CHF223.–
Yamaha MusicCast 20
Wi-Fi, Airplay 2, Airplay, Radio Frequency (RF)
Product ratings
Pros
Cons
36 reviews
Solid unit with many strengths and small flaws. Decent sound, no need for registration.
The loudspeaker is delivered well protected in a cardboard box and styrofoam, a short manual is included, the detailed manual can be found online. The workmanship is good, the part appears valuable and stable. The surrounding grille is made of metal. Overall, the speaker looks quite attractive.
Connecting to the WLAN is easy and done in 5 minutes. Install the MusicCast Controller app on your smartphone/tablet, activate the Wi-Fi, start the app, switch on the speaker and then press and hold the power/connect button for 5 seconds. You will then be guided through the setup process. The WLAN password must be entered on the way. A hidden SSID is also no problem. It worked straight away with a Samsung Galaxy s10. And best of all, no account or registration is required.
The connection with the LAN is also absolutely problem-free, as long as the speaker and smartphone are still in the same network and the WLAN is deactivated again after the WLAN tests on the speaker. 😉
A parallel operation (as I have already seen with other devices) of LAN and WLAN, depending on what is available, is apparently not provided for. Only one of the two connections can be set up at a time.
The connection via Bluetooth as well as Internet radio, Spotify and streaming from the media server via LAN is stable; so far, there have been no dropouts even after hours of operation. I tested the WLAN for a few hours and it was OK (speakers near the router).
The concept of the app is not divided by devices, but by rooms to which devices are assigned. Once you have internalised this, the app is quite logical and clearly structured and easy to use.
A pending firmware update was installed quickly and without any problems.
Excited and full of anticipation, I immediately started streaming music from my media server and was... disappointed. Very muffled sound with an exuberant bass. When I turned up the volume (room volume), the sound was immediately much better. Apparently the sound is extremely dependent on the volume. Fortunately, the equaliser is very effective and so I was able to optimise the sound for low volumes so that it was pleasing.
The controls respond well, but after a short time they are covered with fingerprints. Internet radio stations can be stored on the 3 preset buttons by simply pressing the button for a long time while the station is playing.
What is less pleasing is that the buttons are not illuminated and have no "elevation", so they cannot be seen or felt in low light.
The LAN socket is very unfortunately placed. Thicker or stiffer cables will inevitably be bent sooner rather than later because of the sharp angle.
Despite these small inconveniences, I am so satisfied with the unit that I will get a second unit and try out the stereo pairing.Pro
- User-friendliness device and app
- Operation of the most important functions directly on the unit
- Processing
- Decent sound (for this class / size)
- WLAN, LAN and Bluetooth
- Stable connections
- No microphone!
- No registration obligation
Contra
- Sound image is significantly dependent on the volume level
- Equalizer has to be adjusted every now and then
- Operating buttons neither illuminated nor set off
A first-class multi-room system speaker from a renowned manufacturer.
Since I have been using YAMAHA hi-fi products for years and have recently replaced my old receiver with a MusicCast-enabled one, it was obvious to me to expand the Multiroom system with a speaker from the same family.
In my opinion, the quality of the speaker cannot be topped in terms of workmanship and sound. The speaker is compact, heavy and therefore appears very valuable and noble. Once added to the in-house Multiroom system, various audio sources can be played via the MusicCast smartphone app. In addition, three buttons can be stored on the device with any source/station in order to switch favourite channels without using the smartphone. The unit itself has an on/off button, a volume up/down button and an on/off button for the alarm clock function. It can also be paired as a stereo pair with an additional second speaker.Pro
- Sound
- Processing
- Operation (device/app)
- long power cable
- Couplable to stereo
Better than expected. I can recommend it!
Super sound quality! The product is 1A. Cheaper and better than Sonos.
Best Multiroom
For me it is the best multiroom system
Easy to use, easy to install. Unproblematic networking with other rooms.
I use the following devices:
2x YSP 2700 sound projector
1x YSP 1600 sound projector
1x MusicCast 50 for sound in the garden
1x MusicCast 50 for sound in the living room
3x MusicCast 10 in different rooms
2x MusicCast 20 in different rooms
Works perfectly for years, when there were problems with the WLAN, the router was always responsible and other devices had the same problem.
Comparing the different systems
For me, Yamaha has the best price-performance ratio, but you rarely find them in specialist shops.
Pro
- Good sound
- Ideal size
- MusicCast capable
- Possibility as rear loudspeaker for Dolby Surround
- Stereo possibility with 2 MusiCast 20
- Great APP
- Quickly set up
- Huge variety of radio stations Free with Netradio
Contra
- For me no
Super smart speaker
Pro
- Good sound reproduction
- Good workmanship
- Can be connected to various sources (Spotify, Bluetooth,...)
- Can be connected to several speakers (spatial sound)
- Connection WLAN or Ethernet
- Favourites via 3 direct selection buttons
Contra
- Can only be used via socket (230V)
Tip-Top
The box is smart and works flawlessly and reliably. The installation is simple and quickly done.
Pro
- Easy installation
- Good sound
- Reliable
- Very
6 out of 36 reviews
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