TEST OF YAMAHA HS-5 ACTIVE SPEAKERS

[♔Chello]

TEST OF YAMAHA HS-5 ACTIVE SPEAKERS

           


Description:
* 5-inch active studio monitors  70W (45W LF + 25W HF)
* Two-way bass-reflex bi-amplified nearfield monitor
* 74Hz to 24kHz –3dB (with 10dB-down points at 54Hz and 30kHz)
* Room control and high trim control for room optimisation
* Tweeter with waveguide
* Cabinet material: MDF


Assembly / preparation for use:
The speakers come in two very solid boxes, and are easy to place.
Very high production quality - a direct comparison with the Tannoy Gold 5 shows that Yamaha has a higher standard.
Good, detailed manual included.
All connections are of good quality.


Equipped with 2 connections:
XLR and TRS phone jack inputs accept balanced or unbalanced signals
Cables:
Unusually sturdy and soft quality power cable


Adjustment possibilities on the front:
NONE


Adjustment options on the back:

LEVEL Control (+4dB / Centre Click)
HIGH TRIM Switch (+/-2dB at HF)
ROOM CONTROL Switch (0/-2/-4dB under 500Hz)
Non-slip rubber mat NOT included

1st start-up:
Fortunately, these monitors do not have AUTO-STANDBY, so once they are turned on they are on all the time, something you are never in doubt about due to the clear white LED in the logo under the bass unit.
There is no audible blop when turning on/off.


Briefly about daily use:
There is none background noise when they are turned on.
So no noise - the amplifiers are well shielded, and not like the Tannoy Gold 5 was.


Sound quality:
The Yamaha HS series is said to be designed by the same person who developed the legendary NS-10 (Akira Nakamura), and several audio professionals compare the HS series to the NS-10.

I have heard the NS-10, and if these monitors have even a little of the NS-10's qualities, they will impress greatly.


FIRST TEST:
I first tried with the treble neutrally adjusted to 0 and the bass to -4dB.
My immediate impression was that my Jamo Cornet 145 is more natural, but the HS-5 has more detail all the way through.
The Jamo has an airier and more natural treble, while the HS-5 goes deeper into the bass, and is cleaner. The midrange is exceptional  for both.


SECOND TEST:
I then used the Pa5X's parametric EQ to locate any problem areas:
With the Q value set to a minimum of 0.40 there was an audible effect all the way down to 16Hz (!), while there was a clear effect at 40Hz.
Very unexpected from such a small pair of cabinets..!

There was an audible effect at 24.548Hz, while there was a clear effect at 14.597Hz.
The area just above 6kHz was very susceptible to adjustments, and appeared somewhat sharp while at the same time lacking some depth - brushes became too sharp and lacked a bit of punch.


THIRD TEST:
By adjusting the Q value to a maximum of 3.97, I tried to find the minimum and maximum frequencies (problem areas), and there was an audible increase from 40Hz, which became very clear at 54Hz, which fits perfectly with Yamaha's stated lower limit frequency which is precisely 54Hz..!
It is worth noting that they deliver bass all the way down to 40Hz.
There was no audible effect above 10kHz with this Q value, while it became noticeable at 9kHz and below.

Very unusually, I found NO problem areas anywhere in the frequency range; almost ALL speakers have at least one problem area at least around the crossover frequency, but the HS-5 plays smoothly throughout; it is actually the best I have ever tested in this respect.


FOURTH TEST:
When I increased HIGH TRIM from -2dB to +2dB this would normally have resulted in too sharp treble, but this did not happen - the details were only slightly emphasized.
Very unusual, and very positive.
When I increased ROOM CONTROL from -4dB to 0dB this would normally have resulted in too strong bass reproduction, but this did not happen either - but the lower cut-off frequency became lower - with a Q of 0.40 there was an audible response at 16Hz at +10dB; even stronger at 20Hz and very strong at 30Hz..!


FIFTH TEST:
Playing selected high-quality Mp3 files did not give any unexpected experiences other than an unusually detailed sound (maybe a little too detailed ?), but without this actually being negative.
At the same time, the lowest frequencies from the reflex port were a little colored, but this will always be the case with bass reflex.
That is why I insist that monitors should be closed without any port.
They will probably sound even better if I block the ports, but this is by no means required.


SIXTH TEST:
But how is the perspective reproduced ?
I had used the same setup as for the Tannoy Gold 5, which probably constitutes too close a placement of the monitors.

By chance I leaned forward over the keyboard, so that my head came between the monitors, which gave a VERY unusual experience:
I was now in the middle of all the instruments !

The sound image appeared extremely holographic in a way that I have only experienced once before, when I had a pair of Dali monitors set up on stands on either side of the chair I was sitting in.
I will try different setups to try to preserve as much of this holographic perspective as possible.


SEVENTH TEST:
How good are the amplifier sections ?
I have played very loudly, and have pushed them to reproduce very low frequencies, without having registered any problems in the form of distortion or shifts of perspective before maximum volume is reached.
The bass reflex port must be said to function optimally, as there are never any audible noises or resonances.
No other tested active speakers have passed this test as convincingly.



CONCLUSION:
The Yamaha HS-5 appear to be the best monitors I have tested to date, and even surpass the Jamo Cornet 145 in most areas - Jamo is only better in the reproduction of brushes.
They have many of the qualities of the famous NS-10, and deliver an uncolored midrange that few others can.
At the same time, the bass reproduction is shockingly good far down in the frequency range, all the way down to 40Hz.
Who would have thought that this was possible from a pair of small cabinets ?

The most impressive thing is the perspective, which is holographic in a way I have hardly heard before from regular speakers - only my horns have been able to do this.


Pros:
* Very detailed and homogeneous soundstage
* Very holographic perspective
* Superb bass reproduction far below the expected frequency range
* The most competent amplifiers ever tested
* Very high production quality
* Very good manual


Cons:
* NO NEGATIVE REMARKS
* The treble range between 6kHz and 10kHz is a bit too emphasized, but this is minimal, and may even be an advantage in terms of mixing.



Final conclusion:
RECOMMENDED

These monitors are the best I've tested to date, and they're cheap too.
Run and buy !!!