Compact multi-room system that integrates hi-res streaming with smart home technology
Being able to access and enjoy music throughout our homes is a luxury that many audio fans treasure. And judging by the plethora of desktop and multi-room systems promising hi-res capability rubbing shoulders with high-end standalone separates in today’s marketplace, this is also becoming increasingly more common. Musaic may seem like the new kid on the hi-fi block, but this London-based startup stems from experienced lineage, co-founded and run by ex-Cambridge Audio technical director Matthew Bramble.
Part funded via its own Kickstarter campaign, Musaic offers two products with an identical feature set and with the larger of the two units, the MP10, sporting increased power aligned to a more sophisticated in-built driver array. At the heart of each beats cool running Class D amplification, which in the MP5’s case outputs 18W per side into two full-range 55mm front-firing drive units made from doped paper cones with mylar dust caps. The MP10 ups the ante with 60W on tap, shared across two 45mm high-frequency/midrange drivers flanking a centrally positioned 90mm front-firing bass driver. A rear grab handle also acts as a discreet bass port, to further aide lower frequency reproduction and both models feature a custom-tuned version of HDSX signal processing, claimed to expand the listening position’s sweet-spot.
Looking at the units head on tells me straight away that the user experience is as much delivered in the virtual domain as it is in the physical, with 10 touch-sensitive top-panel buttons emulating smartphone icons that include power, volume and mute in the right bank and play controls to the left, which also double up as memory recall buttons. There’s also a heart-shaped ‘like’ icon and light bulb symbol, revealing how the Musaics are also designed to work with streaming services and smart home lighting systems.
Physical inputs are limited to a rear-panel 3.5mm analogue input, a USB-A charge socket for smartphones and the like and an Ethernet port. The system’s real talent, however, lies in its streaming support, and to access everything it has to offer, you need to download the free Musaic app (for Android and iOS). Setting up a wi-fi connection is plain sailing, although as there’s no screen you need to start with your smartphone to create a connection and get the player on your home network, but it’s easy to do and you only need to do it once.
Once up and running on my iPhone 5s, the app offers plenty of options and settings to keep me entertained, while also being logically structured to prevent me getting lost. At the bottom of the screen is a row of music source icons to access music stored on my phone, internet radio stations, music libraries on my network (including my NAS drive), plus a range of third-party streaming services. For the latter, seamless integration is provided for Spotify Connect, and you’ll need Spotify’s Premium package to access this. There’s also support for AUPEO!, Murfie, Napster, Qualcomm AllPlay and Soma FM with more in the pipeline, including Tidal.
Hitting the home icon takes you to the ‘Rooms’ menu, which lists each Musaic player on your network, allowing you to stream music to each individually, or group them to play simultaneously, with one acting as a ‘master’ allowing it to relay music on, such as when streaming via Bluetooth. Delving deeper into the settings sub-menu opens up more options, including tone controls for each unit, renaming each player (by location, such as ‘kitchen’ for example), and a handy alarm clock function that allows your slumber to be broken by music of your choosing.
A range of file types is supported including MP3/AAC/ALAC/FLAC/AIFF and WAV up to 24-bit/192kHz, alongside aptX Bluetooth, although when streaming from my Synology NAS, I’m not able to see the incoming bit-depth and sample rate in the app.
Sound quality
Across both Musaic players I get a sense of a bigger sound than I’d expect from boxes of this size, without them trying to reach beyond their limits. Instead the sound is convincingly well defined for speakers of this type, while offering enough excitement to grab your attention without becoming taxing.
With the MP5 firstly taking the stage in my 3x4m office and streaming Vaults’ Premonitions at 320kbps via Spotify Connect, I am presented with a wider soundstage than anticipated. Sure, this is no substitute for a true two-channel system, but nor is the Musaic attempting to be, and what I get is a musical presentation that sounds much broader than many one-box players. The way in which midrange in particular is able to escape the MP5’s physical confines is impressive as it extends out into the left channel, while the rhythmic clicks in the percussion retain enough echo to also generate a pleasant amount of soundstage depth. What’s also notable is how the MP5 glues the various instruments within the track together in a cohesive manner, allowing all of its elements to combine and build the music’s overriding atmospheric, to hook me in.
Swapping the MP5 for its larger MP10 sibling makes for a more detailed and in many ways grown-up performance. Vocals and instruments, especially in the treble, sound less forward in the mix and with smoother edges, which ensures the lead singer’s ethereal delivery can sweep across the soundstage without fear of sibilance or hard edges. With the MP5 in the lead, the track has more emphasis in its attack, but with the MP10 taking the reins, the music is presented more neutrally, allowing me to find my own way into the song. As I’d expect, bass presence via the MP10 is also firmer rooted, emphasising the worthy contribution of its dedicated low-frequency driver as it integrates seamlessly with the treble/mid units. With its three drivers working in unison comes a soundstage that’s more extended top to bottom than the MP5, especially with the volume at party levels.
An attribute that’s common to both players’ personalities is in how the music they produce isn’t too focused at a particular zone within the room or aimed squarely dead ahead in front of them. I stream a 16/44 FLAC rip of Father John Misty’s Chateau Lobby #4 from his I Love You, Honeybear album, firstly via the MP5 and then through the MP10. With my listening seat positioned 2m in front of each player, instruments are placed precisely where they should be with the guitars at the centre of the mix, complemented by horns and tambourines at the edges, alongside layers of percussion deeper still. Moving left or right of this position and the musical image remains the same, continuing to sound whole and well rounded, with less drop off or over attention on areas of the frequency band than I’d expected. As I continue to move away from my listening position, the music gives a good impression of following me around the room without getting too lost or blurred, a characteristic that may be particularly appealing if you’re looking to install a Musaic player in a kitchen for example.
Settling back into my listening seat and armed with a 24/96 FLAC download of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ Refugee, it’s good to know both Musaics can buckle up for some pulse-raising rock when asked. With the MP5 tackling the track head on, the music has lots of life, with Petty’s grand chord strikes rendered with enough body to get my fingers twitching for an air guitar. Switching over to the MP10 and there’s an increased sense of breathing space around the vocals, more rewarding, though, is the extra weight and power that this player brings to the big guitar chords, which has me unashamedly grabbing the air guitar, this time with both hands.
Conclusion
While clearly developed with an eye on the lifestyle market, what’s apparent from the outset is how the Musaics have also been engineered for maximum sound quality from their compact cases, meaning your office or kitchen need not suffer from audio that’s overly compromised. And while the Musaics’ onboard controls are intentionally limited, thankfully the accompanying app is very user friendly, allowing you to jump across each device in the moment, or get them singing together without interrupting the fl ow of the music. While the MP5 is a great value single-box player, paying the extra £100 out for the MP10 is worth considering as it takes the audio quality up to the next level and far beyond its price point.
FEATURES
● Quoted power output: 36W (MP5)/60W (MP10)
● Wi-fi and Ethernet streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz
● Analogue and aptX Bluetooth inputs
WEIGHT
MP5: 1.8kg
MP10: 2.6kg
DIMENSIONS (WxHxD)
MP5: 343 x 124 x 95mm
MP10: 412 x 146 x 115mm