Streaming system | £999 whf.cm/RN_800A |
If you were to see Yamaha’s R-N800A on a hi-fi rack it would be easy to assume that it was simply another one of the company’s slightly retro-looking but ever-so-classy stereo amplifiers. At first glance, there isn’t anything to suggest otherwise. Power it up, though, and the small but crisp display hidden in the black band along the base of the front panel reveals there is more.
The R-N800A is a just-add-speakers streaming system, or a streaming amplifier, if you prefer. It packs a UPnP streaming module that works with Yamaha’s long-running MusicCast app and does pretty much what you would expect from such a product. It will play music from a NAS unit and includes the expected streaming services (Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer and Qobuz). Bluetooth (4.2), Apple AirPlay 2 and Roon compatibility are also on the menu. However, Chromecast is a notable absentee. Elsewhere there is a moving-magnet phono stage, a DAB/FM radio tuner and a 6.3mm headphone output.