The Yamaha WXA-70A is a compact streaming amplifier that powers passive speakers. The Yamaha WXC-70A is a compact music streamer and preamp for an integrated amplifier, receiver, separate power amp, or powered speakers. Both give you MusicCast, HDMI eARC, and Yamaha’s YPAO room calibration. The quickest way to choose is to look at what you already own. If your speakers need an amplifier, start with the WXA. If you already have an amplifier you want to keep, start with the WXC.

We spent time listening to both and found a lot to like about Yamaha’s approach. You get the convenience of a modern streaming system in a small aluminum chassis with a proper volume knob and a remote. For us, the more interesting part was how much each box could do in a real stereo system, particularly if that system also handles TV sound or belongs to a larger MusicCast setup.

Power figures are for the U.S. WXA-70A with both channels driven from 20 Hz to 20 kHz at 0.06% THD. See the Yamaha WXA-70A and Yamaha WXC-70A product pages for current pricing and availability.

Yamaha WXA-70A Streaming Amplifier

Yamaha WXC-70A Streamer and Preamp

MusicCast, HDMI eARC, and Everyday Use

Both models are about 8⅝ inches wide, 2⅞ inches tall, and 10½ inches deep, with black and silver finishes. We like having a physical input selector, a play/pause button, and a volume knob within reach. The small OLED display and included remote make sense on something you might use from the couch just as often as from your phone.

We found streaming easy on both. Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Qobuz Connect let you pick the Yamaha in the music app you already use. AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Bluetooth, and Roon Ready support give you other ways to listen. There’s USB playback for a local library, with support for formats including FLAC, WAV, ALAC, AIFF, and DSD.

MusicCast is especially useful if you already own compatible Yamaha gear. Say you have an AVENTAGE receiver in your theater and want music in an office. A WXA-70A can power the office speakers locally and join MusicCast over your network. You can play something different in each room or group the rooms for the same music.

HDMI eARC and ARC let a compatible TV send audio back to either model over one HDMI cable. With the WXA and compatible HDMI control settings, your TV remote can control volume. With the WXC, volume control depends on the mode and how the rest of the system is connected. An adjustable Dialogue Level control gives you another way to bring voices forward. Read our guide to setting up TV audio over HDMI ARC and eARC.

Both also have an optical input, line-level RCA input, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi. You can connect a turntable with a built-in phono stage to the RCA input, or add an external phono stage if your turntable needs one. For a system controlled from a rack or cabinet, both offer IP control, Control4 compatibility, a wired IR input, and a 12-volt trigger output.

How the Yamaha WXA-70A and WXC-70A Sound

Both use an ESS SABRE ES9039Q2M DAC. Yamaha calls its grounding layout DAC on Pure Ground and uses it to give the analog circuitry a clean electrical reference. In our listening, what stood out was a balanced presentation and a good sense of separation between instruments.

On Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why,” it was easy to follow her voice and the piano as distinct parts of the recording. The vocals came through clearly, and we heard enough definition to follow the instruments without the balance leaning especially warm or bright.

On Billie Eilish’s “bad guy,” the WXA-70A kept the bass line easy to follow with appropriately matched speakers at sensible listening levels. It’s a good example of why we’d match this amp to the room and speakers before worrying about the number on the spec sheet. The WXC leaves the speaker-driving job to your amplifier, so the bass you get from that setup will depend heavily on the amp and speakers you pair it with.

YPAO worked well in our setup. The included microphone makes it straightforward to run the calibration, and we’d take the time to compare your favorite tracks with the correction on and off. How much it changes the sound depends on how your speakers interact with the room. Yamaha’s Reflected Sound Control also addresses early reflections, which can affect how clearly you hear the placement of instruments.

Which Yamaha Should You Buy?

Choose the WXA-70A if you want passive speakers, music streaming, and TV sound from one compact system. Its combination of a real front-panel volume knob, AirPlay 2, MusicCast, and room calibration with the microphone included is a good fit for a system you’ll use every day.

Choose the WXC-70A if the amplifier is already the part of your stereo you’re happiest with. It’s also the more flexible choice if you’d like to select a separate power amp or connect to powered speakers. For someone who wants to add network streaming, TV audio, and the option of room calibration to the same system, the WXC does more than a basic network source.

If you’re considering the WXA alongside the Marantz MODEL M1, Bluesound POWERNODE, or a smaller WiiM or Eversolo model, start with the features you’ll actually use. Speaker pairing, TV connectivity, your preferred streaming app, and the total cost with room correction all matter more than the length of the feature list.

We’re Here to Help!

If you’re deciding between the WXA-70A and WXC-70A, we can help you choose around your speakers, room, and the gear you already own. We can also help you put together a complete stereo, add a subwoofer, or bring MusicCast to another room. Contact our experts by chat, phone, or email, or visit an Audio Advice showroom.

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