Yamaha HS80M Active Studio Monitor (120 Watts, 1x8 in.)

zZounds' Take on Yamaha HS80M Active Studio Monitor (120 Watts, 1x8 in.)

For the past twenty years or so, you'd be hard-pressed to find a professional recording studio or audio post-production house that didn't have a pair of Yamaha NS10Ms. The iconic, white-woofer NS10s have long been the most trusted reference monitors in the industry, particularly for their ability to reveal mid-range detail in even the densest mixes. Unfortunately for those of us who don't already have a pair, Yamaha stopped making the NS10s a long time ago. Luckily, they now make the HS80M.

Sporting the same instantly-recognizable look and ultra-flat response, the Yamaha HS80M is destined to become a standard that no studio will be able to go without. Even if you've already got a pair of NS10s, you'll want to take a look and listen to these new Yamaha reference monitors, as they offer a few significant improvements over their predecessors.

Easier Setup

While the NS10s were considered "necessary," whomever was tasked with installing them probably considered the monitors to be "necessary evils." For starters, the NS10s were passive, meaning a suitable, matching power source has to acquired to drive them. Yamaha has eliminated this hassle by designing the HS80M as an active, bi-amped system. A 120-watt power amp drives the 8-inch woofer cone and 1-inch dome tweeter, with an internal crossover perfectly tuned to maintain that classic Yamaha neutral frequency curve. Not only does this make setup easier, but having the right power source eliminates potential distortion issues, and the expertly executed bi-amping softens mid- and high-range harshness, making it a less-fatiguing listen than the NS10.

A More Flexible Monitor

Because of their unique, "brutally honest" sound, the NS10M is relegated to the role of secondary monitor; it's typically used as a tool for putting parts of a mix under the microscope, but not for getting the whole picture. While the incredibly detailed HS80M can certainly fill that role, the addition of HF, MF, and LF switches make them suitable as main monitors as well. These switches also help to combat issues that can arise from sub-optimal placement in crowded control rooms, like bass coupling or frequency-hyping reflections.

Affordable Quality

Yamaha wants their new HS80M to be as ubiquitous as the NS10M, and that's why these monitors are available for a price that belies their high-quality construction. The MDF bass reflex cabinet delivers a tight bass response and smooth high end. The polypropylene woofer cones will outlast musical fad after musical fad, as will the high-grade XLR-1/4" combo input jack. Extra touches like complete magnetic shielding and low-damping rubber-surrounds make it an affordable, yet high-quality component for controls rooms, computer audio workstations, hi-fi entertainment systems, or for building 5.1 surround mixing systems.

It's become a part of common engineering knowledge that a mix that sounds good on a pair of NS10s will sound like a hit on any system. One listen to these speakers and you'll know that the white-woofer legacy is still firmly intact. Let the Yamaha HS80M become your new indispensable studio tool.

Manufacturer's Description for Yamaha HS80M Active Studio Monitor (120 Watts, 1x8 in.)

The new HS Series powered monitors were designed to be true studio reference monitors in the tradition of the famous NS10Ms. When choosing your next pair of near field reference monitors, remember it's not just important that they sound good; they have to be an honest reference for your mix. The new HS Series of reference monitors were designed to give you exceptionally flat response so you can really trust what you hear. That means that mixes that sound good on Yamaha HS speakers will sound good on anything. In fact, that's the ultimate test of a reference monitor. Even better than that, HS series speakers not only sound good, they look great, too.

The HS Series is a two-way, internally powered speaker system designed to provide affordable, high quality reference monitoring for all types of recording and multimedia applications -- home studios, computer-based music production, gaming systems, keyboards rigs and personal computer systems. All products are sold and packaged individually, making it easy to build flexible monitor setups and 5.1 systems.

The 120-watt HS80M (8-in. cone and 1-in. dome tweeter) is housed in a bass reflex-type cabinet, and reproduces surprisingly tight low end and smooth, high frequency response to beyond 20 kHz. Inputs include a balanced XLR and 1/4-in. phone jack. In addition to master level controls, each speaker has trim switches that allow you to custom-tailor low, mid and high frequency response for different applications.

HS Series cabinets look as great as they sound. Enclosures are constructed of high-quality MDF material and a multiple layer finish that minimizes resonance. Design elements include a black finish and lighted Yamaha tuning fork logo. White polypropylene woofer cones recall the look of the classic Yamaha NS10M, and include low-damping rubber surrounds and full magnetic shielding.

Features:

- 8 in. white polypropylene cone
- 1 in. dome tweeter
- 120-watt biamplified power
- XLR and 1/4 in. connectors
- Room control and frequency response switches

Enhancement Pack
Accurate monitoring is crucial to a tight mix. The optional Enhancement Pack will help you squeeze every drop of sound out of your HS80Ms. The pack includes a height-adjustable monitor stand, putting the sound at ear-level to your mixing station. A pair of Auralex MoPADS will isolate the monitor from the stand (and the room), tightening up the response and removing distractions from the mix. zZounds is an authorized dealer of Yamaha products.

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Single Speaker, with Free Enhancement Pack

Shipping Weight: 45 lbs

Single Speaker

Shipping Weight: 30 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 22 x 17 x 15 in

Pair, with HS10 Subwoofer

Shipping Weight: 93 lbs