Big thank you to Arylic for sending the A50+ to review!
Full disclosure: This is a paid review but I made it clear to them that I do not guarantee positive reviews or recommendations – I make in-depth, honest evaluations based on my impressions and the ultimate value that the product may or may not provide.
Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!
Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
The is a wireless multiroom full digital HiFi Amplifier with Bluetooth 5.0 – enabling you to stream up to 24-bit/192kHz music from a smart device, USB, NAS (not the rapper), or streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon Music etc., to a pair of passive, bookshelf-type speakers.
The unit is built well and comes with a user manual, 2 sets of cables including dual RCA to RCA and RCA to line (3.5mm), the power adapter, 2 Antennas, A remote control, the Screw Terminal Block Connector, and a small flat-head screwdriver.
If you’re coming from some of Arylic’s other units like the B50, the Phoenix Screw terminal can be a bit jarring at first, but don’t fret.
Simply plug it into the slot on the back, insert the speaker wire as you would into a receiver, and screw in the top to tighten.
Back Panel
In addition to the speaker terminal, the back panel contains your DC 24V jack, LAN slot, USB Host slot for music stored on a disk, an optical input, Subwoofer Out, RCA line inputs, mode button, and micro USB for connection to PC as a DAC.
- Related: Beginners Guide: What is a USB DAC?
Front Panel
This contains the LED device status indicator and the IR receiver for use with the supplied remote.
Keep in mind there aren’t any buttons or switches on the front, so you’ll have to use the remote full-time.
The unit itself has built-in rubber feet on the bottom and feels fairly substantial.
All connections are solid and the device is compact enough to fit almost anywhere you need to put it.
By now you may be wondering, “Why would I even need a device like this?”
Glad you asked.
The problem with traditional receivers such as my HOnkyo (white boy version) TX-NR626 is that they’re incredibly bulky, heavy, and a huge pain to move around.
A unit like the A50+ essentially does the same thing as the unit above, only it’s much smaller and easier to handle.
Keep in mind that a traditional receiver still can do quite a lot of other things (surround sound for example), but the bulk factor can be a hassle.
Because the A50+ has an optical input, I can use it with my PS4 and output the sound to my passive Andrew Jones Pioneer speakers.
Speaking of, how does it perform?
Performance
As with the B50, the A50+ performs admirably, with a clear/loud conversion, though I much prefer the B50’s speaker connections.
Because I use banana plugs, it’s incredibly easy to test the B50, as all I have to do is unplug the wires from the receiver and plug them into the unit.
With the A50+, the banana plugs must come off to plug into the back of the Arylic. For me, this isn’t ideal, but your mileage may vary.
Undoing the Naner plugs and situating them in the A50+ was a bit of a hassle, so if you found any of this article helpful, please share!
That said, I found the A50+ definitely has a more sterile presentation than my HOnkyo.
So keep this in mind. It’s clear and clean, but perhaps a little on the clinical side.
B50.
Setting Up
You’ll also need to download Arylic’s “4 STREAM” app, which has given me some headaches in the past. By contrast, the B50 requires the Go Control App and per my experience, it’s been a lot more stable.
In any event, go to your app store and download the 4 STREAM app.
Once downloaded, it will search for the unit.
After demoing the S10 and wasting a lot of time milling about with it, I had a much easier time with the S50 Pro+ and A50+.
Follow these steps to ensure a headache-free experience:
- Before you do anything, go to your phone’s settings and turn on WIFI. This will make the process a whole heck of a lot easier.
- After that, open the 4STREAM app and it will ask you for your WIFI password.
- Follow the prompts and you should be up and running in no time.
While there are many ways to run this unit (all of which I’ve tried on the S10 as well), the WIFI way seems to be the simplest and fastest.
Why?
Well, for a couple of reasons:
- The units are a bit finicky and don’t like to switch between sources without some sort of minor headache.
- It can be a pain to set up in general and your phone may be spending quite a bit of time actually searching for the unit. So once it’s finally set up, I’d probably just not mess with it much.
You also have the option of using a LAN cable and parking the A50 close to your Router/modem setup, but you don’t necessarily have to.
The beauty of the A50 is that you can put it pretty much anywhere in your house or apt. (where there’s an outlet and speakers), and it will theoretically stream music.
This will most certainly benefit those who are looking for a device that can contribute to their 2nd or 3rd setup; one that they may use when having company over, or for some much-needed rest and relaxation.
Use Cases
It appears as “SoundSystem_B818.” You can rename it inside the app.
So determine what kind of setup you’ll need and then purchase accordingly.
Out of the 5 units, the B50 with its banana plug connections is much more useful for my scenario (passive listening/minimal headaches when connecting), but your mileage may vary.
- Recommended: Passive vs. Active Speakers: Which Are Best For YOU?
Final Verdict
My recommendation today is the B50; a more intuitive and convenient unit to set up with passive speakers and more versatility within the system.
With the added benefit of Phono Inputs and a TV ARC slot, you’re able to use it in more ways than the A50+.
Learn More:
Specifications
Connectivity
- Wireless Network: IEEE802.11 b/g/n 2.4G
- LAN: 10/100M
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- USB Host: Play USB Music
- Micro USB: Connect to PC
Technical
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Power Input: 24V/4.16A
- Audio Input: USB 2.0, Analog RCA, Digital S/PDIF Optical
- Audio Output: Speaker Out, Subwoofer Out
- Speaker Power: 24V 4 Ohm 50W*2, 24V 8 Ohm 30W*2
- Speaker Impedance: 4-8 Ohm
- Audio Format: MP3/AAC/AAC+/ALAC/APE/WAV/FLAC
- Audio Decoding: Up to 24-Bit/192kHz
In The Box
1x A50+
1x 24V/4.16A Power Adapter x1
1x Remote Controller
1x RCA to RCA cable
1x RCA to Line (3.5mm) cable
1x User Manual
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Arylic A50+ Review and came away with some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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Would you invest in the A50+? What kind of system are you running currently? I would love to hear your thoughts. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu