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Blu-ray 2008: The Studio Report Card

Yamaha YSP-4000 (Buy Now $1600)

We first saw the Yamaha YSP-4000 Sound Projector in use at CES 2007. At that time we were quite impressed that a single unit could generate a 5.1 sound field. For those of you who are not familiar with what the Yamaha Sound Projector, it is single unit resembling an oversized center channel that decodes surround sound and generates multi-channel experience by bouncing sound waves off the walls in your room. The advantages are obvious, no running of speaker wire, easy placement of a single component, no clutter! This type of device is ideal for an apartment dweller or for use in a master bedroom, or for the person who wants surround sound but doesn't want to deal with the installation of a multi piece system.

Some of the features of the YSP-4000:
  • Analog video to HDMI digital video up-conversion
  • High-Definition Video Upscaling to 1080i/720p
  • IntelliBeam Automated System Calibration with Direct Start
  • HDMI interface (1080p/24Hz and 60Hz compatible)
  • XM ready with XM HD Surround powered by Neural Surround
  • iPod compatibility via optional Yamaha YDS-10
  • Front panel mini jack for connecting portable audio player
  • New modes: My Surround and 5ch Stereo
  • Five other modes: 5 Beam, 3 Beam, 3 Beam + Stereo, 2ch Stereo and My Beam with dual remote doors
  • Built-in FM tuner
  • Custom installation compatibility

Setup:
Setting up the YSP-4000 is no different than setting up any switching home theater receiver. You connect your source components to the Sound Projector and then connect and HDMI output to the TV. The YSP-4000 on supports two HDMI inputs. The 4000 also supports two component, three composite, and two digital optical and coaxial audio inputs. Once all the connections were made you connect a microphone and start the automatic room calibration. This took a few times to get it to run successfully.

There are some requirements about where you can place the microphone in relation to the Sound Projector. This may limit how well the surround performs. In general the microphone needs down the centerline of the Sound Projector and and no more than 1 meter above or below. Due to the room's dimensions that it was installed in, we had to move the orientation of the 4000 to get a calibration that succeeded.

The unit also supports an iPod dock and XM Radio module. We received both and installed them into the unit. Each has a port on the back of the unit and only took a few seconds to install. One word of caution on the XM Radio unit. If you don't have a South facing window near the unit you won't be able to receive XM radio. The unit also supports a subwoofer. Our tests did not include one but we strongly recommend that you use one for the full surround experience.

A nice feature of the 4000 is that it can store three calibration setups in memory. This is very important because the room configuration is important to the experience. In our case we ran two calibrations, one with the windows and blinds open and one with them closed. The Sound Projector produced a better experience with the windows and blinds closed. However, if we did not run a calibration with the windows open the surround experience would have been completely lost. There is also a feature called "My Beam" that directs all the audio to your sitting position eliminating any surround effects. Before you buy the YSP-4000 we recommend downloading the User's Manual (Free Registration Required) and reading the section on installation. It has clear diagrams for optimal room placement. This will save you some grief if you have a room that the projector just won't work in.

Performance:
After hearing how good the YSP-4000 sounded at CES and CEDIA we were hoping for the best. Due to the placement of the TV and the shape of the room (we tested in a master bedroom, See Pictures) we weren't expecting it to be perfect. But if we were able to get any sort of multi-channel sound we'd call it a success. The answer is that on one side of the bed the sound was fantastic and on the other, just 20 inches to the right, the sound was good.  Due to the positioning of the microphone per the instructions the optimal sound was on one side of the bed when sitting, not lying down. In that position the surround sound was very strong. During playback we would look at the walls around us in amazement. There were no speakers there but the sound was definitely coming from the wall just above our heads.

The experience was not as good on the other side of the bed. While the sound was far more expansive it was not as pinpoint. It was still an improvement over the TV speakers alone. This drove home the fact that the proper placement of the speaker makes a big difference. We ran a final setup with the unit in a position that would not have been acceptable to the aesthetics committee but was more conducive to the proper calibration. For this last test the microphone was placed right down the middle of the bed. In this case both sides of the bed performed quite well. The sound projector really works well if placed properly.

The other area that was tested was music playback. We were quite pleased with how well the 4000 produced music. There was a good sense of stereo and openness.

HT Guys Advice:
The Sound Projector is an amazing device that makes setting up a home theater simple. While its true that you can buy a traditional home theater surround sound system for less, you can't buy one that is easier to install. Just be sure to read the User's Manual first to make sure that the Yamaha YSP-4000 will work in your room layout.