Yamaha WS-B1A review
In the meantime, it had become somewhat quiet around Yamaha. But now it’s blow after blow. After the new TW-E5B and TW-E7B headphones, which we were already able to review, the new Yamaha WS-B1A Bluetooth speaker is now joining the fray. The Japanese see their latest creation as a companion on all accounts. Finally, they have protected it against dust and water according to IP67. Yet somehow you don’t like to expose such a classy-looking mini Bluetooth speaker to the elements. It wraps itself in wool-like fabric in the colors Basic Black, Carbon Grey and Light Gray. The top of the 10.5 x 8.8 x 8.8 centimeter speaker is made of rubberized plastic with recessed buttons. A color coding ensures good recognition – the operation is largely self-explanatory. A chic metal button is used to turn the device on and off, which also initiates Bluetooth pairing after a longer press.
The only question might be the speech bubble icon. Behind this is the “Clear Voice” function to emphasize speech. Yamaha promises better dialog intelligibility, for example with audio plays and audio books, or when someone plays web radio with news and reports to the WS-B1A via Bluetooth. Apart from Bluetooth 5.0 with A2DP, AVRCP protocols, there is no other way to play sounds via the Yamaha WS-B1A. An AUX jack is not present, but this should bother the fewest users. Which smartphone today even has an analog output without an adapter?
Practical details
In other places, the Japanese were very generous – even more so in a class where you often only get toys. If you turn the Yamaha WS-B1A over, you’ll see two gold-plated square contact rails completely surrounded by a rubber footprint. An unmistakable indication of the existence of a charging station. It is called CC-T1A*, but it is not included with the Bluetooth speaker. And those who buy the accessories offered at a list price of 29 Euros to avoid awkward fiddling with the USB-C charging cable and the socket on the back can immediately expect to purchase a universal USB power adapter – if it is not already available in the household. You should allow about three hours for charging, then the battery promises a runtime of up to 12 hours maximum.
Another feature that is by no means a matter of course is the universal thread on the back, which allows the noble mini speaker to be attached to wall mounts. As for the inner values, Yamaha relies on a 5.5 cm full-range speaker, which is supported by two passive radiators for bass.
Freshness kick for the ears
Of course, we didn’t miss the chance to test this tiny preciousness. But first there was some astonishment about a supposed abstinence in the bass. What made the approach to the promising new product a bit more exciting was based on a simple explanation: Someone in the editorial office had pressed the Clear Voice button while exploring, which is indicated by a tiny LED, but is not necessarily immediately obvious to an instruction manual muffle like me. Ashes on my head. The Yamaha WS-B1A can play bass – and that in a comparatively differentiated way.
When you work with such small enclosure volumes and correspondingly small full-range speakers, you really only have two options as a developer: Either you tune the mini-Bluetooth speaker with a thick upper bass a bit grumpy. That costs precision. Or, like Yamaha, one chooses the way that completely fits the brand’s sonic fingerprint: rather slim and honest, but not as spectacular. Bang & Olufsen, for example, also follows this path with the Beosound Explore.
But the Yamaha doesn’t spread a diffuse cloud of sound with soft, ethereal highs in the higher pitches. He is bursting with impulsiveness and directness. If you like this kind of attack and place more value on differentiation than on richness in the bass, the Yamaha WS-B1A should make you sit up and take notice. In terms of transparency and level, it is among the best in its class, even if, given the compromises associated with such mini speakers, some might find its direct playing style and slim, but transparent mids a bit sober.
Hands off this key
The use of the Clear Voice function for audio books or podcasts can be seen as a matter of taste. We would advise against it because it made voices like Sebastian Walsch’s, the narrator of two of my audiobooks, sound huffy and pressed. The Yamaha WS-B1A doesn’t really need this midrange boost or bass and treble reduction. It sounds clear enough in the mids even without such DSP tricks. But what you should avoid at all costs is using it while listening to music, because then it becomes practically bass-free, low in treble and shrill. Figuratively speaking, he then transforms from Dr. Jeckyl into Mister Hide. Then you could easily overlook what a great power dwarf you are actually dealing with.
Ode to Depeche Mode
As luck would have it, the new Depeche Mode album Memento Mori was released shortly before the test of the Yamaha WS-B1A was published, and was immediately broadcast directly from the Hansa Studios in Berlin by 80s 80s Radio. Eagerly awaited by fans of the electro-pop band that shrank to a duo, the album was met with a divided response from critics, and with dark songs full of deep and powerful synth bass, it was suitable to duly explore the distance to charming little fudge like the half-priced, pleasantly tuned Tribit Stormbox Micro 2.
With the richly somber track “My Cosmos Is Mine”, the Yamaha’s restrained upper bass, but contoured and deeper tuning was better expressed than with shallower tracks from the usual radio playlists. And the good resolution of the small WS-B1A also paid off. A little tip: True Depeche Mode fans will of course buy the first album in what feels like an eternity on vinyl. So that they can still listen to it via their Bluetooth speaker, they should get a record player with Bluetooth interface (we have compiled a selection of the best here) – if not already available.
Test conclusion and alternatives to the Yamaha WS-B1A
We know many good and cheap mini Bluetooth boxes. Just think of the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2. However, only very, very few in this class make it really noble. Besides the B&O Beosound Explore and the Marshall Willen, we don’t know of any that can match the Yamaha WS-B1A in style. With a 360-degree sound concept, the Danish designer piece does not sound as impulsive and direct as the Japanese. The Will, on the other hand, lacks a bit of substance in the bass, which is all the more noticeable since it is not stingy with trebles.
The Yamaha is in the middle, although its design without a strap and holder, but with a fine fabric casing, is less suitable for tough outdoor use, but even more so for home use with the practical, optional charging cradle. The price gap to the two rivals is so large that you can easily afford all the accessories including the USB universal power supply – especially since B&O and the Mini Marshall also come without a power supply.
Specs Yamaha WS-B1A
- Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: 120 Euro
- Dimensions: 8.8 x 10.5 x 8.8 cm
- Weight: 7.3 g
- Features: IP67 waterproof, screw-in gains, optional charging cradle, up to 12 hours of playtime on battery.
- More at yamaha.com
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Der Beitrag Yamaha WS-B1A review erschien zuerst auf stereoguide.com.
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