got a lot more svelte too. That's a lot of features in a pretty compact package and pretty much a godsend for a small apartment dweller such as myself . The YSP-4000 will be available in October for $1799 and the YSP-3000 will be available in August for $1195 (the YSP-900 comes in at $899).
–Gregory
While I'm sure this is a very nice product...
I watched the first two episodes of "The Company" last night in HD and real surround sound. It was such a great experience I couldn't imagine going for fake surround sound unless I absolutely had no choice.
You can get very nice sounding budget "home theater in a box" systems.
My system is an Onkyo that I bought at Circuit City for about $500 4 years ago - it came with a receiver that puts out 135 watts per channel (6 channels), a 250 watt subwoofer and 6 matched speakers. I put the speakers on stands in a 12x17 room with 20 foot ceilings and love the results. Tons of power. Music sounds great on it too. Although I did have to try and find a location for everything that wouldn't annoy my neighbor on the other side of a common-wall.
In my last apartment which as slightly bigger than "small" (;->), it sounded even more awesome and hiding wires was easy there too.
view boomer's profile
I still own a full 5.2 (dual subs) Nakamichi Soundspace 11 system that does a wonderful job of filling a large sized room with the full bodied home theater experience, but have bequeathed it to my dear mom. But when you rent, your living room is the size of some people's bathroom, hate wires (hiding wires in the apartment would require drilling), don't have additional component space and don't want to bother the neighbors below, I'd recommend these single speaker solutions as a compromise. Also, I've noted that these speakers are very, very girlfriend/wife friendly...several people on AV boards have mentioned these were practically welcomed by their better halves where even small AV component setups were frowned upon. And I'd rather have a wonderful girlfriend than a beautiful sound system ;)
view gregory's profile
I guess I have the best of both worlds then. ;->
Agreed that this is a nice compromise...
view boomer's profile
Oops, I meant wonderful and beautiful girlfriend. She's got a boomin' system that goes all the way up to "11"!
view gregory's profile
$800.00 EEEEEEEK!
view right angle's profile