Home Multitest – Streamers up to 1000 Euro – With bonus!

Multitest – Streamers up to 1000 Euro – With bonus!

11
Streamer Shootout

Yamaha WXC-50

The Yamaha WXC-50 is a familiar one to us. This very affordable streamer is basically a pre-amp streamer with some extra inputs. Very useful for those who want to put together something nice, but do not want to invest too much money. Actually, all you need is a pair of active speakers. Very nice device for 449 Euro.

Regular readers of Alpha Audio know that the Yamaha WXC-50 is a streamer and preamplifier that has been around for a few years. It has already passed by a few times. What we haven’t always touched on is that there are two different dacs in the streamer. And the importer pointed this fact out to us again. So behind the variable output, the preamp, and behind the fixed line-out output are different DAC chips. That’s a pretty curious design in a 449 Euro DAC. Sound-wise, the variable output is clearly better, so we use it in the test.

The playback

We hear a streamer that can only be built like this by Yamaha: very neutral in playback, clear, but not sharp. A typical Yamaha sound and we appreciate that. There is not ‘just’ something built into a box, time and effort has been spent to give this WXC-50 the Yamaha sound genes. You can hear from every Yamaha product that they also make musical instruments, it simply ‘fits’.

When listening, you don’t get much from the acoustics of the recording room. The soundstage is somewhat flat and is close to the speakers. This streamer does nothing wrong and for the price tag, the performance is more than good enough. In the under 500 Euro category, this remains a strong candidate.

Specifications Yamaha WXC-50

Price 449 Euro
DAC PCM5101A + ESS 9006
Outputs Variable + fixed RCA, sub-out
Inputs RCA, optical, Ethernet, USB
Airplay Yes
UPNP Yes
Other Bluetooth
ROON No
Own app Yes + web interface (automation)
Power supply Internal
Type test
Multitest
Production country
Differs
Features
  Yamaha WXC-50
  • Build: Neat. Especially considering the price
  • Sound: Calm, neutral, relaxed
  • Imaging: Tad small, but sleek
  • Overall: Neat and widely applicable. Excellent price
  • Price: 449
  Audiolab 7000N
  • Build: Nice, basic
  • Sound: Rhythmic, tight, insightful
  • Imaging: Fairly large. Solid focus
  • Overall: DTS PlayFi is not pleasant. But the sound is good!
  • Price: 649
  FIIO R7
  • Build: Very nice
  • Sound: Detailed, tad dry
  • Imaging: Ambiance well audible. Tight in focus
  • Overall: Very flexible product. Beautifully made.
  • Price: 749
  Volumio Primo
  • Build: Playfull, neat
  • Sound: Pleasant, smooth, large
  • Imaging: Large!
  • Overall: Very fine streamer. Very affordable and upgradable
  • Price: 799

Winkels met Audiolab

Schoenmakersstraat 19
6041EX Roermond, NL
Grotestraat 23
5931 CS Tegelen, NL

Winkels met Yamaha

Sint-Antoniusstraat 15
2300 Turnhout, BE
Joseph Bensstraat 21
1180 Ukkel, BE
Pleinweg 136
3083 EP Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, NL
Hooikade 13
2627 Delft, Zuid Holland, NL
Bredabaan 1031
B-2930 Brasschaat, BE
Pelikaanstraat 126
2018 Antwerpen, BE
Schoenmakersstraat 19
6041EX Roermond, NL
Grotestraat 23
5931 CS Tegelen, NL
Parkweg 23
8084GG 't Harde, NL
Stationsweg 87
9471 GM Zuidlaren, NL
St. Ceciliastraat 28
5038 HA Tilburg, NL
Hermesweg 2
3741 GP Baarn, Utrecht, NL
Korevaarstraat 2 e-f
2311 JS Leiden, NL
Steenstraat 54
6828 CM Arnhem, Gelderland, NL
St.-Katelijnevest 53
2000 Antwerpen, BE
Beethovenstraat 9-b
1077 HL Amsterdam, Noord Holland, NL

11 COMMENTS

  1. The Primo is interesting…I’ve been using a Pi2design Mercury (CM4 rpi based streamer) with Volumio to really good effect. The software has some adjustability via pluggins that can improve the sound further – particularly Sound shield which can quiet the cpu and lower its functions while playing music. Then also a lps (all the typical things like cabling etc that you guys have covered with great care). Crazy how small and well-placed tweaks can go a long way.

    And now of course, that Eversolo DMP is looking to be yet another paradigm shift in this arena and similar price range. Would love your impressions of that one!

  2. Very nice comparison, and I know you can’t compare all streamers in this price category. However I must admit I was a little disappointed to first see my streamer in the list to be tested (cambridge CXN v2) and then noticed it wasn’t present anymore when I sat down to listen to the shootout. Still curious how it would have compared, just like the Innuos ZENmini MK3 which I also have (or the more recent model the Innuos Pulsemini). Maybe in a future test after all you like doing mega tests :-). Like the recent excellent bookshelf speaker test. In any case succes in future shootouts!

  3. Hello Alpha

    Would have like 2 see the bluesound node n130 between these streamers. Curious how it would compare.

    I ordered the new node X, hopefully 🤞 it has the same powerboard, so I could change it and hook up the sBooster. Pretty interesting product, new DAC an pretty 🤩