So I got my new Yamaha YAS-203 sound bar yesterday. I got it from
A4L for $150. MSRP is $399.
It's actually pretty decent for the price. The refurbished price. This is nowhere near worth $400. I guess the electronics are what you're paying for. It supports Dolby Digital and DTS and acts as an IR repeater and can learn IR commands, but the money wasn't spent on the drivers. It is obviously a step above my TV speakers, but so is my smart phone. The sub has localization issues, but that's not a surprise. I just need to put it next to the sound bar to fix that. I had put it next to my nightstand and it's distracting.
For casual music listening and TV watching this thing will do the trick just fine. It's in the master bedroom so if I really want to do "critical listening" I'll go in my office or the theater.
For anyone looking for a good solution on the cheap I can recommend this one without hesitation. If you get it for $150.