The present review is aimed to compare two soundbars - Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 vs LG SL5Y 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 5 for SL5Y. The competitors' control buttons are different: power, volume down, volume up, input, mute and power, volume down, volume up, function, respectively.
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 LG SL5Y. The output power is different and equal to 200 (overall) W for the MusicCast BAR 400 versus 400 (overall) W for the SL5Y. 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.
Only the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 can 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, the MusicCast BAR 400 received a rating of 8/10 versus 7/10, respectively. Compared soundbars have no app control. A built-in microphone is present only on the MusicCast BAR 400. Multi-room is only available for the Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400.
None of soundbars equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The soundbars do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X. For multichannel surround, each of the opponents received 6 points out of 10.