Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 vs Sonos Playbar review

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It makes sense comparing Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 vs Sonos Playbar because they both are able to give some premium features. Based on our rating, MusicCast BAR 400 has a total rating of 8.2 out of 10 versus 5.5 for Playbar. The competitors' control buttons are different: power, volume down, volume up, input, mute and play/pause, volume up, volume down, 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 3.0 for the Sonos Playbar. 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.

Streaming services

Each of rivals supports AirPlay 2. Spotify is available on each of the soundbars.

Connectivity

These models have the ability to connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Only the MusicCast BAR 400 has Bluetooth support. Only the MusicCast BAR 400 supports HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC). For connectivity, the MusicCast BAR 400 received a rating of 8/10 versus 3/10, respectively. App control is available for the Playbar. A built-in microphone is present only on the MusicCast BAR 400. 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 Sonos Playbar 4 out of 10.

Advantages Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 over Sonos Playbar

Advantages Sonos Playbar over Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400