In addition to a new entry-level AV receiver Yamaha has announced several MusicCast products this week. The Japanese manufacturer comes with new wireless speakers, two sound bars and a subwoofer. All devices offer support for the MusicCast multiroom system.
New MusicCast products from Yamaha
The MusicCast 20 and MusicCast 50 are the new wireless speakers from Yamaha. Both models offer MusicCast the ability to stream content within the home network to other compatible devices, and provide access to services such as Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer. The speakers can also play high resolution music up to 24bit / 192kHz via DLNA. In addition, the devices have Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, WiFi and ethernet. Thanks to the MusicCast Surround function, you can connect the speakers to a MusicCast AV receiver and use them as surround channels.
voice control is also available this year. Amazon Alexa is already integrated and can be used if you have an Echo speaker or a Sonos One. Soon the Google Assistant will also be supported. The speakers have a new MusicCast chipset, with both 5GHz and 2.4GHz connections. The chip must provide a shorter delay. The MusicCast 20 is a 40 Watt speaker without physical connections, while the MusicCast 50 is a 70 Watt speaker with an optical, 3.5 mm and RCA connection.
The MusicCast Bar 40 and MusicCast Bar 400 are the first soundbars in this range. . Instead of the well-known YSP (Yamaha Sound Projection) technology, these soundbars use DTS Virtual: X to simulate a 7.1.4-channel setup. In addition to WiFi and multiroom, the soundbars feature Bluetooth, AirPlay, an HDMI input, a 3.5m port, optical inputs and an HDMI output. The 40 also has a subwoofer output, while the 400 comes with a wireless subwoofer.
Finally, there is the MusicCast Sub 100, a subwoofer specially designed for MusicCast system has been developed. The subwoofer can therefore be used in any MusicCast Surround or multiroom setup. The speaker has a 20cm driver, 130 watts of power and can be connected via the 3.5mm port or wirelessly with a MusicCast soundbar or AV receiver.
Price and availability
All new products must appear in stores from September. The prices for the Dutch market have not yet been announced.
