Yamaha R-N303D - Failure to provide advertised Spotify Connect functionality

Dear Yamaha Customer Service & Support, I am writing to formally contest your response (Case 00500260, dated October 23, 2025) and to notify you of what I consider a breach of contract regarding your failure to maintain the advertised Spotify Connect functionality on my R-N303D receiver. Your response states that "lossless support cannot be added via a software update for technical reasons" for devices released before 2018. However, this explanation is contradictory. My R-N303D successfully streams lossless audio from Tidal and Qobuz at up to 192kHz/24-bit, while Spotify Lossless requires only 44.1kHz/24-bit FLAC. If my receiver can process the higher specifications, it is technically impossible that it cannot handle the lower ones. Your explanation therefore appears to be a business decision rather than a genuine technical limitation. Multiple competitors are successfully updating pre-2018 devices for Spotify Lossless, including WiiM and Denon. Some devices have received support without firmware updates as Spotify Connect can be updated server-side. This proves the limitation is not inherent to older hardware. When I purchased the R-N303D, it was marketed with Spotify Connect as a core feature. Under EU consumer protection law (Directive 2019/771), digital content must remain functional for the product's expected lifetime. By refusing to update the receiver while competitors maintain full compatibility, Yamaha is effectively degrading the advertised Spotify Connect functionality. A premium network receiver from 2017 has a reasonable expected lifetime exceeding 10 years, yet you are refusing updates after only 8 years. I respectfully request that Yamaha reconsiders its position and provides a firmware update enabling Spotify Lossless support for the R-N303D. If technically impossible, please provide a detailed technical explanation of why a device supporting 192kHz/24-bit cannot support 44.1kHz/24-bit—not generic marketing language about "technical reasons." I am filing this complaint through Test-Aankoop/Test-Achats (Belgian Consumer Organization) for their review and potential mediation. I have been a loyal Yamaha customer and expected better long-term support from a respected brand. I expect a substantive response addressing these points within 14 days of receipt of this notice. Yours sincerely,

Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting Yamaha Music Europe GmbH. This email is to confirm successful receipt of your enquiry. Your case number is 00500386 If you have additional information or files relating to this case, please reply to this email. We will come back to you soon. Best Regards Yamaha Customer Service and Support We received the following enquiry: Subject: Yamaha R-N303D - Failure to provide advertised Spotify Connect functionality Contents: ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Hello Yamaha Customer Service & Support, You don't have to gaslight me. Spotify was listed as a supported streaming service on the product page of both the online shop where I purchased the R-N303D and your own website (see PDF and screenshot attached). As a customer, you would therefore expect further support in the form of updates. The argument that Spotify Lossless is not possible due to hardware limitations does not hold water for the following reasons: - Spotify Lossless can be streamed via Airplay - The R-N303D supports the FLAC format, which is required for Spotify Lossless 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC - In a previous reply, you admitted that Tidal and Qobuz can be streamed in HighRes 192kHz, which is therefore higher quality than Spotify Lossless. It is unfortunate that reasons are being given that do not seem to be accurate. Consequently, I will forward this file to the lawyers at Test-Aankoop and make it public. Kind regards,

Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting Yamaha Music Europe GmbH. This email is to confirm successful receipt of your enquiry. Your case number is 00503725 If you have additional information or files relating to this case, please reply to this email. We will come back to you soon. Best Regards Yamaha Customer Service and Support We received the following enquiry: Subject: Verandering van status van je klacht Contents: