I really admire the wholehearted way Yamaha have adopted a really flexible approach to streaming and multi-room with their MusicCast system, and I don't think it'll be long before dipping my own toe in.
From user reports their app seems stable, reliable and user-friendly, but it's their vast array of compatible products at different price points that's really impressive. I've just noticed a new addition too, the Yamaha NP-S303 Network Player.
Before in their range they had the WX-AD10 streamer, which was very reasonably priced (£145) but lacked digital outputs. Fine for a budget system or maybe a second room. But if you had better quality components and a good DAC, you had to up the price to the WXC-50 for digital outputs, which for many included an unnecessary pre-amp (if you already owned a good DAC and a decent integrated amp for example).
But the new Yamaha NP-S303 Network Player at £329 seems a very pleasant halfway house. Nicely standard sized to fit in with other components and with digital outputs to take advantage of a better DAC if your system could reveal the difference. It also makes competitors like Bluesound's Node to look expensive at £500.
As time goes by and streaming from music subscription services rapidly take a bigger and bigger chunk of the way most people access their music, it makes sense to me to have a streamer as a separate component. But I like the idea of the Yamaha NP-S303 Network Player for a main system and using the less expensive WX-AD10 for another room, both for less than the price of one Bluesound Node.
Proof of the pudding will be in the eating of course. If I do dip the toe in, I'll report back any findings.
From user reports their app seems stable, reliable and user-friendly, but it's their vast array of compatible products at different price points that's really impressive. I've just noticed a new addition too, the Yamaha NP-S303 Network Player.
Before in their range they had the WX-AD10 streamer, which was very reasonably priced (£145) but lacked digital outputs. Fine for a budget system or maybe a second room. But if you had better quality components and a good DAC, you had to up the price to the WXC-50 for digital outputs, which for many included an unnecessary pre-amp (if you already owned a good DAC and a decent integrated amp for example).
But the new Yamaha NP-S303 Network Player at £329 seems a very pleasant halfway house. Nicely standard sized to fit in with other components and with digital outputs to take advantage of a better DAC if your system could reveal the difference. It also makes competitors like Bluesound's Node to look expensive at £500.
As time goes by and streaming from music subscription services rapidly take a bigger and bigger chunk of the way most people access their music, it makes sense to me to have a streamer as a separate component. But I like the idea of the Yamaha NP-S303 Network Player for a main system and using the less expensive WX-AD10 for another room, both for less than the price of one Bluesound Node.
Proof of the pudding will be in the eating of course. If I do dip the toe in, I'll report back any findings.