Wireless audio streaming and bi-amplified stereo sound are combined in the black Yamaha NX-N500 Powered Network Speaker. Each speaker in this pair features a 1" tweeter and 5" cone woofer that produces up to 70W of power. On-board Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to access music from devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. Additionally, this speaker system allows you to stream music from free and subscription-based services like Pandora, Rhapsody, and Spotify Connect. Using the free MusicCast app, you can conveniently control playback from a smart device.
For interfacing wired audio connections, the NX-N500 features analog 3.5mm and digital optical inputs. A USB input is also available, offering high-quality digital to analog conversion. In addition to the aforementioned smart device control, a remote is also included.
MusicCast
The free MusicCast app allows you to access your digital music library, streaming music services and Internet radio, as well as Bluetooth sources and external sources attached to your MusicCast soundbar. This system is also compatible with other MusicCast-enabled components such as receivers and soundbars for multi-room listening. The MusicCast app is available for Android and iOS devices.
Music Streaming Support
With support for music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody and Sirius XM, you can enjoy a wide variety of music content. Furthermore, support for the vTuner radio station database enables sampling of Internet radio broadcasts from around the world.
Discrete Amplifier and Bi-Amp Drive
The NX-N500 utilizes a discrete bi-amplification system featuring a 45W amplifier to the woofer and a 25W amplifier to the tweeter. These analog amplifiers are designed to produce strong, expansive sound by directly driving each unit individually.
Balanced Transmission and Connections
In the NX-N500, all digital audio input signals undergo a balance conversion in the left-channel speaker before being transmitted to the right-channel speaker. An XLR cable is used to establish a balanced connection between the two speakers in an effort to eliminate noise.
1" Dome Tweeter and 5" A-PMD Woofer
With a 2-way speaker configuration, the NX-N500 utilizes a 1" dome tweeter capable of handling 40 kHz high-bandwidth playback. By incorporating a thick waveguide it is designed to achieve smooth and accurate high-frequency reproduction. The 5" woofer employs the same advanced PMD (polymer-injected mica) diaphragm used in Yamaha's high-end Soavo speakers.
Rigid Enclosure
The enclosure employs thick MDF with high rigidity to produce uniform acoustic characteristics, along with three-way, mitered-joint construction. This speaker design helps to suppress unwanted speaker resonance in an effort to produce life-like sound.
High-Grade USB DAC
The NX-N500 has a high-performance USB DAC that supports PCM 384 kHz/32-bit and DSD 5.6 MHz native resolutions. It is compatible with asynchronous transmission and produces low jitter by using its own master clock versus using the clock in the PC. It also makes use of an ASIO driver that achieves lower latency and higher throughput. Along with Windows PC compatibility, it's also compatible with Mac OS X Integer Mode that allows for 32-bit playback on Apple computers. Integer Mode is currently not supported on OS X El Capitan.
ESS 32-Bit D/A Converter
The digital-to-analog (D/A) converter, the ES9010K2M from ESS Technology, is engineered to offer high-precision processing of 32-bit audio and the ability to handle large amounts of audio data (PCM 384 kHz, DSD 5.6 MHz). Since the built-in D/A converter generates its own master clock, an original jitter-elimination function is also included. This allows for the D/A conversion to experience a low impact of clock jitter.
Wireless Music Streaming via Bluetooth or AirPlay
Enjoy music from your smartphone or tablet wirelessly using a Bluetooth connection. You can also use the convenient AirPlay function for wireless music streaming from iPhones or iPads. In addition, a Network Standby mode provides the convenience of having the NX-N500 turn on and off automatically.
Bluetooth Output for Convenient Music Streaming
The NX-N500 is equipped with Bluetooth functionality to let you enjoy wireless music playback from smartphones and other devices. The Compressed Music Enhancer from Yamaha is optimized for Bluetooth audio transmissions.
Setup with Your Smartphone or Tablet
Use your smartphone or tablet together with the MusicCast CONTROLLER app to operate the speaker and change settings quickly and easily. The same app functions as a two-way remote control for all your MusicCast compatible devices too.
LED Indicators
The front of the speaker provides an LED display indicator that is color coded by operating status. It displays orange for ECO Standby mode, green for network function, pink for AirPlay and sky blue for the USB DAC function.
Additional Features
- Remote control allows easy performance of basic functions such as power on/off and audio source selection
- Optical digital input compatible with 192 kHz / 24-bit audio codecs