Potato score: 86.7

87%

Yamaha NS-800A #1
Yamaha NS-800A variant 1
Yamaha NS-800A variant 2
Yamaha NS-800A variant 3
Yamaha NS-800A variant 4
Yamaha NS-800A variant 5
Yamaha NS-800A variant 6
Yamaha NS-800A variant 7
Yamaha NS-800A variant 8
Yamaha NS-800A variant 9

Yamaha NS-800A

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NS-800A Bookshelf Speaker (Each)

The NS-800A is an uncompromising 2-way speaker that provides faithful reproduction of all musical instruments and spacious sound.


  • 2-way bookshelf speaker with 6 1/2" woofer
  • A newly developed "Harmonious Diaphragm" made of a blend of materials, including Zylon and spruce, for true tonal balance
  • Ideal cabinet construction, designed with vibration analysis technology cultivated in our crafting of musical instruments
  • Yamaha-patented Acoustic Absorber optimized for the NS-800A
  • Yamaha-patented R.S. (Resonance Suppression) Chamber for suppressing unwanted resonance
  • Authentic piano finish adds to the luxurious joy of ownership
  • High-quality parts for crossover circuitry, including audio capacitors made by Mundorf of Germany
  • Solid brass speaker terminals for highly secure connection and luxurious feel

LUXURIOUS WITH SPACIOUS SOUND

Yamaha created the NS-800A bookshelf speaker by fusing rich aesthetics with the latest advanced technology. The unique diaphragm material produces exceptionally unified tone, while the spacious large-capacity cabinet delivers a vast and luxuriant sound field. It is all topped off with a beautiful grand piano-like finish that gives you an even more luxurious music listening experience.


Using our signature gloss finish, a technique traditionally reserved for our finest pianos, this speaker provides an aesthetic pleasure, whether you're immersed in its sound or simply admiring its presence.


TRUE SOUND

Yamaha is the only audio brand in the world that manages every facet of sound, from its creation to the moment it graces your ears. Simply close your eyes, and you won't just hear the music - you'll experience the unparalleled sensation of being genuinely closer to the artist.


TONAL BALANCE

Every ear hears the world differently. Yamaha expresses sound as the artist intended. Reproducing sonic elements such as vocals and instruments at the right pitch requires both passion and precision. Yamaha accomplishes this through tonal balance, enriching harmonies and recreating musicality to help you hear sounds you couldn't hear before.


PERFECTLY UNIFIED TONE

PERFECTLY UNIFIED TONE

As a world-renowned music brand, Yamaha is relentlessly committed to accurately reproducing the sounds of instruments. In order to make this quest a reality, we created flagship speakers under the design concept of having consistent tone color throughout the entire frequency spectrum and applied unique technology to achieve it. For each and every one of its speaker units, the NS-800A employs the newly developed Harmonious Diaphragm™—made from a blend of ZYLON®, which has excellent sound velocity and optimal internal dissipation — and spruce, which is used in the soundboard of Yamaha grand pianos.


DYNAMICS

We pursue a sense of dynamics that express the contrast between stillness and motion in the music - allowing you to immerse yourself in the deep emotions in the music.


TOTAL MUSIC REPRODUCTION

Our patented Resonance Suppression chambers are mounted on the back of the tweeter in order to faithfully express even the finest nuances of musical instruments and voices. Two specially shaped tubes cancel unwanted resonance generated behind the diaphragm, revitalizing and maintaining the original sound.


FAITHFUL MUSICAL PRESENCE

Conventional speakers use a large amount of sound-absorbing material to eliminate standing waves inside the cabinet. However, this also removes much of the music's character. In the NS-800A, we’ve employed our patented Absorber tube to eliminate standing waves, while minimizing the amount of absorbing material, so that the original realism of music is reproduced with full energy and dynamism.


SOUND IMAGE

The position of the artist and instruments, along with the delicate nuances and atmosphere of the performance space, are stunningly reproduced. The resulting sound is so lifelike, you'll feel as though you were in the same room as the performance.


HIGHLY MUSICAL VIBRATION CONTROL

The principles for creating superb sound — understanding enclosure acoustics and pinpointing where to suppress vibrations — are virtually identical, whether crafting musical instruments or speakers. The NS-800A's cabinet construction incorporates state-of-the-art design technology while making full use of laser vibrometers, a tool essential in musical instrument research and development, as well as sophisticated Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis. The cross piece of the cabinet has also been reinforced. Experience a rich spatial sound that fully immerses you, making you feel as though you're right in the center of the performance.


SEAMLESS SONIC PERFORMANCE

Representative of the flagship series, the NS-800A adopts the highest quality parts for the crossover circuit. The MCap® SUPREME Classic audio capacitor made by Mundorf of Germany, renowned as the pinnacle in audio-use capacitor, is used along with a huge woofer coil.


TWISTED FLARE PORT

The speaker is equipped with our original Twisted Flare Port. It adds a gentle twist to reduce air flow noise around the port, a common problem in conventional bass reflex speakers. This delivers an exceptionally accurate response with clear, tight bass reproduction.


HIGH-QUALITY FEEL

The speaker terminals feature an original design, with a shape that comfortably fits with human fingers for a luxurious feel, while simultaneously allowing for effortless tightening.


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Overall Score 87/100

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Nicely Roasted

The Yamaha NS-800A delivers a refined, cabinet-driven presentation with a notably wide soundstage, a neutral, flat midrange, and usable bass down to 40Hz for a bookshelf speaker. Reviewers at Audioholics and Erin's Audio Corner praise its build and imaging, while noting elevated upper treble that may respond well to mild EQ.

Audioholics — James Larson

"They sound as gorgeous as they look."

Pros

  • Wide, enveloping soundstage with precise imaging that conveys venue scale and instrument placement.
  • Neutral, well-defined midrange — vocals and dialogue remain natural and highly intelligible.
  • Impressive low-frequency extension for a stand-mount design (around 40Hz) often usable without a sub in medium rooms.
  • High-end build and finish — hefty cabinets and piano-gloss presentation give a premium, well-braced enclosure.

&

Cons

  • Elevated upper-treble region (noted near 12–16 kHz) that can read as bright to sensitive listeners.
  • Limited ultimate dynamic headroom for very large rooms; buyers seeking deep, room-filling bass may want a subwoofer or larger floorstanders.

Sound Quality

89/100

Bass

90/100

6.5" woofer bass extends to ~40 Hz and is repeatedly described as 'impressive for bookshelf speakers' and able to 'get by without a sub.' Port tuning around 40 Hz with a slightly lower port output than the woofer supports strong low-end extension for its size; placement affects magnitude (Erin notes stronger bass near a wall).

Mid

90/100

Reviewers report natural, clean instrument and vocal timbre with a flat midrange (Audioholics). One reviewer recommends minor EQ tweaks to taste, but overall vocals and dialogue remain clear and well-presented.

Treble

87/100

Generally flat through most of the band but with a noted upper-treble spike beginning ~12 kHz and centered near 16 kHz (Audioholics). Some bright character is reported (Erin), but the spike lies above most adult hearing ranges and is not described as harsh.

Soundstage Imaging

91/100

Described as wide and enveloping with precise imaging; reviewers likened the presentation to seating in a large church for certain recordings (Audioholics). Directivity is good, aiding placement and imaging consistency (Erin).

Dynamics

87/100

Good micro/macro dynamics for the standmount form; reviewer notes solid dynamic responses at high loudness and capable climactic delivery (Audioholics). Some comments hint at modest limits relative to very high-end floorstanders, and a subwoofer reduces distortion further (Erin).

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Build Quality

93/100

High-end fit and finish: piano-gloss cabinetry inspired by Yamaha pianos, hefty construction and minimized internal resonance (Audioholics, Erin). Overall craftsmanship and presentation are described as handsome and robust.

Features Connectivity

80/100

Passive bookshelf baseline applied. Single pair of beefy five-way binding posts; crossover at 2.6 kHz (second-order woofer, third-order tweeter) and included adhesive pads for surface protection.

Value for Money

80/100

At roughly $4.8k–$5k/pair reviewers call them expensive but reasonably priced as 'truly high-end' speakers; one reviewer notes the price is high given some dynamic-range limitations but overall considers them fairly priced for the segment.

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