Yamaha TSX-132, TSX-B32, MCR-042, and MCR-B142 Preview

In the audio/video industry there are few companies that can succeed in more than one product category. For some reason, it seems like the ability to make a good subwoofer means you can't also make good speakers, or vice versa, but Yamaha is one of those rare exceptions. They are a leader in AV receivers, professional speakers, drum kits, motorcycles, ATVs, and anything else they slap their name on. But they aren’t happy with dominating just portions of your life, no, they want you to start and end every day with the name “Yamaha” drilled into your brain. And how might they do that? With a new line of desktop audio systems and alarm clocks. Okay, maybe I am reading into this product release a little more than I should, so let’s just talk facts about the new MCR-B142, MCR-042, TSX-B232, and TSX-132 desktop audio systems.

Each product in this lineup sports a very similar set of features. They can grab music from multiple sources, including an internal CD player, iOS devices or flash drives (via USB), AM/FM radio or from a 3.5mm Aux input. The MCR-B142 and TSX-B232 also feature Bluetooth connectivity for streaming music directly from a portable device. You can also download the Yamaha DTA Controller App for your iOS device and control the alarm settings remotely. We actually think the ability to change the alarm functions wirelessly (with the Bluetooth models) is a huge benefit because these units might be a little large to fit on some peoples’ night stands. Each product supports Yamaha’s IntelliAlarm, which wakes you up by slowly increasing the volume of music over several minutes until the alarm beep eventually goes off.

The differences between the two MCR models and the two TSX models comes down to physical design, not feature set. The MCR models are styled like a typical shelf stereo system, with a head unit and two separate speakers. The head unit puts out 15Wx2 and the two speakers feature a single 4.5” driver in a bass-reflex enclosure. The TSX systems are all-in-one, like a Bose Wave Radio, and feature dual 3.15” cones. Honestly, that seems pretty paltry considering the price. And trust us, we know our alarm clocks. The prices are as follows: MCR-B142 ($449), MCR-042 ($399), TSX-B232 ($549), and TSX-132 ($449). In that price range, the SONOS Play5 for $399, which features 5 drivers powered by 5 digital amps, is likely to crush these offerings in terms of sound quality. On the plus side, the MCR models comes in your choice of 10 different colors, and the TSX models feature a real wood top plate.

Conclusion

If you're on the prowl for a great looking desktop audio system, Yamaha may have what you need. But I would do some looking around; many other products, like the Polk Audio I-Sonic, SONOS Play5, or Denon Ceol Piccolo, might suit your needs better. Yamaha’s focus with these products seems to be aesthetics and alarm clock functionality. No matter what you decide, we can promise that you would be much better off buying one (or multiple) of these Yamaha systems than resorting to this guy’s method.

World's Biggest Alarm Clock

On second thought, this is amazing. I would like to see Yamaha expand into this market soon.

For more information visit Yamaha

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.