Yamaha MusicCast - Complete Streaming Solution

With MusicCast, Yamaha is introducing the first truly fully integrated system for wireless music streaming. Multiroom systems based on wireless technology have been extremely popular for years. For a long time, market leader Sonos practically dominated this segment on its own, apart from a few isolated solutions from other providers. Only last year did Denon's HEOS emerge as a serious competitor. However, all of these systems have one thing in common: they are closed solutions that work wonderfully on their own. However, they can only be connected to a "normal" hi-fi system via cable at best. Yamaha, on the other hand, takes this approach one step further and has therefore planned MusicCast as a holistic system from the outset. As with MusicCast, there are individual devices such as the desktop speakers RESTIO ISX-80 and WX-030, which can flexibly play music anywhere. The new thing is that Yamaha is integrating MusicCast into a wide variety of devices – no fewer than 26 products with MusicCast functionality are available right from the start.

MusicCast can also act as a standalone solution: with the WX-030 (left) and the RESTIO ISX-80 (right), you can receive music wirelessly in every room. In addition to the aforementioned desktop speakers, MusicCast can also be found in all new Yamaha AV receivers starting with the RX-V479 as well as the AVENTAGE receivers starting with the RX-A550. With the stereo amplifier R-N602 and the CD player CD-NT670D, there are also truly high-quality hi-fi devices in the MusicCast universe. The PianoCraft compact systems MCR-N670 and MCR-N870 can also be integrated into the system right out of the box. A fully active speaker pair (NX-N500), two soundbars (YSP-1600 and YSP-5600), as well as the SRT-1500 soundbase, round off the current MusicCast portfolio.

Many current Yamaha products come with MusicCast functionality as standard – including the high-quality AV receivers from the AVENTAGE series. This system approach brings several advantages. For example, all MusicCast devices (with the exception of the WX-80) can also serve their function independently of the multiroom system. The RESTIO ISX-80, for example, features a built-in FM tuner, the AV receivers come with a full range of class-standard features, and the R-N602 and CD-NT670D together serve as the heart of a sophisticated stereo system. However, since they all have the MusicCast DNA, they can be effortlessly connected to each other via the WiFi router, forming a powerful multiroom system.

Yamaha also offers soundbars with MusicCast. The YSP-1600, for example, is available individually or as part of the TRIO starter package. A unique feature is that the sources of ALL devices are available to ALL other devices over the network. Music from the CD player in the living room can be played in the kitchen, or the tuner of the RESTIO radio in the bedroom can also be heard in the office. The entire system is controlled with a smartphone or tablet, and Yamaha provides the extremely user-friendly app "MusicCast Controller" for Apple (iOS from 7.1) and Android devices (from Android 4.1) free of charge.

One app, everything under control. The MusicCast system is controlled via the free Controller app. The system is also set up via the Controller app, where the individual devices are assigned to different rooms. Day-to-day operation is incredibly simple: select a room, select a source, optionally choose a song, and the music starts playing. The use of streaming services such as Spotify or internet radio (e.g., vTuner) integrated into the respective devices is, of course, also supported. In addition, you can activate a "link" mode, allowing the same source to be heard in several rooms at the same time. The smartphone itself can also serve as a source and stream music content from any app via Bluetooth to the nearest MusicCast device. Speaking of Bluetooth: all MusicCast devices can send and receive Bluetooth. This means you can easily integrate a Bluetooth headphone or any Bluetooth speaker into the MusicCast network. When developing MusicCast, Yamaha placed great importance on high sound quality for WiFi transmission right from the start. All devices can send and receive high-resolution audio data up to 192kHz/24-bit, and the MusicCast-compatible AV receivers, the stereo amplifier R-N602, and the active speaker pair NX-N500 even support DSD128. These high-quality formats are available in the selected main room, and any rooms added via the "link" function still receive a downmix in CD quality.

When it comes to network functionality, MusicCast also offers a special feature with the "Extend" mode. While normally all MusicCast devices communicate directly with the router, the "Extend" function allows a single device to be used specifically to increase the wireless range. This one device is connected to the router via cable and serves as an access point for all other devices in the MusicCast network.

Yamaha fans may find the name MusicCast familiar, as the Japanese company already marketed a revolutionary music server along with multiroom products under this name in the early 2000s. Back then, they were ahead of their time and the system, although well thought out and functioning excellently, turned out to be a flop. It took a long time for the music and hi-fi specialist to return to the subject of multiroom streaming. But the wait was worth it, because the new MusicCast is by far the most thoroughly developed streaming solution on the current market. By integrating the corresponding functionality into a wide variety of hi-fi and home theater devices, Yamaha offers a complete product family in which wireless streaming is not seen as a separate standalone solution, but as an integral part of modern music use. For more information, MusicCast products can be found at specialized retailers and on Yamaha's own information pages.