Samsung HW-J355 vs Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 review

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l would like to share my experience after comparing and testing two soundbars – Samsung HW-J355 vs Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400. The Samsung HW-J355 was rated 6.6, while the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 has a rating 8.2. The soundbars are equipped with a different number of buttons, power, volume down, volume up, input for the HW-J355 and power, volume down, volume up, input, mute for the MusicCast BAR 400.

Audio features

Each of the models under consideration has active amplification type. A noticeable difference is the number of channels that HW-J355 has 2.1 and MusicCast BAR 400 has 5.1. These rivals can be compared in terms of power, 120 versus 200 (overall) according to devices. The built-in subwoofer is not implemented in any of these models. An external subwoofer connects to the HW-J355 via wired and wireless, but MusicCast BAR 400 has wireless connection type. Audio features and specs of considered models we rated 7 out of 10 in our ranking.

Streaming services

The Samsung HW-J355 is equipped with AirPlay, but the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 has AirPlay 2 on board. Each of the competitors can play content from Spotify.

Connectivity

Both models have a wireless Wi-Fi interface. Soundbars from this comparison have Bluetooth support. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) is implemented only in the MusicCast BAR 400. Connecting devices via USB is possible in both models. We rated the connectivity of the HW-J355 at 6 out of 10, while the MusicCast BAR 400 was rated 8/10. The manufacturer of the HW-J355 provides a device control application. The Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 equipped with a microphone. The Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 may become part of a multiroom system.

Multichannel surround

Dolby Atmos audio decoder support is not implemented in either the HW-J355 or MusicCast BAR 400. Devices from this comparison cannot process surround sound due to lack of DTS:X. The HW-J355 was rated 4/10, while the MusicCast BAR 400 received a mark of 6/10 for multichannel surround.

Advantages Samsung HW-J355 over Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400

Advantages Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 over Samsung HW-J355