Yamaha  today announced the retail availability of its MusicCast network powered  monitor stereo speakers (model NX-N500). These all-in-one bookshelf models  feature on-board amplifiers and deliver true wireless Hi-Fi audio over Wi-Fi,  as well as Bluetooth® music streaming, making them ideal for audiophile  listening in home offices, studies and other limited space environments.

Integrating the recently introduced  Yamaha MusicCast system, these monitor speakers enable users to stream content  from virtually any source. This includes other Yamaha MusicCast-enabled products,  such as AV receivers, wireless speakers, Hi-Fi gear and sound bars, as well as smartphones, tablets, streaming services, PCs, NAS devices or  even TVs. The NX-N500 monitor speakers can also conveniently connect  to computers and hard drives via USB. The flexibility of these monitor speakers  is unmatched since they represent one out of a total of 20 Yamaha  MusicCast-enabled products that will be available by the end of 2015.

Beautifully crafted and modeled on the Yamaha  NS-10M studio monitors, long time staples of the music recording industry, the  NX-N500 MusicCast network powered monitor speakers achieve the same level of precision  performance and musical expressiveness. Delivering far more engaging listening  experiences than mere background music, they reproduce high-resolution audio,  including Apple®  Lossless (ALAC) up to 96 kHz / 24-bit, as well as FLAC, AIFF and WAV files up  to 192 kHz / 24-bit, with stunning sonic detail, presence and atmosphere.

In addition, they effortlessly stream music from services such as Pandora®, Spotify, Rhapsody® and SiriusXM Internet Radio. When linked  to other MusicCast components, such as a sound bar or AV receiver, these   monitor speakers can also play audio from the external sources connected to  those components.

"Our  MusicCast networked powered monitor speakers are the step-up audio solution for  those who have come to the point in their lives where background music in the  home is simply not enough," said Bob Goedken, general manager, AV Division,  Yamaha Corporation of America. "Those that want to feel the clarity and energy  of live performance and experience the truest representation of what their  favorite recording artists meant for them to hear will fall hard for these elegantly  designed monitor speakers."

Employing a 2-way, 2-speaker configuration, NX-N500  monitor speakers achieve deeply expressive and powerful low frequencies and  accurate, yet relaxed, highs that meet the legendary Yamaha natural sound  standard. They produce strong, expansive sound via a bi-amp system with individually powered 45 watt woofers and 25 watt tweeters that produce powerful  and nuanced audio reproduction. Using an XLR cable, all digital audio input signals undergo balance conversion in the left-channel speaker before being transmitted  to the right-channel speaker, thus eliminating the external noise that often becomes  mixed with the signal during transmission.

Using  the ESS Technology ES9010K2M D/A converter, the NX-N500 not only boasts high  precision processing of 32-bit audio, but also the ability to handle PCM 384 kHz,  DSD 5.6 MHz native audio reproduction. High rigidity enclosures produce uniform  acoustic characteristics and 3-way mitered-joint construction – the same that  Yamaha uses in its high-end speakers – suppress distortion-causing resonance  and vibration.

These MusicCast network powered monitor  speakers support Bluetooth playback and can re-stream Bluetooth content to  other linked MusicCast speakers and components when on a Wi-Fi network. This  not only opens the system to a huge range of content options, but also enables  a simple way for friends to "guest DJ" without hosts needing to provide Wi-Fi  access. It can also be used as a standalone Bluetooth speaker — even when off  the Wi-Fi grid. Alternatively, Bluetooth content can be streamed from Wi-Fi  connected sources, allowing transmission to other nearby Bluetooth speakers or  headphones.

The intuitive  and visually appealing MusicCast app for Apple and Android™ smartphones and  tablets lets users browse and access content to play in one or multiple rooms.  The app's attractive interface offers numerous personalization features, such  as enabling the Rooms menu to be customized with pictures from the user's own  home while the source buttons can be renamed or even hidden. These monitor speakers  are also sold with a remote control to operate power on/off and audio source  selection.

For  more information on the NX-N500, please visit http://4wrd.it/YAMAHA_NX-N500.

Pricing and Availability

The Yamaha MusicCast network powered speakers  (NX-N500) are currently available  exclusively at authorized Yamaha dealers for $799.95 MSRP per pair.