Today we take a look under the hood of the Yamaha HS5 monitor speakers. Compared to only a decade or so ago, the market for professional studio monitors has drastically increased.
Today, there’s a pretty wide variety of options to choose from. Compared to not too long ago, when there was a noticeable lack of options available, today there are so many options you can pick, that it can get a little daunting.
While we can foo-foo established brands on the market, the simple reality is that they give a reliably good product each time.
A great example of this is the Apple iPhone, which is pretty much the same phone each year. There’s a reason established brands are established brands.
This leads us to one of Yamaha’s newer kids on the block, the HS5 nearfield reference studio monitors. Here, we’ll go over the generation HS series speakers which seem to be a popular pick.
We will see whether they offer versatile monitoring and exceptional accuracy and if they are worth your time and trust.
Are the Yamaha HS5 Monitors Any Good? (in short)
Yes. They are excellent studio monitors with clean, crisp, and accurate boomy sound. However, they will only be as good as the listening environment you are using them in. One thing to note though, the HS5s do lack a deep bottom end, but that is to be expected when considering their small woofer size and affordable price point.
First Impressions – The Physical Build
The first thing we noticed, when we started this Yamaha HS5 powered studio review, was from the moment you pull it out of the box, as is its small size.
Compared to all of the other high-performance speakers in the Yamaha HS series, the HS5 is by far the runt of the litter.
By leveraging the speaker’s recently developed transducers, the HS5 speaker type can pack a serious sound wallop while keeping the size as small as possible.
This makes it accessible for casual, professional, and beginning listeners while also offering a balanced sound threshold. Not only that, but it does all of this at a super affordable price.
In terms of its physical material, the HS5 is surprisingly dense considering its size. You’d imagine this thing would fall apart the moment you picked it up, but it holds together quite nicely. It is made from an MDF board, meaning that it naturally minimizes any unwanted resonance when putting out sound.
As mentioned in the beginning, one of the perks of going with an established brand is that you don’t have to guess about the overall quality or, whether they will provide a superlative audio interfaces performance. That is well and truly on display with Yamaha’s HS series.
As the company is known for outfitting all Yamaha’s nearfield studio monitors with premium materials, it was no surprise to me that thing was put together as nicely as it was.
The Specs
This model of HS series studio monitors has a 5-inch cone woofer with a 1-inch dome tweeter.
Because of that size, Yamaha’s little active studio monitor can be moved around pretty much anywhere you want to take it, only barely registering as a compact mobile speaker.
You’ll be able to throw this up on any studio space while still flooding the room with signature sound.
In terms of its frequency response, the HS5 can range between 54 Hz and 30 kHz, pretty much covering both ends of the audio spectrum.
This is thanks to the recently put-together transducers that the Yamaha team has created.
The HS5 also borrows from its bigger older brother, the HS8. Despite being smaller, the HS5 keeps retaining the HS8’s bi-amp design studio setup.
This means that the elegant white-cone monitor speakers (woofer) and the tweeter have a dedicated power amp to themselves. This helps create a clear and precise reference sound that is pure and flat clear sound, exactly what musical professionals look for.
Spec Breakdown
- Length: 11.2 inches (285mm)
- Width: 6.7 inches (170mm)
- Depth: 8.7 inches (222mm)
- Weight: 11.7 lbs. (5.3kg)
- Woofer Size: 5 inches
- Tweeter Size: 1 inch
- Frequency Response Range: 54Hz – 30KHz
The Design
Focusing on its design, Yamaha’s HS5 comes in either stark white or deep black color.
Both are very bold and striking options, particularly with how the speakers look at themselves.
They carry the hallmark signs of a Yamaha speaker with the iconic white woofer, further cementing it as something worth at least a stop and stare.
Not only does it give you that, but the HS5 also includes installation models.
This means you’ll be able to set it down and set it up however you want; whether sitting it on the ground or as a wall mount, further helping with the audio’s max clarity.
Taking A Deeper Look – Features & Sound Quality
Sound Quality
Getting into the HS5’s excellent sound quality, the first thing I noticed was that, despite a few creaks (we’ll get to those) there is a lot to love here.
No, they aren’t perfect, however, the sounds that work, while giving you some even, clear sounds that were a joy to listen to.
The Highs & Mids
Both the high and mid-tone frequencies hit pretty well, offering some impressively clear sounds that have virtually no distortion even at the higher volume brackets.
They also come across as being very flat response and neutral. This may seem like a bad thing to casual listeners, but the opposite is true.
These flat responses ultimately mean that the sound is as pure as possible and without any coloring. Still, this is something that will mean more for audiophiles, DJs, and music producers than the casual music listener.
The Lows
Unfortunately, the same glowing reviews can’t be said about the low-end optimum response frequencies.
Whereas the highs and mids worked on all fronts, the lows just leave a lot to be desired, especially in terms of really giving you a strong-sounding bass frequencies.
Now, all things considered, it would be unfair to demand an excessive amount of bass from something this small. Still, if you are interested in its compact size while also interested in a deeper added bass, you’ll want to see about adding a sub woofer as a supplement.
Features Offered
Connection Options
In terms of its connectivity-based options, the Yamaha HS5 has two options: the balanced XLR input and TRS input.
While both input options are great, the fact that the HS5 doesn’t support RCA connections is a really big missed opportunity.
Pretty much all DJ controllers use RCA, meaning it’s putting itself off from a pretty sizeable group of people.
Not only that, but the HS5 doesn’t even come with the cords necessary for the input options that it does have! Again, neither of these things is such an issue you shouldn’t get the speaker.
However, they do make it a bit of a harder sell when compared to another monitor that does cater to RCA and does have the wires to prove it.
Types of Connections
If you are someone that is not new to the different types of cable connections out there, you may be confused as to why not supporting RCA is a mark against the speakers.
Briefly, we’ll go over the different types of connections a studio monitor may use.
RCA
The RCA connection is arguably the most commonly used connection type available. This is the one used by virtually all music DJs and music producers simply due to how common it is overall.
You’ll most often see RCA cables with entertainment systems as well as DJ controllers. Before most of the HDMI and streaming features, RCA would often be used for VHS and DVD players.
They were the red and white connections that you’d have to plug into your old-school tv and DVD player.
Most come with the cables fresh from their respective boxes, making RCA use even more prevalent.
The RCA connection is considered an “unbalanced” connection. This simply means that it works ideally at shorter distances over longer ones.
XLR
Offering a balanced cable option, the XLR is most often used by very high-quality speaker setups as well as those that are larger and more expensive.
TRS
Finally, TRS cables are also a balanced option, coming in either 1/4th and 1/8th inch jack formats. They are most commonly seen with headphone jacks and microphone connections.
All of the best DJ headphones use TRS connection points.
If speakers do have one of the three, going from the RCA to the balanced TRS input is ideal. A speaker that uses both methods will have balanced and unbalanced sound options available.
Tuning Options
The HS5 does what few in the smaller entry-level studio speaker arena can do. Have effective tuning.
While the majority of studio speakers are either given little or no attention in the tuning section, Yamaha’s YS5 flips this on its head by doing as much as it possibly can with what it has.
Because tuning is essential for getting the best sounds no matter where you place the speaker in a room, the HS5 comes with a few different options. On its back, the HS5 can adjust the “Room Control” as well as the “High Trim”. The Room Control affects the lower bass sounds while the High Trim works on the mid range and high-end clarity.
Final Thoughts – Is it Worth Your Time?
Looking at the HS5, it is certainly easy to view it as just the runt of the Yamaha HS series speakers. And, to be fair, it is in some respects.
It’s not as big or as powerful as the HS8, after all. However, despite only being a 5-inch studio monitor, there is a lot of value to be had here.
Because you are dealing with an established brand, the monitor is made from higher quality materials while being much more durable than it has any reason to be. I
t also is great for people that are just beginning their journey into the producer and DJ world, acting as a great foundational speaker they can use at an affordable studio monitor price.
So, is the Yamaha HS5 worth your time?
Only if you are someone just starting in the music profession or an enjoyer of pure music in a functionally mobile listening environment.
While there is a lot to love about the HS5, the simple fact of the matter is that it’s not going to bring anything truly game-changing to anyone who’s been in the music world for over a year or two.
If you’re in those fields, you are better with one of the more powerful Yamaha products to get what you want.
Still, if you are in the beginner category looking to create a good audio workstation, the HS5 is something you should consider grabbing, as its smaller size yet powerful sound makes it just too good to pass up
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers Sounds That Are Clear and Flat
- Is Made Surprisingly Durable
- Great For Mixing and Mastering Music
- Has An Installation Version Available
- Design Is Immediately Attention-Grabbing
Cons
- Lows Aren’t Super Impressive
- Does Not Include Cables
Yamaha HS5 Pair: The Verdict
Ultimately, when it comes to the Yamaha HS5 speakers, where you stand on it largely depends on your current talents, expertise, abilities, experience, and needs.
If you are someone that plays to large crowds or is a well-experienced music producer, then the Yamaha HS5 pair may only be something worth getting as part of a sort of intercom system.
However, if you are someone that is just starting, this is one of the best of the best sound at this level.
Yamaha has truly shown that you can make exceptionally high-performance speakers while not costing an arm and a leg.
And, while the lack of bass or cables is an annoyance, that’s it. You can easily use a dedicated subwoofer supplement or get your cables so that should not be something to stop you.
All in all, if you are someone that enjoys clear and pure sounds and music, this is the perfect studio monitor for you to purchase, at an even more perfect great price point.
