Yamaha MusiCast questions

[Boomzilla]

I have a pair of Yamaha wireless "MusiCast" speakers. They seem quite versatile (Bluetooth, WiFi, AirPlay, and DNLA-ethernet compatible), but the specific interest I have for them is using them as wireless surrounds in my HT setup.

The speakers manual is ambiguous about this use. It says "The MusicCast Speaker is not intended for use as a wireless surround sound speaker. However, MusicCast products in general support a wide variety of surround sound experiences. For those who want the ultimate home theater, MusicCast AV receivers support many multi-channel configurations and technologies, including up to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, depending on the model."

So although the speakers are "not intended for use as a wireless surround sound speaker," they "support a wide variety of surround sound experiences." I'm confused.

Does anyone on the Lounge have experience with the MusiCast speakers? Can they be configured as wireless surrounds? The receiver I have has its own WiFi base station, but I've not yet found any instructions on using it to control the wireless speakers (or on how to direct specific channels to those speakers).

Thanks!

Boomziller

[novisnick]

Good morning boom, Im of the thought that they will put the same exact sound all around and not the surrond sound of different channels.

You will be surrounded by the same music or sound, not distinct L/R or other.

This is my stab at it my friend.

Have a great day!

[garbulky]

You're looking at essentially a wireless speaker box for like airplay and stuff mixed in with their version of SONOS. Not as an extension to the surround channel of the Yamaha. But it will allow your music to be transmitted to another room wirelessly. So it can't work as a discrete channel. But it can recieve a down mix of whatever is playing in another room (including blu ray movies which are in surround sound).
So its purpose is you are listening to music on your reciever. Your wife calls from upstairs says I like that music play it up here. Then you select play music to the music cast speaker which is sitting in the bedroom. And it just does it. That's about all there is to it. Nothing a whole lot more configurable than that.
What it won't do is act as the sixth channel during blu ray playback

usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/musiccast/

[Boomzilla]

That's my take on them too. What a shame. One of the biggest needs in HT for WAF is wireless surround speakers. Oh well...

[Bonzo]

No one on this forum needs a new house with a more theater friendly / speaker friendly room than you boom. Not a new amp. Not new speakers. Not Dirac. Not new room treatments. A new room with ceiling and wall access (for wiring), full carpet floor, and no odd entrances or stairways etc.

[hemster]

There are some options that entail wireless transmitters to send surround output to remote speakers.
Below examples are older models that could be found but there may be new alternatives also. 

	Sony SRS-RF90RK. Would need 2 of these for R & L channels.
	Pioneer XW-HT1. This can be placed centered directly behind the listening position as it contains both R & L surround speakers on the sides, so depends on side wall/rear wall diffraction.

[garbulky]

Pack in say a nice airmotiv 4 used package on top of those would make a nice solution. Though I'm not sure how good the sound quality is on those.

I checked some reviews on the Music Cast and looks like it had a lag of a whole second from the Yamaha AVR so that would probably be one of the reasons it would not work as a surround channel due to loss of sync.