Yamaha Ships MusicCast Speaker, Unlocking Full Power of Wireless Multiroom Audio System

DALLAS (September 15, 2016) – At the 2016 CEDIA Show, Yamaha today showcased the MusicCast wireless speaker (WX-030), an exceptionally versatile powered unit that can be used as a standalone music system or 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.

This MusicCast wireless speaker is the first to be introduced as part of the Yamaha MusicCast wireless multiroom audio system unveiled in August, and is one of the more than 20 MusicCast-enabled products — including AV receivers, wireless speakers, sound bars, Hi-Fi components and powered monitor speakers –that will be available by the end of 2015. The breadth of MusicCast products allows users to easily play music and any other audio content wirelessly throughout the home.

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.

"You only need a single MusicCast speaker and our free MusicCast app to get started with a great-sounding audio system for your home," said Bob Goedken, general manager, AV division, Yamaha Corporation of America. "You can add more MusicCast speakers over time or link to a MusicCast AV receiver or sound bar to unleash your home theater sound. Now any of your audio content can be played throughout the home wirelessly."

Available in solid black or white with silver accents, the MusicCast speaker has a stylishly understated design that beautifully complements any home décor and features touch-sensitive buttons on the top panel for easy operation of power, volume and play/pause controls.

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.

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 speaker also offers a standard RJ-45 Ethernet jack for those who prefer a wired network connection, and it is equipped with a ¼", 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.

For more information on the WX-030, please visit http://4wrd.it/MUSICCAST_SPEAKER.

Pricing and Availability
The WX-030 ($249.95 MSRP) is now shipping.