Brent Butterworth

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clean, dynamic sound with enveloping surround
A wealth of inputs and listening options
Key functions can be operated with TV remote
Minus
Voices can sound a little thin
Much more complicated and expensive than most soundbars

THE VERDICT
If you don’t mind a little complexity, the YSP-4300 is one of the best soundbars you can buy for movie and TV viewing.

Soundbars are supposed to be simple, right? The home theater sound system for people who can’t figure out an A/V receiver, right? Well, the Yamaha YSP-4300 isn’t simple. Its 24 speaker drivers, numerous inputs, 10 surround modes, 55-button remote, and 80-page manual make it almost as complex as one of Yamaha’s receivers. The only thing that’s simple about it is that there’s a lot less to hook up than with a full surround sound system.

Sonus Faber's trademark gorgeous craftsmanship and design were in evidence at the CEDIA Expo, where the company showed its new Olympica series speakers. Besides the fact that they were arguably the best-looking new speakers at the show, they're notable for two reasons. First, they're the first Sonus Faber speakers in which all the drivers were designed by the company. Second, they have a unique asymmetrical design with one of the coolest bass ports ever created.

I've spent a lot of time over the last two decades talking with the guys at Harman International, and I've never heard them so excited about a speaker as they are about the JBL M2, a new high-end professional recording monitor. At CEDIA Expo, JBL announced that it'll be selling the M2 for home systems, too, although in a substantially different and more elite package.

Monitor Audio's known for slim tower speakers, so the introduction of a new Silver Series line didn't surprise me much. But the prices did.