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usicCast networked multi-room tech is supported across the majority of Yamaha’s

component range, and is successfully filling evolutionary niches with a growing number of products. The latest to join the family is the WXA-50 wireless streaming amplifier.

As a compact integrated amplifier that lends itself to being placed upright or horizontally depending on your preference, the WXA-50 packs a considerable amount of functionality into its neat form. There’s a choice of a stereo RCA phono input, with matching looped output, an optical digital input and aptX-enabled Bluetooth wireless connectivity. This is additionally supported by a USB Type-A connection that can read the content of iOS devices and acts as a

DETAILSPRODUCTYamaha WXA-50ORIGINMalaysia TYPEIntegrated amplifier WEIGHT1.94kgDIMENSIONS(WxHxD) 215 x 52 x 251mmFEATURESl Quoted power output: 2x 70W (6ohm) l 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD128-capable DAC l Inputs: 1x RCA; 1x optical digital l Streaming service support: Qobuz; Spotify; Napster; Juke; internet radio DISTRIBUTORYamaha UK TELEPHONE01908 366700 WEBSITEuk.yamaha.com

Running in the familylt may be billed as an integrated amplifier, but as Ed Selley finds out the WXA-50 has so much more to offer

handy charging point. This might not be the most comprehensive choice of connectivity, but it can easily support a small music system and things get more impressive when you consider what MusicCast brings to the party.

As a MusicCast product, the WXA-50 is completely network capable via both Ethernet and wireless options and comes with the full suite of multi-room networking capabilities that means you get AirPlay, internet radio and compatibility with Spotify (including Spotify Connect), Napster, Qobuz and Juke streaming services. Sample rates up to 24/192 are supported for FLAC, WAV and AIFF with additional support for DSD128.

Music can be shared among other MusicCast products on the same network and the WXA-50 can

conversely receive audio sent by other units – allowing you to listen to a TV show being sent by an AV receiver for example. Yamaha has rather neatly tied all this functionality together in a very well thought out and comprehensive control app that allows you to name the product and its location and switch easily between different devices. It isn’t without a few glitches, though, and the Android version of the app proves difficult to set up – although iOS works perfectly well during the test.

The amplifier section is rated at 2x 70W into 6ohm and there seems to be no shortage of power available for real-world situations. The decoding of digital inputs is carried out by an ESS Sabre DAC and volume control is handled in the digital domain with 48-bit processing ensuring that adjustment can be carried out without any loss of signal. This does mean that any analogue source connected via the RCA input will be promptly converted into a digital signal in order for this to work.

Aesthetically, the WXA-50 doesn’t really look like any other Yamaha product that we’ve seen before. The almost square chassis is extremely solid and the wraparound metal fascia is an elegant design. In terms of front panel controls, you get a volume knob and a small selection of buttons that can attend to basic control of the unit. This is all backed up by a tiny plastic remote and the downloadable control app for smart devices.

Once installed on my network and connected to Mission’s LX-2 standmount, the WXA-50 makes a positive impression from the off and it feels powerful with a sense of effortlessness to the presentation.

Sound qualityA 16/44 rip of Calexico’s Algiers balances refinement and energy to excellent effect. Vocals are well presented and have a richness and realism that consistently impresses. It has a positive sense of drive and energy. With the driving beat of Hot Chip’s Over And Over, it really delivers on the sense of fun and punch to the performance. The bass is impressively deep, but also starts and stops with sufficient speed to draw you into the performance and entertain, making itself felt across a variety of genres with a sense of liveliness without tipping over into sounding forced.

This is helpful because while the volume level appears to be admirably linear across the range, the amp does its best work when a reasonable listening level for my medium-sized listening room is selected. From here it can be pushed further if required without sounding strained or harsh, but listening at very low volumes robs the presentation of some of its space and three dimensionality. The good news is that the control itself has enough fine adjustment to ensure that you can get the exact listening level you desire, and not just something that’s close to it.

Listen for an extended period and it soon becomes clear that the sonic attributes are admirably consistent across the many inputs that the Yamaha supports. Bluetooth pairing is straightforward and stable, while performance with Tidal streams is nearly as convincing as it is via the network. The overall tonal balance is sufficiently forgiving that it handles compressed material such as Spotify in a manner that means that it is consistently listenable. The only slight detractor to this is that the performance with high-resolution material doesn’t really offer the leap

forwards in performance levels that some other amplifiers can muster. As if to illustrate the point, an A/B test with Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo’s Almanac in 16/44 and 24/96 doesn’t produce the stand out differences that I would expect.

One of the most surprising aspects of the performance is that the analogue input manages to retain the character of the connected device, even though it’s going through analogue-to-digital conversion to allow use of the volume control. Connecting a Pro-Ject Essential III A turntable (HFC 420) and Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Communicator phono stage (HFC 407) maintains

a wonderfully fluid presentation associated with the combo and although the Yamaha is a network audio product, it’s able to deliver most of its positive attributes with external sources too.

ConclusionWhile the WXA-50 might initially look an unlikely addition to the MusicCast family, the more time I spend with it, the more sense it makes. This is a genuinely accomplished little amplifier that packs considerable functionality into a small chassis, but shows very few signs of compromise across its features. Connected to a capable pair of loudspeakers, it is a convincing one-stop solution that also offers impressive multi-room functionality should you desire it l

YAMAHA WXA-50 £450

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YAMAHA WXA-50 £450

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Loudspeaker binding posts

RCA input

MusicCast network chipset

48-bit volume control

ESS Sabre DAC 9006AS chip

INSIGHT

LIKE: Lively, engaging performance; features; build qualityDISLIKE: Limited inputs; sounds a little congested at lower volumes; remoteWE SAY: A well implemented compact amplifier that does many things well

OUR VERDICT SOUND QUALITY

VALUE FOR MONEY

BUILD QUALITY

FEATURES

OVERALL

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The WXA-50 feels powerful and makes a positive impression from the very start

The distinctive specification of the WXA-50 means that it isn’t a like-for-like match with more conventional full-width amplifiers, but it is a close rival to the NAD D 3020 (HFC 386), which shares a similarly small footprint. Both are designed to support digital and analogue inputs, but in different ways. The Yamaha is fully network capable and supports streaming services and internet radio. The D 3020 lacks these functions, but has a USB input that works without a driver and allows for computer connection as well as having more digital inputs. The D 3020 is slightly livelier than the WXA-50 and it can sound a little more fun, but lacks the Yamaha’s refinement and headroom and doesn’t feel quite as solid to use.