WiFi &BT Amp A50+

I purchased the A50 stereo amplifier from Amazon on September 13th 2019 because of its combination of WiFi, Bluetooth AND Airplay connectivity - along with the regular streaming service compatibility. When unpacking it the quality was impressive but the real test was how it works and sounds. It was easy to setup after downloading the free app. In my case I used the Google Play Store for the Android App. I am using the 4stream app but have also used the Muzo app. Both apps quickly found my WiFi network and have worked seamlessly ever since. The A50 Airplay feature was important for me as it is a really inexpensive way to get high quality music from my Apple iMac - better sound than Bluetooth. The iMac also connected to the A50 easily and in OSX you just click on the sound icon at the top right of your screen and select the A50 from the drop down list. I also have FLAC, ALAC, MP3 and other music files stored on a Synology NAS and an Open Media Vault NAS which are connected to my router. Both the 4stream and Muzo apps identify these NAS's, list the available files and play seamlessly through the A50. Initially I had the A50 connected to a pair of old JBL bookshelf speakers but a few months ago I remembered a pair of Energy RC-10 bookshelf speakers that were packed away. Both sets of speakers provide plenty of volume in the 16 foot by 18 foot room that the A50 is in - but the sound quality from the Energy RC-10s just amazes me. I believe that the A50 compares well with the Onkyo TX-NR807 that the RC-10s were connected to a few years back. Both the 4stream and Muzo apps also feature several streaming services but I have mainly used Tidal. The Internet Radio feature has allowed me to find lots of new global radio stations and I just love using my phone as a remote control to find these stations and update my list of favorites. After 8 months of use, I am still very impressed with the Arylic A50 and would recommend it to anyone who wants the convenience of all the services, quality of music output and the small size it takes up. The only 2 features I would like to see added are dual band WiFi (it now has 2.4 only) and the Pandora service to be added to the apps (which have iHeart already). Highly recommended. 3 # photos added May 19th, 2020 - these show the size in comparison to my hand and to a small bookshelf speaker. The photo of the reverse also shows the connectors including the ethernet plug which I am not using. The blue light on the front is bright but not as bright as my cell phone pictures appear. It could easily be toned down or blanked out with a small piece of tape but this has not bothered me.

We have a pair of Bose outdoor speakers wired to a binding post connector inside our house. I was looking for an easy way to stream music to an amplifier that would power those speakers. I wanted a solution that would allow me to remotely stream and control music to these wired speakers (e.g., while I was sitting on our back porch where the speakers are). In the past I have used Onkyo network-enabled A/V receivers (which work great), but this would have been overkill for my application. I purchased the Arylic A50 as well as the Klipsch PowerGate as I was unsure which might work best for me. In the end, I returned the PowerGate in favor of the A50. The A50 was easy to set up (using the free 4Stream app and wifi). I have an iPhone and the AirPlay capability meant anything I could play on my phone could be streamed via wifi at high quality to the A50, including Apple Music or Amazon Music that was cloud-based and not downloaded on my phone. In contrast, the PowerGate took a few more attempts to setup via wifi (consistent with what others have experienced) and does not have AirPlay – so I could not stream some cloud-based music like Apple Music (only content that was saved locally on the phone). Using the 4Stream app, I was easily able to stream music from Amazon Music, Pandora (we have a subscription), Spotify, TunedIn, and many others sources. Better still, I could use 4Stream to directly link with Pandora, pick a station, set the volume, etc. and then close out the 4Stream app – meaning the music was streaming directly to the A50 and not through my phone (and was not draining my battery). Although the A50 comes with a remote, it isn't really necessary (as least for me). I leave the A50 on all the time (it uses roughly 2.5W of power when it is not actively streaming – according to the “Kill A Watt” I tested it with). Whenever I want to listen to music I simply use AirPlay to send it to the A50 or use the 4Stream app to stream – I don’t have to formally turn the A50 on/off. When I’m done listening I simply hit pause on the music and close the app. This is a really cool benefit which means I never need to use the remote or touch the A50 once its set up. If I’m suddenly in the mood for music while on the back porch I just get it going from my iPhone. My one somewhat critical comment is that the power output of the A50 may be a little low for some applications… having an “A100” or similar in the Arylic lineup would be awesome. The Klipsch was better in this regard. Also, I think it would be cool to have “network standby mode” (like many Onkyo network-enabled A/V receivers do) that allows you to remotely turn the device on/off via wifi (even though the A50 power usage when on and idle is pretty low). All in all, this little box (and it is pretty small) does a lot, is very easy to use, and seems very well designed and constructed.

I 'm rating this product as 4-stars only because the bluetooth signal to the patio speakers was very low and couldn't get it to an acceptable level. Another bluetooth unit I have, worked much better. As far as airplay and wifi, I would rate this streamer 5-stars. I mainly purchased this product for its wifi/airplay capabilities as due to my large lot, bluetooth signal was limited. The A50's sound via wifi is extremely good and very loud with little to no distortion. Wifi works much better than bluetooth in my application, as it provides a strong signal all throughout my homesite which also allows me to control the music from anywhere around my home. This unit was a bit difficult to connect via wifi at first but then determined the issue was with my wifi. Once fixed, the unit and my iphone/ipad connected very quickly using the 4stream app. Once connected and using the remote to set bass/treble levels, I now only use airplay to stream all music on my devices and don't use the 4stream app. The app although good, could use an update and improved capabilities. Airplay allows me to play any music from my devices or any app on my devices without having to go into 4stream. In the end, this is a very good product at a great value for the money. It served my purpose extremely well and would buy it again! Great to now have "uninterrupted" music playing on the patio speakers without all the signal problems I experienced using bluetooth.

DISCLAIMER: This review is comprised mostly of opinions, which I have formed after spending two plus months listening to this product on a daily basis in both near- (desktop) and far-field (living room) configurations. EQUIPMENT: speakers: KEF LS50 Meta KEF Q10 Sony SA-CS9 (sub) streamers: Arylic A50+ Apple TV 4K (HDMI —> TV —> optical to A50+) MacBook Pro 15 inch, 2018 (headphone jack —> A50+ via included RCA to 3.5mm cable) iPhone 12 (via bluetooth) DESIGN / FORM FACTOR: Look at the first picture in this review. Can you spot the integrated amp?? No, I’m not talking about the Sony receiver. Look closely and you’ll spot the A50+ in the right-middle shelf of my console, sandwiched between an Apple TV and a copy of the card game “Drunk Stoned or Stupid”. The Arylic A50+ blends seamlessly into its surroundings due to its minimalist design (consisting of a sleek aluminum housing and a glossy black front plate) along with its absolutely diminutive size. I do not understand how this thing is able to pack a 50 watt/channel punch, a capable internet streamer and phenomenal sound quality into such a tiny package. See the following pictures for a better sense of just how small Arylic designed this amp. It’s worth noting that this product has not ONCE become hot to the touch, despite its size. It is also worth noting that the A50+ is significantly smaller than competitors such as the Bluesound POWERNODE 2i ($949) and the NAIM Uniti Atom (~$3300) while packing a virtually identical set of features. Beyond that, Andrew Robinson, one of my favorite HIFI product reviewers and a longtime proponent of the POWERNODE expresses that he actually prefers the sound of the Arylic to it, despite the 750 dollar price gap… but more on the Arylic’s sound later in this review. USABILITY / REMOTE: The A50+ provides a straightforward and intuitive user experience. Although I have spent very little time with the 4STREAM app and therefore cannot comment on its functionality, the included remote is excellent, with volume controls, source controls, media playback controls, and even buttons for on-the-fly EQ adjustments. Airplay and Bluetooth have been working without flaw since purchase. SOUND: Bass: HUGE improvement over my outgoing amp (Sony STR-DN1020 7.2.2 ch Receiver). I’m using a Sony SA-CS9 sub in combination with my LS50 Metas. I know, I know, it may be sacrilege to pair such nice loudspeakers with a truly budget sub like the Sony, but let me say, the Arylic has convinced me otherwise. With my old amp, bass came through as muddy and bloated, and the A50+ has completely removed these undesirable qualities from my sub’s performance. On top of that, bass comes through as punchy, precisely timed, and probably as textured as an under-$200 subwoofer is able to produce. Remove the subwoofer, and the story is no different. The Arylic squeezed more oomph out of my Metas than I believed they could produce, especially when I press the D-BASS button, which dramatically increases low end weight. Mids: The A50+ faithfully portrays vocals and mid-range instrumental frequencies with attention paid to fine details and without sounding muffled by its excellent bass and treble reproduction. Vocals are handled with delicacy rather than being shoved in the listener’s face, which adds to the sense of refinement that is apparent in this amp’s sound. Treble: The Arylic is a high frequency MACHINE. Even uber-high pitched frequencies, such as the barely-audible triangle played throughout Steely Dan’s Aja, shimmer with the help of the A50+. Despite this, the Arylic never sounds fatiguing or piercing, even after extended listening. Very smooth performance across the board, especially when considering the Arylic’s all-digital amplification topology. Power: My LS50 Metas are fairly low sensitivity speakers. This means that they require more power than a higher sensitivity speaker to be driven to the same volume. With that said, I have never once hit maximum volume with the A50+ (and I like to BLAST my music, especially with my living room setup). Clarity: The Arylic A50+ is a musical scalpel. There isn’t too much more I can say about it from this regard… It is highly intelligible and renders music with precision without sounding grainy or piercing. Soundstage: Personally, I believe that the Arylic’s imaging capabilities are its most impressive feature. Set up in my living room, the Arylic, along with my Metas, created what a friend aptly described as “a room full of sound.” The Arylic has the chops to build a 3 dimensional sound field around its listener, with depth and height just as well defined as soundstage width. Speaking of width, the soundstage of A50+ extends well beyond the speakers rather than solely existing in between the two, which tends to give songs a “live” feeling, as if you are right there with the artist during a performance. Things then improved dramatically in my near-field desktop listening setup, as near-field situations can avoid much of the coloration from sound bouncing around your room found with living room setups (when there isn’t room to place speakers away from walls). In my desktop setup, I fond the Arylic’s imaging to be laser focused. Vocals, instruments, and even the various separate layers in electronic music all existed separately in space, with ‘sharply’ defined edges, adding to both the sense that I was at a live show as well as the intelligibility of individual elements of the music. 2.1 HOME THEATER USAGE: This amp is fantastic for home theater usage (as long as you are not rocking more than 2 channels and a subwoofer). The clarity and imaging capabilities of the A50+ are so good that I’ve been paying more attention to the sound coming through my speakers while watching movies and TV than the movies and TV themselves.

I bought this product to replace my last bluetooth speaker that crapped out. I have had several bluetooth speakers go bad on me recently, so it is time for a change. The cost is pretty comparable to a decent bluetooth speaker however i can use this with any speakers i want! Currently i just have is hooked up to an old pair of bookshelf speakers i had laying around. It sounds great! Much louder than any BT speaker i have had yet. Also, with the BT antenna, the signal is much stronger that anything i've used in the past and the range is incredible. This guy can also be used as a BT or WiFi preamp to connect your wireless devices to a different stereo system you may have. So, if you have an older stereo system that does not support wireless, throw this baby on there and voila, now you have a wireless system with some real thump! You can even pair multiple A50's together for a whole home audio system. Tell me thats not cool. Now for the drawbacks: It isn't completely wireless as you have to plug it into a 120V receptacle and you will also have to download their app to pair the device up with your phone (even using BT only). Lastly, their are no local controls on the device, so don't loose the remote. Otherwise, The packaging is good and the amp comes complete with RCA cables, power block and plug cable, a remote (batteries not included), and a user manual. I am very happy with my purchase and recommend it to anyone that is tired of replacing wireless BT speakers.

Helped a buddy that has a house with ceiling speakers in 6 zones. Previous owner had a Sonos system. These Arylic boxes were super easy to configure and install. 6 boxes installed in about an hour. I configured one box at a time, updated firmware, and installed speaker wires. 6 zones working great on wifi with no issues, but I decided to hard wire all of them with a worry that these are 2.4ghz boxes and the surrounding neighborhood is getting crowded with wifi interference. Audio quality is really good. Quiet when off, and they are amplifying ceiling speakers, can't ask for more. Fyi,I installed 1 of the A50+ for the large communal area (4 ceiling speakers) and another for backyard speakers. The remaining zones have A30+, which IMO, is more than enough power. One more thing- friend is just using these boxes for apple music airplay and Spotify (via Android phone) and both were solid. Grouping zones together using the 4stream app was fairly easy but a little clunky. I'm buying more to stream my NAS music in my house.

I love my music and want it reproduced well. As a streaming music device, the audio quality is good, especially for the price. Not much to look at, but made to listen to. The "APP" (4STREAM) works passably, but could use further development. I like Volumio much better. Now for the bad news. In the last 24 hours my network security blocked: 6,936 calls to AMS ("The Cloud"); 9,523 calls to s000.linkplay.com, 6,050 calls to www.yahoo.com; 6,050 calls to www.microsoft.com; 9,650 calls to Amazon Technologies; 6,049 calls to Aliyun Computing - Beijing China;3,468 calls to Google; That was 94% of the attempted connections outside of LAN. AND the music streaming still worked despite all of the blocked connections. I paid for a box to stream files from my server to my music system. I did not pay for a box to snoop and monetize what goes on on MY network. I did not agree to the transfers, so they are theft of services. Sure there are legitimate connections to time servers. There may be scraper functions to get album data. The unit my occasionally check for software updates. I think once a month would be plenty. What I do is my business. I do not even use "Windows" operating system, so I need NO CALLS to Microsoft.

I love this overall. The only thing to improve would be the app for this, that feels a little clunky. It's usable for the most part, but slight user experience issues with the app make it a bit aggravating. The remote is fine, I don't really use it much, except to turn the "extra bass" feature on and off. The unit itself is tiny for the output it gives. The extra bass feature is also a surprise, because you really do feel the extra bass, without it being overwhelming. But it depends on the files you're listening to, because some songs do exhibit an overabundance of bass with "extra bass" applied. Without the "extra bass" (I'm sure it has to do with the speakers as well), I find the bass to be more than sufficient for a good balance, and pleasurable listening, but the extra bass provides some deeper resonating hits. Totally happy with this little thing that allows me to have some soothing jazz at night while I go to sleep (with the auto-off sleep feature), or a morning wake-up alarm to music of my choosing, or simply background music during my workday or creative endeavors, without disturbing everyone else. I also love the fact that I can put on a record on my main stereo downstairs, hit Bluetooth on the main stereo, and hear the record in my bedroom because of the Bluetooth capability on this unit. I have Spotify, Tidal, and my own music library on my NAS, all of which can be switched to at a moment's notice. And, best thing was, it didn't cost an arm and a leg for all these features.

Versione breve: quest’affarino è una figata. Suona benissimo, sta nel palmo di una mano ed ha tutto ciò che serve. Andate senza indugi. Versione un po’ più seria. Manifattura: solido case in alluminio spazzolato, connettori posteriori ben fissati, nel complesso restituisce una sensazione di buona fattura. Suono: entriamo nel campo della soggettività tuttavia a mio giudizio l’A50+ suona benissimo. ti Sto utilizzando delle casse della mutua ad impedenza 6ohm…suonano come un alto di gamma, sono davvero stupito. La verità è che ormai gli ampli in classe D riescono a reggere il confronto con marchi blasonati ed a volte ne escono perfino meglio, come in questo caso. Bassi pieni e pastosi (volevo prendere un sub ma potrei farne benissimo a meno), alti forse un po’ troppo cristallini per i miei gusti ma nel complesso il risultato è ottimo sia per ascoltare musica che per amplificare l’audio della TV tramite l’ingresso ottico. La app permette un’equalizzazione basica alti/bassi e sul telecomando c’è un tasto per attivare la funzione bass boost. Nessun rumore o ronzio di fondo in nessuna modalità. App e gestione multimedia: l’ampli si installa e si programma tramite cellulare. Si affida ad una app esterna che comunque è perfettamente integrata. Setup semplicissimo: una volta concluso si può gestire l’ampli sia tramite cellulare che tramite il telecomando incluso nella confezione. L’integrazione con spotify, tune in, ecc. è perfetta ed intuitiva e comunque sia la app che il firmware del l’ampli sono in continuo sviluppo. Ho apprezzato molto la possibilità, volendo, di poter puntare direttamente alla fonte delle web radio bypassando i servizi di aggregazione (tune in per esempio) per i quali non provo grande simpatia. In ultimo chiarisco che l’ampli funziona in modalità stand alone e riproduce da solo i servizi basati su web (spotify, web radio, ecc…). Questo significa che non utilizza il telefono per riprodurre la musica, si arrangia. Potete anche uscire di casa o spegnere il cellulare, lui continua ad andare…ottima cosa per chi vuol lasciare un sottofondo in casa in sua assenza. Airplay e bluetooth funzionano perfettamente. Da migliorare: non guasterebbe un telecomando fisico un po’ meno cheap e sarebbe cosa gradita avere dei selettori fisici sul case dell’ampli anziché un solo bottoncino multifunzione…ma chissenefrega, rimane a mio avviso un oggettino promosso a pieni voti. Nota di colore: leggo sorridendo commenti di sedicenti audiofili e cultori dell’alta fedeltà. Mi domando cosa ci facciano qua visto che un cavo hi-fi costa da solo più dell’ A50+…ma fa già ridere così, quindi restituite il giusto peso alle loro considerazioni :-)

Bu boyutlarda bir cihazdan beklenmeyecek kalitede bir ses çıkıyor gerçekten. F/P oranı bu kadar yüksek bir cihazım olmamıştı. İyi bir bookshelf hoparlörle eşleştirmenizi öneririm, müziğin hakkını veriyor. Ben (tavsiye edilmese de) markalı, nominal 80W max 240w, 89dB, 1 metrelik tower hoparlörlere bağladım ve sonuçtan çok memnunum. Kulaklarım hafif sorunlu olduğundan tizi kökledim, bas %70-80 lerde yetiyor. 2-3 saat orta-yüksek volümde ısınmadı bile... Bundan önce markalı 2*100W lık bir network receiverım vardı, onu aratmıyor. Almayan bin pişman benden söylemesi...

Update: bin inzwischen richtig begeistert von dem Verstärker. Haben nun auch Multiroom probiert, da ich endlich mehrere Geräte habe und wie das funktioniert, einfach und einfach top. Updates kommen nach wie vor regelmäßig und - genial: Amazon Music kann inzwischen direkt abgespielt werden. Ich habe langsam das Gefühl, die erfüllen alle meine Wünsche! Und was manche Schwierigkeiten haben bezüglich der Inbetriebnahme, das ist Unfug, diese Geräte sind sehr einfach in der Inbetriebnahme, die App funktioniert top, die Fernbedienung auch und das Anschließen der Lautsprecherkabel ist doch nur eine Schlitzschraube für jedes Kabel, was ist daran so schlimm? Inzwischen bin ich ja umgestiegen auf die Selbstbauplatinen und kann auch da nur absolut Positives berichten! Meine erste Rezension: Prinzipiell ein Recht ordentliches Gerät. Ganz einfache Inbetriebnahme, nur der Equalizer ist etwas versteckt, fürs erste. Der Klang ist wirklich sehr gut und ich vergleiche in mit einem Bluesound Powernode. Der Powernode ist natürlich noch besser, bessere Auflösung, kräftiger, aber dieser A50 ist zumindest mal eine günstige Alternative dazu, man kann ja nicht für jeden Raum hunderte Euro ausgeben. Er wird wohl, nach vielen enttäuschenden Geräten, der erste Verstärker sein, denn ich, neben unserem Powernode behalte. Dafür gabs bereits ein Update: Er wurde bei der Umstellung des Equalizers leiser und nur in der Mittelstellung war er halbwegs laut. Sobald man aber einen Regler verschob, egal welchen, wurde er sprunghaft leiser . Das was mich jetzt noch stört, ist die fehlenden AmazonMusic Verknüpfung, geht nur übers Handy oder eben ein zusätzliches Alexa-Gerät. Aufgrund mancher Fotos habe ich darauf gehofft, dass die Anwendung direkt vom Gerät zu starten ist und nicht über ein zusätzliches Gerät. Zur Fernbedienung: Die ist gut und sinnvoll. Internetradiosender kann man, zumindest via VTuner (VTuner ist aber nach dem Update nicht mehr auffindbar, leider) und TuneIn auf die Tasten 1 bis 6 belegen, das geht ganz einfach und es funktioniert dann wirklich super. Lautstärke kann man auch regeln, war nach erster Inbetriebnahme etwas nervig, da die Einstellung viel zu fein war und man auf der Fernbedienung lange herumdrücken musste, bis sich was änderte, aber auch das wurde inzwischen scheinbar behoben. Also nachdem Problemchen behoben werden, scheint sich der Hersteller durchaus um dieses Gerät zu bemühen, bzw. um die Software.

Muy satisfecho con esta compra. Lo recomiendo totalmente!

Funkar kanon, helnöjd till min snickarbod.