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YAMAHA | MAGNEPAN
YAMAHA EXPANDS AIRPLAY 2 SUPPORT
Yamaha continues to upgrade its product line-up by adding Apple
AirPlay 2 support and expanded Spotify Connect capabilities, this time
via a firmware update for fifteen current home audio products and
recently via another update to its Yamaha MusicCast app that enabled
more than 70 Yamaha models gain support for Actions on Google,
enabling voice control via the Google Assistant.
These new capabilities add to Yamaha’s existing list of built-ins,
including Spotify, Deezer and TIDAL, high-resolution audio support,
voicecontrolviaanAlexadevice,andWi-FiandBluetoothconnectiv-
ity,plussoonotherfirmwareupdateswilladdeARC(enhancedaudio
returnchannel)functionalitytomostYamahaAVreceivers.‘Weare
committedto thelongevityof ourcurrentrangeof homeaudioproducts,’
saidSimonGoldsworthy, GeneralManager,AVDivisionofYamaha
MusicAustralia.‘Yamahacreatesproductswithsomeof themostrobust
hardwareintheindustry.Withthesefreeupdates,weareableto provide
thelatesttechnologyandfeaturesto bothourexistingandfuturecustomers,
whonowhaveevenmoreoptionsto choosefromwhenit comesto enjoying
theirfavouritemusicandaudiocontent.Additionally,theycannowuse
theirfavouritevoiceassistant—whetherthatbeSiri,Alexaor GoogleAssis-
tant—toseamlesslycontrolthatexperiencethroughouttheirhomes.’
ThefirmwareupdatesincludesupportforAppleAirPlay2, adding
theabilitytostreamAppleMusicandotherstreamingservicesfrom
youriPhone,iPad,HomePodandMactomultipleYamahadevicesand
otherAirPlay2-enabledspeakers.And,withSirionyouriPhone,iPad,
HomePodandAirPods,youcancontrolwhat’splayingineverypartof
yourhomewithjustyourvoice.
TheupdatealsoenablesactionsonGoogle,enablingvoicecontrol
ofcompatibleYamahadevicesviatheGoogleAssistant,meaning
YamahaownerscanusetheirGoogleHome,AndroidoriOSdevices
with the Google Assistant app from the App store to control their
Yamaha home theatre with voice commands, link rooms hands-free,
adjust volumes and the ability to use Spotify Connect with free Spotify
accounts (previously only available for paid subscription-based ac-
counts)
Finally, the update adds eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) to
2017 and 2018 AV receivers, supporting uncompressed audio formats
such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, and object-based surround such
asDolbyAtmosandDTS:X.For more information, or help with installing the free updates,
contact Yamaha Music Australia on 1300 739 411 or
(03) 9693 5111 or via the website at au.yamaha.comMAGNEPAN
MG30.
Australian Magnepan distributor McLeans
Smarter Home Entertainment has announced
that the Magnepan MB30.7 four-panel, four-
way, ribbon/quasi-ribbon line source loud-
speaker is now finally available in Australia.
The 30.7 is Magnepan’s first-ever four-way
speaker. The left and right channel woofer/
lower-midrange panels are each comprised of
two (differently sized) rectangular ribbon-
type planar bass drivers that both have front
and rear magnet arrays in order to increase
efficiency and minimise distortion. The left
and right-channel upper-midrange/high-
frequency panels are designed to stand beside
and a little behind their companion bass
panels, and use Magnepan’s signature pure-
ribbon linear tweeter, which is juxtaposed
with a quasi-ribbon-type planar midrange
driver. This midrange driver is the same basic
design as previous Magnepan quasi-ribbon
midrange drivers, but uses a new, ultra-low
mass diaphragm material which Magnepan
says has helped make this panel the fastest
and most responsive midrange driver it has
ever produced. The midrange driver, like the
other quasi-ribbon drivers in the speaker, uses
front and rear magnet arrays.
First-order (6dB per octave) crossover
networks are used to cross between all the
panels. According to Wendell Diller, of
Magnepan, the smaller bass driver and the
line-source midbass coupler share a common
diaphragm membrane, but use separate voice
coils, each optimised for its frequency range.
Despite being only very recently released,
the Magnepan has already been named
‘Product of the Year’ by The Absolute Sound
magazine.
The Magnepan 30.7’s bass panel is
the same size as the Magnepan 20.
loudspeaker—2007×737×52cm—(HWD).
The tweeter/midrange panel is the same
height and depth, but much narrower, at
just 368mm wide. Despite this panel area,
the surface area of the new 30.7s is actually
22 per cent greater than the famous Tym-
pani IVa. The Magnepan 30.7 is also the most
‘user-adjustable’ design from Magnepan yet,
because the levels of the midbass, midrange,
and high-frequency panels can be individu-
ally adjusted. However you adjust it, the fre-
quency response will remain at 20Hz–40kHz
and the impedance at 4Ω.
Pricing depends on your choice of frame
type (wood or metal), frame finish (Natural,
Black Oak, Dark Cherry/ Silver, Black, Red)
and grille fabric (off-white, bright-white,
black, dark grey) and will typically range
between $52,990 and $55,750 per pair.You can ring Bill McLean at McLean’s
Smarter Home Entertainment for more infor-
mation and/or to arrange a private audition
inthestore’sbrandnewlisteningroom.For more information, contact
McLeans Smarter Home Entertainment on
1300 995 448 or visit http://www.mcleans.info