Trumpeter Jon Hassell’s atmospheric Fascinoma CD [Water Lily] unleashed a vast soundstage. Accompanied by a small group of percussionists, guitars, and piano, Hassell’s horn floated above it all. Treble detailing was good, but not as pure as I would have liked. The YSP-4000’s tone controls tamed the glare but reduced the overall sense of clarity.

Conclusion

Yamaha’s flagship Sound Projector is shockingly good at what it does well: namely, producing surround sound from one speaker enclosure. It’s somewhat more accomplished with movies than music, but when you stop and consider the YSP-4000’s abundant features lineup and the synergistic support of that nifty YST-FSW150 subwoofer, the Yamaha duo is hard to beat.