Yamaha NS-5000
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
96/100
Value for Money
94/100
The NS-5000 turns a large stand-mount into a reference-class music maker: its all-Zylon driver array delivers exceptional tonal unity, transparent midrange color and pinpoint imaging, while the 12-inch woofer brings real scale and taut depth. Hi-Fi Choice admired its seamless integration and expansive stage; exquisite piano-black cabinetry seals the flagship appeal.
Pros
Exceptionally seamless tonal coherence, with natural, transparent midrange and convincingly unified driver integration.
Large, deep soundstage with highly precise imaging and strong central image density.
Powerful, articulate bass with impressive depth, attack and rhythmic authority for a stand-mount design.
Superb Hokkaido birch cabinet construction and a standard-setting piano-black finish.
Cons
The ported bass can sound slightly rounded or compressed, with a subtle cabinet thrum on some recordings.
Treble balance is slightly dark and recessed for listeners seeking maximum air and spaciousness.
Transparency makes amplifier matching and careful placement especially important.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers consistently describe an exceptionally transparent, coherent and natural presentation, with the NS-5000 exposing upstream equipment and recordings with unusual clarity. Its strengths include substantial yet controlled bass, vivid midrange realism and expansive imaging, though system matching, room placement and the occasionally restrained top end deserve consideration.
Bass
93/100
For a large stand-mount with a 12-inch woofer, reviewers find the bass unusually deep, taut and authoritative. SoundStage praised its attack, detail, rhythm and depth, while StereoNET heard bass that was ample, fast, informative and extended; Hi-Fi Choice similarly noted plentiful punch and impressive air-moving ability. One review did hear a slight woodwork thrum and less-than-perfect rhythmic precision on some material.
Mid
94/100
The midrange is repeatedly praised for naturalness, transparency and tonal beauty. Reviewers describe male and female vocals as unusually present and lifelike, while StereoNET heard a vast, transparent midband and Hi-Fi Choice admired how seamlessly it integrates with the rest of the frequency range. The speaker's tonal consistency across its drivers is a particular strength.
Treble
90/100
Treble is generally refined, detailed and fatigue-free, with several reviewers calling it sweet, extended and airy. However, SoundStage found the top end slightly dark and recessed, with less ultimate air and spaciousness than some rivals, and noted that unsuitable amplification could make it sound dry. It is a polished rather than overtly brilliant presentation.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
The NS-5000 is widely celebrated for precise, highly focused imaging and a large, deep soundstage. StereoNET reported life-sized scale, staggering depth and exact image placement, while SoundStage described almost spooky pinpoint imaging and exceptional central image density. One SoundStage review noted that images aligned with the cabinets could occasionally project too far forward, and suggested that driver orientation may affect lateral spread.
Dynamics
90/100
Reviewers praise the speaker's microdynamic insight, rhythmic expression and ability to remain composed at very high levels. StereoNET found both micro- and macrodynamics abundant, and Hi-Fi Choice was impressed by its ease in large rooms. In contrast, one SoundStage reviewer felt macrodynamic explosiveness and transient impact fell short of reference alternatives despite excellent low-level dynamic detail.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
96/100
The cabinet, finish and internal engineering receive exceptional praise. Reviews highlight the carefully developed laminated Hokkaido birch enclosure, resonance-control measures, premium crossover parts and uniform Zylon diaphragms; SoundStage called the piano-black finish literally perfect and standard-setting. The grand-piano-derived lacquer is repeatedly singled out as both beautiful and superbly executed.
Value for Money
94/100
At roughly $15,000 per pair in the US and £15,000 including stands in the UK, the NS-5000 is undeniably a major investment. Even so, The Absolute Sound twice characterized it as an underpriced overachiever in the high-performance market, and SoundStage called it exceptional value for money. Audioholics notes that it costs substantially more than many retro-inspired alternatives, so its value rests on its flagship engineering and performance rather than affordability.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Type
- 3-way bookshelf bass-reflex type
- Woofers
- 12" cone type
- MidRange Driver
- 3-1/4" dome type
- Tweeter
- 1-1/4" dome type
- Frequency Response
- 26 Hz-40 kHz (-10dB), -100 kHz (-30dB)
- Nominal Input Power
- 200 W
- Maximum Input Power
- 600 W
- Sensitivity
- 88 dB / 2.83 V/1 m
- Crossover Frequencies
- 750 Hz / 4.5 kHz
- Impedance
- 6 ohms (minimum 3.5 ohms)
- Dimensions (W x H x D)
- 15-1/2" x 27-1/8" x 15" (with speaker terminals)
- Weight
- 77.2 lbs. / unit
Manufacturer's Description — Yamaha
NS-5000 Speakers with Stands (Pair)
Introducing our flagship 3-way bookshelf speaker system, setting a new standard in performance and quality by which all other Hi-Fi speakers should be judged.
- Newly developed diaphragms boast acoustic velocity comparable to that of beryllium
- Newly developed R.S. (Resonance Suppression) Chambers suppress unwanted resonance in the mid and high ranges
- 12" 3-way bookshelf design draws on the tradition of the legendary NS-1000M
- Carefully crafted laminated plywood enclosure made of Japanese white birch from the island of Hokkaido
- Newly developed Acoustic Absorber eliminates sound-absorbing material to revive the original presence of the music
- Glossy black piano finish provides improved signal-to-noise performance — and adds to the luxurious joy of ownership
- Frequency-dividing Network
Newly Developed Diaphragms Boast Acoustic Velocity Comparable to That of Beryllium
NS-5000's tweeter, midrange, and woofer all feature diaphragms made of 100%* ZYLON® — a synthetic fiber created in Japan rated as the world’s strongest** and boasting optimum elasticity — and vapor-coated with Yamaha proprietary monel alloy. The soft-dome diaphragm suppresses peaks and dips in the frequency response caused by the inherent resonance of the diaphragm, while taking advantage of ZYLON's high acoustic velocity comparable to that of beryllium. The result is a remarkably flat frequency response, with unified tone color and acoustic velocity over the entire frequency range, providing a comfortable listening experience and meticulously accurate, superb sound reproduction of the highest degree.
* Using 100% for the base material.
** Comparative data concerning all existing organic fibers (source: Toyobo Co., Ltd., May 2015)
Newly developed R.S. (Resonance Suppression) Chambers Suppress Unwanted Resonance in the Mid and High Ranges
Mounted on the back of the tweeter and midrange speaker units are newly developed R.S. Chambers (patent pending) that suppress unnecessary tube resonance generated behind the diaphragm. Two specially shaped tubes installed in accordance with our proprietary acoustic analysis cancel tube resonance. These R.S. Chambers achieve higher-resolution audio reproduction by eliminating the need for a large quantity of sound-absorbing material inside the enclosure that tends to smooth the frequency response of each speaker unit and might degrade minute nuances of the sound.
12" 3-Way Bookshelf Design Draws on the Tradition of the Legendary NS-1000M
As a result of meticulous research on a variety of enclosure designs during the development of the NS-5000, we chose a bookshelf design as a successor to the continuing legacy of the NS-1000M (released in 1974), the pinnacle of Yamaha monitor speakers. This bass-reflex enclosure with an internal volume of 65 liters — the smallest possible size for a 12" 3-way configuration — is solidly assembled with the 3-way mitered joint construction technique and other traditional crafting methods. Reinforcing crosspieces inside the enclosure, based on FEM analysis, suppress “box ringing” caused by delayed vibration from the six surfaces of the enclosure. In addition, a Twisted Flare Port prevents port noise (wind noise produced at each end of a bass reflex port) inherent in the bass reflex design, and improves resolution in the low frequency range while also enhancing signal-to-noise performance.
Carefully Crafted Laminated Plywood Enclosure Made of Japanese White Birch from the Island of Hokkaido
In selecting a material for the enclosure of the NS-5000, we carried out comprehensive studies of mechanical strength and acoustic properties of various materials, as well as the quality of domestic wood processed by painstakingly removing every knot and hole from the lumber and ensuring the durability necessary to withstand long use; we settled on laminated plywood made of white birch from the island of Hokkaido. The front baffle is 1-1/8" thick and the other five sides of the enclosure 3/4" (in all cases, omitting paint primer layer and paint thickness), ensuring ideal rigidity of the entire enclosure.
Newly Developed Acoustic Absorber Eliminates Sound-Absorbing Material to Revive the Original Presence of the Music
The cuboid enclosure unifies internal standing waves at a specified frequency, which are cancelled by a newly-developed resonance tube (patent pending). This technology eliminates the previous need for the huge amount of sound-absorbing material inside the enclosure. The result is the virtual elimination of standing waves with amazing efficiency and pinpoint accuracy—to energetically revive the essential presence of music, formerly lost by sound absorption.
Glossy Black Piano Finish Provides Improved Signal-to-Noise Performance—and Adds to the Luxurious Joy of Ownership
All six external surfaces of the enclosure have a glossy black piano finish created using the same dedicated paint, primer, and polishing processes used for renowned Yamaha grand pianos. The uniform and hard membrane further increases the overall rigidity of the enclosure, and at the same time it suppresses fine vibrations, contributing to the bright sound and significantly enhanced signal-to-noise performance.
Frequency-Dividing Network
All drivers in the NS-5000 are connected in positive phase with single wiring to deliver a natural, pleasing listening experience. Components of its frequency-dividing network are mounted on a double-sided printed circuit board with extra-thick copper traces of 140 μm in thickness; a shorter signal path on the circuit board minimizes the loss of sound data during transmission. Moreover, in order to minimize signal loss, we used for the network handpicked parts of only the highest quality, such as the MCap SUPREME EVO audio capacitor, which is made by Mundorf of Germany and renowned as the pinnacle of audio-use capacitors, Mundorf’s MResist SUPREME attenuator, and a woofer coil that weighs as much as 3.52 lbs.
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- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 138 Quaiduson — online and in-store — Lille, Hauts-de-France, France (website)
- A1 Futureshop — online and in-store — North Rocks, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acclaim Sound and Light — online and in-store — North Bay, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Acoustic Sound Design — online and in-store — Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
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