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  • About the Yamaha SR-C30A Soundbar

  • What we like

  • What we don’t like

  • Should you buy the Yamaha SR-C30A Soundbar?

  • Related content

  • About the Yamaha SR-C30A Soundbar
  • What we like
  • What we don’t like
  • Should you buy the Yamaha SR-C30A Soundbar?
  • Related content

Pros

  • Room-filling sound with a small footprint

  • Surprisingly good bass

  • Easy setup control

Cons

  • The sound lacks high-end sparkle

  • LED indicators are almost indecipherable

  • No DTS decoding of any kind

For near-field listening, such as at a desk, the Yamaha SR-C30A is tough to beat for the price.

Surprisingly for such an itsy-bitsy soundbar, the SR-C30A can fill a decent-sized room with sound. Granted, in its straight stereo mode, it becomes effectively monophonic from more than about four feet away, but switch to Standard or 3D Movie mode and the SR-C30A delivers a nice sense of spaciousness from even six feet away. And the soundbar/subwoofer combo has enough power to deliver a satisfyingly loud listening experience even in a larger den or living room.

Where the SR-C30A really shines, though, is in a near-field environment, e.g. as computer speakers. Yamaha promotes the soundbar as being great for “battlestations” and small spaces, but perhaps its best trick is that it’s a rock-solid audio solution for those with standing desks. Frankly, it sounds better than most small computer speakers, and the fact that it’s easy to tuck under your monitor means the sound follows you when you sit or stand. The unit even has a Game sound mode that’s specifically designed for near-field listening.

About the Yamaha SR-C30A Soundbar

The subwoofer and the back of the soundbar.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

A closer look at the subwoofer and the back of the soundbar.

  • Price: $279.95
  • Height x Width x Depth: Soundbar: 2.5 x 23.63 x 3.75 inches; Subwoofer: 13.25 x 6.25 x 14.38 inches
  • Weight: Soundbar: 2.9 lbs.; Subwoofer: 12.6 lbs.
  • Speaker channels: Soundbar: Two 1.8-inch drivers; Subwoofer: 5.125-inch cone
  • Amplification: Soundbar: 40 watts; Subwoofer: 50 watts
  • Wireless connection: Bluetooth 5.0 (AAC and SBC codecs)
  • Wired connection: HDMI ARC, optical in (x2), 3.5mm aux in, USB (for service)
  • Sound formats: Dolby Digital
  • Video support: None

The SR-C30A is, in many ways, simplicity incarnate—something you might appreciate in today’s increasingly connected and complicated audio/video landscape. Inside the stubby, L-shaped box is a two-channel soundbar measuring less than two feet wide and a wireless subwoofer that can be stood against a wall, tucked under a desk, or even laid flat under a couch if you’ve got enough clearance.

The commitment to simplicity extends to the design of the product, as well, as it’s equipped with just two drivers. That’s one 1.8-inch driver per channel, with no separate tweeter and cone for high frequencies and midrange, respectively.

The soundbar comes with a couple of power cables, one optical audio cable, a simple remote control, a wall-mounting template, and some hardware for wall-mounting. You’ll need to bring your own screws to the party if you want to go that route. You’ll also need to buy an HDMI cable if you want to rely on an ARC connection to your TV. But other than that, everything you need is included in the box.

What we like

Close-up of the soundbar.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

You'll be ready to hear your favorite game, movie, TV show or sporting event in just a few minutes.

Straightforward setup

The most complicated thing about the Yamaha SR-C30A is the box it comes in. That’s not hyperbole; the shipping container is a sort of weird L-shaped thing designed to accommodate the capsule-esque soundbar and the slightly boxier subwoofer without wasting much space. You might have to hunt and scratch for a minute or two to figure out where to cut the tape and how to pull out the flaps so that the box can be opened and the contents thereof can be extricated.

With that out of the way, it’s a simple matter of placing the soundbar beneath your screen and subwoofer where you want it (even, potentially, under the sofa if you have more than 6.5 inches of clearance), connecting your TV with an HDMI ARC cable if applicable or the included optical cable if not, plugging the soundbar and subwoofer into power, powering the system on, and giving the soundbar and sub a few seconds to sync up wirelessly. You’ll also want to connect any mobile devices via Bluetooth to stream music to the SR-C30A.

It’s easy to operate

A close-up of the remote.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The soundbar and its tiny remote are straightforward and easy to use.

The SR-C30A comes with a straightforward remote control that handles source selection (TV, Optical, Bluetooth, Analog), access to the four sound modes (Stereo, Standard, 3D Movie, Game), buttons to toggle Clear Voice and Bass Ext processing, independent volume control buttons for the subwoofer and the entire system, mute, and dim. There’s also a control app (Yamaha Sound Bar Remote, not the confusingly similarly named Yamaha Sound Bar Controller), that gives you access to the same controls, but handily lets you see which modes are engaged, something you can’t tell very well from a glance at the soundbar itself.

It sounds quite good for its size and price

The Yamaha SR-C30A soundbar in front of a TV and the subwoofer on the side.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

It's perfect for apartment living or smaller rooms.

There are a good number of decent-sounding soundbars in the under-$300 category, but the SR-C30A sets itself apart by including a sub, which some of its pocket-sized compatriots lack. Granted, expectations should be kept in check at this price point. While sound is better than expected, the Yamaha does have its limitations, largely due to its reliance on a single driver per channel, instead of separate tweeters and cones. What this means in real-world terms is that the SR-C30A runs out of steam in the higher frequencies. As such, you lose some of the “air” in music and movies, and dialogue can often sound a bit nasal.

That said, no matter the material there’s a sound mode that works for it. Stereo really only works in the very nearfield, and with music at that. Standard is good for most programming material, especially talky TV shows and with music when you’re more than a couple feet away from the soundbar. 3D Movie does a good job, surprisingly, of adding a sense of greater spaciousness with films, and also manages to restore a bit of the high-end sparkle that’s missing from other modes.

Really, the only time the processing sounds unnatural is when 3D Movie mode is combined with Clear Voice, which makes things a bit too crisp, edgy, and fatiguing. Oddly, though, there are exceptions to even this rule. When watching Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, the sound was a little too congested without Clear Voice turned on. The Crazy 88s fight from Kill Bill: Vol. 1, on the other hand, sounded much better with 3D Movie on and Clear Voice off. With the latter engaged, the clashing katanas were too bright, too piercing, too hard on the eardrums.

Still, it never took me more than 10 seconds to figure out which mode worked best for the material I was watching or listening to, and when I moved from my den to my desktop PC system, I found I had to do even less fiddling. Standard mode sounds best for most things, but Game mode adds something I quite like to action games such as Valheim.

The one feature of the system that was turned on and left on was the Bass Ext. function. Yamaha doesn’t explain this feature very well, but essentially, in our testing, it seems to improve the integration of the subwoofer with the soundbar while also adding more low-frequency extension. However it works, it transforms the sound of the SR-C30A and makes the soundbar and sub sound more like a unified sound system.

What we don’t like

The Yamaha SR-C30A on a wooden table in front of a TV shot from an angle to the right.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The SR-C30A is a bit light on features.

It’s a bit too feature-light

While you have to appreciate the simplicity of the SR-C30A, Yamaha could have added a few more features without complicating things too much. It doesn’t feature any form of DTS audio, for example, nor support for virtual Dolby Atmos processing. Mind you, that sort of processing can only do so much with two speakers to work with, but other 2.1 offerings at or below this price—like the Vizio V21t-J8—at least include DTS Virtual:X.

The indicator lights are nearly useless

Rather than having a text-based display screen, the SR-C30A relies on five LED lights to let you know what modes are engaged and which features are turned on and off. You’d probably be able to learn semaphore more quickly and easier than you could commit to memory what it means when, say, the second, third, and fourth lights on the bottom of the ‘bar flash three times. (For the record, it means Bass Ext. is engaged, but I had to look that up in the manual and I’m still not 100% confident I’m correct.)

Mind you, the Sound Bar Remote app makes it far easier to see what’s turned on and off and which mode you’re in, and it connects really quickly via Bluetooth.

There’s no way to adjust the bright white light on the sub

Depending on how the sub is positioned, this may not be a problem—especially if it’s tucked under the sofa. But in my office, the best place for the sub ended up being along the side wall, toward the corner, with the driver facing out into the room and the bass-reflex port pointed toward the front wall of the room. That meant the bright white LED light—which shines with the intensity of the sun on a partly cloudy day—was always in my peripheral vision. I ended up having to cover it with a piece of electrical tape, but the ability to dim or disable the sub light the way you can the display lights on the soundbar would have been appreciated.

Should you buy the Yamaha SR-C30A Soundbar?

Yes, if you want to save space or have a standing desk

The Yamaha SR-C30A on a white desk with a keyboard and monitor displaying a racing game.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

As a near-field desk speaker, the Yamaha SR-C30A really shines.

If you’re looking for an ultra-compact soundbar that comes with its own wireless sub, sounds better than you’d expect, and is almost foolproof in terms of setup and day-to-day operation, there’s a lot to love about Yamaha’s little SR-C30A system. Mind you, if you demand Atmos processing or DTS decoding of any sort, the SR-C30A lacks those. And we think its sound quality would be even better if it had separate drivers for high and mid frequencies. But looking at its competition, the Yamaha makes up for those deficiencies with strengths in other areas.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 600 sounds better, and it has Atmos, but it costs $200+ more and doesn’t include a sub. The Bose TV Speaker is closer in terms of price, size, and format support, but again, it doesn’t come with a subwoofer, and the sold-separately sub designed for it costs more than the TV Speaker itself. The aforementioned Vizio V21t-J8 costs a bit less and adds DTS Virtual:X, but we’ve been hearing numerous reports of QC problems with this line as of late, and Amazon customer reviews are concerning.

Really, the only truly meaningful competition the Yamaha has across the board comes from Polk Audio with their MagniFi Mini, which boasts a few more drivers (including tweeters for high-frequency sounds), but a slightly larger subwoofer that’s not quite as flexible in terms of placement.

So, it’s easy to pick nits and point out the features that Yamaha’s SR-C30A lacks, but when you tally up what it does—not to mention what it does well—it’s frankly quite the bargain. Especially if you have a standing desk and you’re tired of having your computer speakers serenade your midriff.

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Meet the tester

Dennis Burger

Dennis Burger

Contributor

Originally a civil engineer and land surveyor by trade, Dennis has made a career of reviewing audio electronics and home automation since 2002. He lives in Alabama with his wife and their four-legged child Bruno, an 80-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who has never met a lap he wouldn’t try to fill.

See all of Dennis Burger's reviews

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