Yamaha HS5 review

Yamaha's HS5 descends from the white-woofer nearfield monitors the company has made since the 1970s, and Yamaha positions the HS Series as an honest, precise reference rather than a speaker with flattering bass or treble. Yamaha says that gives you an ideal platform to build on throughout the mixing process. The 5-inch cone woofer and 1-inch dome tweeter run on a 70 W bi-amp system, 45 W for the low end and 25 W for the highs, with a frequency range of 54 Hz to 30 kHz at -10 dB. Room tuning is analog and simple: a ROOM CONTROL switch cuts below 500 Hz by 2 or 4 dB for speakers near walls, and HIGH TRIM adjusts the top by 2 dB. XLR and TRS inputs accept balanced or unbalanced signals. The cabinet is MDF and bass-reflex. Yamaha's US page shows no price, so value is scored conservatively. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not test it.

Who it is for

Producers who want an unflattering, flat reference and simple room switches.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• 5-inch cone woofer and 1-inch dome tweeter
• 54 Hz to 30 kHz frequency range (-10 dB)
• 70 W bi-amp system (45 W LF, 25 W HF)
• ROOM CONTROL switch: 0, -2 or -4 dB under 500 Hz
• XLR and TRS inputs accept balanced or unbalanced signals

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Yamaha designs the HS Series for an honest, unhyped reference
• Strength: Simple ROOM CONTROL and HIGH TRIM switches
• Strength: MDF bass-reflex cabinet weighing 5.3 kg
• Weakness: No US price on Yamaha's product page
• Weakness: Bass reach is shallower than the Kali or KRK
• Weakness: No RCA input or DSP voicing

Key facts

• Drivers: 5-inch cone, 1-inch dome
• Power: 70 W (45 W + 25 W)
• Frequency range: 54 Hz to 30 kHz (-10 dB)
• Room controls: ROOM CONTROL, HIGH TRIM
• Weight: 5.3 kg

Where it ranks

Yamaha HS5 is No. 8 in our Best Studio Monitors verdict.