Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitor – Big Bang For The Buck

One thing is for sure. Home recording studios come in all sizes and shapes. Choosing the right size studio monitor for your home recording studio setup is important.

Today we’re going to talk about the Yamaha HS5 powered studio monitor.

What Is The Best Size Studio Monitor?

Is it pure science or personal preference? Well I believe it is a little of both.

While it’s true you have a room space of so many square feet and you need to be able to hear your studio monitors clearly. Is there such a thing as having too much sound, (frequencies), in the room?

The answer is yes. You can have too much sound and too many frequencies bouncing around in your listening space to properly hear the mix accurately.

A couple of ways you can improve on the amount of frequencies bouncing around in the room is: 1. Acoustic treatment. 2. The proper size studio monitors for the room.

If you are writing and producing your own music then you want it to sound good right? So, you need to be able to mix your productions to perfection as you see it and share your music with the world. This all happens with a good mix. (Too many frequencies bouncing around in a room = bad mix) I’m sure there is some kind of fancy math formula that can back this up!

If you are in a 10 x 10 bedroom size studio then you do not need huge studio monitors and a sub woofer. The reason you do not need huge studio monitors is because you have a small space.

What you need are good studio monitors that will give you an accurate representation of your mix and still cover the listening frequency spectrum of an ideal 20Hz to 20kHz. No studio monitor is perfect but the Yamaha HS5 studio monitor is pretty darn good.

Is The Yamaha HS5 A Good Studio Monitor?

Yes. The Yamaha HS5 is a very good active studio monitor for smaller rooms and is very affordable. This is a great choice for beginners and pros alike. In fact a lot of professionals use the Yamaha HS series monitors because they have a clear, crisp tone and good frequency response.

Excellent Cabinet Design

The Yamaha HS5 is built with superior cabinet design. Yamaha has been building pianos for over 100 years and have incorporated their piano design miter joints into the HS series studio monitors. This helps eliminate unwanted resonance and increase the accuracy of sound reproduction. A solid cabinet with solid results.

The Famous White Cone Speaker and Mounting System

Yamaha’s famous white cone speakers first made their debut in 1978 with the release of the Yamaha NS10. The Yamaha NS10 became a staple in professional recording studios and is still used today. The original white cone speakers were designed by Akira Nakamura for Yamaha and the speakers in the HS series follow in the same design principles.

The Yamaha HS5 speakers are further enhanced with the specially designed mounting ring and screws to eliminate unwanted vibration and resonance. You get crystal clear sound with the Yamaha HS5 Active Studio Monitor.

Built In Power Bi-Amplification

Bi-Amplification means you have a separate amplifier for the 5-inch woofer cone and a dedicated amp for the tweeter. This ensures each speaker is properly powered and you get optimum performance. There is also a built in crossover to ensure each speaker is working in their respected frequency range.

Because the Yamaha HS5’s are a powered or active speaker, this eliminates the need for a separate power amplifier to power your studio monitors. This saves you space on your desk or rack, and saves you money.

Large Magnets With Advanced Circuit Design

Yamaha designed large magnets to go inside the HS5 studio monitor. The magnet works inline with the advanced circuit design to control the magnets flux field giving you a better frequency response and smoother sound.

Why Should I Choose Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors?

Given all that we have talked about already, I think the choice should be clear. But, there are more great features and specs that I want to make you aware of.

Features

• Low Frequency Driver – 5 inch
• High Frequency Driver – 1 inch
• Frequency Response – 54Hz – 30kHz
• Output Power – 70 watts
• Input Connectors – XLR / TRS
• Room Acoustic Control – Yes
• Compatible With Subwoofer – Yes
• Power On Indicator – Yes
• Active Powered Monitor
• Height – 11.2 inches
• Width – 6.7 inches
• Depth – 8.7 inches
• Weight – 11.7 lbs.

The Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitor is a great pick for any home recording studio setup. Small enough to fit on your desktop or monitor stands, great frequency response for your mix, and a great price for your budget. What more could you ask for?

How Much Do The Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors Cost?

The Yamaha HS5 Active Studio Monitor retails for $250.00 dollars each. Currently you can pick them up new for $199.99 dollars. This is a great price for top shelf home studio monitors.

Keep in mind this is the price at the time I am writing this article. The price could go up or down.

What Will I Need With My Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors?

Setting up a home recording studio is a lot of fun. You get to sit down and figure out what equipment you like, what equipment will work best for your needs, and what fits in your budget.

I have attached a general list of equipment that should get you up and running in no time. Of course you don’t have to get everything listed here. This list is just a place to start and it may help to give you ideas.

I will say that when you are picking out cabling for your home studio monitors, be sure and get a high quality shielded cable like the Mogami Gold. Yes, they are expensive but they really do keep the noise out of your studio monitors.

Home Recording Studio Setup Equipment

• A Good Computer – M1 or Intel core i5 processer or better
• Plenty of RAM – 16GB will work but I highly recommend 32GB or 64GB
• Audio Interface – See my articles on the Focusrite Scarlette Audio Interface
• DAW Software
• Midi keyboard
• Studio Monitors
• Condenser Microphones
• Desk
• Smart TV For A Computer Monitor
• Headphones
• Instruments
• Mogami Gold Cables For Studio Monitors
• Good Friends

Again, this is just a basic setup to help get you started.

I do highly recommend a small midi keyboard even if you are not trained to play keys. The midi keyboard will come in handy for so many different things in your home recording studio setup.

Below I have attached real reviews by real people who have purchased the Yamaha HS5’s.

What Real Users Are Saying

57 reviews on the Yamaha HS5’s and 95% of the reviews are 5 stars. Looking Good Yamaha!

1.  All of my recording buddies raved about these being the monitors to have in my home studio. I put it off for years because I just couldn't believe they could be that much different than other monitors ... WRONG! I hear everything like I should... EVERYTHING! The hype is legit, won't sleep on Yamaha ever again.

2.  I am part of a pro, live music entertainment Duo. We are multi talented musicians and vocalists who are cover specialist performing multi-generation Hits, standards, and popular top 40; We sequence all bass, drums and rhythm ahead of time and play live instruments and sing on top each song. This provides a big live band sound. Talent, and Good reliable sound is a must when performing this way. The HS5 is just right when used as part of our existing system.. affordable, and adaptable to all positions in your sound set up, go buy a couple, you will be more than satisfied....

3.  They say what's important about monitors is that you learn how they translate onto other systems. I can say that these translate very well onto other systems. What I'm saying is that what I hear, or don't hear, on these monitors is just about the same as in my cars or home stereo systems. I don't have to worry about any stray sound surprising me when I'm playing a track elsewhere. So the monitor "learning curve" I believe is not very steep with these. I have a pair of 8in Rokits that, while not a bad set of monitors, are my B set. Truth is I rarely turn them on because the bass representation of the HS5 is pretty darn accurate. I really don't need a bigger monitor for the area that I'm mixing in. A home recorder/mixer would do fine with a pair of these if the room is fairly small. I think I read somewhere that someone believed the high freqs are over-represented on these. I think that would be possible in an untreated room. I would advise to take that into consideration because if you think a frequency is over-represented, you'lll probably under-represent it in the mix

4.  wow.. talk about revealing the truth haha.. I almost returned these because i didn't like how my other mixes sounded here (which in reality , was more of a reflection of why my mixes weren't that great on other platforms).. So i'm manning up and keeping them. These are extremely flat to me and are going to help me produce better mixes. I'm thinking of getting the HS7 now, but i think that's still my pride and ego talking. smh. great speakers.

5.  I replaced my 25 year old Genelec monitors with these, and I can see why they are a staple in many home studios. Excellent sound quality for the price, on par the Genelecs. Totally recommended! 🙂

Where Can I Buy Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors?

You can find the Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors at most major online music store retailers.

I will be adding more on this later.

Time To Take Action

If you like writing your own music, playing instruments, recording and mixing your own music then you are in the right place. I think it’s important to do your research before making a purchase.

The next step is Take Action. It has never been easier and more affordable to get started with your very own home recording studio.

I enjoy writing articles on good equipment that will give you good results. Be sure and check out some of my other articles here if you want to learn more about home studio gear. Be sure and leave your questions and comments below.

Mitch

Mitch@homerecordingstudiosetup.com