With MusicCast, Yamaha introduces the first truly fully integrated system for wireless music streaming. Radio-based multiroom systems have enjoyed great popularity for years. For a long time, top dog Sonos dominated this market practically alone, apart from the isolated solutions of individual providers. It was only last year that a serious competitor appeared on the scene with HEOS from Denon. However, all these systems have one thing in common: they are self-contained solutions that work wonderfully on their own. However, they can only be docked to a "normal" hi-fi system by cable. Yamaha, meanwhile, is finally thinking this approach to the end and has therefore planned MusicCast as a holistic system from the start. MusicCast also has individual end devices, such as the RESTIO ISX-80 and WX-030 desktop speakers, which can play music anywhere flexibly. What is new, however, is that Yamaha has also integrated MusicCast into a large number of other devices - from the start, no fewer than 26 products with MusicCast functionality are available. MusicCast can also be an "island solution": With the WX-030 (left) and the RESTIO ISX-80 (right) you can receive music wirelessly in every room. In addition to the desktop speakers already mentioned, MusicCast can be found in all new Yamaha, for example -AV receivers from the RX-V479 and the AVENTAGE receivers from the RX-A550 . With the stereo amplifier R-N602 and the CD-NT670D CD player, there are also really 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 from home . A fully active pair of speakers (NX-N500), two soundbars (YSP-1600 and YSP-5600 ) and the Soundbase SRT-1500 round off the current MusicCast portfolio. Many current Yamaha products have the MusicCast functionality by default - including the high-quality AV receivers of the AVENTAGE series. This system approach has various advantages. For example, all MusicCast devices (with the exception of the WX-80) can also function independently of the multiroom system. The RESTIO ISX-80 , for example, has an integrated FM tuner, the AV receivers are fully equipped for their class, the R-N602 and CD-NT670D work together as the heart of a sophisticated stereo system. However, since they all have the MusicCast DNA in them, they can also be easily connected to one another via the WLAN router and thus form a powerful multi-room system. Yamaha also offers sound bars with MusicCast. The YSP-1600, for example, is available individually or as part of the TRIO starter package. The sources of ALL devices are available via the network to ALL other devices - and this is also unique. Music from the CD player in the living room can therefore be played in the kitchen, the tuner of the RESTIO radio in the bedroom can also be heard in the office. The entire system is controlled with the smartphone or tablet, Yamaha provides the extremely clear 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, whereby the individual devices are assigned to different rooms. In everyday life, the operation is very simple: select a room, select a source, choose a song if necessary, and the music starts playing. The network use of streaming services such as Spotify or Internet radio (e.g. vTuner) integrated in the corresponding devices is of course also provided. In addition, you can also activate a "Link" mode in which the same source can 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 to the next MusicCast device via Bluetooth. Speaking of "Bluetooth": All MusicCast devices can send and receive Bluetooth. This means that you can easily integrate Bluetooth headphones or any Bluetooth speakers into the MusicCast network. When developing MusicCast, Yamaha attached great importance to the high sound quality of the WiFi transmission from the very beginning. All devices can send and receive hi-res audio data with up to 192kHz / 24-bit, the MusicCast-capable AV receivers, the stereo amplifier R-N602 and the active pair of speakers NX-N500 even support DSD128. These high qualities are then available in the selected main room; rooms connected via the "link" function still receive a downmix in CD quality. In terms of network functionality, MusicCast also offers a special feature with the "Extend" mode. While all MusicCast devices normally communicate directly with the router, a single device can be used via the "Extend" function to specifically increase the wireless range. This one device is then connected to the router by cable and serves as an access point for all other participants in the MusicCast network. The name MusicCast should sound familiar to Yamaha fans, as the Japanese were already selling a revolutionary music server and multi-room products under this name in the early 2000s. Back then they were way ahead of their time and landed a veritable flop, even though the system was well thought out and worked very well. It took a long time for the music and hi-fi specialist to venture back into the subject of multiboom streaming. But the wait was worth it, because the new MusicCast is by far the most consistently thought-out streaming solution on the current market. By integrating the corresponding function in 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 island solution, but as an integral part of modern music usage. Further information: All MusicCast products on the AUDITORIUMspecial page MusicCast at Yamaha
