Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 vs JBL Bar 2.1 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two soundbars - Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 vs JBL Bar 2.1 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers. Based on our rating, MusicCast BAR 400 has a total rating of 8.2 out of 10 versus 6 for Bar 2.1. The competitors' control buttons are different: power, volume down, volume up, input, mute and power, volume down, volume up, source, respectively.

Audio features

Both soundbars have active amplification type. A significant difference between the units in the number of channels, the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 has 5.1 versus 2.1 for the JBL Bar 2.1. The output power is different and equal to 200 (overall) W for the MusicCast BAR 400 versus 300 (overall) W for the Bar 2.1. Competitors do not have a built-in subwoofer. Rivals have wireless connection to separate subwoofer. Both models received our 7 rating of 10 for their audio features and specs. Spotify support is available on the MusicCast BAR 400.

Connectivity

These models have the ability to connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Each soundbar has 1/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Both soundbars have a USB connector. For connectivity, each of the soundbars received a rating of 8/10.

Features

Both models support voice control using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant. Compared soundbars have no app control. A built-in microphone is present in each model. Multi-room is only available for the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400.

Multichannel surround

None of soundbars equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The soundbars do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X. For multichannel surround Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 got a rating of 6, and JBL Bar 2.1 4 out of 10.

Advantages Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 over JBL Bar 2.1