Yamaha Debuts MusicCast Powered Monitor Speakers, Based On Its Legendary White Cone Studio Model

Yamaha Debuts MusicCast Powered Monitor Speakers, Based On Its Legendary White Cone Studio Model

 

BUENA PARK, Calif. (November 10, 2015) – Yamaha today announced the retail availability of its MusicCast network powered monitor stereo speakers (model NX-N500). These all-in-one bookshelf models feature on-board amplifiers and deliver true wireless Hi-Fi audio over Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth® music streaming, making them ideal for audiophile listening in home offices, studies and other limited space environments.

Integrating the recently introduced Yamaha MusicCast system, these monitor speakers enable users to stream content from virtually any source. This includes other Yamaha MusicCast-enabled products, such as AV receivers, wireless speakers, Hi-Fi gear and sound bars, as well as smartphones, tablets, streaming services, PCs, NAS devices or even TVs. The NX-N500 monitor speakers can also conveniently connect to computers and hard drives via USB. The flexibility of these monitor speakers is unmatched since they represent one out of a total of 20 Yamaha MusicCast-enabled products that will be available by the end of 2015.

Beautifully crafted and modeled on the Yamaha NS-10M studio monitors, long time staples of the music recording industry, the NX-N500 MusicCast network powered monitor speakers achieve the same level of precision performance and musical expressiveness. Delivering far more engaging listening experiences than mere background music, they reproduce high-resolution audio, including Apple® Lossless (ALAC) up to 96 kHz / 24-bit, as well as FLAC, AIFF and WAV files up to 192 kHz / 24-bit, with stunning sonic detail, presence and atmosphere.

In addition, they effortlessly stream music from services such as Pandora®, Spotify, Rhapsody® and SiriusXM Internet Radio. When linked to other MusicCast components, such as a sound bar or AV receiver, these monitor speakers can also play audio from the external sources connected to those components.

"Our MusicCast networked powered monitor speakers are the step-up audio solution for those who have come to the point in their lives where background music in the home is simply not enough," said Bob Goedken, general manager, AV Division, Yamaha Corporation of America. "Those that want to feel the clarity and energy of live performance and experience the truest representation of what their favorite recording artists meant for them to hear will fall hard for these elegantly designed monitor speakers."

Employing a 2-way, 2-speaker configuration, NX-N500 monitor speakers achieve deeply expressive and powerful low frequencies and accurate, yet relaxed, highs that meet the legendary Yamaha natural sound standard. They produce strong, expansive sound via a bi-amp system with individually powered 45 watt woofers and 25 watt tweeters that produce powerful and nuanced audio reproduction. Using an XLR cable, all digital audio input signals undergo balance conversion in the left-channel speaker before being transmitted to the right-channel speaker, thus eliminating the external noise that often becomes mixed with the signal during transmission.

Using the ESS Technology ES9010K2M D/A converter, the NX-N500 not only boasts high precision processing of 32-bit audio, but also the ability to handle PCM 384 kHz, DSD 5.6 MHz native audio reproduction. High rigidity enclosures produce uniform acoustic characteristics and 3-way mitered-joint construction – the same that Yamaha uses in its high-end speakers – suppress distortion-causing resonance and vibration.

These MusicCast network powered monitor speakers support Bluetooth playback and can re-stream Bluetooth content to other linked MusicCast speakers and components when on a 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, Bluetooth content can be streamed from Wi-Fi connected sources, allowing transmission to other nearby Bluetooth speakers or headphones.

The intuitive and visually 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, such as enabling the Rooms menu to be customized with pictures from the user's own home while the source buttons can be renamed or even hidden. These monitor speakers are also sold with a remote control to operate power on/off and audio source selection.

For more information on the NX-N500, please visit http://4wrd.it/YAMAHA_NX-N500.

Pricing and Availability

The Yamaha MusicCast network powered speakers (NX-N500) are currently available exclusively at authorized Yamaha dealers for $799.95 MSRP per pair.

Contact:
Doug Wright/Giles Communications
(914) 798-7126 (dwright@giles.com)