Multiroom component

Of all the components in all the tests of all the multiroom systems we’ve reviewed this year, one made us go ‘wow’ more than all the others, and that was this pair of Yamaha NX-N500s, part of the company’s MusicCast system (see also p92).

Perhaps we’re a little biased — we have a thing for good little active stereo speakers which can present a true stereo sound (regular readers will remember our continuing passion for the AktiMate range), much preferring this over the localised boxier sound of single-piece wireless speaker units. And at $999 the pair, we reckon we’d be awarding these Yamahas something as USB or Bluetooth or wireless speakers, even if they weren’t multiroom capable. Yamaha cites the classic NS-10M Studio Monitor as the inspiration for the N500s, which are a little smaller of course, but sport those famous white woofers. And look at the inputs — USB from your computer, optical digital (perhaps from your TV), one analogue minijack, but then also Bluetooth, and once networked by Ethernet or Wi-Fi, also DLNA streaming from the MusicCast or other apps, and Apple’s AirPlay streaming as well.

So we sat them in an ideal stereo position on stands rather too wide for them, tweeters at ear height, and we loved them. There’s some deep bass capabilities, beats powerfully well supported as well as taut and tight. One fine example came when Pandora decided to stream The Flaming Lips ‘Waitin’ for a Superman’ — the bass drum on this emerged absolutely monumental, yet without impeding either Steven Drozd’s noodling guitar or Wayne’s telephonic vocal. From our iPad we streamed the techno soundtrack to ‘Run Lola Run’, the bass pumping along enjoyably hard, just slightly overreaching to mask the overlaid vocals and voice.

We upped the quality to high-res streaming through MusicCast’s ‘server’ access to networked music, finding navigation lists a little slow to load on the control device (on Wi-Fi), but the music itself fine to stream to the N500s, despite its high resolution. The available dynamics of the N500 were well demonstrated by some 24-bit/88.2kHz Holst, a Chandos recording of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (HDtracks). Tricky choral passages rose without resonance from murmur to full-throttle — without, of course, the full weight and sheer impact that a larger pair of speakers would offer, but nevertheless delivering a beautifully imaged and toned soundstage with more weight than you would imagine from speakers so small.

When we switched to ‘Fragile’ by Yes (24/96), we doubt even Chris Squire himself would object to the power behind the bass guitar at the start of ‘Long Distance Runaround’, while the cupboard acoustic around Jon Anderson’s vocal was clear and intact.

The NW-N500s are 28.5cm high, each with a 3cm dome tweeter and that five-inch white woofer, while their internal power resides in the left speakers, 2 x 45W. The connections are perhaps more than you would expect — two mains cables, and the two connected together by an admittedly impressive XLR male-to-female lead, and by a connected data lead. The three-metre length of these limits the possible separation of the speakers.

These are Yamaha’s secret weapon in the MusicCast system. Get somewhere you can hear the N500s, and that $999 may leap from your pocket alarmingly fast. Winner! More info: au.yamaha.com