YAMAHA WXC-50 MusicCast Wireless Streaming Preamplifier (Dark Silver)

I purchased the WXC-50 preamplifier about two weeks ago as an addition to my vintage Yamaha stereo system. I have been waiting for Yamaha to produce a unit with built-in DAC and digital streaming capability. The WXC-50 is definitely it and the $350 price is cheap considering the quality of this unit. No understand everyone, I am 53 years old and began purchasing my current Yamaha stereo back in 1978. It is all Yamaha and still going strong. I currently have the WXC-50 hooked up in 'player' mode to my C-65 preamp which is hooked to two M-65 power amplifiers, powering two NS-1000 Monitors. The music is primarily produced by a vintage YPD-71 turntable and now with the addition of the WXC-50 I have digital capability as well. I am a hardcore record collector and have well over 1000 albums in my collection. Whenever I do any critical listening it is via my turntable. But I have to say the WXC-50 when combined with Spotify's premium service is pretty damn close. I love the WXC-50 when I am working around the house because it allows me to select my music and forget it. I can also audition other music via Spotify that I may entertain purchasing in vinyl. The setup was a breeze and I was up and running less than 10 minutes after I took it out of the box. The Yamaha Musiccast application works equally well on my Galaxy phone or my notebook PC. So far I have tested all blue tooth functions and they work seamlessly. The USB port in the back only supports a thumb drive which was the only drawback in my opinion. I wish it would support an external USB drive for greater capacity. Maybe Yamaha will provide a firmware upgrade in the future to accommodate this functionality in the future. To gain the capacity I am looking for to begin archiving lossless music files, I will be building a NAS and placing it on the same network as the WXC-50 for greater flexibility. The WXC-50 is well built and really compliments my system well. The build is first rate and the all metal case is attractive. Offering many different interfaces, the WXC-50 is capable of interfacing with just about anything you want to throw at it. Once again, Yamaha has impressed me with their quality. The sound is first rate for digital playback and almost as good as listening to my turntable but not quite. For serious listening I am still dedicated to analog, but for casual, no hassle music playback, the WXC-50 is a wonderful choice!

The YAMAHA WXC-50 is a fantastic addition to Acram A25 setup, offering seamless wireless streaming and excellent sound quality. Its compact design makes it easy to integrate into existing systems, and the MusicCast app provides intuitive control over streaming services.The sound is clear and dynamic, with plenty of customization options to fine-tune your listening experience. It supports a wide range of formats and connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth from my S24U, making it highly versatile. If you’re looking for a reliable and feature-rich streaming preamp, the WXC-50 is an excellent choice!

Functionality is tied to the very lacking app called MusicCast. Limited functionality of the app to other streaming services does not allow full functionality of the product. The hardware is good and functions properly but they have tied it's capable hands behind it's back.I use Tidal as a paid streaming service because it has CD quality. This unit does not support MQA nor does it pass thru some very basic features like fast forward, reverse, or artist information liner notes. All of these features are made available on the Tidal app directly and NOT THRU MUSICCAST WITH YAMAHA.!!!!ADDITIONALLY, THE STAFF AT YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE IS SOME OF THE WORST SUPPORT I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. EVER!!!!THEIR COMPLETE UNABASHED LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE MUSICCAST PRODUCT IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.THEY WILL TELL YOU "I'M HIRED TO ANSWER PHONES, NOT HELP WITH TECHNICAL QUESTIONS"Just don't buy it. I will try to resell it or just take my pill and swallow.SONOUS, DEFINITIVE, OR OTHERS BUT NOT THIS.Update 11.14.18Now the optical interface has stopped workingThe gift that just keeps taking...