Review on Immerse in Measured Surround Sound: Yamaha YSP-5600 MusicCast Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos/DTS:X by Jill Bethel

I was only mildly surprised to learn that this heavy, complex, now relatively old soundbar is still being sold at almost full original retail price, and I haven't done it anywhere found, with discount. But like I said, just a little surprised. With a few tweaks and additions, this is probably still the best Atmos bar out there, but CHALLENGE ONE - you need to solve the lack of HDR/4k/Atmos pass-through with an HDMI splitter (the firmware solution never came and probably never will) - I bought an HD Fury Splitter, set it up once and never bothered with it in four years. Complete and perfect solution. And of course you need to add a wireless subwoofer. I use the low profile with the Yamaha wireless adapter because I want it to hide the ads under my sofa, but the recommended pair is bigger and better if it fits your room. The Samsung Q90, the JBL 9.1 (? the one with the wireless speaker dock) and LG's top-of-the-line Meridian are close, but still not as efficient across the board. Audio fidelity from Atmos and Surround sources is unmatched for a panel-only solution. (unlike Strip Plus Satellites) and accurate enough for vertical and rear gameplay audio cues - movies are simpler and therefore even more impressive. Music is a delight and honestly it's the best stereo source I've got - although MusicCast, AirPlay and Bluetooth have some quirks - and you'll need a 3.5mm Y-RCA splitter to connect phones and MP3 players via connect cable. It is strange that there is no 3.5mm inch. It's also very tall and you should take a tape measure with you when placing it under the TV on a table or in an entertainment center. It can be wall mounted but is very heavy and since my TV/games room has some pretty specific built in equipment I chose a long Vesa stand for my 65" Sony TV to get the right angle to the creating large speakers doesn't bother.. doesn't block the bottom edge of the screen when I'm sitting on the floor. I know this all sounds like a LOT of effort for a single home theater component and yes it would be cheaper and easier to use the Samsung Q90 etc. But they don't sound that good. And it was all worth it. In fact, a little Stockholm syndrome when everything works reminded me of the satisfaction of building a gaming PC. Listening to lossless Tidal music (laughs, free trial, I'm not THAT crazy) or Revain Ultra HD music through this thing is a real treat. I'm not a hi-fi fan, but I'll even listen to things I'm not interested in as demo material - and yes, I could please you with subjective nonsense like "the warm woody feel with the rosin smell of a perfectly tuned cello" or "I got the Led like an angry pit bull on a frayed rope climbing out of the yard across from the post office" I'm still checking Yamaha's firmware site in hopeless hopes that the miracle hdr transition will do the Version will improve number to 5s - but that would likely result in new and used market prices being even more oddly stable than they already are. hard to live