Yamaha HS8

Sources split, with the weight on the neutral side. AUDIO magazine's lab found the response straight apart from a small dip at 1 kHz, a hobbyist's 1 m outdoor sweeps found it flat, and Les Numériques and bonedo call it neutral — bonedo on a 1 m triangle. Amir measured it as reasonably flat on-axis but found colorations he could only partly fix with EQ, and a group of owners — on Thomann, Sweetwater and ASR — hear it as harsh, analytical or mid-forward. Higher Hz hears the opposite shape, a "smiley face" with hyped highs and scooped lower mids.

Sources split, largely on room and placement. The measurements agree on real depth for a two-way: about 40 Hz at −6 dB on ASR's scanner and 34 Hz in AUDIO magazine's lab. Amazona, bonedo and a buyer comparing it with Tannoy's Gold 8 say you can mix without a subwoofer, and Z Reviews called it probably the best low end from a powered monitor, in a living room with the speakers about 10 ft apart. On the other side, Amir heard the bass turn distorted and muddy on some tracks, Les Numériques found dips and bumps between 45 and 300 Hz, and a Reddit owner with the pair in the corner of a 12×10 ft untreated room called it a "boomy bass pocket". Several reviewers used ROOM CONTROL at −2 dB.

Sources split. Les Numériques praises natural timbre, AUDIO magazine's lab found no midrange hole beyond a small 1 kHz dip, and Amazona notes that it avoids the midrange hole many 8-inch two-ways have. A hobbyist measurer heard vocals a touch forward next to KEF and Infinity bookshelf speakers, and a set of owners hear the 800 Hz–2 kHz region as too prominent. Higher Hz hears the lower mids as scooped instead.

Sources split, with the weight on "too hot". Les Numériques calls the highs neutral, a hobbyist measurer found the tweeter smooth, and Z Reviews never found it bothersome. Amir measured a tweeter resonance and heard the highs calm down after EQ; ASR members point to extra off-axis treble above 2 kHz; Amazona and bonedo hear a slightly unnatural or hissy top end; and owners on Thomann, Reddit and Sweetwater describe it as harsh or fatiguing, some of them even with HIGH TRIM at −2 dB. Several who kept it set HIGH TRIM to −2 dB.

Sources split, though most rate it well. Les Numériques found excellent width and depth, a Sweetwater owner heard excellent depth and width on his monitor bridge, and Z Reviews heard sounds appear outside the speakers in a large living room. Bonedo rates the depth only average, as it does for every monitor at this price, and one ASR member who used them for years heard no depth at all.

Mostly good, as long as you sit in the sweet spot. Bonedo found stereo placement good and the sweet spot average-sized, a Reddit buyer comparing it with Adam's T8V heard a clearer stereo image on the HS8, and Z Reviews calls the imaging astonishing from the centre seat. Amazona could not hear a clearly defined phantom centre, and a hobbyist measurer says a coaxial KEF images more precisely on a desk.

“Selbst die Fähigkeit zur Stereoortung ist gut, genau wie der durchschnittlich große Sweetspot.”

Felix Klostermann, bonedo.de ("even stereo localisation is good, as is the average-sized sweet spot")

“Eine deutliche Phantomschallquelle, also die räumliche Ortbarkeit dort platzierter Signale in der Mitte der Lautsprecher, konnte ich zwar nicht feststellen, der Raumeindruck insgesamt war zufriedenstellend.”

Gregor Scherer, Amazona.de ("I couldn't find a clear phantom centre, though the overall sense of space was satisfactory")

“these want you to be right in the middle and if you're right in the middle you have a good time”

Z Reviews (video)

Generally praised. Bonedo hears plenty of detail across the range without strain, Les Numériques calls the reproduction precise and airy, and a Reddit buyer found it more revealing of sibilance and mix problems than Adam's T8V. Amazona's reviewer, comparing it with a far more expensive reference, found it slightly veiled with only middling precision in the bass, and a Reddit owner hears details on headphones that the HS8 misses.

“Die HS8 ist grundsätzlich neutral aufgestellt und bietet reichlich Details in allen Frequenzlagen, ohne dabei anzustrengen.”

Felix Klostermann, bonedo.de ("basically neutral, with plenty of detail in every range, without being tiring")

“kommt der Klang aber leicht belegt und im Bass mittelmäßig präzise daher”

Gregor Scherer, Amazona.de ("the sound comes across slightly veiled, and only moderately precise in the bass")

Sources split, and the measurements disagree. AUDIO magazine measured a 98 dB maximum bass level, Les Numériques found distortion extremely low and plenty of level, and Z Reviews says it goes as loud as you'll ever need in a large living room. Amir's Klippel sweeps found distortion good at 86 dB but unacceptable at 96 dB, and massive at 101 dB. Amazona heard the woofer limiter step in at high level with bass-heavy music — fine for nearfield mixing levels, not for club volume.

Consistently described as demanding. The tweeter needs to be at ear height and aimed at the listener: Amazona found the highs drop quickly off-axis, a hobbyist measured the response dipping as soon as you rise above the tweeter axis, and several owners turn the cabinets upside down to get the tweeter low enough. The rear port wants a few feet from the wall, and reviewers and owners alike call the HS8 too big for a small room or a desk. Horizontally it is more forgiving — flat to about 45° off-axis.

“Praktisch bedeutet dies, dass die Lautsprecher genau auf die Ohren gerichtet sein müssen, weil sich ansonsten schnell ein Höhenverlust bemerkbar macht.”

Gregor Scherer, Amazona.de ("the speakers must point exactly at your ears, or you quickly lose treble")

“The dip in response appears almost immediately once you are out of vertical alignment.”

Average Joe Audiophile

“HS8s need a few feet from walls due to rear porting fwiw”

mount_curve, r/homestudios

Sources split, with most in favour. Amazona says bad mixes and sounds that need work are clearly exposed, owners on Sweetwater, Thomann and ASR say their mixes translate, and a Reddit buyer kept the HS8 over Adam's T8V because it told them when something was wrong. Higher Hz would use it only as a secondary reference, and two Sweetwater owners say their mixes did not translate — one after mixing on them for three years.

Sources split evenly. A hobbyist measurer heard no hiss unless there was no signal and the level knob was turned all the way up, and Higher Hz heard none. Owners report the other side: white noise that started after two months, a replacement for a unit with unacceptable background noise at 1 m, pickup of computer and mains noise, and loud interference near a cell tower. Many Reddit help requests about HS8 hiss, static or whine exist.

Basic. Balanced XLR and TRS inputs, a level control and two response switches. Amir isn't sure you need more; bonedo and Les Numériques regret the loss of the HS80M's midrange control, and bonedo also misses its low cut. There is no RCA input, no sub output and no DSP room correction.

“Back side is rather simple but not sure you need more”

Amir, Audio Science Review

“Schade nur, dass Yamaha gegenüber den Vorgängern Filter eingespart hat.”

Felix Klostermann, bonedo.de ("it's just a shame Yamaha cut filters compared with the predecessors")

Clumsy in small ways. The power switch and level knob are on the back, the level knob clicks only at its +4 dB centre, there is no standby mode, and the amplifier stays warm while idle, so Z Reviews switches it off at night. Amir found that the cheap switches don't always line up with their labels.

“Leider sind sowohl der Ein/Ausschalter als auch der Regler für die Eingangslautstärke hinten beheimatet.”

Gregor Scherer, Amazona.de ("unfortunately both the power switch and the input level knob are on the back")

“One thing to be aware of is that there is no stand-by mode, only on/off switches on the back panel.”

Average Joe Audiophile

“I usually do this as with these cheap switches, the position doesn't always line up with labels.”

Amir, Audio Science Review forum

Sources split, mostly positive. Reviewers praise the finish — Les Numériques, bonedo, AUDIO magazine and both Amazona writers rate it very good — though Amir felt the cabinet resonating strongly on the top and sides. On reliability, a Reddit owner has used a pair for 13 years, while a Thomann owner lost a tweeter within a year and another had one speaker develop white noise after two months. An ASR member recalls a batch of capacitor failures around the five-year mark that has since been fixed.

Sources split, mostly in its favour. AUDIO magazine rated its value outstanding — the only monitor in its test to get that — and Amazona, bonedo, a hobbyist measurer and long-term owners call it strong value; Amir calls it a reasonable effort at a reasonable price. ASR members, Higher Hz and several Reddit owners say the same money now buys better-measuring monitors, naming the Kali LP-8 and LP-6, JBL 308P MkII and Adam T8V.