I'm a Pro Studio and live engineer who's been mixing National Artists for years. My studio has relied on a pair of Yamaha "NS10M Studio" monitors for 20 years. ( NS10M Studio are second gen. mon's designed for the studio, with proper horn dispersion, vs. older NS10's designed for home use. I will admit that I had an eq on the old monitors to tweak them to perfection, but the only way NS10M Studio's ever produced ear fatigue was if they are not placed properly. Any stereo monitor system must be place at least 60 degrees off center (30 degrees per speaker) to hear a true sweet stereo mix. I read the reviews on these HS80M's and I went to Guitar Ctr. to audition them with a studio mix CD. Forget about anything else!!! These monitors blew away any other powered monitor in any price range! After installing them properly in my studio, they are truly a step above the NS10M's as well. They are the truest representation of a mix that I have ever heard. The entire frequency band is truly reproduced accurately, and no further eq'ing is needed whatsoever. I saw one review claiming that these were brighter. Wrong. They are fantastic and true. They sound brighter than other high-end boxes because there are a lot of other boxes that falsely over-emphasize low-mid frequencies poorly, and you don't get a real mix of your sound. These have great low end, but not added frequencies that aren't supposed to be there! You will hear your true mix and you can eq your mix to how you want it to really sound. Also, I saw someone claiming these have a hiss? WRONG. Learn proper grounding of your studio and avoid grounding loops. Installed properly, there is no hiss whatsoever! They are as quiet as can be. I agree, if it sounds good on these, it will sound great anywhere! I also demo'd the new Yamaha RH10MS Headphones while I was at Guitar Ctr, and they are as perfect and true as the HS80M's. If you want great headphones just as accurate, pick them up as well! There's no debate, buy them both and go succeed!

Pro Studio and Live Engineer

Rock, R&B, Country, all.

excellent, these things are milky, punchy a crisp threw and threw.

average features for a monitor of this price range...

Excellent, heavy duty casing, they feel real solid and heck its yamaha what do you expect

at roughly $350.00 each with the sound that you get they are worth it, they beat the pants off of my $1,000.00 Events, im sad to say that but its true...so these might be a little steep for the newer guys, but do yourself a favor and SAVE UP....

havent had to use it yet

after one listening session I HAD TO HAVE THEM, so that's my view on it

Engineer/Producer

Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B/Jazz

Room controls. balanced inputs - all I need

Rugged build quality and reassuringly heavy. They were replacing my old second refs the MSP5s which were robust themselves. HS-80Ms are much much bigger than the MSP5s. Got a nasty ground loop as soon as I plugged them in but I just inserted an isolator and they were fine (Ground Loops are not the speaker's fault but my useless home electrics)

The price is astounding as the build quality and the sound quality are on a par with

active musician

indie/electronic/rock

Changes my mixes for the better...really clean and flat for great mixing...I love them! I couldn't get them at my local stores because They were out...they were flying off the shevles and i see why.

volume control mid,highs,room control and flat control....xlr and 1/4 inch....for me that's enough

the room control is nice to have for the smaller studios..

solid as a rock....

best in it's range....they sound better than the $1000 events and mackies...

haven't used them yet.

nice snowflake light and the white cones are a good color change for my setup....

Recording Engineer, Producer, Instrumentalist, Writer, Vocalist

r&b, rap/hiphop, dance

the sound of this speakers is incredible! i went to the store and listened to other monitors in this price range. the sound of these is CRYSTAL! i mean look at the frequency graph. these fellas are very linear. i compared them to ns 10 monitors and i can say no they dont sound identically but still have this ns 10 feeling. i would say they sound like ns 10 but with more low end (not overboosted! but 8" cone LF allows to go down to 42 Hz while ns 10 is cutting low at ~60 Hz). you can really make GOOD mixes on these. i highly recommend these particularly IN THIS PRICE RANGE!!! genelec, adam, mackie watch your back!

High trim; room control at 500 hz; mid trim at 2khz; low cut 80 or 100 Hz (the white yamaha light in the front looks very nice ;-)) the only thing thats disturbing a little is the on/off switch on the back, i would place it on the front but im used to this by other monitors ;-)

although they're built in china i think they're very solid. take a look at the store and you'll know what i mean ;-) i would use them for lil gigs too, no doubt, but be careful with the cones!

it's unbelievable to get these in this price range... i read about new yamaha monitors a year ago but i wouldnt have expected them in this price. don't shrink away because of the price this is really high precision monitoring!

i wont need this i hope!

got it ;)

Recording Engineer

HipHop, Ethnic, ...

I really Love these monitors, I am glad I didn't go with any other monitors. Whatever mix you do on these monitors is exacly how it going to sound everywhere else!

I love the buttons on the back! It helps you so u can set the right prefference for yourself

Modifying the sound my personal taste is so easy and increadible, I can really tell the diff every time I move the buttons. I've tried it with different sound cards and even though they all sound different they're all very accurate and you can mix good on whichever. For me there is a learning curve, I just have to get used to them but the more I get used to them the better my mixes will sound! But its pretty direct.. what u hear is what it is. The manual is very clear.

Sound quality is the best, you can really depend on these speakers... i just worry a little in the high mid freq..

The price is wel worth it, I dont think there are cheaper monitors that sound better than this, the only comparison are the new mackies.

I havent had to call for support so I dont know

I love the way they look every time I walk into the studio and whenever someone else walks into the studio! It has a great presence and people say "wow this is a real studio"

Recording Engineer/Producer

Latin

I've had very little earlier experience regarding reference monitors but these blows most speakers I've listened to earlier out of the water. The sound is very sharp, clean and detailed, almost sterile in some cases, but don't let that scare you away, these speakers are a DREAM to mix on! I'm pretty much novice at music composing, production and mixing/mastering, but the amazing this is I've got my mixes just right every single time so far, If your mix sounds good in these speakers, it'll sound fantastic on virtually anything else, and If I can pull off great sounding mixes on these speakers, you should'nt have a problem either.

It has pretty much everything you could ask for, XLR and Phone-jacks (balanced and unbalanced), switches for MID EQ, ROOM CONTROL, HIGH TRIM and LOW CUT, as well as a level gain knob on the backside along with the rest of the switches nicely lined up and easy to locate with your fingers even when not seeing the back of the speakers. Furthermore, 120W bi-amplifiers, "ATX"-power plug, bass reflex vents on the back and fins for cooling the amplifiers.

Plug in the power cord and sound-cables from mixer/soundcard/synthesizer or whatever, turn on the power, crank up the volume and you're set.

Manufacturing in China is not so bad these days, these speakers are rigid, heavy and gives a very solid feel, I'm pretty confident these babies will survive more than one moving or hard smash, as long as the elements are clear, but yeah, most of us will probably try to avoid that best we can :) Oh, and one more thing, the Yamaha-logo under the cheeky looking white cone glows in white when power is on, a nice, discreet, yet functional touch.

These speakers are worth every penny. Every. Penny.

Haven't had a reason to contact them yet, hope it stays that way.

I've been focused on purchasing these since the first time I saw and listened to them in a music store almost two years ago, It finally happened and now I have two of these babies in front of me right now :) They are everything I could ever ask for in a monitor, I'm confident I won't need any other monitors than these, If they should break sometime in the future I'd probably replace them with the same model, they're that good.

Hobbyist, Student, Composer, Novice DJ

Acid, Psychedelic & Goa Trance, IDM, Ambient, Trip-Hop, etc.

The sound is great. Everything I needed to hear to create a good mix, I can hear. The bass is nice, the vocals that I record are awsome, even just working on stuff live these things sounds amazing.

these monitors feature a great sound period.

They were easy to hook up and there are many options on the rear pannel to ake the sound you want to hear or fit the sount to the room. I just used what ever the settings were fresh out the box, can't wait to mess around with the other stuff.

They look really good always wanted a pair cause of how they looked actually until I did my homework on them and heard a pair. At that point I really wanted them.

I think they are worth it if not more.

I nevrer had to deal with the people who made the product and I m sure they are great but the people who sells the product gets a A as well. Excellent costomer service.

Good product

recording engineer, producer

r&b, hip hop, pop, rock

The sound quality is great. Although it took me a while to get used to it. I can already tell my mixes have improve. Great frequency response from 60Hz to 20kHz. You will definitely need a sub for play backs. I have the setting in the back set flat except for the High Trim boosted. I do a lot of Rock and Hip Hop and works great for me.

Easy to use. If you are currently switching from another model monitors, it will take you a while to get used to it, but once you get used to it your mixes will improve greatly.

Yes the product is solid and it has great reference.

I got a great deal from zzounds.com. They were able to beat the price.

I haven't had a problem with the monitors yet. Yamaha is easy to get in touch with. I say for previews experiences and they are great.

I would definitely will not mix with out them.

About 18 years, Guitar and keys. Play professionally

Rock, Christian

The sound is very Crisp and Clean for my production style.

Very easy to set up right out of the box.

Very well made from what I have seen so far.

Well worth it

Haven't had to call them yet

I am still amazed on how good these Monitors sound.

Producing music for 10 years. MPC 2000XL

Any Genre

Those monitors are truly amazing. The sound is so detailed that it is crazy. These monitors help my mixing by far.

My monitors came with the stands and the pads. excellent!! That saved me some money.

To easy.

Amazing for its price.

I feel they're worth more.

yes.

sexy as hell 10 (streight Dime 10).

excellent

rap/R&B

Double Bass since 1966, retired now, some guitar & piano now.

Jazz & Classical primarily, but pop,blues, rock and electronic(fusion) currently.

I have two of these bad boys. I thought one was impressive by itself, but the pair really makes a difference. I DJ House, Breaks, Dubstep and although the bass isn't as powerful as say a PA, a sub would fix that right up. I'm spoiled so I need a ton of it, but the speakers do the sound justice - with style. You have to realize that that's the point of near fields in the first place. There are no gimmicky frequency alterations *cough* Monster Beats *cough*, just pure representation of sound. I went back to some of my old favorite tunes and started noticing sounds I never heard before. The melodies were richer and crisper, hidden synth reinforcements and sound effects made me feel like I put on a pair of prescription glasses on my ears and can hear clearly for the first time. The sound is, for the lack of a better word, perfect.

Yamaha really went all out for this speaker. They realize that the price point is just right for a home studio, especially for the fact that anything comparable or better is 2/3 or twice the price. In that spirit, they took into account that the speakers will be subjected to room limitations. The frequency toggles in the back let you adjust your sound to account for where the speaker will be placed in your setup. There are very clear instructions on how to use those. I find them to be very subtle changes, but they make all the difference in my mis-shapen room where my gear is setup. This feature is great for artists dealing with different musical genres or dealing with acoustic quagmires because of an artsy architect who has no respect for sound refraction.

Not much to really say here, they're speakers. Plug them in, adjust the sound to how you need it and rock out!

I have been dual using them as PA's for a small gig I've landed and for studio reference. My biggest fear is a drunk patron knocking them over or puncturing the gorgeous cone that has absolutely no protection. I guess I'm just being picky, especially for the price, but it could benefit from some grills. At the same time, perhaps the sound quality will diminish if there is anything in front of the cone. Furthermore, Its not a good idea to use reference monitors as PA's for live gigs for that very same reason. I did it because I had no choice. If you are using them as reference monitors in the booth and don't subject them to the elements (people), it will be your best friend.

Comparables will cost you at least $200-300 more. If you are a bass-heavy listener like I am, I would suggest getting a sub (I believe Yamaha makes one in the same product family), however the mids and highs will be like Poland Spring to your ears. If you're on the fence about getting these, don't be. Get them. I was very happy with this purchase and the shipping was ultra fast.

I'm leaving this one out because I have not had a problem yet, but I'm sure Yamaha will come through.

The white cone in the black casing is a sight to behold. My studio is a mix of contrasts of black and white, so it made a solid addition. The feng shui aside, the speakers themselves are sleek and the rounded edges add style to already a beautiful center piece(s). Very sexy. Get them already!

Active Musician, DJ

Dubstep, Breaks, House, More Dubstep

6 years amateur noize gear geek

loud electronic noises.

The Sound is Just Great . You'll hear things that you never have been . Reverb Tails, Delay Feedback tails, Glitches, Low Level sound in the Mix, And must Detailed Things in you mix . For About Quality I'll Say the best I've ever Heard. Between Genelec 8020 ,8050 - Adam A7, Roland Rsm-90, M-Audio Bx8 , Bx5 BX5a I prefer the HS80m Sound . What it have ? -Detailed Sound in Mid and High. -True and Powerful LOW Response. tight and Controlled Low Sound. even -In Low level monitoring you can hear low frequencies. -No AIR sound from Monitor Vent. -Very Good control Over LOW-MID-HI Freq with EQ switches in back of the box . In my opinion and listening experiences, Yamaha Hs80m, Genelec 1030, Tannoy 6D are very Nice sounded monitoring system. Go for this 3 !!!

Every thing you need inside. Monitor just need power cables !!

I don't think this monitor can be in better quality!

I'm really OK with the Price. Very well Value for money.

Don't needed one yet.

just like I said . I WANT IT

Recording Engineer. Composer. Mix and Mastering Eng.

Electronic . Tradational .

Sounds accurate as a calculator (just to specify i own the h5's but there was nowhere to review them)...i had a cheap sub from CA with my computer speakers....these 5's bang way harder than that 8" woofer they are truly amazing and accurate....

good features all three frequency ranges are adjustable on each monitor...

plug in and go....these were my first monitors and i had them going in about 2 seconds so i'd say they're pretty easy....

super heavy duty construction especially for a smaller monitor,in my case....they are heavy, they are also heavily padded...i can turn the volume way up and the woofers bump hard and the box doesn't even vibrate....wow great construction.....

pretty good value....i spent almost $400 on two h5's which is more then i wanted to...but i compared them to the same size KRK's and there was no dispute....yamaha had way better responses in low eq's and mid's...i am loving these!

haven't had to deal with them yet only been a week though....

sometimes i mistake these for my girlfriend and let's just say there is a little drool on these

engineer

hiphop

the sound is very clear. actually i didn't believe before i heard it myself. just amazing. even without subwoofer basses are very powerfull. mids are clear. and highs are very very ok. i could say that these yamahas sound more precise then genelecs. the only monitors that sound better then HS-80 are mackies.

all connectors, switchers and everything is very ok here. i even like that power button and all other knobs are on the back.

i could say that hs-80 look like a rock. very heavy duty stuff. real thing.

they worth every cent i've paid for them. 100%. same quality monitors from other brands cost MUCH more than these..

yamahas knew what buttons will be pushed with the white diffusor ;)

Active Musician

avantgarde, extreme noise, improvised electronics

Just what I needed

Lovely casings, super funky white cones......glowing logos, makes my studio look more professional instantly!

London -

One man band

Classical, Opera, Heavy orchestral music

I experiment with a lot of different styles of music, but usually by incorporating them into a rock piece. These speakers really do give me a true representation of the sound I'm mixing, as well as recording. I think a good word to use "pristine". What I think really helps is the fact that you have a separately powered tweeter and woofer. This really drives each cone so clearly. Other monitors I've heard that do not do this lack the 'sheen' that these baby's have. Sheen being nice and all, don't let that fool you into thinking they don't push out clear lows, they do, rock solid lows. Use a quality 5 string bass into your favorite DAW and listen to what I'm talking about!

They have all I need. Again I'll point out the separate power to the tweeters and the 'room sculpting' options on the back.

Plug em in and start mixing. Should it be harder? You can tweek for your room but I found out of the box best for mine.

The veneer (or whatever it is) covering isn't too rugged, but the construction itself is. They have a nice weight that makes them solid, yet mobile enough to be mounted.

These are 400/per in Canada, and worth every penny.

Not needed it yet but Yamaha in the past has been more painful than needed I think.

They look and feel fantastic but it's all about the sound to me, and they sound fantastic. (what, do you stare at your monitors while mixing??)

Active Musician

Rock, Pop, Jazz

Sounds excellent, I decided to try them after reading the reviews and even from music tech giving them a 9 I can clearly see why. Made in China (like all things) but if it wasn't for that, it would cost 3 times as much so be thankful you can have studio quality monitors today at this price range! As far as design is concerned, to my knowledge, Yamaha engineers do all the work to prototype the monitors, once that's done, they just hand over the specs to the factory in China to duplicate it. Mackie's made in USA or Mackie's made in China, there is no difference. Sounds exactly the same simply because its the exact same components, just different people putting it together. At worst, you get slightly sloppy workmanship on the chipboards but that's all down to the QC of the manufacturer. The frequency spectrum I must say, very flat and very wide, very nice indeed. THESE MONITORS LIKE ALL MONITORS MUST BE ISOLATED SO THE SOUND CAN COME OUT RIGHT. Mopads or books or whatever, isolate them and hear them sing. Completely different. How many people do you know who have returned their monitors cause they think it doens't sound crisp or tight enough but the truth was, THE MONITORS WEREN'T EVEN ISOLATED! Very very close to the sounds and imaging I was looking for, the only other monitor that can blow this away is Genelec 8050a, and I wouldn't say blow, just that Genelecs are maybe a little more transparent overall. And a million times more expensive giving you the mental feeling like its a hundred times better but that's not true at all...these Yamaha's are pretty incredible. I've never heard the NS10ms so I cant tell you if they sound the same, but I know this, they sound good enough. I cant imagine a monitor sounding any better. And like Yamaha says, a monitor is not supposed to sound good, its supposed to sound honest. But these monitors sound good so dont worry. Very accurate representation of the mix as far as I'm concerned, playing different tracks off different record labels will give you a good idea of what you're getting.

Well, it has room controls. high trim, low trim, all the trim you need. Ideally you want these mounted / isolated about an inch from the table you're working on. and a meter from the walls behind, but if you cant afford that, just use the room controls. I said afford because space is expensive isnt it!? I've heard alot of monitors, alot. And unless they're mounted and isolated properly for demo, your judgements are in vain. Mackie's to me sounded very harsh and all over the place. Genelecs to me were the smoothest and most transparent, obviously, because they come with isopods that must be used or the monitor wouldn't even stand. So they have a distinct advantage over all other monitors when it comes to demos.

A dummy could use it. Just plug it in and turn the power on. Please be careful, first time i set the levels at +4 I almost blew my eardrums into my holy skull. These speakers are seriously powerful, I can honestly say, you can start a party with just these two pretty looking babies and none of friends will ever complain about the music not being loud enough. And you can bet, if you're mixing at high levels (not recommended for hearing loss) you'll have your neighbour knock your door in no time. There's no need to mix at such high levels unless you want to lose your hearing before 40. Even at low or medium levels due to the size of the monitors, I get a very wide spectrum and imaging.

No problems with quality. These things came out fresh from the box wrapped up nicely, when I took it out, it was mint in condition and the very first thing that I really liked when I put them on desk was how nice the white cones contrasted with my setup ;-). I have a P-250 beside my desk and boy do they look sweet together. If anyone were to walk in i could say they would be impressed by how nice these monitors look. They look pro. ;-) Sure they dont have the yellow woven cones like KRKs, but they also dont have that unpro looking Rokit logo. (I can see KRK fans here squinting their eyes to a side) sorry couldn't help it ;-)

I would have to give it a 10. You get ALOT for your money like I said, if it wasn't assembled in China, Yamaha could have asked double or triple for it, and you wouldn't be able to afford it. Honestly. These are pro standard monitors in both aesthetics and performance. They are an example of 'Just because you're not paying $500 per monitor doesn't mean they're not equally as good, or better.'

Well, I have a Yamaha P-250 made some calls to them and it wasn't too bad. I always recommend calling, emails, take forever. I haven't had any problems with my Yamaha products so far (knock on wood) but I hope it stays that way. Shipping large audio stuff around is no joke.

Like I said, these monitors give my room a very sexy feel. The monitors may appear to be very deep blue in pictures due to the light reflecting off the MDF, but really, its jet black, and the cones are white as snow. If I could ask for one last favour from Yamaha, it would be to radius the edges and place the power switch on the front. (Make that two last favours) But I presume they were going for that classic NS10m look, so I guess its their call and its very acceptable indeed.

Musician, Pianist, Guitarist, Drummer, Music Production,

Just about anything that makes me rock. ;-)

i originally bought the hs80m's just for some studio bling... i already had a pair of mackie hr824 mk2's and the purchase was only to impress clients because of their classic ns10 look. i set them up, then switched them on. WOW! even if you have a pair of monitors you know and love, GET THESE AS A SECONDARY PAIR. the mid range is RAW and powerful- an aspect missing from just about every other monitor on the market. the hs80m's are a pair of speakers that are so in-yer-face you'll weep with delight. first impressions were these are extremely bright... but then you become appreciative of their warmth, solid bass, power, decent stereo image and again- amazing mid range. when i first hooked them up i thought there was someting wrong with them as it was unlike anything ive heard before! well produced test cds revealed mistakes in the mix i've never noticed before... and they give you what you 'need' to hear rather than what you 'want' to hear. and believe me, i've had a lot of high end monitors in my studio and these are lifers. all the other monitors i've had always had a scooped mid range and sparkly highs that certainly sound great at first... but now i realize thats a fatal flaw. my mixes are so much better now, resulting in a much smoother mix and mastering thats top notch. thanks yamaha!

these monitors have everything you need, although if you intend to play with the room compensation switches on the back, don't do it. the problem is your room, not the speakers! and you are better off fixing that and leaving the speakers exactly as yamaha intended. the only thing i wish these guys had are power switches on the front like the mackie hr824's.

very simple to set up, just get a pair of speaker isolation pads, leave the switches on the back as 'normal', find your sweet spot and away you go. the manual is short, simple and informative, but if you have any experience you won't need it at all. a good studio tip- if you lay them the pads sideways, make sure the tweeters are laying 'away' from you.

build quality is great, just as you would expect. solid. the people at yamaha are audio fantics, always have been, and try not to outsource their components. sure, these are made in china (like everything else including mackie), but to their specs and its yamaha through and through.

monitors that sound as unique as this in this price range is extremely rare. if they were priced 5 times as much, people would still buy them without doubt. they have a character that other brands can't touch. a real bargain for the pro user at a humble consumer price. but dont let that low price fool you, these easily compete with ANYTHING on the current market. ive owned krk's, event, adam, genelec- and i've now sold my mackies in preference for the hs80m's! say no more. the money i got for that sale went to the yamaha hs10w sub and another mic for my collection, and i couldnt be happier. the sub is also FANTASTIC, flab free, tight and a must buy (but thats for another review), get one and reveal even more of the full specrum!

very reliable product and i havent needed any support whatsoever.

there probably are better looking monitors around, but their original look suits their original sound. i love 'em.

recording engineer

rock, punk, pop, industrial, electronica

i originally bought the hs80m's just for some studio bling... i already had a pair of mackie hr824 mk2's and the purchase was only to impress clients because of their classic ns10 look. i set them up, then switched them on. WOW! even if you have a pair of monitors you know and love, GET THESE AS A SECONDARY PAIR. the mid range is RAW and powerful- an aspect missing from just about every other monitor on the market. the hs80m's are a pair of speakers that are so in-yer-face you'll weep with delight. first impressions were these are extremely bright... but then you become appreciative of their warmth, solid bass, power, decent stereo image and again- amazing mid range. when i first hooked them up i thought there was someting wrong with them as it was unlike anything ive heard before! well produced test cds revealed mistakes in the mix i've never noticed before... and they give you what you 'need' to hear rather than what you 'want' to hear. and believe me, i've had a lot of high end monitors in my studio and these are lifers. all the other monitors i've had always had a scooped mid range and sparkly highs that certainly sound great at first... but now i realize thats a fatal flaw. my mixes are so much better now, resulting in a much smoother mix and mastering thats top notch. thanks yamaha!

these monitors have everything you need, although if you intend to play with the room compensation switches on the back, don't do it. the problem is your room, not the speakers! and you are better off fixing that and leaving the speakers exactly as yamaha intended. the only thing i wish these guys had are power switches on the front like the mackie hr824's.

very simple to set up, just get a pair of speaker isolation pads, leave the switches on the back as 'normal', find your sweet spot and away you go. the manual is short, simple and informative, but if you have any experience you won't need it at all. a good studio tip- if you lay them the pads sideways, make sure the tweeters are laying 'away' from you.

build quality is great, just as you would expect. solid. the people at yamaha are audio fantics, always have been, and try not to outsource their components. sure, these are made in china (like everything else including mackie), but to their specs and its yamaha through and through.

monitors that sound as unique as this in this price range is extremely rare. if they were priced 5 times as much, people would still buy them without doubt. they have a character that other brands can't touch. a real bargain for the pro user at a humble consumer price. but dont let that low price fool you, these easily compete with ANYTHING on the current market. ive owned krk's, event, adam, genelec- and i've now sold my mackies in preference for the hs80m's! say no more. the money i got for that sale went to the yamaha hs10w sub and another mic for my collection, and i couldnt be happier. the sub is also FANTASTIC, flab free, tight and a must buy (but thats for another review), get one and reveal even more of the full specrum!

very reliable product and i havent needed any support whatsoever.

there probably are better looking monitors around, but their original look suits their original sound. i love 'em.

recording engineer

rock, punk, pop, industrial, electronica

Great balanced low end, nice tight top end.

Very user definable with switches on back

great, simple interface.

Yamaha is solid.....again.

I got them on sale for 274.00 each! Brand new! WHAT a deal!

Never had to call them

Pro keyboardist, writer

70s, funk, solo piano, laid back

In an A/B reference test with several other monitors, these ones stood out to me as having a very different sound than all the rest. Flat, yes. But very thin and dull. I would tend to "overmix" everything, add too much bass/treble and too much reverb to make up for how dull these are. I had heard a lot about these monitors and expected more. I'm sure you could work with them just fine once you get used to them, but there's definitely a lot better out there. The salesman told me that a few people actually bought them on reputation alone, but returned them when they actually used them.

There's less expensive, far better monitors out there. Don't drop your cash too quickly on these.

Personally, I think these things are ugly. No sex appeal at all, although if you are looking for that "all business, no frills" kind of look... I guess these deliver.

Studio Owner/Engineer, Recording Artist

I first listened to these at the local music store. They didn't sound really. That's coz I had bought along all the songs I had "mixed" on my small computer speakers. But then bought along my favourite hip hop songs and I (as well as my friends) was blown away by how clear the sound was. I was a bit concerened about the bass though, only to realise at how bass "heavy" my old computer speakers were, thus leaving my mixes thin in the bass department. I listen to my track on my ipod while at work and they sound as if i was still infront of the yamaha's at home. I'm glad I waited and bought these. Don't waiste your money on cheap monitors, you'll only be frustrated. By the way, my room has no acoustic treatmnet at all.....

I just put everything on default and started from there....but if you want to fiddle, there are plenty of knobs. I was not please with the fact that I had to buy the cables myself. It wasn't expensive, but come on people.....

They're speakers....

I haven't had them too long, but they look and feel like quality. It's Yamaha by the way.

Great Value!

Haven't had to use them. But the manual is a good touch.

I already bought them and no regrets!!!

Active Musician

Hip Hop/ R&B/ House

With proper Room-accoustics these are great!! From all monitors I've listened (EventTR8XL, mackieHR264, Seiwin, Tannoy Oval, MSP, Behringer) these were the best monitors I heard that come close to what I was looking for. I think I can best describe he sound from these as being honest. They dont colorize like behringer, tannoy. They don;t sound hyped like the little 264's. They sound honest. Flat, very open. Detailed. And that bass is just so tightly controlled. The mids and highs were impressive as well. All kind of music, from emo-poprock, 80's with synths and roland drums, hiphop and 90's r&b, they sounded like what I had in mind so I had to have em. That was my impression when I lstened to them in the store. Now I said with proper room accoustics they should rock!, at home I do hear more harshnes from the mid and highs. But its all good. I know what I have and They also sound like tuned NS10M's, they are a lot less harsh, but still. The highs are sweet but honest, the mids are less harsh like ns10 but still. And as for that bass, no complaints at all! Its like having a great ns10 out of your dreams with great tight bass!

Thank god they have adjustable controls! What I found out was, that no matter how you tweak the levels, the sound pretty much consistent to the yamaha monitor-sound I guess. Goes to show there has been alot of carefull tuning when desiging these beauties!

They are easy to use, but as with all speakers. Placemnt can make a big difference. I think they sound at their best of you listen to them about 1-1.5 meters away. Or else they will sound too harsh and sweet. I also have the level set at less than a quarter from the get go, wich is loud enough! I bet they can go very loud, but for me personally theres absolutely no need for that. You could also sonsidder to put the listening level to very low and sit closer to them at an *intimate level* Genelc-style.

I have faith in the Yamaha design and built quality. You can tell from how its made. The finish, everything.

I havent heard alot of speakers yet. Just Mackie HR264, Tannoy Oval, Spirit 0, Behringer (both), Samson, KRK, Seiwin, Genelec, yamaha HS50 and MSP, And though the Genelecs do have the best sound I heard alongside the yamaha's, they are both winners, the genelcs cheat if you ask me. Ofcourse a speaker will sound great if you make it real small and force people to sit closer so room-accoustics wont bother that much. I think the Yammies are great value. Th best I heard thus far! And I bought them for 250,- euros each. They also talk about Adam's wich I never listened to before. All in good time.

Havent dealt with them yet. But I would like to ask them something tho. I'll see how they react and if very bad, I will rwwrite this review and set this straight (just about the service-part ofcourse)

Ow, they are sexy alright. They looked a bit big in the store. But at home, they are not that big. Just right. Not lumpy. Yes they have a large depth like so may 8" speakers. But that isnt an issue. They Rock! - I wished Yamaha would make some beautifull stands to go along with them. They bring a biot of that Stylish Japanese Design into yer studio. It's so sharp and a bit scary, but in a good way. The Bassdrivers have the same look as the NS10m, I do own a pair, So I should have a look to see how similar they actualy are. They are beautiful.

They are both great. Punchy lows - Smooth Highs. There are a bit "blur" only in 300-600 khz area. But it depend on your music. i mainly use them for progressive trance (low freqs!) and I.D.M. (for my experiments) and sound great.

All what u need...

sure.!

Great ! from white cone to yamaha glowing logo.! Solid as rock!

Beat every Genelec , Event, Absolute 0, and and and....

I heard from a friend that has 3 months for another woofer and still waiting... Shame!

I got it!

Musician,Recording Engineer,Mastering Engineer

Progressive House, I.D.M. , New Age, Ambient. Experiments..