Do you own Yamaha HS7 monitors? Do you recommend them?

[rasmusklump]

I have the HS80 with sub since they came out.

I am completely satisfied. These aren't harsh in my not too big room.

[Passing Bye]

My ideal monitors would be < $600, which I think is a decent budget.

Yes, it's good budget, it's amazing what we can acquire these days for that amount of money, remember when my ex musical partner got HS7 when they first came out, there was nothing in that price range to compete, now, KRK stepped up their game, Mackie also, Presonus, there's affordable Adam's, JBL's, there's new great brands like Fluid, Kali, you can't go wrong with any brand really.

Aside from monitoring, are they good for decent music listening?

Sincerely Yamaha monitors would be my last choice for music enjoyment, I really don't like their signature.

[JCJR]

I don't know even how beneficial it is to be able to audition monitors in a store. Useful at least to rule out "emperor's new clothes" systems that somehow got good reputation or reviews but do not sound very good to oneself.

Last time I auditioned a few monitors in a store was able to decide which seemed best in the acoustic environment of the store but still hadn't a clue if it would sound "enough improvement to be worth the money" in the home studio acoustics.

For what it is worth, purely luck of the draw matter of individual taste, the jbl lsr sounded a little truer more transparent to my old ears than the Yamahas IN THE STORE. If I were to test an lsr 8 at home for a few weeks then test a Yamaha equivalent at home for a few weeks I haven't a clue which would be preferable after long term comparative testing.

From one view it seems silly. If all the "good" monitor systems really are truly flat and clean as advertised then all the "good" models ought to sound so similar that you can't hardly tell one from the other in a blind listening test. In that case it shouldn't matter which "good" model you buy if they are all flat and clean.

I suppose some are flatter cleaner than others because they don't sound the same. OTOH sometimes people do not really want flat and clean even if they say they do.

Some monitors sound fairly similar. When I got some passive 8" jbl 2 ways about Y2K, it was amazing how similar they sounded to my 8" EV Sentry 100 made circa 1980. Ain't saying either is especially flat/clean but maybe the engineers were aiming for similar target in both cases for the sound to turn out so similar between different decades and companies?

Since the whole thang is risky, and I like experimenting anyway, I finally ended up taking a purt big risk and building some 12" coax monitors. Was overall pleased with the result but it could have as easily turned out an expensive mistake.

I mean they measure purt flat and low distortion in the small treated room and after several years I haven't been tempted to go shopping for something "better" to replace them with so I guess it turned out ok.

Maybe it is just psychological effect but even if I had bought some real expensive store bought monitors then I would probably have continued to wonder whether shoulda bought some other brand that would have somehow sounded better.

Not saying they are better than some pro factory speaker but I know what's in em and they turned out flat and clean enough for the purpose.

[lajosuti]

Hi,

I have a Yamaha HS7 pair, and I like them. Although - in retrospect I should have chosen something with a bass reflex in front, because of my room. And it's way too (mix error-)revealing for some music, so to just plain listening I would choose something else.

But I A/B tested them with JBL Lsr, KRK and Mackies in the same price range, and the sound quality difference made it a very easy decision (I was testing with Joni Mitchell tracks, like this but with flac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT4MmbiIox4).

[tehlord]

Sincerely Yamaha monitors would be my last choice for music enjoyment, I really don't like their signature.

You previously said your opinion was based on reality, but the reality is you just don't like them.

Which is cool.

Monitor choice is about as subjective as it gets, but you not liking them doesn't equate to Yamaha 'resting on past glory'. They're damn fine speakers, mixes translate well from them, and they are still dirt cheap compared to the alternatives.

I've never found them to be harsh btw (directed at OP).

[chk071]

Monitor choice is about as subjective as it gets

I feel the same. I never really warmed up with my M-Audio, and, still haven't fully warmed up with my JBL's as well...

Maybe a good idea drive to the shop next time, and listen to some on site.

[Passing Bye]

You previously said your opinion was based on reality, but the reality is you just don't like them.

I wouldn't choose them for casual listening because of their signature, that's what you quoted, that's what I said, there's nothing more to it than that, so no, it's doesn't apply immediately that they are bad speakers or whatever.

Yamaha didn't released anything after HS series which back than was one of the best thing you can get for your money, so hype around them was justified at that time, but in the meantime competitors did improved and some new ones arrived, so now after 6 years in 2019 hype isn't justified anymore and they are just another good option, nothing to scream about like back than considering today's market, that's all I'm saying, nothing more and nothing less, so I advised OP to take a look at competition too, because there's really great options these days and that's reality.

They're damn fine speakers, mixes translate well from them, and they are still dirt cheap compared to the alternatives.

Did I said they are bad, they are good speakers with lot of even cheaper competition in 2019, that's reality, you like it or not or whatever speakers you like or not, if you think they have no competition like back when they were released, than I disagree and have nothing to say more.

[Passing Bye]

Monitor choice is about as subjective as it gets

I feel the same.

Me too, there are so many amazing speakers to choose from these days choice mostly comes down to preference more than anything else.

[LoveEnigma18]

Sorry everyone, I missed replying to this post. Thank you so much for your valuable suggestions, I appreciate it. I will get in touch via PM if needed, hope it will be OK.

I've never found them to be harsh btw (directed at OP).

Great to know that. I am leaning more towards HS7 now.

[Vleker]

Dont own them but ive heard great things about them!

[fster]

I own a pair and am very satisfied with them. Have a pair of original M-audio BX-8's and use them for jamming. They work fine but sometimes come across as a little colored when comparing to HS7, not necessarily a bad thing... Use the HS7's for mixing/mastering.

[Tappistry]

Who said $1000 budget?
A pair of HS-7's is abt $400 (quite cheap)

That would be on pretty serious discount. The only time you can grab that is either used or on discount. They're normally $299 each.

There was a killer deal in 2018 with a mail-in rebate that coincided with a Guitar Center sale. GC was selling all the HS series for BOGO 50% off. Combined that with the additional Yamaha rebate I picked up a pair of HS7's for about $380 brand new.

[LoveEnigma18]

Great to know more positive responses. I think I will be going with HS7 when the time comes.

[BertKoor]

Who said $1000 budget?
A pair of HS-7's is abt $400 (quite cheap)

That would be on pretty serious discount. The only time you can grab that is either used or on discount. They're normally $299 each.

Quick google says in Euro's they're from €175 up to €275 each, average €200. Without discount or special deal, in regular big shops like Thomann & BaxShop.

Last time I looked €1 was $1, within 10% margin or so.

[anttimaatteri]

i used them for now 3 years paired with tannoy 802. i went for the tannoys a few month ago, but the hs7 have quite a good "neutral" clean sound. i would have bought the hs8, but they were too expensive at that time.. and the tannoy have the open front. on a slightly bigger, means more flexible, room i would go for the hs8/7.
as i said it took me 3 years to decide between them.
and the hs7 were more often on sale at thomann or elsewhere.
i recommend the yamahas.