Yamaha YST-SW205 Powered Subwoofer - Product Review

Conclusion

I found the Yamaha YST-SW205 to be a very compact subwoofer with good low frequency output, especially for movies. I found the front panel controls to be a real plus in making adjustments. I did find that both positioning and the type of other speakers used did make a diference in the effectiveness of the subwoofer. After positioning the subwoofer in various parts of the room, I found that the suggestions in the owner's manual did provide the best results, especially when using larger main L/R speakers.

On the other hand, although the 205 did an excellent job on movie and surround sound music discs (such DTS encoded CDs and DVD-Audio discs with DTS soundtracks), I found it a little "boomy" on some standard 2-channel music material and TV broadcasts in the upper bass range, and, when the subwoofer was paired with small main speakers rather than floor standing main speakers. Changing the settings helped (Movie/Music setting control), but it would be nice if an inexpensive processor could be a part of the subwoofer that could memorize several user settings. Also, it would have been nice to have a line level output in addition to the live level input for connection of a second subwoofer for those that need better coverage in a larger room setting, instead of having to use the standard speaker wire input and output connections in order to accomplish this task.

Lastly, alhough the front panel adjustments were very convenient, it would be great if Yamaha and others would include a remote control so adjustments can be made from the listener's actual seating position instead of the listener havng to walk back and forth between the sub and the seat.

Overall, I was left with a very positive impression of this subwoofer, especially for the price (currently below $200) and size of the unit itself. I was skeptical that its 8-inch driver would produce sufficient output, however, the 8-inch front-firing driver and 150-watt output capability was more than enough to bring out the low frequency effects in movie soundtracks and, with a little adjustment, did an adequate with music from CDs and TV sound sources in the size room employed. The Yamaha YST-SW205 can be a great addition to a modest to mid-range home theater system.

One final note: The YST-SW205 might be in short supply as its replacement (YST-SW215) is entering the market, so, if you are considering purchasing one, check out your local retailer or online sources such as Amazon or EBay soon, you should be able to get a great deal on this one.