Yamaha TSS-15W
22 Jan 2006I’ve been meaning to get some decent speakers setup here in this office area ever since we moved in, but never got around to it until yesterday. Because of the space, and where people are sitting (all over the place, no-one facing the any direction in particular), it was pretty clear a conventional “stereo” setup wouldn’t cut it. Roof speakers would have been an option in any other space, but not here — the roof doesn’t actually cover the entire space, with a cut-out from the floor above looking over it (kinda difficult to explain if you haven’t seen it!)
So surround in stereo mode was clearly required. It also would be, in all probability, the cheapest way of achieving this setup. I could have bought four speakers and an amp with two speaker bus outputs (my JVC receiver does that, but it’s staying in my room because the extra juice is needed for my chunky 70′s-ish-vintage speakers), but it’d likely be more expensive, and larger than an integrated surround system (because such things generally have satellite speakers).
The space also eliminates the need for an overly powerful system: it’s an open space in the centre of the house. At any rate, I personally prefer clarity over astoundingly noisy noise, so personal preference plays a part in this, too.
Enter the Yamaha TSS-15W. It’s not the world’s most powerful system, but nearly perfect for the application. Back in the early days of Atomic (Issue 2, Page 38. Not that I checked or anything.), the TSS-15′s predecessor (actually, the TSS-1, the product line’s first) was reviewed.
That review fairly neatly surmises why this product appeals to me:
It used to be that all you wanted from a set of speakers was some good quality loud noise and a general “Scare the neighbours” bass level. Not anymore.
Indeed. The TSS-15 gives consistent clarity to as loud as it goes: the only way to make it distort or clip is by feeding it an already-clipped signal. As it stands, it goes plenty loud for this space, which is roughly 5×7×2.5 meters (though the height measurement gets a little weird, because of the roof), so I’m not too worried about clarity at max volumes.
The product has changed little since it was first reviewed in early 2001 (Atomic just turned 5. I think my maths is correct…), featuring five 6 watt satellites with wall-mounts, and a single 18 watt subwoofer: exactly the same as the original spec. Cosmetically, they’re a little prettier than the original, in a light sliver/white that matches the walls in here far better than the TSS-1′s all-black façade possibly would.
So I’m happy. The only significant change to the product is an increase in the number of inputs.
On this count, the TSS-15 is pretty impressive, sporting analogue RCA inputs, two TOSLINK optical digital inputs (the original had only one), and a single coaxial digital input. Clearly, it’s a product for budget home theatre… but it also serves quite well in its role as a piece of not-quite-so-cheap PC audio gear.
Of course, over five years, one would expect more to change. Price especially. The original TSS-1 was retailing for $AU499 when Atomic reviewed it, and yesterday we paid $270 for what is, essentially, the same device.
I’d hazard the cost of Dolby and DTS (they’re separate, competing entities: The TSS-15 supports Dolby Digital, Pro Logic, and Pro Logic II, as well as DTS and AAC) licensing has probably dropped lots, which is likely to be a part of it, but also the marketplace is a lot more price-competitive than it once was.
In all, it sounds great, costs little, and is nearly perfect for use in this environment. Nearly? Yes, well. If, instead of a digital receiver, Yamaha had included a powered 12 channel stereo mixer, I’d be happy with it beyond words. Failing that, it’s a great little device well suited to providing crisp, clear audio in a small office or home theatre environment.
| Yamaha TSS-15W Specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amplifier Unit | ||
| Output per channel | Front/centre/surround | 6W × 5 (1kHz, 4Ω, 10% THD) |
| Subwoofer | 18W (100Hz, 4Ω, 10% THD) | |
| Input Sensitivity | 200mV | |
| H.P. Output Level/Output Impedance | 450 mV/30 Ω (1 kHz, 200 mV) | |
| Frequency Response | 40 Hz — 20kHz | |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 102 mm × 260 mm × 196 mm | |
| Power consumption | 40W | |
| Satelllite speakers | ||
| Type | Full range speaker system acoustic suspension | |
| Driver | 5 cm (2″) cone type | |
| Impedance | 4 Ω | |
| Dimensions | 70 mm × 91 mm × 110 mm (including stand) | |
| Weight | 0.4 KG | |
| Subwoofer | ||
| Type | Active Servo Processing Subwoofer System | |
| Driver | 13 cm (5″) cone woofer | |
| Impedance | 4 Ω | |
| Dimensions | 220 mm × 239 mm × 220 mm | |
| Weight | 3.4 KG | |