Yamaha wants to bring your old audio kit up to date by adding online skills.
The Yamaha WXAD-10 is the latest in the company’s MusicCast line of music streamers, and it brings streaming and multiroom audio skills to anything with an analogue input.
If you have an old pair of active speakers or a stereo system, and you don’t want to replace it just to add Spotify to the equation, then you’re the target audience. The WXAD-10, internally nicknamed ‘the Add’, lets you stream from Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Napster, Juke and Qobuz. You control all the sources within the MusicCast app.
Related: Sonos Playbase review
It’s similar to what the Google Chromecast Audio does, but the Yamaha WXAD-10 aims for higher music quality. There’s a Burr-Brown DAC inside, it supports hi-res audio up to 24bit/192kHz, and analogue outputs comprise 3.5mm and RCA. It also has an ethernet socket, rather than relying on Wi-Fi like the Chromecast does.
If you’re not subscribed to a streaming service, you can also bring your own music via Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay, while DLNA means you can play music from local NAS drives. You can also share music with other MusicCast devices throughout your home, much like Sonos systems.
The Yamaha WXAD-10 will be released in May. No price has been announced, but Yamaha has told me it wants the Add to be an accessible, mass-market item. It won’t cost as much as other (standalone) music streamers.
Will you be considering the Yamaha MusicCast to upgrade your home audio set-up? Drop us a line in the comments below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.