Yamaha True X 50A Soundbar, True X Wireless Surrounds | What Took So Long?

[@Caleb_Denison]

HAAAhahahahah. I KNEW IT! I knew there was another one out there, and I honestly suspected it was a JBL, but believe it or not, since I've not used the 1300x, I had to rely on product descriptions and they do a terrible promoting the Bluetooth-streaming-to-surround speakers part on their retail partner sites. It's also down about 3 scrolls on their product page. But, y'all are right, of course, it is there. I'll have to tip my hat to the pleasant fellow who let me know that my "research is a joke." Indeed, joke's on me. Thanks for the positivity, guy. Anyway, I stand behind my take on the system on the whole, but I guess the thumbnail and intro is a bit of a fail, LOL. Oh well. We all gotta screw up sometime -- good thing I get to do it on KZbin in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers. Good times. Take it easy out there.

[@LeezahB]

You are loved!

[@sunilk_89]

Hey Caleb, I just bought the JBL 1300X on Black Friday and it was a steal. I couldn't believe you messed up your research like that😂. I'm awaiting delivery of my soundbar and wondered why you guys at Digital Trends didn't take a stab at this bad boy JBL. I think a new video on the status of sounbars is long due from you.

[@alltheboost801]

@Caleb you should pick up at 1300X and I think you’ll be fairly impressed. I think the soundbar deserves more love and reviews!

[@jp0213x]

What brand are the speaker stands?

[@michael-4k4000]

I like the Alton Brown reference

[@earthoid]

You posted this 1 day after I bought a Sony soundbar package with sub and surrounds. I paid a little more for it than the Yamaha but a big advantage of the Sony is that it integrates into most XBR TVs, mine included. I didn't think much of this feature until I used it and now am glad I stuck with the same brand as my TV. Otherwise the Yamaha looks pretty tempting.

[@nemanjamilosevic5361]

Wich did you take? I’m kinda on the brink, because Sony soundbars didn’t really wow me. The Yamaha on the other hand is the shit, especially for the price point.

[@michael-4k4000]

Sony 300%. Buy Yamaha if u want a piano lol but u can also use a code and buy a Samsung Q990c and live in happiness

[@nemanjamilosevic5361]

@@michael-4k4000Didn’t like Samsung for music.

[@rpm1874]

Amazing system and is absolutely différent from others 1 - you can buy just the bar is you dont want a subwoofer 2 - true x speakers are ip67 and communication with soundbar are in 5gz wifi and no Bluetooth. (Bluetooth only for solo mode) 3 - Go in shop and listen this product alone, after with sub, and finaly with surround speakers (if you dont want subwoofer is possible to buy a soundbar with once or 2 speakers) And hear the sound :-) for the value is an awesome system ! My présents (clear voice off bass extension off, movie mode full) and enjoy 😊 Product is aslo AirPlay

[@ugurylmaz4106]

Hi Caleb. Harman kardon citation series has bluetooth on every component and you are free to choose what ever the component you want and add to your system. Soundbar and surrounds included they all also work as portable bluetooth speakers 👍

[@PaPaPeeMD]

What would you recommend for the rear surround sound speakers instead of these little one.😊

[@chrome3720]

I like the idea you can buy the wireless speakers separate from soundbar and sub package

[@Morya58]

I wish that Sonos would do this with the move 2. That would be an incredible use. And they already have both the wifi bluetooth split.

[@dadevastator24_77]

The JBL 1300x soundbars wireless rear speakers have there own separate Bluetooth button. You can use them in stereo mode or you can only use a single one.

[@jassasingh539]

One of the best low-bass soundbar. very good for movies

[@alltheboost801]

The JBL 1300X is 100% wireless and you can stream Bluetooth to one or both rears for stereo. Plus the way they charge is very convenient, not to mention sounds amazing and a 10” sub!!! I just had the Sonos ARC and Sub and I replaced it with the JBL 1300X and it blows Sonos out of the water. Especially the Atmos. I have a huge open living room/dining room/kitchen with 18 foot vaulted ceilings. The JBL speaker’s calibrate to any room and and placement. Very underrated! The standard cost is $1700 but during black Friday it was $999 Also the setup on the JBL was sooooo much easier! Literally plug in, update for the sound bar (about 10mins) and calibrate the rears (takes 2min) and done. I like that I can use the physical remote or app on my phone to control the bar as well. Hopefully Caleb gets his hands on a JBL 1300X and shows it the love it deserves.

[@DaveMathijs]

Sonos disappoints me every time, none of their products are aligned (Era vs Arc vs Sub ...)

[@alltheboost801]

@@DaveMathijs I took me and a friend about 2 hours to get Sonos to work. It was sooo annoying. It was picking up WiFi. Or it wouldn’t accept my password. Went straight Ethernet and still wouldn’t connect or find the app. lol. Keep resetting the equipment and my WiFi router and restarted my phone. It was a joke setting up the Sonos. The arc and sub sounded good but it didn’t perform as well in my open space. I’m sure in a smaller room with 8foot ceilings the Sonos would have improved on its performance. Best Buy doesn’t have the JBL 1300X on the show room. They just have the lower models. I went in and asked for it and the guy was confused. Knew nothing about it or that it existed. 😂

[@loganmccoy2842]

That’s crazy. The Sonos products usually take me like 5 minutes to configure and set up. I have the ark, sub, and 2 era 300 speakers and it still sounds a lot richer and clearer then my old JBL set up. Different strokes for different folks though, and everyone’s listening preferences are different.

[@AmericanDrinker]

Bose beats both

[@alltheboost801]

@@loganmccoy2842 did you have the JBL 1300X? It’s on a whole different level than any of the other JBL soundbars. The Sonos does seem to have a little more clarity in dialogue. But the JBL Atmos blows it away in my big room with vaulted ceilings. I had a few friends come over and listen to both essentially back to back and everyone agreed the JBL sounded better overall and it was more immersive experience. Plus Sonos rears aren’t truly wireless so it’s a cleaner look and much more convenient to place speakers anywhere

[@kyledowd4921]

That quote "I should be very put out" is from Prince Humperdink from The Princess Bride

[@DaveMathijs]

The JBL 1300 has bluetooth wireless battery powered surrounds, independent from the soundbar.

[@Luke-qs2cg]

Can you use them as a separate bluetooth speaker

[@cordcuttercam]

​@Luke-qs2cg yes , and they are out of this world

[@Luke-qs2cg]

@@cordcuttercam must try this. The bar 1300 is always on sale for good prices and those subs stomp

[@LeezahB]

@@cordcuttercam so cool!

[@DaveMathijs]

Yes, you can. One speaker or even two as a stereo pair.

[@RunEmDownTony]

Here's what I have been thinking. Since wireless speakers have been out for a while, how come, a company has not made an Atmos soundbar system with dedicated wireless height speakers with some type of tilt mount bracket that allows you to mount those height speakers to the ceiling? It will tremendously cost less than having a dedicated Atmos system with the height speaker installed and wires running through your now modified ceiling, but it will give you that focused, distinctive, discreet, dedicated, native height sound that you can't get from upward firing speakers. I know there will need to be a way you can charge those speakers. So maybe there could be some type of dock station where you can charge you height speakers. There should be some type of switch or button that you can hit that will easily release your height speakers from the ceiling mounts. That way, you can sit your speakers in the charging dock. Or have some type of battery pack you can plug into the height speakers. I know it will cost more because of the accessories, but man, it would be more convenient and less expensive, and you are getting that discreet Atmos sound with no wires or modifications to your ceiling. 🤔

[@usualbeast]

Have been thinking the same. There has to be something like this!!

[@pedroaugustopinheiro]

That’s my dream

[@thesahilarte]

Only if the Q990D came out with such speakers and an optional better sub, that would be a dream come true.

[@happytrails1963]

really like all things yamaha, still rocking old YAS-207. Was hoping for the upgrade soon and watching the soundbar videos.

[@akiva2112]

Liked this sort of LOFI review, I would love to see more of this style for other items, Maybe a video that can bang out a few smaller similar products in one video

[@richroj]

that was great Caleb, I enjoyed it 👍

[@andremwheeley]

Thanks mate. I was wondering whether the charge pads would be worth it, but thanks for clarifying they're not.

[@Katjaneway]

"Hey Caleb, why does it sound so dead in here watching this movie?" *Looks around* "dammit, he took the rear speakers with him to the beach again". I can just imagine a family trying to take those speakers when someone else is watching TV lol

[@HunBela]

Sony did it in 2015, HT-NT5. Difference is, the real speakers were sold separately. You could chose battery powered, stationary and a much bigger ones.

[@JPFIEBIGER]

Sony SRS -HG1 , 5 years ago , battery powered, Bluetooth and 5.1 surround with the HT-NT5

[@elchappo1320]

Hi Caleb. I seen u on Stop the Fomo! Loved it!

[@RLJSlick]

Nice video, I love the soundbar, but they really nickle and dime you on the charging pad and surround speakers. Not sure if it's a great deal....

[@mahumike7531]

exactly exactly

[@nemanjamilosevic5361]

It sounds amazing even without the speakers. I’m currently thinking bout getting it but I’m on the brink because I have a Sony Tv

[@ProdoTechnologies]

Thanks For the great 'sort of review'. still comprehensive and really handy information. For the remote speakers, what were the pedestals that you had them sitting on?

[@timujin]

"But Caleb...!!!" Had me ROLLING !!!! Thanks for the review , now if only wireless HDMI would become standard and integrated into all A/V equipment !!!

[@JTW-nj8vv]

Good morning Caleb,you really make my day unpacking this bar😂😂😂.Thanks,have a great day to you.

[@brianwatt1963]

I have a pair of Notabrick (great name) portable Bluetooth speakers that offer True HD sound and automatically pair with one each other, and pair with my Apple TV 4k set top box that's connected to a wall-mounted Sony 4k TV in my breakfast nook/family room so my son can occasionally watch TV when he's having a meal. The Notabrick's actually offer some deep resonant sound which actually amazed me. I tried them out with the original TopGun film and the deep bass music that bounces from one speaker to the other. Quite impressive and they've garnered some great online reviews. Cheers!

[@pesokpesok]

My jbl 1300x has this BT feature(even in stereo by using both), works a treat for backyard fun

[@davelzdr]

Hey Caleb, good first impressions. How would you compare it with another midrange offer? Something like the Samsung Q800C with the optional rears (SWA-9500)?

[@nemanjamilosevic5361]

Yamaha sounds way better imho especially for music. If you’re only into watching movies probably Samsung but I don’t like the way the Samsung sounds. It’s too washed out and echoing, lacking middles. It sounds artificial. The Yamaha sounds really rich und full!

[@FROSTINATOR]

Yes, JBL 1300x two rear surrounds are bluetooth capable. They first.

[@colorona8456]

I don't really get the use case. For that much money you can get so much better speakers.

[@BreakTime10101]

Caleb, I agree with you, get rid of USB-A already. I don’t have hardly any wall warts left because nothing comes with wall warts anymore, most of mine are already being used. And you mentioned it here as well, get rid of Toslink. Why can’t TV manufactures give us a dedicated HDMI audio output instead of Toslink (or give us more inputs on sound bars)? I know about eARC, but you lose an input using it. 4 inputs and 1 output would be perfect. I wish you would answer this question on your Ask us videos. One question about the wireless speakers, can’t you just plug them in, will they work if they are plugged in, do you really need the battery pack adapters to keep them charged? Thanks!

[@renrag83]

I’ve had the Yamaha YAS207 for several years now. Would the True X 50A be a good upgrade?

[@sameervaliyani3383]

Question: what’s the impact of having popcorn ceiling on atoms sound bars? Thanks!

[@KevinBailey-q3x]

Not sure if this is a good question. When you say Surround Audio are saying that the audio from the surround speakers is the same as what is coming out of the Sound Bar? I remember when Surround Sound first came out the audio was not the same, the surround speaker put out background audio from the video.

[@Yukikaze617]

Will the Bluetooth speakers be able to pair together for stereo sound like Bose Soundlink?

[@chibbyylol]

Reminds me of some of the JBL soundbars that have detachable surrounds

[@masterphoenixpraha]

For years I have wireless Damson Audio Home Cinema system with Dolby Atmos support. Exactly the surrounds can be battery operated, can be used as bluetooth, and either each of them plays both stereo channels - each in different room, or they play one stereo channel each... used them for parties very often... sadly it seams Damson sites are down, no idea if they went out of business or not...

[@sparkster2626]

I had this too. It was all good til it came to the bass speaker which was terrible.

[@masterphoenixpraha]

@@sparkster2626 i have no complains for it... maybe i am just the average user, but even my friends always liked sound of it...

[@storey13]

Caleb the movie quote I think you mentioned is from The Princess Bride, which I just watched the Criterion 4k release the other night.

[@jwhite4]

When you talked about "bass from the bluetooth speaker; maybe a passive radiator", my thought was, "It's supposed to be a surround sound speaker; why does it need bass?" I'm picturing half the engineers saying, "It's a surround sound speaker" and the other half, "It's a bluetooth speaker" - and as a combination, it doesn't excel at either. Thoughts?

[@mikegaravito1622]

Thats why I love Sonos, (I dont have the Sonos Arc yet, but I will) from the unboxing the experience is premium... the products looks very minimalist and elegants... and the sound is very good!! Yes they are expensives...

[@stepheng8779]

And will break, very soon 👎

[@MaZEEZaM]

For me having to charge battery powered speakers after 12 hours of listening just isn't practical but this system is Great for me because its Much easier for me to run USB (Pref C) cable's to the speakers than so called "wireless" speakers that individually requires a power socket for each speaker. I only have two double wall power sockets to work with in this room. I already struggle to find enough sockets to run the equipment I have. Using USB C cable to run the speakers is fantastic.

[@sandiegoson]

LG has it with their Meridian tech. Their Bluetooth PL5 speakers can work with surround soundbars or as rear surrounds with a LG compatible TV. And the quote was from Princess Bride.

[@Liesthroughisteeth]

Looks like a theater in a box setup with those small satellite speakers like the Panasonic DVD 5.1 system I had back in the early 2000s. :D

[@EllencyOfficial]

7.5 to 8? what soundbar that supports 5.1 would you suggest for a solid 9?

[@yuripeters2991]

Nice review as always Caleb. Would it be possible to review the Ultimea Poseidon D60 soundbar

[@gbgary]

my house is pre-wired for surround and my current sound bar system powers them from the sub. is there an atmos system out there with wired speakers? i hate the idea of "wireless" speakers on stands with cords running to 110 outlets. that's not "wireless" to me. thanks.

[@iskuanonuevo1878]

What happen if the battery depleted for a period of time? I hope Yamaha has this option to buy spare battery when depletion comes. I admired Yamaha when it comes to sound.👍👍👍

[@josepht1575]

can you use the surround speakers as a front speaker so you can say... move it into another room for sports? Ive got 2 tvs near each other in adjacent rooms and the audio isnt synced for sports. would be nice to take the portable speaker into the kitchen tv area and turn the kitchen tv sound off so its synced

[@gbgary]

"i will be very put out" is from The Princess Bride...Humperdink.

[@Caleb_Denison]

YES!!! This. Dangit, why did I think Die Hard?

[@alextituana1902]

Do the a1 surround speakers turn on automatically with the rest of the system when you want the surround sound, or you have to turn them on manually every time ?

[@Arash0426]

Caleb awesome review.. So can we connect these wireless speakers to my Yamaha ysp 5600 sound bar as rear speakers?

[@JahazielCruzPLUS]

unitasker? that is an awesome terminology i am going to use it!

[@Raffles-ng9fs]

I have the Yamaha Ats 2090 and have been very happy, especially with the clear voice option. My only complaint is that the speaker will randomly shut off for no apparent reason.

[@philr182]

Die Hard is 100% a Christmas movie! Glad we agree.

[@joeschmoe5009]

Lg made the sj7 flex, which was a split 2 piece soundbar that cound be surround, front and rear, and 1 of the pieces has a battery and could be a stand alone bluetooth speaker

[@jemsd83]

Can you use the blue tooth speakers with another brand soundbar like Samsung

[@LeezahB]

Yeah was wondering the same thing.

[@StefanoMalfettani]

It's ALMOST perfect. What I'm still missing is to have wifi connectivity (and airplay 2) for the surround speakers. Still waiting

[@MarkMancuso-ph8we]

Caleb, are you going to do a full test and review of the Magnetar UDP 900 ? Has Oppo met its match ?

[@davidpalmer4184]

Hi Caleb, I love Die Hard, the best xmas movie ever made. I read somewhere that that scene you showed of Alan Rickman falling to his death wasn't just good acting. The director told him that he will drop on the count of three and at 2 they dropped him. He thought there was a malfunction and that was really in danger. The director should have got an Oscar for that. Oh, the sound bar looks nice to.

[@stevenroberto8828]

What about Sonos Era they support wifi & Bluetooth. They function as surrounding speakers and/or stereo speakers

[@waheedagboolasaka4524]

How I wish you can give some of electronics you have done reviews on as Xmas gift

[@tenaki8]

Can these speakers be added to the Yamaha SRB40A soundbar?

[@rickbrookes9491]

There are still very few affordable, yet high-ish end sounding DACs and DAC/amps that use HDMI. I have an SMSL DAC and a Fosi Audio amp for my home audio/video rig… and none of that equipment has HDMI. So, I’m pretty happy that items are still available with optical/coaxial outputs/inputs. I realize you’re reviewing a soundbar… but, in general… not many, possibly not enough gear has HDMI to carry audio.

[@mikeyb9189]

What kind of speaker stand are you using to put the speakers on?

[@Highqman1974]

The Musiccast speakers can be surround already, been around for a while.

[@NathanHo08080]

I thought JBL 1300x does this no? And I like that it charges the speaker when you dock them? Isn't it even better?

[@maximusmclogan7045]

Boom first! My first ever first 😝 Good review good product. But yeah gotta bring that price down a bit. Thanks for good work as always Caleb

[@mint88rx8]

If those speakers had the size, power and sound quality of the Sony RS5's I would consider them. I love the Sony system and they are rear Atmos too. I am using them on a 3000es though and not a soundbar so substantially more investment but they work with their newer soundbars too.

[@bobsimmons1470]

Take a shot every time Caleb slams the speaker on the table! 😮😮😮

[@Millisach1]

I have the JBL 9.1 (5.1.4) and very happy with it. Not sure if the rear speakers are not Bluetooth, and I'm ok with that since i have dedicated Bluetooth speakers. Paid 550 for it (i believe that to be a deal)

[@elchappo1320]

I have the Frame tv and just want wireless bookshelf speakers, no soundbar. Are there any in existence?

[@allie12212]

Finally someone else agrees with me about Die Hard being a christmas movie

[@aaronlpez9594]

Do you know of a soundbar that connects to the tv via Bluetooth only (no hdmi cable needed from soundbar to tv)? Asking bc the only place I can place the soundbar is behind the couch on a shelf. I’m not a big sound snob I just want to be able to hear the tv a little better, thanks in advance.

[@JoeGillian0]

Well you also missed The Fidelio E5, i saw the E6 by Philips that have bluetooth wireless rear speaker battery powered. 2014

[@Ryan-rp1es]

Ya but not sold in US

[@JoeGillian0]

@@Ryan-rp1es ok fair enough, i live in Europe where we get all the cool stuff :)

[@Rouse209]

Can I get your thoughts on the Bose Ultra I noticed you didn’t have a video on it

[@annenominous7220]

top of the line samsung soundbars ROCK.

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Can one run two soundbars at once? One above the TV and one below?

[@dhhavs]

How does this compare to the new bose ultra soundbar??

[@andreiburdun9382]

Hii!!! what do you recommend for music and movies? Yamaha SR-X50A, Samsung HW-Q995GC/ZG, JBL BAR 1300 Or JBL BAR 1000? what is the best sound bar?

[@LeezahB]

Wow!! Cool Bluetooth surround speakers!!! Too bad they come separately and are so small! Do they only work as surround speakers for this puhrticular soundbar? Or will they also work with AVRs and other soundbars that also have Bluetooth capability? If so, then it’s good they are sold separately. Also would they work as side surrounds or just rear surrounds? Nice that you can utilize them in other settings (please not at campgrounds or beach where you are disturbing others), although too bad the treble doesn’t sound better as standalone. Please let us know if they can be used together as stereo? Also, I love when you do unboxing. I feel like I am sitting in the room with you being yourself (goofy!🤣). It’s friendly-like. This was a very fun first look. Thanks so much!!

[@supertrexandroidx]

Yeah, I'll pass. The Bluetooth thing is cool, but not important enough to me personally that I would choose this over other options. I think a better sounding soundbar system, with better Atmos, can be found in this price range.

[@LeezahB]

@@supertrexandroidx yes not for me, but I do think it’s fun to watch these to see what’s out there.

[@supertrexandroidx]

@@LeezahB Sure, I agree. As Caleb said, it's hopefully just a stepping stone for better systems with the same tech - at a more reasonable price

[@raoulmanning1506]

Philips has it too with the fs1 able to be combined with all fidelio soundbars. But they are not battery powered. I see alot of others being able to be used as bluetooth speakers also in the comments. 😅

[@MrPaul-sf6cg]

I was just thinking about that exact idea yesterday! Of how it’d be useful to be able to use the wireless speakers separately as a wireless bluetooth speaker when needed.

[@evedigga]

See my post buddy

[@brianlindsey670]

You can do this with Sonos moves or Sonos roams has rears.

[@skankhunt420]

I don't even have a single device, that came with a usb-c wall adapter. Would only mean to change every fkn cable around including chargers 😅 And for 150 bucks, the charging pad should definitely be included. I really like japanese products, but they're getting kinda lousy in product inventions. Still have an YSP-5100 "sound projector" 😅

[@1yotate]

What do you think about LG S75QR 5.1.2 soundbar with meridian?

[@kevinchenard1766]

Are the two Bluetooth stereo?

[@jmlopez8470]

I thought you could use the sonos bluetooth speakers as surrounds

[@ButteredToast_93]

Patiently waiting for your new VIZIO Quantum Pro review….

[@AudiophileTommy]

Thanks Caleb ! 😡 Now I have to send all my Black Friday soundbar deals I just bought and get this 🎉

[@happllo]

Bluesound Pulse Soundbar+ and their Flex line have had this feature for many years. Also, Yamaha, seriously. Where is this YSP 5600 successor?? Its been YEARS.

[@happllo]

Denon's 550 soundbar can also be paired with their 150, 250 or 350 bluetooth speakers too, but no battery.

[@Sitruk99]

Why don't sound bars come in pairs? One for front, one for the rear?

[@mario312]

do they cut off the tv speakers as soon as they are connected?

[@198922655]

X50A vs jbl bar 1300 for movie or Adele song, which one is better

[@kjwilsonn]

$599 cad in Canada.. worth it?

[@jaishreeshyam826]

Any giveaway of portable speakers

[@harshparasramka7128]

jbl soundbar 1300x or 1300 in other countries have exactly the same feature

[@pdlvideos]

JBL Bar 1300 has Bluetooth capable battery powered rear speakers 🙂

[@hierox4120]

What about Bluesound's Pulse Flex 2i?

[@jd-py5nm]

love my yamaha soundbar

[@ScrewTikTok]

How's the (Netflix) movie surround experience with it?