Yamaha just released the WX-030 MusicCast multi-room or standalone wireless speaker for $250. It can can be linked with other MusicCast products to bring music to every room in a home. Using a Wi-Fi home network or Bluetooth connection, the speaker streams music while offering intuitive control via a free app available for Apple iOS and Android devices.
The speaker uses a 2-way speaker design with a large passive radiator and Yamaha exclusive digital sound processing technology to deliver amazingly clear, room-filling sound. Unlike other wireless speakers on the market today, it supports true high-resolution audio formats to deliver more accurate reproduction of sonic details, presence and atmosphere. It is compatible with Apple® Lossless (ALAC) up to 96 kHz / 24-bit, as well as FLAC, AIFF and WAV files up to 192 kHz / 24-bit. When playing back compressed music files like MP3s, the onboard music enhancer restores sharpness to the highs and fills out the mid-range of musical performances compromised through the file compression process.
Having MusicCast onboard enables users to effortlessly stream music from mobile devices and computers, as well as from music services such as Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody and SiriusXM Internet Radio. When the MusicCast speaker is linked to other MusicCast components, such as a sound bar or AV receiver, the speaker can also play audio from the external sources connected to those components.
The MusicCast speaker supports Bluetooth playback and can re-stream Bluetooth content to other linked MusicCast speakers and components when on the Wi-Fi network. This not only opens the system to a huge range of content options, but also enables a simple way for friends to “guest DJ” without hosts needing to provide Wi-Fi access. It can also be used as a standalone Bluetooth speaker — even when off the Wi-Fi grid.
Alternatively, the MusicCast speaker can output a Bluetooth stream from Wi-Fi connected sources, allowing transmission to other nearby Bluetooth speakers or headphones.
The intuitive and graphically appealing MusicCast app for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets lets users browse and access content to play in one or multiple rooms. The app’s attractive interface offers numerous personalization features. For instance, the Rooms menu can be customized with pictures from the user’s own home while the source buttons can be renamed, associated with a selection of icon images, order sorted or even hidden.
The WX-030 features touch-sensitive buttons on the top panel for easy operation of power, volume and play/pause controls. The speaker also offers a standard RJ-45 Ethernet jack for those who prefer a wired network connection, and it is equipped with a 1/4″, 20-threaded hole on the back panel that enables it to be wall mounted using commercially available brackets.
By the end of 2015, a software update will be released that will enable left-right pairing of two MusicCast wireless speakers for those seeking stereo reproduction for a larger sound stage.
Pricing and Availability
The Yamaha WX-030 speaker is currently available for $249.95 in white or black.
