Sonos Beam vs Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400

If you click a link on this page and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Votes 4 4
Rating 5 5

Beam vs MusicCast BAR 400 comparison chart

Overall
Sonos Beam
6
Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400
8.2
8
10
Multichannel surround
4
6

Sonos Beam vs Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 review

Sonos Beam
vs
Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400

Against the background of the increasing popularity of soundbars, the comparison of Sonos Beam and Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 takes place. And based on the available data, we can conclude that MusicCast BAR 400 has better sound and performance than Beam. According to the results of our comparison, Beam received 6 points out of 10 possible, and MusicCast BAR 400 was rated 8.2 points.

Advantages Sonos Beam over Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400

  • App for remote control

Advantages Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 over Sonos Beam

  • Separate subwoofer provided
  • Available the Amazon Music service
  • Stream music with Spotify
  • Possible to create a multi-room system
  • Supports external media connection via USB
  • HDMI ARC supports

Audio features

The Beam is rated 6 of 10 against 7 for the MusicCast BAR 400 according to the audio features rating.

Beam
6
MusicCast BAR 400
7

It worth understanding the difference between the two types of amplification: a passive soundbar does not have its own amplifier and receives amplification from the signal source, while an active soundbar has a built-in amplifier. The same active type of amplification is used in the Beam and the MusicCast BAR 400.

There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound. It is worth noting one of the main differences, the Beam has 3.0 channels, while the MusicCast BAR 400 has 5.1 channels.

Beam MusicCast BAR 400
Built-in channels3.05.1
Amplification typeactiveactive
Output power, WN/A200 (overall)
Separate speaker (in package)00
Separate speaker connectionswirelesswireless

Subwoofers

Soundbars can have a built-in or external subwoofer. The first type is inseparable from the soundbar body, but for the second, you can choose a good location for deep bass. The MusicCast BAR 400 comes with an external subwoofer. Competitors support wireless connection to a separate external subwoofer.

Beam MusicCast BAR 400
Built-in subwoofer
Separate subwoofer (in package)
Separate subwoofer connectionswirelesswireless

Multichannel surround

Unlike stereo, when reproducing multichannel sound, each specific direction of sound corresponds to its dedicated channel with a separate independent loudspeaker, which creates a three-dimensional sound stage. The Beam received rating 4 out of 10 for multichannel audio processing, but the MusicCast BAR 400, in the same category, earned 6 out of 10 points.

Beam
4
MusicCast BAR 400
6

The peculiarity of Dolby Atmos is that this format is object-oriented, that is, each object of the audio signal is sounded separately and linked to its spatial location. If we look at the models in terms of Dolby Atmos support, then none of these soundbars can work with this technology.

DTS:X is an algorithm for processing sound scenes by the processor, linking directly to objects, rather than channels, and calculating the optimal distribution of sound output in a room. This ability to reproduce surround sound with DTS:X technology is not implemented in any of the soundbars in this comparison.

Beam MusicCast BAR 400
Dolby Atmos
Dolby (other)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital
DTS:X
DTS (other)has notDTS Virtual:X, DTS Digital Surround

Streaming services

The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services. For the ability to work with streaming services, the Beam received 6 points, and the MusicCast BAR 400 - 10 on a 10-point scale.

Beam
6
MusicCast BAR 400
10

AirPlay is available on each of the two models. The popular Spotify service is available on the MusicCast BAR 400.

Beam MusicCast BAR 400
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay 2AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesPandora, Tuneln, ChromecastPandora, Deezer, TIDAL, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz

Connectivity

The existence of a sufficient number of current connectors significantly expands the functionality of the device. For example, only through HDMI is it possible to implement the transfer of object-oriented formats, and the presence of a Bluetooth connection will allow remote control, etc. The devices received different ratings for connectivity: Sonos Beam was rated 6 out of 10, and Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400 was rated 8 out of 10.

Beam
6
MusicCast BAR 400
8

The presence of Wi-Fi in the soundbar allows you to get rid of wires when connected to a sound source and get minimal audio latency when playing content from streaming services. Wireless connection via Wi-Fi is possible on both devices.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for speaker systems, which provides excellent quality and minimal audio latency. The availability of Bluetooth protocol, we can see in both models. The Beam has 1/0 HDMI inputs/outputs, but the MusicCast BAR 400 got 1/1 HDMI inputs/outputs from the manufacturer.

HDMI ARC is a very usefull technology that creates a two-way communication channel between a TV and another device. This is convenient since there is no need to use optical and other cables in the system. HDMI ARC is a feature unique to Yamaha MusicCast BAR 400.

Beam MusicCast BAR 400
WI-FI
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)11
NFC
HDMI input/output1/01/1
HDMI ARC
HDMI eARC
HDMI CEC
Optical digital input/output1/01/0
USB1 (USB 2.0)
Coaxial digital input/output0/00/0
Analog audio input/output (RCA)0/01/0
Headphone output00
Subwoofer output00

Features

Voice control is designed to make operating the device more convenient. This allows you to control basic soundbar functions from anywhere in the room. The voice control feature is implemented in each of the compared soundbars.

Proprietary applications allow you to control your soundbars remotely. This is possible both via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Beam has its own remote control application. Both soundbars have a built-in microphone.

Some soundbars can be part of a multi-room system and it is an affordable solution for sounding the whole house. The MusicCast BAR 400 has the ability to use a multiroom system.

Beam MusicCast BAR 400
Voice controlAmazon Alexa, Google AssistantAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant
App control
Microphone
Remote control
Multi-room

Dimensions

Beam MusicCast BAR 400
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in65 x 6.8x 10/25.6 x 2.7 x 3.994.2 x 8.3 x 11/38.6 x 3.3 x 4.3
Weight, kg/pounds2.8/6.22.7/6
Add another soundbar to comparison
We didn't find anything to show here