Yamaha True

There’s another puzzling omission, especially in a high-end system with surround speakers that can be placed almost anywhere: there’s no room correction.

Limited flow

Yamaha MusicCast via Simon Cohen

Yamaha MusicCast via Simon Cohen

Streaming music is a mixed bag, largely due to Yamaha’s limited options. The True It works with DLNA servers, but unlike some other Yamaha products, there’s no Roon support.

I’ve found that MusicCast’s native support for streaming services has proven to be the most reliable, high-quality option, though unfortunately it’s a very limited selection: Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, SiriusXM, and Pandora. Bluetooth is also an option, but with only the SBC and AAC codecs, it’s best for casual listening.

However, listening to high-resolution, lossless FLAC tracks from Amazon Music and Qobuz was a delight, especially when using the comprehensive listening mode.

Bottom line? Yamaha’s True X Surround 90A can enchant you with its clarity and accuracy. It adds stunning realism to movies and shows, often revealing details obscured by smaller speakers. A lot of that performance translates to music as well, as long as you don’t mind the limitations of the streaming service. The fully wireless surrounds provide excellent immersion and plenty of flexibility, both in terms of placement and use as a secondary audio system.

But Yamaha charges a hefty price for the True The lack of inputs, lack of center channel level control, and lack of room correction are serious omissions. Apple Music subscribers who want the highest quality audio should also note that there’s no way to get a lossless or Dolby Atmos signal to the speaker, without using an intermediary device like the Apple TV 4K. That’s a lot of compromise.

This makes it difficult to give the True X Surround 90A an unqualified recommendation. But if you appreciate its strengths and don’t mind its weaknesses, Yamaha’s flagship is a good, if pricey, addition to any TV setup.