Yamaha NS-600A Bookshelf Loudspeakers Review

Yamaha

NS-600A Bookshelf Loudspeakers

USD $2,999.90 /pair

Said to use proven technologies from the company’s flagship models, this new two-way loudspeaker sports a 30mm dome tweeter and a 130mm woofer. The drivers are made from a blend of Zylon, which is a synthetic polymer material that is said to be stiffer than steel, and spruce, a wood used for the soundboard of Yamaha grand pianos. Spruce is the base material for making paper fibres and chips that are visible on the surface of the diaphragm or cone. Yamaha names it the ‘Harmonious Diaphragm’, no less! It’s unusual to see the diaphragms of both woofer and tweeter made from the same material, yet it makes a lot of sense.

As with most modern loudspeakers, the NS-600A is a bass-reflex design and features a rear-mounted Twisted Flare Port designed to alter the way air spreads at the end of the port. It’s said to add a gentle twist to reduce airflow noise or chuffing coming from the port. Much thought has been applied to the enclosure, which Yamaha likens to the body of a musical instrument. Indeed, the cabinet benefits from the use of laser vibrometers and sophisticated FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis to strategically brace for stiffness. Instead of being stuffed with sound-absorbing material to eliminate standing waves inside, Yamaha uses two absorber tubes, which are said to cut resonance without overly damping things.

The tweeter is fitted with patented ‘Resonance Suppression chambers’ at the rear of the diaphragm to vent and suppress undesirable resonances occurring behind it. Specially shaped interconnected tubes lead sound into a larger chamber and, due to their configuration, are said to effectively cancel the unwanted sound. The result is an admirably acoustically inert cabinet by the standards of this price point. Doing a knuckle rap test on the NS-600A demonstrates how impressively stiff it is.

It’s nice to see high-grade parts used in the crossover circuit, an area where shortcuts are often taken. Yamaha has chosen MCap Supreme Classic audio-grade capacitors made by Mundorf of Germany. The stated crossover point is 2.6kHz. The multi-way speaker binding posts are made from solid brass, which both looks and works a treat and a pleasure to use.

This loudspeaker is superbly built, with rounded corners and a high-gloss piano black finish that oozes class—it’s no coincidence that the immaculate finish would look right at home sitting next to a Yamaha piano. Measuring 207x383x329mm [WxHxD], the NS-600A is roughly average-sized for a bookshelf speaker but is heavier than expected at 9.9kg. A high-quality magnetically attached front grill covers and protects the drivers, but I preferred the clean look of the speaker, so I left it off for my listening tests.

Yamaha offers optional SPS-800A speaker stands that complement the NS-600A with custom fittings and include detachable carpet spikes. These rigid stands are certainly recommended and should help to get the best sound out of your new purchase. Alternatively, each loudspeaker can be situated on a benchtop or a credenza, so furniture protection pads are also supplied.

For my listening, I set the speakers on stands well away from the front and side walls, preferring less room bass reinforcement for added clarity. The user manual recommends that they be slightly angled inwards towards your seating position, and I agree that it improves stereo imaging. Various amplifiers and sources were used in my evaluation, and I settled on the excellent and complementary Yamaha R-N2000A.

THE LISTENING

Yamaha has produced a fine-sounding loudspeaker in the NS-600A, which delivers plenty of long-term listening enjoyment. It presents a very clean, vivid, and highly articulate rendition of the music with an ever-so-slight amount of warmth rather than sounding dry and dispassionate.

When playing Underlands by Andrew Bird, the fullness and density of the midrange, along with the plentiful texture and tonal colour, are immediately apparent. The midrange is where the magic is, and with a slight emphasis in that region, vocals become the focal point of the track. The female vocalist’s harmony is clearly heard as a separate voice, which can sound somewhat less distinct with some other loudspeakers.

The upper registers are well-lit, and this aids articulation and legibility. Depending on the amplifier pairing and recordings used, the NS-600A can sound bright and even forward or assertive. Careful equipment matching is useful here, and I enjoyed the balance when using the Yamaha R-N2000A, as it tamed the top end and brought out the midrange colour very well. Some tracks still sounded a touch bright to my ears, but were perfectly acceptable all the same.

Bass comes across as nicely textured and well integrated into the midrange without undue emphasis. It doesn’t feel insufficient or lacking, and the speaker goes deep for its size, but if pipe organ or heavy metal is your thing, a subwoofer may be warranted. Kick drum hits are delivered with surprising speed and impact, nicely complementing the clear midrange.

To my ears, this speaker doesn’t offer a ruler-flat frequency response and being critical, some small dips and peaks are audible. Yet the way that it plays music is thoroughly enjoyable and never less than good fun. The NS-600A is not a studio monitor kind of speaker but rather has been made for regular folk to enjoy music while hearing an impressive amount of detail and nuance.

Pop music sounds motivating and engaging, thanks to great timing and fine dynamics. For instance, Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) by Elton John and Dua Lipa sounds alive and energetic. Voices are well distinguished from the instruments, and I particularly like the way the backing vocals sound in the final thirty seconds of the track. They are perfectly suspended in three-dimensional space and have excellent separation, sounding uncluttered and resolved. You get the sense of listening through a wide open window at the original recording.

This is especially true when playing the very well-produced Englishman In New York by Sting. This slick production is a carnival of instruments and percussion, all of which are vividly portrayed by the small Yamaha speakers. There is a fullness and density to all the natural-sounding instruments, which are all playing together and yet distinctively apart. The soprano saxophone of Branford Marsalis is the hero in the track, expressive and enunciated with every note easily heard.

Playing When I’m With You by Sparks, and I hear a taut and dynamic bass with great timing – the music starts and stops cleanly, with no overhang. Transient speed is fantastic and helps to make music sound alive, dynamic and punchy. Switching to the dynamic-sounding Primare I32 amplifier further underlines this.

Being diminutive in stature does not mean that this speaker sounds small, as the stereo imaging that the Yamaha delivers is enormous. Escalation by Johann Johannsson has a cavernous soundstage with a great front-to-back, top-to-bottom and side-to-side feeling of space around the instruments. There is usually minimal interaction with the room from bookshelf-sized speakers, and this design is no exception. It thrives in a larger listening room and can fill a room with plenty of sound, along with a healthy dose of volume, without any distress.

I compared my review pair of Yamahas with the more expensive Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature, listening to Chopin’s Nocturn in C-Sharp Minor by Hauser. Music seems to jump out of the former more easily, with them apparently disappearing whilst filling the room. The B&Ws sounded more restrained and analytical and portrayed a smaller image. They are arguably more accurate and faithful to the recording, while the Yamaha is more flamboyant and fun with added detail and verve.

THE VERDICT

Japanese loudspeakers once had the reputation of sounding a little sterile and analytical, but Yamaha’s NS-600A is anything but. Its highly musical nature makes recordings come alive; every genre I listened to sounded resolved and easily held my interest. This speaker plays with one single, united voice and boasts excellent uniformity to go with its fine articulation. As such, it’s a welcome entrant to the mid-market standmount loudspeaker scene and very much worthy of your attention. Hear a pair if you can.

For more information visit Yamaha