Remember those sci-fi movies of a few decades ago, where everyone in some  future society wore the same outfit, sported identical pageboy haircuts and lounged on uncomfortable-looking pieces of furniture in all-white rooms? A depressing vision, in my opinion. But they got one thing right—the denizens of these otherwise uninviting environs had merely to touch a button on the wall to call forth myriad entertainment options.

---

The core of MusicCast is the MCX-1000 server (left). The MCX-CA15 in-wall amplifier (right) provides power for a pair of speakers, an output for connecting an external amp, and an input for devices such as iPods. (Click image to enlarge)

---

 
Even though my ward-robe remains diverse and my hairstyle maintains a semblance of individuality, I can now touch a panel on my wall to summon any type of audio entertainment I desire. I use a tiny joystick on the panel to search quickly through my entire music collection. An illuminated display lists art-ists, CD titles and music genres. My favorite tunes emerge from a pair of ceiling speakers—and the usual pile of unsightly black audio components is nowhere to be seen.

This wondrous capability comes to me courtesy of Yamaha’s MusicCast system. MusicCast began life about a year and a half ago, as a server system that stores up to 1,000 CDs on a computer-style hard drive and broadcasts music to receivers scattered throughout a home. Initially, I did not take MusicCast seriously because the receivers with their optional speakers look to me like glorified boom boxes. But the new MusicCast in-wall client transforms MusicCast into something that any upscale homeowner—or even Princess Leia—would be proud to have installed in their den.Instead of a pile of black boxes, all I see in my kitchen is the 4.8-inch-square MCX-C15 controller mounted in my wall near the light switch. I hit the “on” button and the controller’s two-line display changes from a digital clock readout to a menu that lets me access my music collection. Through the joystick, I can navigate my music collection easily. Other buttons on the front let me start and stop the music and adjust volume. Yamaha includes a remote control, too. The whole package exudes high-end style; it has a clean white and silver appearance instead of the confusing, geeky collection of look-alike buttons that mars so many in-wall keypads.

---

The MCX-C15 keypad (left and far right) includes a display that shows song and album titles, artist info, etc., and comes with a remote control (center left). The MCX-1000 server has its own remote (center right). (Click image to enlarge)

---

Despite its apparent simplicity, the controller can access a wealth of audio entertainment options. In my installation, I can turn the sound on and off in a room, select tunes from the MusicCast music server and control the volume. Were I to add a MusicCast-compatible Yamaha audio/video receiver, I would also be able to control any audio component connected to the receiver—for example, a CD player, a satellite radio tuner or the receiver’s own AM/FM tuner. I can access any of these through the in-wall controller’s four programmable “favorites” buttons—or I can dedicate these buttons to my favorite musical artists or genres.

To be honest, the in-wall controller is not the only MusicCast component I can see. If I look down, I find Yamaha’s nifty MCX-CA15 in-wall amplifier, which matches the controller’s dimensions and look. It provides 17 watts of power to each of two speakers. It also has connections for an external audio component, so you can play, say, an iPod or a computer through the system’s speakers. And it has outputs so you can connect a larger amplifier and a subwoofer if you are so inclined. The amp’s composite video output lets you view MusicCast’s menus on a TV screen.However, much of MusicCast’s magic you may never see. The real innovation here—the thing that could not be done just a couple of years ago—is the simplicity of installation. MusicCast components connect to each other the same way computers do: through an Ethernet network. Everything connects to a router or switch in your audiovisual equipment rack. From there, your installer runs an ordinary CAT5 cable to each room where you want to put an in-wall controller and amplifier. And of course, you can add a wireless MusicCast receiver in any room where wiring is inconvenient.

The audio enthusiasts among our readership may be scoffing at 17 watts of power. But truth be told, most audio systems consume only about one watt of power in normal use, such as playing background music or radio programs. In a small room with a typical set of speakers, a stereo 17-watt amp will get you up to about 100 decibels—which is about as loud as a jet taking off 500 yards away.

I can find only one significant downside to MusicCast: It is more of a closed system than most of the music servers we have tested. You cannot transfer MP3 files from a computer into the MusicCast server or vice versa. This means that any music you already have stored will have to be recopied from your CDs into the MusicCast server.Unlike most multiroom products made by mainstream manufacturers, MusicCast looks upscale and feels upscale, even if its acquisition cost is decidedly mass-market. Whether or not we will one day fill our living rooms with uninviting furniture remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that someday, we shall all have something like MusicCast.

DESCRIPTION
Music server and multiroom audio system. Stores music from CDs on a hard drive and distributes music to as many as seven in-wall controllers or five wireless receivers in other rooms. Server can also burn CDs

AUDIO FORMATS SUPPORTED
PCM; MP3 at 160, 256 or 320 kbps

CONNECTIONS
MCX-1000 Server: inputs and outputs for line-level stereo audio, composite video, S-video, optical digital audio, coaxial digital audio, RJ-45 connector for network connection, RS-232 connection on DB9 jack for A/V receiver control
MCX-C15 Controller: RJ-45 connectors for network connection and A/V output, composite video output, block connectors for 12-volt DC input
MCX-CA15 Amplifier: rear RJ-45 connector for A/V input, rear block connectors for two speakers and 12-volt DC input; line-level stereo audio and subwoofer outputs (RCA type), 3.5mm minijacks for line-level input and IR/control input, coaxial connector for 12-volt DC input

DIMENSIONS
MCX-1000 Server: 4.8 x 17.1 x 15.6 inches (hwd)
MCX-C15 Controller: 4.8 x 4.8 inches (hw); 3.8-inch installed depth
MCX-CA15 Amplifier: 4.8 x 4.8 inches (hw); 3.8-inch installed depth

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: MCX-1000 Server $2,199, MCX-C15 Controller $429, MCX-C15P Package (MCX-C15 controller and MCX-CA15 amp) $649
CONTACT: 800.4YAMAHA, www.yamaha.com/home