Yamaha HS-7 and HS-8 6,5 "and 8" Powered Studio Monitors

In the Family Photo, below, you can clearly see a pair of NS-10, the progenitor of Yamaha Studio Monitors, in the company of the new generation HS-7 and HS-8.

Beyond the Yamaha "paternity" and the white color of the woofer (even if, in my NS10s visible in the photos, only the memory of white remains, because the woofers have now yellowed with time), analyzing the generational differences, we note immediately that we are faced with different projects, the result of different historical moments, different scientific knowledge, different listening needs for variation of musical styles and their reproduction ... .. The lowest common denominator or if you like, the basic philosophy of the company, has remained however the same over time and unites the two generations. For Yamaha, now as then, the basic objective of studio monitors is not to "charm" the listener with particularly engaging / exciting reproductions, but to be "faithful”, That is to try to reproduce the musical message without adding or removing anything so that, what is heard and decided during the shooting or mixing phase, can then be reproduced, without major surprises and variations, in the most disparate listening situations.

So Studio Monitors like work tools and not of "pleasure".

So from the Yamaha site: "Unlike studio monitors with enhanced bass and treble that can sound good on first listen, the HS Series speakers have been designed to provide a serious and accurate reference, offering an ideal sound platform to rely on when mixing."

Yamaha NS10M vs HS Series

Just to mention some differences between the NS-10M and the new series HS, I want to recall:

NS-10M: Passive speaker that is, it needs an external amplifier to work and the internal crossover is passive, built with RCL filter. The woofer works in a closed box (pneumatic suspension system), the Tweeter is 3,5 cm (almost a mid-tw) ...

HS-7 e HS-8 : Active speakers that is, the amplifier is present inside the cabinet and designed specifically to interface at best with the speakers used and precisely, in this case, we find a bi-amplification, or a specific amplifier for the woofer and one for the tweeter. The filter is electronic and in addition, there is the presence on the back of the cabinet of some controls to optimize the response of the diffuser in relation to its positioning in the environment. The woofer works in a bass reflex cabinet, with the tuning tube open at the back, the Tweeter is 1 "(about 26mm) ... ..

The following are the characteristics of the two models HS-8 and HS-7 examined:

	HS8		HS7
speaker type	2-way bi-amp powered studio monitor		2-way bi-amp powered studio monitor
Frequency response (-10dB)	38Hz – 30kHz		43Hz – 30kHz
Frequency response (-3dB)	47Hz – 24kHz		55Hz – 24kHz
Components	LF	8 ″ cone	6.5 ″ cone
	HF	1 ″ dome	1 ″ dome
Crossover	2kHz		2kHz
Output power	120W (LF: 75W, HF: 45W)		95W (LF: 60W, HF: 35W)
Input sensitivity	-10 dBu / 10k ohms		-10 dBu / 10k ohms
I / O connectors	XLR3-31 type (balanced), PHONE (balanced)		XLR3-31 type (balanced), PHONE (balanced)
Indicators	Power ON (White LED)		Power ON (White LED)
Power consumption	60W		55W
Shape	Bass-reflex type		Bass-reflex type
Cabinet material	MDF		MDF
Size	W	250mm (9-13 / 16 ″)		210mm (8-1 / 4 ″)
	H	390mm (15-3 / 8 ″)		332mm (13-1 / 16 ″)
	D	334mm (13-1 / 8 ″)		284mm (11-3 / 16 ″)
Net weight	10.2kg (22.5 lbs.)		8.2kg (18.1 lbs.)
Others	LEVEL control (+ 4dB / center click), EQ: HIGH TRIM switch (+/- 2dB at HF) / ROOM CONTROL switch (0 / -2 / -4 dB under 500Hz)		LEVEL control (+ 4dB / center click), EQ: HIGH TRIM switch (+/- 2dB at HF) / ROOM CONTROL switch (0 / -2 / -4 dB under 500Hz)

Without prejudice to the same design philosophy of the HS-7 and HS-8, we obviously find some variations, such as the size / model of the woofer (8 "in the HS-8 vs 6,5" in the HS-7) with the relative consequential performances, the power of the amplifiers associated with the drivers and the different dimensions of the cabinet. Between common choices we have - woofers loaded in bass reflex with rear duct and a crossover frequency of 2000Hz. This crossover frequency allows us to be quite far from the first phenomena of bad frequency response and low dispersion of the woofers. Furthermore, it also avoids overloading the tweeter with too many mid frequencies, making it fatigued and this, as a general principle, is a good compromise. Obviously the final yield at the crossover frequency depends, as always in electroacoustics, on many other factors, such as the construction characteristics and parameters of the individual speakers, the type and slope of the crossover, the distance between the emission centers, etc ... Again, as choices common to the two models we have => -biamplification, with an amplifier dedicated to the woofer and one to the tweeter, specially designed; - cabinet built in MDF(material sufficiently rigid and devoid of particular specific resonances); - external controls for managing the general volume and the cuts / increase on the bass and treble response.

HS-7 HS-8 Test of Use and Listening

I never get tired of repeating / writing => when you test a speaker system, you never test the system itself, but the performance of the system within the listening room, with all the speaker / room interactions. It is true, one of the purposes of the nearfield, with their close listening, is also to minimize environmental interference, but the environment still participates, just think of the positioning more or less close to the back and / or side walls (with consequent variation of the response on the bass and not only ), the height of the tweeters with respect to the ears, the reflective / absorbent surfaces (mixer desk, desk, etc ...) on which the monitors can be placed, etc ... Of course there are ideal situations for positioning and listening, as also indicated in the Yamaha manual, and then there is reality with its most disparate variables. Yamaha knows this well and has therefore equipped the monitors with a series of controls to try to adapt, with a few moves, as much as possible the response to real situations. As usual, before proceeding to the actual listening, I subjected the monitors to a break-in period, leaving them playing for several hours… What both speakers share is a certain “monitor” character, ie the music is carried forward, with a detailed midrange. The highs, well present, are not annoying and this translates into low listening fatigue and clarity of information.

The low listening fatigue, in addition to the quality of the speakers used, certainly also depends on the amplification in support of the same, which obviously behaves well, not introducing significant distortion. The perceived power, proportionally for both models, is generous and even goes beyond (as a sensation) to the declared plate data. After several tests, my favorite position for both models was the one with the tweeters located at ear height or just above. As we said, the "monitor" style unites both models, but this does not mean a particular lack of some frequency, but a question of "style".

Differences between the two models

Le HS-7 , presenting the smaller woofer and tweeter flange, allow to bring the emission centers between the two speakers closer and thus favor vertical dispersion at the crossover frequency, with good listening even in close range. Speed ​​and attack, probably thanks to the size of the woofer and a good reflex project, are very good. The sound is all there, "concentrated and coming from the speaker", but it is there. Even the low frequencies, not very extended and from telluric displacement, are there and are well articulated, allowing you to follow the evolution of an electric bass quite well. The 7, are preferred for a fairly close use and in this case, I would not particularly focus attention on the acoustic scene as the perception that the "music comes out of the monitors" is quite clear. However, the combination of all these features just described will certainly help the engineer in his choices.

Le HS-8 on the other hand, thanks to the larger size of the woofer, they have a more extended bass response, always well articulated and such that the addition of a subwoofer is not desired. Just as an example, I was listening to Brian Bromberg's double bass in the Jaco disc (the double bass player's homage to the great Jaco Pastorius), well the instrument is all there, by extension, attack, intelligibility of the notes. Of course, even in 7 there is and is perhaps even more clear, but not as deep and engaging. Furthermore, in a monitor, the presence of a larger mid-woofer, as you surely already know, affects the response of the speaker not only for the low frequencies. The amount of air displaced, the frequency response of the single loudspeaker and its dispersion, the response speed, the damping, the force exerted in the acceleration, etc. are different characteristics compared to a smaller loudspeaker and consequently also the reproduced sound will change ... That said, the sensation felt when listening to 8 o'clock towards 7 is that of a more complete sound at the bottom, with a wider scene, a greater "amount of air moved", with a greater involvement of the 'listener. The HS-8, are able to sound even fairly sized environments and are preferred for a listening distance that is close but not really close. Perhaps less clear and slower than the 7 but with other advantages and for other "tastes". Obviously, the interaction with the environment will also be greater and will require more care.

Personal considerations

At this point, which couple to prefer between 7 and 8? In my opinion, you have to start from your own needs. Eg - if the space available is very small, the listening is quite close, the genre you work on usually does not require a particular extension at the bottom but you have to prefer speed and dryness, the available budget is limited, then the 7 may be the right choice, on the other hand, the 8 represent a more complete monitor and with the characteristics we have seen previously. What has been written so far has been done without forgetting the “low budget” range of these speakers and therefore their placement / comparison. However, I must say, that some features have a value independent of price, so that the HS-7 and HS-8 monitors can compete well even with higher cost speakers and can represent a useful work tool in many situations. On the other hand, as the more "elderly" will remember, even the NS-10 monitors were "cheap enough" for their time, yet they represented, due to their specific characteristics, an uninterrupted world standard for many years. For fans of graphs and tables, here is the graph of the frequency responses of both speakers. However, I remember that the frequency response is only one of the aspects that allows us to describe / hypothesize the operation of a speaker in the room and that often, speakers with very similar "numbers and graphics", however, have different results when listening ...

Salvatore Savio Aversano

Producer:   Yamaha
Distributor: Yamaha
Model: HS-7 Retail price: About 199 euros including VAT for each case
Model: HS-8 Retail price: About 275 euros including VAT for each case

Model: HS-7 Matched Pair Retail price: About 439 euros including VAT (couple)
Model: HS-8 Matched Pair Retail price: About 649 euros including VAT (couple)