Yamaha HS80M Studio Reference Monitor

I always like to mention the seller in my review. I Purchased these from azmuzik here on amazon. Price was amazing at $230 each NIB. if you can't find the seller, check back because they can't seem to keep them in stock. I got the pair and free shipping for $460. list price is $450each, average store price is $350ea. Amazon said to allow 2-3 days processing time, but azmuzik shipped them next day. Shipped from California to Georgia in 4 days including a weekend on UPS ground, originally said a Wednesday delivery, but they came a day early. I am incredibly pleased with this. my small home studio consists of CubaseLE4, Focusrite Scarlett 18i6 and these sweet Yammies. The speakers themselves are amazing. worth every 5 star review they get(and it seems 5 star is all they ever get). spend your time adjusting them and listening and making fine adjustments to the listening angle, Read the manual, and play with/pay attention to the differences in the settings on the speaker. something sweet happens when you get these setup perfectly for your room where the speakers themselves disappear and the music source suddenly seems to be floating in front of you. I have demo these on every source from Iron Maiden to Don Henley to Vivaldi to JayZ. They really come alive on a good mastering that has nuance sounds like Vivaldi's 4 seasons or Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. I can hear clear differences between the original source and a converted MP3 of my own productions. suddenly I have to go back and re-master all of my work I did on sony studio headphones. in order to post any cons about these speakers, I would have to be nit picky. *the average user will have to reach around back to turn them on/off "DARN!" ..my friend has a nice set of Mackie HR624 they pop when you turn them off, the switch on these is very soft.. no sound at all at power on/off *they are 13" deep plus the wires that stick off the back. if you are pressed for space, consider this fact probably only production studio desks have an ear level bar that will support 30lbs 13x15x9 in a proper sound field.(I'm now using speaker stands) Everybodys ears are different. If you have been using other monitors and considering an upgrade I would definitely recommend you audition these at the top of your list. if you are newbie, but want a quality set of monitors I highly recommend you get it right the first time and buy these bad boys, you are going to have to learn the nuances of monitoring anyway, so buy these if they are in your price range. If you are pro, you aren't reading my review, you already know what you want.

If you're wanting to know whether all the 5-star reviews are really true to their word; they are. Every single one of them. In fact, I'll go as far as to say that they're nearly underselling the product, but if you want to know my story, read further. I'm a freelance composer and sound artist and most of my work comes from independent game developers. I write 10-20 musical pieces week-in, week out. Before I purchased these monitors my mixes relied on a pair of headphones. While they were good (MDR 7506), there was always something missing in my mixes and headphones weren't cutting it anymore. Getting a pair of monitors were inevitable. Along with the the purchase I began research a lot into acoustics and for building a future home studio. I was really worried that my room was going to create a big mess of standing waves, resonance, comb-filters and whatnot have you. I purchases the KRK Ergo so I could be prepared solving the low frequency issues. When I got these babies I fired them up and I must say, the clarity and detail these monitors produce is really mind-boggling at first. The wicked definition of the stereo image/center image, the precision of the depth, and very very smooth, un-exaggerated bass. I was blown away to bits, but my concern was whether I was getting "the real deal", "The true reference." I made tests with my KRK ERGO and with 95% room knowledge the ergo could not correct anything. The uncorrected and corrected signals were so identical, even if it made a difference it was inaudible. I was baffled, to say the least, but I had to be sure. I brought in a GoldLine Realtime analyzer in order to see if there any problems in the room. To my surprise bursting out a constant pink noise and analyzing my room in my mix position, the response is flat as a pancake. How it's possible in a bed room, I don't know, but till this day I am trying to prove the readings wrong. I've mixed over 20+ of my compositions on these and I've managed to properly balance the tracks, create a bigger image, add more color, dynamics, and power to them. They all sound much much more professional now. These speakers EASILY pointed out all the shortcomings of my headphones mixes, with no problem, every track, EVERY time. I love knowing these speakers can punish me for not paying attention to what it's telling me; if there's something wrong in the mix it's gonna be wrong everywhere else. Best $450(pair) I've ever spent.

I was impressed with this HS80M studio monitors [which I got from Amazon]; the sound quality is amazing. I tried to connect them to my PC directly, but that was impossible; instead after consulting some reps at BestBuy, I bought an M-Audio M-Track device [basically a USB MIDI interface device that helps you to connect studio music equipment to your computer]. The cable was also sold at Bestbuy, so I grabbed that as well. FYI, I use this thing with FL studio.... And I highly recommend these 8-inch monitors over the cheaper 5-inch monitors per the bass sound output. BTW, this thing is huge, and it is as tall as your desktop PC unit, when placed side by side, and its much wider than the PC. If you place them directly on the table of your computer setup, when the dB level is turned up at the back of the monitors, the active units will literally shake your entire table, so don't turn up the dB too high during the initial set up. You can buy the stands for the set [the same way you can buy a microphone stand], in order to support them away from your main PC and MIDI piano setup. When you buy two monitor units, try to create a triangle effect in your home studio, so that both speakers point at you, and that will give you a concentrated surround-sound effect. If you buy one monitor first [per the high price], trust me, you will not be disappointed, as it will help you with mastering your audio track better than any headphones that cost the same or even more - because it amplifies the distinct layers of the sounds better than the High-end Boss PC Companion 5 speakers that are sold as 2-piece or 3-piece sets. But if you bought just one unit, then you'll probably want to buy the second HS80M monitor in about a week!! And If you can't afford the stand / support for the monitor, just get a really thick book or something really thick and rectangular to support the monitor - as long as its well elevated from your table, then it won't send those vibrations that I warned you about. - 5 out of 5 stars!!

For about a year now I have been trying to do mixes with a co-writer. He has NS10s, so I would do a mix bring it to his place, just to find out it really sucked bad on his monitors. I recently upgrade my interface MOTU UltraLite-MK3 Hybrid FireWire/USB2 Audio Interface and finally realize how foolish it was to think that my surround system which could make nails on a blackboard sound good, could attribute anything to accuracy. Even if by comparison to another brand to be cheap, I have yet to buy a pair of speakers at this price, never mind for each. So it was waaaay low on my music "to do" list. I mean it's just a pair of speakers right? OK, now I'm convinced it was worth every penny. My only regret is I waited so long to get them. I still have a little bit of a problem getting used to the character of the bass, so I use my surround system through a PreSonus Monitor Station Studio Control Center for a familiar bass response. A push of the button and I can hear it at full boom. Eventually I'll get accustomed to the bass portrayal, which isn't absent (Of course my co-writer hears it just fine), just very different to myself. It's amazing how much time I have struggled to get any mix even near consistent from how it sounded in the DAW to the final MP3. Previously I wouldn't think it could be possible. It's easy to see now, that the accuracy from the beginning carries over to the end sound clarity.

My original review profusely gushed about these monitors after only owning them for a few weeks. In my excitement, I gave them 5 stars and basically wrote an advertisement for them. After 3 years of ownership and use, my opinion on these monitors is a lot more tempered. First of all, yes, the sound quality (out of the box) is still exceptional for both listening and studio work. They're extremely eloquent and transparent. I would still consider them a good purchase for the money, especially against other options. Overall, I was extremely satisfied with these monitors for the first couple of years. Unfortunately, there's been some build quality issues. After about 6 months, one of the operating lights on the front went dim, and eventually stopped showing altogether. There's now no way to know if the monitor is on without reaching behind and feeling the power switch. This is a minor problem that's really only a matter of aesthetics, and easy enough to live with. A much bigger issue has recently developed. Make no mistake, I've babied these monitors since the day I got them. They've been plugged into a surge protector/conditioner exclusively, I broke them in carefully, I've never even driven these past 50% max output, never cranked them from cold, and I shut them down whenever they're not in use. I'm not throwing house parties with these, they've sat in a controlled studio environment and never been mistreated. In spite of this, one of the monitors has developed a VERY noticeable distortion problem, and it continues to get worse. Complex tones in the midrange (piano, guitar, vocals, strings, or any sufficiently dense composition) will pull a crackling, scratchy, staticky sound out of it, and not a subtle one. It eats the mix. I've replaced the tweeter entirely and the problem still persists, meaning it's likely the amp. I know for a fact that this is not an issue with my computer, interface, cables, or anything besides the monitor itself, because this problem is easily reproduced by plugging an electric guitar directly into the back and strumming a few chords; it'll sound like I'm listening to AM radio in a tunnel. For $400 each, I thought I was going to be set for life. Three years later and well out of warranty, I'm already looking to exchange.

This things sound GREAT! I upgraded from a pair of M-Audio Bx5as after being unable to finish my song. It was just too hard to hear frequencies well and too hard to get an uncolored mix. The second I plugged this babies in I could tell the difference. I heard all the little things that needed to be tweaked in my song, i could hear specific frequencies easier. WIthin an hour my whole song bumped and sounded twice as good as before. Im very happy with these speakers. And even better, I mixed on them for a few hours and my ears feel fine. They don't have the weird tiredness that I had with the M-Audios. These speakers even helped in my crappy untreated room. With the M-audios there was a lot of bass and reverb from the room, with this I cut the highs by 2db and turned on the room control and it really helped clear up some (although not enough) of the problems I was having in this room. Overall great buy and I got a great deal on them! I can finally finish my track and be satisfied with it.

I have a pair for almost 5 years now. Listened to them in store and they were the only ones meeting up to my expectations (clarity, balance, less colored bass response) including the price. So I took a pair home right away. Lifted 13 kg at a time to my home and back to the shop to pick the other one up. In terms of sound there's still no other monitor in this price-range that can beat it's clarity. Though I have a side note. In store they had carpet and it was pretty well treated. The balance and clarity was spot on. Though at home I play them in a large living room with little to no furniture, carpet or curtains. I think this might be the reason for the treble to sound very (very) harsh. Or I might have an early revision model which is flawed? Yamaha never responded back really. The -2dB setting on the back still isn't enough to cure this. These also a hiss sound when there is no sound on input or even a cable plugged in. But only very slightly and you have to sit near like 15-20" to hear which you shouldnt be doing anyway. These can go really loud if you're not careful. There's also an issue with the bass-response. Yamaha is naughty when it comes to it's specs, hence the measured "at -10dB" thing in the freq response graphic. If you use common sense. Measuring a speaker at a lower level than usual and drawing this in a graph which is a round curve coming up through 80Hz, 10KHZ, 15KHZ and down again (in volume) until the line reaches 20KHZ. This will make the bass response end look better than it really is. Reading this same graph at -6dB or -3dB you will find the curve at the bass-end will quickly vanish at given volume against other monitors. Which also means you have to turn up the volume of this speaker to hear the claimed bass response of about 50Hz. Which is true for all speakers anyway. But Yamaha is cheating a bit. In terms of real life response of the bass, it is a bit weird. First if there isn't any it's because there isnt any in the track to begin with. If there is you will hear it consequently with every track. If the bass is woolly you'll hear, if it's too dull you'll hear, if it's too boomy (like roland 909 boommy), if it is coloring guitars or kickdrums you will hear. This is what I love about the HS80. But sometimes I feel as if the bass-drivers are broken. And yet it seems it isnt the speakers fault. Maybe it's my untreated room. There is however unmistakably a dip around 100Hz-110Hz. correct this with an equalizer and it will sound even flatter. Mids are very clear. Who said Nirvana's first album is one of the best in terms of sonic response? BS! The yamaha's will clearly show you why. It's all compressed and dull when it gets really kickin in the song. The HS80 will clearly let you hear when a track sounds Ok or not. Albums by Suzanne Vega for example are so pleasing to listen to. It's like a very clean accoustic live performance. Cindy's True Colors drums and guitar intro is chilling. But it varies with each release. Grand Funk railroad's remasterd albums sound terrific if a bit harsh because of my untreated room. Jerry Butler's Mechanical man (the fender rhodes intro and bass) you gotta hear. Any fender rhodes EP. for that matter. they sound so good through HS80. Symmetry of the room and placing of these speakers is also important. Because the bass end is so reveeiling. You might find that one side will lack or have a little too much, if the corner behind it will be unequal to the opposite corner for the other speaker. That's it. I will bore you no more.

Coming from TANNOY PBMs, I figured I’d update my monitors. Running Logic Studio 8 on a MacBook Pro, with M-Audio PROFIRE 610 interface, semi treated and carpeted recording room in my basement. My first project (hip hop) with these wonders of engineering was a song that has a chaotic intro of various news broadcasts overlapping each other with the soundtrack building behind it. Having these monitors help me distribute the tracks over the stereo field has made it not only that much more easy, but also that much more fun. The clarity is bananas. Anyone who says the bass is weak, must be mistaken. In their defense, I played a normal song on itunes and noticed that these monitors are not gonna "bump" the music up to that level. ON THE OTHER HAND, during my mixing session, I decided to jack up my kick drums and bass lines just to see, and low and behold...BOOOM! So these babies WILL RESPOND to your low end needs when you need them to. I’m sure the Rockit 6s are good, but dammit these are incredible. Got them LIKE NEW from a seller here at Amazon, and they arrived exactly as described, two for 5 hunge!