A pair of solid-sounding studio monitor speakers is as important for producing music as it is hard to find.
With so many factors you need to take into account, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of various great models on the market.
Luckily, after looking through numerous options, it seems that one model lands right in the sweet spot.
Stick around as we look deeper into the HS8 by Yamaha, and see what exactly makes it special.
Yamaha HS8 – Great design, even better performance
Yamaha is one of those brands that doesn’t really need an introduction. For years on end, they have been delivering some of the best-selling and sounding audio equipment.
The HS8 presents specs and features that should check the boxes of pretty much any sound engineer.
Key Features
- 8” Cone woofer & 1” dome tweeter
- 38Hz to 30kHz frequency response range
- Bi-amp system with 120W of total power
- Room and high trim adjustments
Yamaha’s HS8 is a monitor speaker focused towards professional studio engineers as well as more advanced home studio enthusiasts looking for crisp, hi-fi audio.
Whether you just combine a pair of these, or couple them with an additional subwoofer, you will be getting an accurate representation of the recordings you’re working on.
Pros
- Appealing design
- High-quality build
- Close to totally flat frequency response
- Tigh bass, clear highs
- All around good performance
Cons
- Can pick up interference from devices that are too close
- Not that good for casual, everyday listening
- Require additional space around them for good audio quality
Who is the HS8 for?
With the HS8, Yamaha was aiming mostly at recording studio engineers and audiophiles.
Given the almost flat frequency response and features such as room control and high trim, it’s obvious that this model is good for either studio monitoring, or as a part of an audiophile’s setup.
Although “audio amateurs” will definitely find the performance as very good, I wouldn’t suggest getting a pair of these if you don’t plan on doing the whole audiophile thing.
What makes the HS8 special?
The convenient dimensions of this speaker allow it to house an 8-inch cone woofer alongside a 1-inch dome tweeter. Personally, I find this setup good, as it balances audio reproduction and manageable form factor quite nicely.
This also means that you’ll be getting a frequency response that’s wide enough for pretty much any kind of audio you’re going to feed the speakers with.
The lows are fat and well-rounded, while the mids and highs sound natural and on- point.
With separate amps for the low and high frequencies, no part of the spectrum gets left behind.
Additional room adjustment high trim controls allow you to mold the sound to your actual surrounding in order to get the best possible performance.
User experience
Most users found the HS8 speakers to be a noticeable upgrade when compared to the ones they previously used.
“Studio-grade audio quality with a unique touch”
“Tight and natural sound, great-sounding out of the box”
It seems that Yamaha really should have included shielding to avoid interference.
“Putting these too close to my PC resulted in interference”
“These speakers pick up too much interference”
A couple of extra pieces of info
You can get the HS8 monitor speakers on Amazon for around $350 a piece.
The speakers are sold separately, so if you want 2, or the subwoofer as well, pay extra attention.
The package includes only a power cable.
These are pretty big, so make sure you have enough room for them, as well as some extra in order to get the best possible results.
Yamaha HS8 – Yay or nay?
While the specs and features describe these speakers pretty accurately, you might still be wondering if you should get them.
The HS8s by Yamaha are both a great starting point in making your own home studio, as well as a solid addition to any professional music studio.
The reliability and accurate portrayal of audio make for a pricey, yet definitely smart investment.
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