Have been reasearching music servers on this forum and others. Any opinions on the new Yamaha MCX-2000. Seems to be pretty good. Not looking to keep all my cds in lossless format. Have about 350 now.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=626286

read the review. I was looking for other peoples opinions or first hand reviews as well. I have looked at he Olive musica and escient as well.

I've had mine for about a week now. Uploading cd's is really easy. Music quality is excellent. PCM sounds just like the original.

My problem so far? I can't get a playlist to go more than 3 or 4 songs before the unit locks up. I have to unplug it for several minutes to get it to reset.

It's a great device, but I'm hoping Yamaha jumps on my issue quickly. I've already saved about 200 or so songs to the thing.

One thing that's cool... You can save all of your songs in PCM format, and if you ever run out of hard drive space, just go back and delete the PCM file to save space. I've taken some tips from the reviewer and put some of my 80's rock into MP3 files.

I'd like to hear from anyone else who has purchased this item to see if they have any lock up issues.

I've had mine for about a week now. Uploading cd's is really easy. Music quality is excellent. PCM sounds just like the original.

My problem so far? I can't get a playlist to go more than 3 or 4 songs before the unit locks up. I have to unplug it for several minutes to get it to reset.

It's a great device, but I'm hoping Yamaha jumps on my issue quickly. I've already saved about 200 or so songs to the thing.

One thing that's cool... You can save all of your songs in PCM format, and if you ever run out of hard drive space, just go back and delete the PCM file to save space. I've taken some tips from the reviewer and put some of my 80's rock into MP3 files.

I'd like to hear from anyone else who has purchased this item to see if they have any lock up issues.
I ready to pull the trigger on the MCX2000. Has a new firmware been released that fixed the lock issue that you have?

I too have been toying with either the Musiccast mcx2000 or the olive musica. (but also thinking of just upgrading my cd changer until they improve the technology or the prices drop a bit as well.

Any further input now that you have had them a bit long? Any comparison by someone who as seen both the olive and the yamaha?

A quick question on the Yamaha. I know the olive is made to connect wirelessly to your network/pc. From all the pictures of the musiccast and the manual, it looks like the musiccast is always hardwired to the network. If I have my PC and cable modem in another room, but want the musiccast hooked to my home theater in another room, is this doable by wireless network or does the musiccast in fact need to be hardwired. (I asked this at a local sound advice store, and the person who answered (who seemed to know very little about the musiccast he was demonstrating), told me hardwire is necessary.

Any thoughts? Comments?

Been a while since I came back here. Forgot I posted this. The lock up issue was a problem with the unit. I contacted Yamaha, and described my problems. The engineers said the hard drive wasn't formatted correctly, but who knows. I returned the unit, and was sent a new one.

The replacement unit has been working trouble-free since I got it. Almost 1200 songs on the hard drive, and I'm still trying to get all my stuff in there. I even had an update CD sent to me by Yamaha. The updates are supposed to allow album cover art to appear when the song is playing.

I don't have any playlists set up, but you can set them something like 100 of them. I prefer to just use the random and let it run. It's cool to hear music that you haven't heard in a while. I had hundreds of cd's that I never listened to anymore. Now, it's cool to just let it play.

It's pretty easy to upload the cd if you just want to put the whole thing in there. I prefer to pick the songs I want off of each cd, so I don't have to listen to the tracks I didn't really care for. If you store the songs this way, you'll never run out of room, I would think. I set the MP3 quality to the highest setting, but I haven't used the MP3 version. It dually stores both PCM, and MP3. You can delete the PCM copy anytime after storing. I'm just going to leave the PCM's alone unless my hard drive fills up. Then, I'll go back and pick which songs won't make much difference between PCM and MP3.

I don't use the client feature. Don't know if I ever will. But it's certainly a cool thing. You can set up your home computer, or buy one of their remote stations and have complete access to all of the music on the hard drive.

My biggest challenge has been trying to set it up through my wireless network. I can't use the internet database yet. My cable modem is upstairs, and my stereo set-up is downstairs. I have tried, without success, to use a wireless access point to have this feature. I still don't have a clue. I'm sure it can be done, but I need some kind of networking pro. If you have a router that can be hard-wired to the unit it should work fine.

If anyone can help with getting this thing set up wirelessly, let me know!

BearGator, not sure what type of routers you are using. The Linksys WRT models have an alternative firmware that lets them run in wds mode so that you can have a second router that conntects to the original wireless router. The second wireless router does not need to be hooked into a network and simply has connectivity, and you can plug any device into the wired ports to hook them up. I've not done this personally, but many have. With a little googling and searching you should be able to get the two routers talking wirelessly. Good luck. Thanks for the write up / update on the yamaha system. I still think its a great solution, but I decided to go Sonos for my setup. Would be great if these two systems could talk so that no PC would be required (to burn).

BearGator,
I ended up buying the Musiccast about 4 months ago and its already filled up. I have my songs set @ 320 for the mp3 and I've kept the PCM copy.

For your wireless issue that you are having you can plug in a wireless bridge to your musiccast so that you can connect to the router. This is how my setup is right now. My router is in another room from my HT.

Since the Musiccast has the capability to have album art where can I get it? Do I have to create the album art myself or does anyone know where I can download some?

I am debating between Musiccast and Olive Musica. The musica seems $1000 less expensive, reportedly has it's own wireless antenna (so wireless router not needed) and seems to allow copies directly to and from mp3 players via usb.

I have moderate computer knowledge, but know nothing about wireless network setup. What exactly do I need to buy to hook a musiccast to my home theater (on that end) and on my pc end (which is in a nearby room)? I currently have a wired network router to my pc from a cable modem.

Do I need a wireless router between my cable modem and my pc? And then a wireless bridge (is this different from another wireless router?) attached to the Musiccast? (they have that antenna on the musiccast already, why did they not just make the send the signal to the wireless router like the olive products reportedly do?

And another quick question. The guy from musiccast tech support told me that when you create a cd from the musiccast hard drive data, the data file for that music is automatically deleted to keep you from having 2 copies? Is this true? (is this true also for compilation cd's that you create from PCM hard drive music files? Also, I see in the manual that the two choices for saving files seems to be either PCM and MP3 or MP3 alone. Why is there no PCM alone setting (or is there). It seems to me if you are going to take the hard drive space to save the best quality file (PCM), why would you need the MP3 file saved?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Tachy,
I can answer some of your questions. The musiccast has the ability to save both PCM and MP3 or MP3 only. MP3 is saved because this is the format that is streamed to the wired and wireless clients. Unfortunately there is no PCM only setting.

For your wireless hookup of the musiccast you will need a wireless router connected on the PC and a wireless bridge/game adapter connected to the LAN port of the musiccast. I personally use the Linksys wireless bridge. (http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1118334782530&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper) The antenna on the musiccast is for the wireless clients becuase the musiccast itself acts like a router but just for the wireless clients. When you connect the wireless bridge it will connect to the router and you now have an internet connection to the musiccast.

If you're familar with how a XBOX or PS2 is wirelessly connected to the internet this is the same procedure being used. Hence the reason you can substitute the wireless bridge for a Linksys game adapter. (http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1115416829491&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper)

I personally use the Linksys wireless bridge.

I noticed this bridge features "power over ethernet" - does the musiccast work with this feauture or must the bridge be plugged in?

I noticed this bridge features "power over ethernet" - does the musiccast work with this feauture or must the bridge be plugged in?
I haven't tried that feature of the Linksys bridge.

Has anyone upgraded thier harddrive on their MCX-2000?

I did speak to yamaha support via phone, and they suggested that it was recommended that you let them do it, but that if a customer wanted to, it would take a standard ata 100 drive and that they had tested them up to about 750 gig.

I did forget to ask a couple questions......does anyone know if on the MCX-2000, Is there any way to backup the hard drive. The olive musica has an easy backup function to a usb hard drive?

I am still torn between the musica and the musiccast. I do like the onscreen display of the musiccast, but like the fact that the musica can hook directly to my mp3 player, and that I can store all my cds to lossless format only, and not need 2 copies of everything.

The fact that Olive offers free loading of your entire music library onto the device BEFORE purchase is a nice plus to and will save hours I expect. You just pay for postage of the cd's to them, and they do the rest. (and for an extra fee, will even make sure all the text data that is entered is accurate). (there is a limit to the amount of free cd's depending on the device you buy...with a small additional fee if you go over that limit)

Yes, there is a way to backup the harddrive to a PC with the Version Upgrade Vol. 2. I haven't done it myself, but you can take a look at the manual for the upgrade. (http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/musiccast/downloads/MCX-2000_vup2.pdf)

If you search you can find the musiccast for a few hundred dollars more than the msrp of the musica. :cool:

When you called yamaha support is there a specfic number you called? I want to be able to upgrade my harddisk, but have a hard time finding a dealer that has the software to do so. Hopefully Yamaha can send me the disk with the software tools.

I called this number (from their website)
phone: 888-435-7932
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

The musica (with same size hard drive but probably more capacity since you can record to only FLAC format rather than PCM and MP3), is about $1000, and the lowest I could find the Yamaha is for around $1600........any hints as to an authorized dealer that has it for much less?

I bought mine for about 300 less than your best at Brandnamez. Shipped it within a couple of days, and no problems with getting it swapped when it had a problem.

hmmm..........wish I had gotten your reply a couple days ago......since that is much better than the best price I got. :(

I bought it for about $1560, but also splurged for an extended warranty.

BearGator,
I ended up buying the Musiccast about 4 months ago and its already filled up. I have my songs set @ 320 for the mp3 and I've kept the PCM copy.

For your wireless issue that you are having you can plug in a wireless bridge to your musiccast so that you can connect to the router. This is how my setup is right now. My router is in another room from my HT.

Since the Musiccast has the capability to have album art where can I get it? Do I have to create the album art myself or does anyone know where I can download some?

Already filled up? Are you saving entire CD's? I just looked at my capacity, and I'm at 62.7% used. It says I have 119 hours available of PCM, and 1170 of MP3. There's 1208 songs on there now.

The cover art should appear with the new software version. The Gracenote will access it. But, since I can't figure out my internet connection yet, I don't have the cover art.

hmmm..........wish I had gotten your reply a couple days ago......since that is much better than the best price I got. :(

I bought it for about $1560, but also splurged for an extended warranty.

I looked for a few weeks through every google page before I spent the money. It was a choice of buying a PC and setting it up for home theatre/music, or the Yamaha. The Yamaha is just easy to use without the set-up (with the exception of my wireless networking problems!)

After reading the notes on the update, I got the idea you had to find album art manually and manually assign them to each album. Is this not so? I hoped that it would automatically assign most album art since I know the databases are out there.

and as an addendum question......the yamaha rep suggested that if I make a compilation cd using the musiccast, the PCM version of the songs is automatically deleted from the hard drive.

Does this mean that you cannot recopy the songs back to the hard drive from the original cd's after this? (or that you cannot burn two cd's with different compilations that contain the same song?)

And the manual for the client device (MCX-A10) from the yamaha musiccast site seems to suggest that you can only listen to FM radio through the client if you "have a yamah receiver" in addition to the yamaha server. I assume this is an old manual and was referring to the mcx-1000? I assume with the mcx-2000 you can listen to both FM and XM through the clients (if you have the optional xm antenna), without having a yamaha receiver since the mcx-2000 has built in fm/xm tuners?

I have had the Musiccast now for a couple of days and must say I really like it. I am through the initial CD loading period that was a bit tiresome. I do think even the auto cd load could use a few less remote clicks (there should be a default to enter next disk and then perhaps just a click on enter/select on the remote should open the tray for the next disk, rather than having to click up twice and then down twice to hit "ok" again.)

Spent way too much time getting the wireless network to work with the musiccast but that was more of a router/game adapter issue.

There were a couple of small glitches, like when the cd player stopped working and I couldn't get a cd out (it kept giving me a "CD Error"). I finally got it out by putting a paper clip in the little manual eject hole under the tray) and figured out that the machine needed to be reset by holding down the on/off switch for a few seconds, and now all is good again.

Was surpised that I loaded almost all of my cd collection and it only took up about 40% of my hard drive. (PCM and default MP3)

Also, I think there should be a setting to check the internal unit Gracenotes first (since it is much faster) and then if it does not find anything, check the internet. (rather than either internal OR internet)

Overall quite pleased with the unit quality and sound so far.


Brief questions...........

Already asked, but not really answered......Discrete on/off codes for my one for all/radioshack remote control (and therefore allowing me to program my URC MX-500 Remote). Any idea where I can find them. I was told they used to be on your web site, but are no longer. (have tried remotecentral.com)

I have not been able to get windows media connect working. It does not recognize my musiccast once loaded. I had temporarily turned off my software firewall and it did not make any difference, but the wireless router still has one. The DIviM server tool works. I was hoping to listen to my musiccast hard drive music when sitting at my pc though.........I assume the windows media connect might allow me to do this? Will it? (or is there any other way to do this?)

I finally figured out my problem with getting the MCX-2000 to work with my network. I was walking through Best Buy and found a Sling Link Turbo. I ran the easy setup, and it worked perfectly.

The Sling Link just plugs into your hard wired router, and then works through the electrical system when plugged in to add access points wherever you have an electrical outlet. The remote access point has four ports (where all the other wireless access point/bridges only had one), so I was able to wire in my D* H20, XBox 360, and the MCX-2000. There was no set-up other than just plugging it in. How easy is that?

All of the internet features work fine on the Yamaha, with the exception of the album art feature. From what I read, album art was an added enhancement with the update disk. It's just not working. I have an e-mail into the Yamaha techs to see how to do it.

Other than the size of the hardrive in the Yamaha MusicCast 2000 and 1000, what is the difference in the two servers.

Thank you for any thoughts you have on this topic.

I just bought the mcx-2000, but i need the software. The disk was not in the box, and i would rather not depend on yamaha to actualy send the disk. They said that they did twice already. Please help out if you have this software. Thank you.

How can I drag and drop my mp3 music files from my network computer into the mx2000 server? I just got the Yamaha mx 2000 server with 6 clients. Most of my music is in mp3 format.

BearGator56, did you ever get the album art to work? If so, can you share how. Thanks.