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Our pick for the best soundbar under $500 is over 50% off at Amazon

By Albert Bassili Published October 2, 2024

Yamaha YAS-209 — Dan Baker/Digital Trends / Dan Baker/Digital Trends

While surround-sound home theaters are great, they tend to be quite expensive and take up a lot of room, so there is a significant downside to grabbing a set. Luckily, soundbars are an excellent alternative because they’re relatively-well priced and they don’t take up a lot of space at all. One of the better options out there is the Yamaha Audio YAS-209BL, which is even at the top of our list for best soundbars under $500, so we’re very happy to see it get a significant discount from $350 down to just $160 on Amazon.

Why you should buy the Yamaha Audio YAS-209BL

When we reviewed it, we felt that it was one of the best soundbars on the market and that “the Yamaha YAS-209 is everything you need in a soundbar, plus a bunch of features you didn’t know you wanted.” For example, since Alexa is built into the soundbar, you can ask it to do pretty much anything you want without having to use your phone and navigate through a menu. While it doesn’t have things like Spotify on it, the YAS-209BL can easily get you going with your favorite podcasts and music with Spotify Connect through either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, so it really is quite versatile.

As for set-up, it’s really easy and is essentially just plug-and-play, and you even get a couple of good connectivity options with both HDMI and Optical. Also, the subwoofer is wireless, so there’s no need to worry about connecting it wirelessly to the soundbar; you just need to find an outlet, and you’re pretty much done. Once you have it running, you’ll be treated to some clear and crisp audio and pretty solid bass, giving you an excellent soundscape and making it a significant upgrade from the traditional TV speakers you might have.

All in all, the Yamaha Audio YAS-209BL is an excellent soundbar, especially when you include the subwoofer and the fact that it’s going for only $160 at Amazon instead of the usual $350. Of course, if you’re not entirely sold on it, or want something a bit fancier, it’s worth checking out early Prime Day soundbar deals or some of these soundbar deals from other retailers.

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Albert’s been a tech and gaming writer for over a decade, writing for websites such as CNET, PopSci, and How-To-Geek, and…

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Insignia F30 TV on a TV stand in a living room.

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The Samsung HW-Q850D 7.1.2 Soundbar.

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Why you should buy the Samsung HW-Q850D 7.1.2 channel wireless soundbar
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