Posted Mon Apr 23, 2018 at 04:30 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
New audio products with wireless surround sound support have been revealed.
Yamaha has detailed several upcoming home theater components with support for the company's new MusicCast Surround technology. The lineup includes the 5.1-channel RX-V485 receiver, 7.2-channel RX-V585 receiver, and 7.2-channel RX-V685 receiver, along with the MusicCast 20 speaker, MusicCast 50 speaker, and the MusicCast SUB 100 subwoofer.
"For entertainment fanatics who love movies, TV and gaming, nothing beats using an AV receiver to build a true surround sound system," said Robert Goedken, general manager, AV division, Yamaha Corporation of America. "By adding a wireless surround capability to our new line, we’ve made it easier than ever to create an amazing, theater-like experience at home. MusicCast Surround suddenly makes an AV receiver an attractive option for a whole new audience of entertainment fans."
Building upon the company's MusicCast wireless multi-room audio platform, the new MusicCast Surround feature on compatible Yamaha RX-V 85 Series receivers enables users to configure 5.1-channel surround sound systems with wired front channel speakers, wireless MusicCast 20 or MusicCast 50 surround speakers, and a wireless MusicCast SUB 100 subwoofer.
When using the MusicCast Surround feature, a direct Wi-Fi connection is made between an RX-V 85 series AV receiver and the MusicCast 20 or MusicCast 50 wireless speakers, allowing the surround sound audio to stream without having to pass through a user's home router. In addition, all of the new MusicCast Surround products include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, and Spotify Connect, along with access to Pandora, SiriusXM Internet Radio, TIDAL, Deezer, Napster and thousands of free internet radio stations via the free MusicCast app. Likewise, voice control through Amazon Alexa-equipped devices is provided as well with the free MusicCast skill.
The 5.1-channel RX-V485 supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound, while the 7.2-channel RX-V585 and RX-V685 also add support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding. 4K 60 FPS pass-through is enabled on all three models, along with HDR10, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma, and BT.2020 wide color gamut (WCG) compatibility. YPAO auto-calibration and Cinema DSP are also included on each unit.
Meanwhile, the MusicCast 20 and MusicCast 50 wireless speakers both offer playback support as standalone audio systems, multi-room systems with existing MusicCast components, or wireless surround speakers with a connected MusicCast Surround-enabled AV receiver. Likewise, two MusicCast 20 speakers can be paired together to enable a stereo mode. And though a single MusicCast 50 is capable of stereo two channel sound on its own, two units can also be paired for an even higher output and wider sound field.
Finally, the MusicCast SUB 100 is designed to serve as a wireless subwoofer option for the new RX-V 85 series receivers. Likewise, the device can also be paired with one or two MusicCast 20 or MusicCast 50 speakers to create a 1.1-channel or 2.1-channel system.
Here's a rundown of pricing and availability for the new lineup:
• RX-V485 5.1-Channel AV Receiver, $449.95 MSRP, May
• RX-V585 7.2-Channel AV Receiver, $549.95 MSRP, May
• RX-V685 7.2-Channel AV Receiver, $649.95 MSRP, May
• MusicCast 20 Speaker, $229.95 MSRP, July
• MusicCast 50 Speaker, $499.95 MSRP, July
• MusicCast SUB 100 Subwoofer, $549.95 MSRP, September
Source: Yamaha via PRWeb
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