YAMAHA HS8 Review, a Monitor Speaker

Are you looking to get a studio monitor set up for your home recording purposes? Among a lot of different choices, the Yamaha HS8 can be an excellent pick for you. It comes as a complete package that meets your needs in the middle ground.

As an audiophile myself, I had to try this one. Before getting the studio monitors, I dug deep into the internet and researched the speakers. So, what I will be going through now is my experience with the speakers and my findings from the research.

Now, if you are interested in these studio monitors, stick with me till the end. I can assure you; it will intrigue your interest for sure.

YAMAHA HS8 Specs

Let's get through some of the technical specifications of the studio monitors and see how that stands out.

• Speaker type: 2-way bi-amp
• Frequency range: 38hz-30000hz
• Crossover: 2000hz
• Power consumption: 60W
• Cabinet material: MDF
• Dimensions: 9.8 x 15.4 x 13.1 inches
• Weight: 22.5lbs

The Benefits & Drawbacks of the product

Now, let's check out the different benefits and drawbacks you get from the Yamaha HS8. This will give you some idea of how worthy the speakers truly are.

Benefits of Yamaha HS8

• You get excellent details coming from the sound, which is perfect for studio monitoring.
• It also comes with a quality low-end response for a good bass
• The studio monitors come with adaptability features for specific rooms
• You can even use the speakers as your home or computer speakers if you want
• The build quality of the studio monitors is just impressive

Drawbacks of Yamaha HS8

• It's not a budget-friendly pick
• These aren't the ones you should get for primary studio monitoring purposes.

Well, the drawbacks aren't that big of a deal if you are looking for a studio monitor to use at home. Also, the benefits easily outweigh the drawbacks here. As for the price, it's worth your money. So, unless you are on a tight budget, you won't mind paying the price of this one.

Yamaha HS8 Overview

Weren't the benefits convincing enough? I get it. Hopefully, going through the product details will give you a little insight into the speaker here.

What are the studio monitors like physically?

A great thing about Yamaha speakers is the build quality they provide. This one is no different either. You get sturdy and rugged construction that goes on for a long time in the coming. It gives you excellent durability that will satisfy you for sure. The whole construction also supports getting better sound quality with the MDF cabinet.

As for the looks and design, you get the classic and elegant vibe on these speakers. Sure, they don't have anything fancy or extraordinary. But you can easily assume the quality just by taking a look at the speakers. It's simple yet gives off a premium vibe that you love to see.

Also, the back panel of the speaker isn't too complicated. You can take a look at it and understand all the connections for the studio monitors.

How are the speakers used?

Now, for the connection options, you get two kinds of connections. You can either use a TRS connection or an XLR connection. Typically, you would want to have an XLR connection established with your speakers for any professional monitoring.

Depending on the sound quality and performance of the speakers, there are two ways to use the speakers. You can use it for professional audio editing and monitoring purposes. Or you can use them generally like your home speakers.

So, you get all kinds of options available for the usage of the speakers.

YAMAHA HS8 Features and rate performance

Are they not satisfied yet? Let's start by going through some of the features and see how they rate out of 5. This will give you a clear view of how good or bad the speakers are. Let's get going.

• Sound quality

You can never complain about the sound quality you get from YAMAHA HS8. They are just a complete package that gives you good clarity and bass. You get a perfect balance on both frequencies, whether it's the low end or the high end.

On the mid frequencies, you get an excellent warmth coming in. It also adds a lot of depth to the sound, which you would love to have. As for the highs, they are as crisp as you would like.

When it comes to mixing or mastering, you will find the speakers helping you out a lot. They provide excellent distinction in the sounds so you can hear all the frequencies properly. This helps a lot in tuning out those frequencies and makes your music sound perfect.

Rating: 4.5/5

• Build and design 

The build quality this speaker comes with is pretty reliable. Unless you plan to throw around your speakers here and there, you will have no issues with durability. Also, it comes with an MDF cabinet which supports getting better sound quality out of your speakers.

Coming to the design aspect of the speaker, it's a personal preference. If you like the simple and elegant design of a speaker setup, then this is the perfect pick for you. It doesn't come with any fanciness. It has a textured finish that makes it suitable for any setup to go with.

One thing you might face issues with is the weight of the speakers. They aren't the lightest of speakers to carry around. So, it would help if you were sure where you want to keep them. If you are placing them on a desk, make sure to check the weight capacity of the desk.

Rating: 4/5

• Performance 

When it comes to the performance aspect of the speaker YAMAHA HS8, this thing is quite impressive. It doesn't lack the power to put quality sound out there. This will surely give you proper support, especially when you are editing your audio files on your computer for hours.

Paired up with the size of the speakers, you get quite a good volume control coming out of it. Altogether the performance is more than enough satisfying considering professional usage.

Rating: 4.5/5

• Adjustments 

A great thing about the speakers is the different tuning options it has got. This helps in getting the correct sound based on the placement of your speakers. So, you don't need to place the speakers in a particular spot to get the best sound.

You can keep it wherever you like and then make the adjustments afterward. You can make adjustments accordingly to get a balanced sound quality through and through. The most benefit you get from this feature is when you have to keep it against a wall.

Rating: 4.5/5

• Price 

Let me be obvious to you right away; these aren't the budget options at all. These studio monitors can get quite expensive. The real question is whether the price is justified or not.

To be honest, the price you get these for is justified. Considering the quality, you are getting a good value out of the money you spent on these. Also, you can use these for home recording purposes and professional usage. So, it's only natural that they would cost you a bit more than usual.

Rating: 3/5

YAMAHA HS8 Alternatives

Still not satisfied with the speakers? Then maybe you can check out some alternatives to this one that come with some exceptions. The exceptions may be something you are looking for. Let's check them out quickly.

• Mackie CR3 – X 

Mackie CR3 are the speakers that solve all the issues you may have with the Yamaha HS8. It comes at an affordable price and doesn't take up much space in your setup. It has lightweight at the same time.

However, you don't get the same sound quality as the Yamaha HS8 on this one. Especially, the bass from the speakers is pretty disappointing in comparison.

• KRK Rokit 8 G4 

Here is another option you might want to check out as an alternative to the Yamaha HS8. The sound quality is pretty much the same, and there is not much price difference either. However, the size of this one is smaller than the HS8, so that might be a deciding factor on this one.

If you go in-depth into the speakers' sound, you will find them lacking that flat response that Yamaha HS8 has. So, there is a slight difference in the sound quality that you will notice in professional usage for sure.

Now, these are both quality options, don't get me wrong. But you will surely need to sacrifice some aspect of the Yamaha HS8 to fulfill your other needs from these speakers.

Another Studio Monitor: PreSonus Sceptre S8

Verdict

To sum it up, Yamaha HS8 is a great studio monitor you can get for home recording sessions. While it's not the speaker that you move around frequently, you can surely use it for regular usage as well. The sound quality is just too impressive, and you can't look away from that.

But when it comes to buying this one, you will always have to consider the spacing and weight of your setup. Also, the budget can be a deal-breaker for you. If you don't have any issues with those things, you can blindly go for these speakers without any questions.