Today, we go over an in-depth review of the smallest Wifi and Bluetooth-enabled amplifiers there is, the Arylic A50+.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re comparing highly technical musical equipment, but the key is knowing what factors to look for. After a while, deciphering the specs list gets less challenging.
After a thorough inspection, I found the Arylic A50+ to be a great amplifier for people on a budget – an overall convenient product with a wide compatibility range and a sleek design.
In this review, you’ll find a breakdown of the amplifier’s top features and specs, from the multiroom mode to more advanced tuning.
By the end, it should be easy to tell if the A50+ is a good fit for you or not. After all, there are a few alternatives to consider, too.
Read on to learn all about the integrated amplifier!
Overview of the Arylic A50+
The Arylic A50+ is one of the most affordable (and compact) amplifiers you can get today. It can pair with a wide range of speakers and subwoofers through Wifi, Bluetooth 5.0, Airplay, Spotify Connect, Qplay, DLNA, or UPnP.
In a sense, it’s a middleman that powers music from the source to the stereo systems you have hooked up. The source could be a streaming service, the system’s free app, local files on your PC, or even through an AUX.
Is the Arylic A50+ Any Good?
At this price tag, its performance is quite impressive.
The multiroom feature puts it ahead of many amplifiers in the same price range, allowing you to turn a network of devices in different rooms into your very own budget benchmark sound system.
The Arylic A50+Specs
Let’s take a quick look at the amplifier’s specifications:
- Wireless 2.5G connection
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Ethernet RJ 45 Lan port
- BT input
- RCA input for AUX
- Supports USB 2.0, Micro USB DAC, NAS, and USB pen drives
- Free 4Stream mobile app available for iOS and Android
- Remote-controlled streaming
- Supports multiple streaming services
- Multiroom-enabled to sync devices up to 12 different rooms
- 16bit CD audio quality
- 50W x2 peak audio output
- Audio playback up to 24/192 kHz
- Comes with a DSP ACPWorkbench tuning tool
Features to Love About the Arylic A50+
There’s a lot that makes Arylic A50+ amplifier worth a shot, from the sleek design to the multiroom functionality.
Here are some of the top features to consider:
Compact Design
The very first notable selling point of the A50+ is its compact design. Its dimensions are 4.7 x 4.45 x 1.45 inches. The entire box is only a little larger than your palm!
Its sleek and minimalistic front means that it’ll blend into most settings without standing like a sore thumb.
On the other hand, the backside is a bit more hectic with a bunch of different inputs and outputs, but that’s okay since it doesn’t affect the aesthetic all that much.
High Audio Performance
Don’t let the affordable price tag and tiny body fool you, though. The Arylic A50+ is anything but a trashy audio performer. In fact, its stereo separation often catches people off-guard.
It’s 24-bit 192kHz capable with 50 watts per channel, and as a result, it can handle even the ridiculously high-pitched notes seamlessly.
You might notice a hint of turbulence when you’re dealing with more complex melodies. Multi-layered synths, for one, can be tricky for the A50+ to handle. The tiny amplifier can also come a bit short when it comes to high-res musicality.
For the majority of the casual music needs, it’ll do just fine.
Long Distance Streaming and Control
When people are browsing the market for an amplifier like the A50+, a common concern that keeps popping up is the coverage distance. How far off can this device or that cover without glitching?
Since it’s Wifi-enabled, the Arylic A50+ will keep pumping up music to your stereos as long as it’s still catching a signal.
While there are no physical buttons at all on the amplifier, you get a remote control device with the package. The controller has six preset buttons for volume, media playback, and even EQ adjustments.
The great part here is that the remote control is viable for a range of 50 whopping feet. If you’re looking for perspective, that’s almost as long as a five-story building!
Obviously, if you don’t want to use the included controller, you can just opt to use the 4Stream app on your mobile to call the shots.
Free 4Stream Access
4Stream is an official audio streaming app by Arylic. The app itself has a very straightforward and easy-to-setup interface. The entire setup process shouldn’t take over 30 minutes.
Arylic also has video guides to help you better understand the app and make the most out of it. It can show you a step-by-step tutorial on how to configure the app and adjust your music library preset content.
One other little perk of using 4Stream is that it lets you set alarm clocks using your customized music library. Waking up doesn’t have to be boring, after all!
As we’ve mentioned, the app can also double as a controller for the A50+ (or other amps from Arylic) to replace the physical remote control device. So, holding your phone, you can edit EQ, switch sources, and change playback on your stereos.
As a plus, the app also prompts you to get the latest firmware updates from Arylic for a seamless experience over the years.
Versatile Pairing Options
Since it comes with a lot of connectivity and output options, the A50+ pairs with a wide range of passive bookshelf speakers and active subwoofers.
Q Acoustics, Klipsch, Jamo, Bowers and Wilkins, Edifier, Buchardt, and Spendor are only just some of the speakers you can use with this amplifier.
Being rated at a 50 watt per channel at 4 Ohms, it’s rare to come across a speaker that you can’t hook up to your Arylic A50+.
You can also use a 4-pin Phoenix connector to hook up the speaker physically to the amplifier. That’s a built-in vibrant green output on the back that you can’t miss. It’s a bit old-timey, but it’s a nice little addition that many manufacturers tend to overlook.
Like other Arylic devices, the A50+ amplifier could be integrated with top-brand home centers like Fibaro, too.
Large Streaming Library
The output compatibility isn’t the only versatile feature of the tiny Arylic A50+. You get an immensely wide music library to go with it, too.
Whether you’re streaming from your PC or mobile, you can either use the free 4Stream app or choose a streaming service to play from.
After all, there are a whole lot of subscription-based services that are compatible with the A50+ amplifier. Here’s a list of the top options to consider:
- Spotify
- Pandora
- Amazon Music
- QQ Music
- Tidal
- Tune in
- Ximalaya
- Deezer
- Qobuz
- Internet Radio
- IHeartRadio
- Napster
When you’re done browsing the streaming services, you can just play music files stored on your device’s memory straight to the A50+ amplifier. This way, you’ll never run out of media playback sources to blast!
Multiroom and Multizone Moods
Yet another feature to love about the Arylic A50+ amplifier is the multiroom streaming. Through Linkplay modules, you can connect multiple devices in different rooms and/or zones to create a synced audio network.
You can spread the sound system over 12 rooms, but it’s recommended to keep the zones limited to eight only for best results.
It doesn’t only end with the A50+ model. You can include other Arylic gear into the network. Using the 4Stream app, you get to manage all the connected devices and bundle them up to create your customized zones.
This allows you to play the same station all over your house, but the possibilities exceed just residential usage.
Business owners can easily use the multiroom feature to create an efficient audio system that covers large spaces.
ACPWorkbench Tuning Tool
When you get the A50+ amplifier, you get access to Arylic’s exclusive tuning tool, ACPWorkbench.
The tool allows you to separate EQ, gain, pre-gain, DSP effects, and balance stereo outputs between left and right speakers. You can even customize the settings for each channel individually.
Enthusiastic audiophiles might also appreciate the wide range that the parametric EQ provides. However, it’s still a fairly easy tool for beginners to find their way around.
The same kind of tuning potential is something that you can also find in Up2Stream models. So, don’t shy away from exploring the tool. You might end up finding a balance that fits your taste perfectly!
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the tiny multiroom amplifier:
Q: How can you play local music on the Arylic A50+ amplifier?
A: When you open the 4Stream application, you can browse all the local music through the “My Music” section. It’s a collection of audio files available to the Arylic, either through the mobile memory or a USB thumb drive hooked to the amplifier.
Q: What audio formats does the Arylic A50+ support?
A: The A50+ amplifier model supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, ALAC, APE, WAV, and FLAC audio file formats.
Q: Can you use Arylic A50+ with any operating system?
A: The 4Stream application is available for iOs. However, you could use a UpNP protocol like Foobar2000 to be able to use your Arylic device with a Windows-operated PC.
Q: What languages are available on Arylic A50+?
A: Arylic supports English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese. However, you don’t really have to worry about it all that much since the device automatically detects the language from your mobile.
Arylic A50+ Alternatives
The Arylic A50+ is a great affordable option if you’re in the market for a wireless amplifier, but there are other notable alternatives that you can consider.
Here are a few:
Elipson Connect 250
The Elipson Connect 250 is more-or-less in the same price range as the Arylic A50+ amplifier, and they’re both highly similar. In terms of design, the Elipson might be a good option if you’d like to have physical control buttons on the receiver itself.
Naim Uniti Atom
Naim Uniti Atom is an all-in-one streamer that provides superior audio quality at 32 bit / 384 kHz. However, it also comes with a hefty price tag compared to the Arylic A50+. To be worth the cost, it needs to be a part of a professional audio system.
Bluesound Node 2i
While the Bluesound Node 2i isn’t as high-end as the Naim Uniti Atom, it’s still way more expensive than the Arylic A50+. It’s mostly a better fit for people looking for a strong DAC performance.
Aurender A10
The main appeal of the Aurender A10 music player is its massive internal storage at a whopping four terabytes. However, it doesn’t support Roon’s audio distribution technology. Plus, its application is only available for iPad devices.
The Wrap Up
The Arylic A50+ is a Wifi and Bluetooth-enabled music amplifier that renders music from a wide range of sources to passive speakers and active subwoofers.
Although it doesn’t guarantee the best audio quality, it can cover a wide range of melodies without sounding grainy or piercing. It can also double as a synced home sound system, thanks to its multiroom function.
All in all, it’s highly capable when you consider its reasonable price tag and conveniently compact design.
As is the case with many other Arylic products, you can get yours online. Start exploring the A50+ amplifier’s potential, and let us know what you like the most about it!
