Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500
Vinyl replay arrives with a wide, warm soundstage, quiet backgrounds and confident pitch, while the VINYL 500’s real magic is its MusicCast multiroom streaming. Sound Advice found its presentation lush, forgiving and spacious; StereoNET praised the app’s stable, flexible whole-home operation. With phono and line outputs plus network streaming, this is an elegant all-in-one hub for records and high-resolution music.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
90/100
Build Quality
88/100
Features Usability
92/100
Value for Money
89/100
Pros
Spacious, engaging vinyl sound with a forgiving treble, very good pitch stability and low background noise.
Exceptional flexibility: streams records wirelessly to MusicCast devices while also serving as a capable network streamer.
Well-executed tonearm package with strong tracking and precise factory cartridge alignment.
Cons
The built-in phono stage is less refined than a quality external or amplifier phono stage, producing a flatter, less dynamic soundstage.
As a record player alone, similarly priced dedicated turntables can offer more dramatic vinyl performance.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 90/100
Reviewers find the Vinyl 500 consistently engaging, spacious and tonally agreeable, with very good pitch composure and a notably quiet presentation. Its supplied arm and cartridge are well executed, although some listeners find the overall balance a little dry, conservative or light in scale compared with more overtly dramatic rivals.
Overall Sound
90/100
Lite MAGAZIN praises a detailed, warm, dynamic and expansive sound that ranks among the strongest in its price class. Sound Advice also hears an appealing flow and forgiving, lush presentation, while Andrew Robinson finds good detail and imaging but less weight, impact and scale than the best alternatives.
Speed Stability
89/100
Sound Advice reports very good pitch stability, and StereoNET could not detect speed variation, wow or other signs of a cheaply executed mechanism. The published 0.2% wow-and-flutter figure is competent rather than exceptional, but listening reports suggest stable playback in normal use.
Tonearm Performance
91/100
The straight arm's detachable headshell is welcomed for its practicality, and StereoNET found the supplied stylus tracked very well at the recommended force. Mono & Stereo reports exceptionally accurate factory alignment, a solid arm, correctly working cueing and anti-skate, and secure, wobble-free joints.
Noise Isolation
91/100
Sound Advice found no unwanted noise, while Mono & Stereo reports a complete absence of noise or hum. StereoNET also describes a satisfyingly low noise floor, with record-surface noise muted on clean vinyl.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
Reviewers describe a handsome, high-standard finish, with the gloss-black chassis and metal-look detailing making a strong visual impression. Andrew Robinson does not place it at Technics-level construction, but considers it highly competitive at its price, and Mono & Stereo found the arm assembly and fittings precisely executed.
Features Usability
92/100
This is an unusually flexible record player, combining vinyl replay with MusicCast streaming, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, AirPlay, a switchable built-in phono stage and line or phono outputs. Sound Advice considers its ability to handle network audio and records in one component a genuinely distinctive attraction, while the fitted cartridge and detachable headshell simplify getting started and making cartridge changes.
Value for Money
89/100
At roughly $700, Mono & Stereo calls it an impressively priced and carefully executed product, while Sound Advice says its all-in-one appeal is compelling for buyers who need both streaming and vinyl functionality. Pure turntable buyers can obtain comparable record-playing performance for less, but StereoNET still considers it a worthy purchase once the onboard phono stage and flexibility are included; Andrew Robinson finds it especially compelling below $500.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- File Format
- MP3 / WMA / MPEG-4 AAC: up to 48 kHz / 16-bit, ALAC: up to 96 kHz / 24-bit, FLAC / WAV / AIFF: up to 192 kHz / 24-bit, DSD: up to 11.2 MHz
- Ethernet
- Yes
- Wi-Fi
- Yes (2.4 / 5 GHz)
- AirPlay
- Yes
- Version/Profile
- Ver. 4.2 / A2DP, AVRCP (Bluetooth is compatible with SCMS-T.)
- Audio Codec
- SBC, AAC
- Maximum Communication Range
- 32 ft. 10 in. (without interference)
- Drive Method
- Belt drive
- Motor
- DC motor
- Rotation Speed
- 33-1/3 rpm, 45 rpm
- Rotation Speed Variation
- ±2%
- Wow And Flutter
- 0.2%
- Platter
- Aluminium die-cast (Diameter 30 cm)
- Output Level
- 450 mV (-7 dBV, with RIAA EQ, 1 kHz, 3.54 cm / sec), 2.5 mV ± 3 dBV (without RIAA EQ, 1 kHz, 3.54 cm / sec)
- Signal To Noise Ratio
- 67 dB or higher (A-weighted, 20 kHz, LPF)
- Tonearm
- Static balance straight tonearm
- Effective Arm Length
- 223.5 mm
- Overhang
- 19 mm
- Stylus Pressure Adjustment Range
- 0-4 g
- Acceptable Cartridge Weight
- 15.5-19 g (including headshell)
- Cartridge Type
- MM type
- Output Voltage
- 2.5 mV (1 kHz, 3.54 cm / sec)
- Stylus Pressure
- 3.5 ± 0.5 g
- Cartridge Weight
- 5.0 ± 0.3 g
- Cartridge Height
- 17.0 ± 0.7 mm
- Headshell Weight
- 10 g (including screws, nuts and wires)
- Output Terminal
- RCA: 2 (PHONO, LINE)
- Output Level
- 2.0 ± 0.3 V (1 kHz, 0 dB, Fs 44.1 kHz)
- Signal to Noise Ratio
- [IHF-A network] 110 dB or higher (Infinity zero, Fs 44.1 kHz)
- Dynamic Range
- 100 dB or higher (1 kHz, -60 dB, Fs 44.1 kHz)
- Harmonic Distortion
- 0.003 % or lower (1 kHz, 0 dB, Fs 44.1 kHz)
- Frequency Response
- Fs 44.1 kHz; 2 Hz to 20 kHz (+0 / -3 dB), Fs 48 kHz; 2 Hz to 24 kHz (+0 / -3 dB), Fs 96 kHz; 2 Hz to 48 kHz (+0 / -3 dB), Fs 192 kHz; 2 Hz to 96 kHz (+0 / -6 dB)
- Power Consumption
- 6 W
- Eco-Standby (reference date)
- 0.3 W
- Standby Power Consumption
- 1.4 W (Network standby ON, Bluetooth® standby OFF, Wired), 1.8 W (Network standby ON, Bluetooth standby ON/OFF, Wi-Fi), 1.6 W (Network standby ON, Bluetooth standby ON, Wired)
- Dimension (W×H×D)
- 17-3/4” x 5-3/8” x 14-1/2”
- Weight
- 12.6 lbs.
Manufacturer's Description — Yamaha
MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi Turntable
Vinyl Unleashed. Stream your records and music services to MusicCast speakers with no wires attached and no receiver required. Wi-Fi connection ensures exceptional sound quality. With a MusicCast multi-room system, hear your records throughout your entire home.
- Stream music services with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect.
- Yamaha Hi-Fi quality built for accuracy and sonic purity. Perfect for the audiophile or beginner vinyl collector.
- Built-in phono preamp gives you flexibility to connect any audio system, adding streaming service playback to your legacy Hi-Fi system.
- Rotation speed: 33-1/3 rpm, 45 rpm
Turning the tables on cables
Giving an 'old-school' medium a modern spin, wirelessly connect the MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable to your MusicCast enabled receiver and other devices to enjoy your record collection without all the cables.
Place the turntable anywhere!
Don't stop the music
Hit the end of a record and don’t want the music to stop? With the VINYL 500 you can keep the music going by streaming music services via Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, or Bluetooth
Connect the MusicCast VINYL 500 to your existing stereo equipment and get ready for a serious upgrade to your setup.
Anyway you want it
Take control of your music streaming and your wireless setups with the MusicCast app. Create favorites, control your multi-room vinyl experience or MusicCast Stereo system. Geek out on all the options and settings to really make your music yours.
You spin me 'round
Turn your listening experience on its head. Meet the MusicCast VINYL 500.
Meticulously designed to ensure the most faithful reproduction of sound - the way music was made to be heard — the MusicCast VINYL 500 features a straight tonearm for an open sound as well as a belt-drive motor to minimize noise caused by vibrations.
You turn me on
The piano black finish shows off your style and your records. And with no receiver or speaker wires needed, get creative and put your VINYL 500 anywhere it looks good!
Bluetooth out
In or out. The VINYL 500 is equipped with Bluetooth technology, making wireless operation more convenient than ever. You can stream music from the VINYL 500 to Bluetooth headphones for private listening or to Bluetooth speakers. Bluetooth output has been improved, reducing lip sync delays from digital sources.
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- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 138 Quaiduson — online and in-store — Lille, Hauts-de-France, France (website)
- A1 Futureshop — online and in-store — North Rocks, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acclaim Sound and Light — online and in-store — North Bay, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Acoustic Sound Design — online and in-store — Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
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