June 19 - 8:40am EDT   Yamaha on Friday upgraded its multi-room audio system with the MusicCAST2. Similar to a Sonos system, the combination dock and touchscreen controller pipes Internet and network-attached audio over the local Ethernet or Wi-Fi network to as many as 32 different receivers. The controller supports sharing iTunes libraries thanks to TwonkyMedia's service; the central cradle also supports media from USB devices, including iPods, and has internal Bluetooth to receive audio from cellphones. It also directly supports RealNetworks' Rhapsody and generic Internet radio. [full story]

March 4 - 5:45pm EST   Yamaha on Monday announced the availability of four new home theater systems, including the flagship 7.1-channel YHT-791BL. It includes a 90W-per-channel HTR-6250BL receiver. The receiver has four 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs, HD Audio internal decoding and Bluetooth compatibility. There is also a pair of front speakers with 6.5-inch woofers and 0.75-inch tweeters, a center channel with two 3-inch woofers and 0.75-inch tweeter as well as four satellite surround speakers, each packing a 3-inch driver and 0.5-inch tweeter. A 100W, 10-inch subwoofer provides the low bass, and the company's iPod dock, the YDS-11SL, is included with the $850 system. [full story]

October 22 - 8:40pm EDT   Yamaha has begun shipping its latest computer recording systems, the AudioGram 3 and AudioGram 6. Both devices offer mic and line inputs and connect to the computer via USB. Various connections are provided, including XLR, 1/4 inch instrument, 1/8 inch headphone, and RCA jacks. Both devices integrate a preamp when using mic inputs and provide 48-V phantom power as needed for condenser microphones. AudioGram 3 features both a mono input that can be used for a mic or instrument, and a stereo channel for connecting line level sources. [full story]

October 3 - 4:05pm EDT   At the CEATEC show earlier this week, Yamaha’s electronics arm introduced two new mini audio systems with integrated iPod/iPhone docking stations, the TSX-120 and TSX-130. Both systems also share a built-in FM radio tuner and the same 15WRMS x 2 amplifier to drive the pair of 3.1-inch speakers. The main difference between the two is the TSX-130’s inclusion of a CD drive, USB port for reproducing audio files from flash drives or other MP3 players, along with a black color option that includes a darker wood grain finish as well. The TSX-120 replaces the USB port with a more common 3.5mm stereo jack. [full story]

August 14 - 4:55pm EDT   Having waited out the HD format war safely, Yamaha is getting ready to jump into the Blu-ray market with its BD-S2900 player, according to a leaked report, pre-empting the player's expected release at the CEDIA show at the start of September. The unofficial specifications have the BD-S2900 compatible with the Profile v1.1, allowing users to view extra BonusView content without turning to their PC's Blu-ray drives, capable of 1080p/24fps HDMI video output, and upscaling of standard DVDs. [full story]

July 23 - 4:45pm EDT   Low-cost flat panel HDTV maker VIZIO recently said it will enter the home audio market with its simulated surround sound system comprised of a slim speaker and a wireless subwoofer. Earlier this year, the company's only other attempt to make a sound system came in the form of the wireless speaker Jive SV5.1 upgrade kit for its Black Tie- and XVT-series of HDTVs. [full story]

July 18 - 4:25pm EDT   Yamaha has launched the YDS-11SL iPod dock, which allows users to play the digital music stored on their iPods via their home theater system. The dock is made to connect to Yamaha's receivers as well as the company's YSP-3050 speaker bar, providing full control via the home theater electronics maker's remote. The iPod screen comes up on users' video displays via Yamaha's On-Screen Display visual interface. [full story]

July 1 - 1:05pm EDT   Electronics builder Yamaha has released the YSP-3050, a new speakerbar in its Digital Sound Projector line. Like other speakerbars, the 3050 attempts to mimic separate surround speakers through a single unit, by using a multitude of tiny drivers aimed in different directions; the 3050 has has some 21 drivers, with 23 amplifiers and two woofers. This allows 5.1-channel sound under codecs such as SRS, DTS Neo:6 and Dolby Digital. People can additionally switch to a variety of unique combinations, such as My Beam, which isolates sound to a single listener. [full story]

April 8 - 3:05pm EDT   Yamaha says it is bringing a formerly Japanese-only digital instrument, the Tenori-on, to the United States. The instrument consists mainly of 256 LED buttons, which can be touched and swiped to create different patterns, in turn affecting how loaded sound samples are looped. By adding or deleting various layers of sound, a musician can theoretically play multiple parts of a song by himself, improvising on the fly. [full story]

February 27 - 4:15pm EST   Taking its own turn after Sony, Yamaha has announced five new AV receivers for 2008. The base model is the RX-V363, which supports 5.1 channels with 100W of audio each. It is 1080p-capable, but has only two HDMI inputs (plus three component ports), and is only compatible with iPods and Bluetooth devices through optional accessories. Pricing is set at $230. [full story]