I found the following review but don`t know of a etailer stocking it.
Yamaha TSS-1 Home Theater Sound System
The TSS-1 is the new entry-level speaker system from Yamaha. It is very competitively priced at £169,
has natural good looks, comes in a choice of Living Room black or Home PC eggshell complete with
the backing of a reputable name in home audio speaker system technology. For £169 you are not
going to get the dogs bollocks, but you wouldn`t want to waste your money on something that can`t
cope with a good DVD soundtrack. So has the TSS-1 been neutered or is it like a rampant dog on
heat?
The speaker system comes with an amplifier, sub-woofer, 5 satellite speakers, all the necessary
connecting cables, ac adaptor, stereo mini plug cable, optical fibre cable and a RCA pin-plug cable.
The sockets set out on the back of the amplifier unit make it very easy to connect straight from the
box. Your DVD player can be connected using either the optical or coaxial leads (both provided). Each
socket is clearly marked and shouldn`t cause any problems. There is also a switch on the rear of the
amplifier offering a choice of speaker systems to be used. Make sure this is set to 5.1 when testing the
full capabilities of the system.
The front of the amplifier looks sexy in black, while the eggshell looks a little cheap when standing next
to a TV unit and DVD Player. Not so, of course when blending into a Home PC set up.
Luminous green lights indicate the required speaker system (two, four or five channel), while just below
that is the choice of Prologic, Dolby Digital or DTS. There are independent volume controls for centre,
surround, subwoofer and a master volume control. The biggest drawback of the amplifier, and possibly
the whole system in general is the lack of a remote control. Once a disc is loaded and you`ve sprawled
out, making the most of home comforts, the last thing you want is to dive forward into the dark to
adjust subwoofer or master control. If there is going to be a rethink on this gem of a product this will
surely be near the top of the list.
The instruction manual is as wafer-thin as an after dinner mint, which is adequate as it should take you
longer to get your new toy out of the box than it will connecting the system with the correct length
cables (3x3m for the front left, right and centre and 2x 7m for the surround speakers. Once in place you
can test the volume of the speakers with a test signal that sends white noise to each speaker in turn.
By adjusting the controls marked `centre` and `surround` you are able to set a balance for your particular
needs. Unfortunately, there is only one control for the 3 front speakers and more annoyingly one for
both surround speakers, which leaves you pondering on how you can rearrange the speakers or the
furniture to enhance the payback without upsetting any one you, may be answerable too.
To test drive this new kid on the block we used Gladiator for a good quality DTS test, the landing scene
in Saving Private Ryan for an unbeatable Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, Metallica`s Cunning Stunts for
the power and the glory, Meantime to see how the TSS-1 dealt with back to basics mono audio
content, and the car chase in Ronin for the hell of it. The system was tested in a 15ft x 12ft room.
One word of warning before you start, go easy on the levels until you get an idea of the output volume,
especially the sub-woofer which benefits from Yamaha`s Active Servo Technology (AST) giving it a
deceptively powerful bass response and clarity even at relatively low volumes. But beware, if you have
the kind of neighbours that go to church regularly and frown upon devil worshipping, playing Metallica
live in concert with a powerful Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack will send shock horror waves throughout
your entire neighbourhood if that sub-woofer volume knob has been turned up unknowingly by an
inquisitive young helper. The same goes for Saving Private Ryan which leads you into a false sense of
security with a serene beginning before launching into the D-Day landing scene which, of all the test
discs brought out the real quality of the speaker system. Quite obviously, this system isn`t going to fill
the Albert Hall. But what it is capable of is a clarity and high quality output at what I would consider low
and high volumes for an average sized living room.
The output power per channel of the amplifier unit is 6W satellite and 18W for the bass-tastic
subwoofer delivering a total of 48 watts. Now if that doesn`t turn you on because on paper it might
sound more like a transistor radio or you really want something that will drown more than threaten your
neighbours, that`s fine; there are plenty of systems out there and one of them is bound to be the apple
of your choice. But if for what ever reason, be it budget, first step into Home Theatre sound or the
inconspicuous wrinky dinky size of the unit, you will be buying a quality low price system with the
Yamaha TSS-1 that outruns many systems twice its price and less its quality, style and panache. It is
for all the above reasons that I believe the TSS-1 is the top choice for anyone with a budget of under
£400 to spend. Just remember, you`re getting more than what you pay for, with no remote control.
Hope this helps.
All Threads
General
Television
Blu-rays/DVDs/Films
Hardware
PCs & Mobiles
Photography
Music
Gaming & Consoles
Sports
Bargain Buckets
Region Hacks
Trading
Retailer Reviews
