Your speakers are wrong
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Thursday May 4, 2023
David Mellor
David Mellor is CEO and Course Director of Audio Masterclass. David has designed courses in audio education and training since 1986 and is the publisher and principal writer of Adventures In Audio.
Marcus Orme replies to Marcus Orme: @Audio Masterclass Haha, I hadn’t noticed tbh 😁 Great channel btw, have only recently discovered but have been binge watching many of the videos lately. Thank you for creating 😊
Audio Masterclass replies to Marcus Orme: One level I missed out is that in the thumbnail for this video it looks as though the speakers are much lower than my ears. It's a green screen shot I made to save me having to tidy my desk every time and clearly the perspective could be better. But I'll probably leave it as it is if and when I use it in future, see how many people notice. DM
alan perry: Good for you ,it is amazing how all these people are experts and don't have their own speaker companies.
Federico Novo: There’s a hot chick’s ghost behind you.
Audio Masterclass replies to Federico Novo: That's Betty, my technical assistant. DM
-Doggy-: I orient my speaker's so my neighbor's can hear them,they sound great👍
Aha Really: I guess this clears up my confusion about a setup I recently saw in a video (by Andrew Masters) of Tim Pierce's home studio, where he has his Adam Audio S3a monitors placed vertically. Besides the manual mentioning they are supposed to be placed horizontally due to the position of the "woofer-midrange units" - I assume - it's not THAT big of a deal (at least how he uses them).
Great channel - superb content!
Cheers :)
Audio Masterclass replies to Aha Really: I don't know of any speakers that look more intentionally horizontal but if there was any reason to mount them vertically I'd certainly give it a try. DM
Dad4: Speakers are best placed, such that the tweeter is as close to ear level as possible.
Dad4 replies to Dad4: @Audio Masterclass i worked on hundreds of major label album mix projects. Very often we’d have up to three pairs of near fields and the mains. Positioning the near fields was an art and woe to any night tech or assistant who broke the tape (often used to define edges, etc., as a memory aid.) it was a big detail, the precise location and orientation.
Audio Masterclass replies to Dad4: This is correct, except that the best place might be a little higher depending on the speaker. My speakers in the thumbnail look a lot lower than they actually are, which is with the tweeters at ear level. DM
Dad4: The NS10 had a subwoofer one could purchase. Very few people know this. Mixer/Producer/Engineer JJP (Jack Joseph Puig) had one under his console that was dialed in. Thus, when folks heard mixes in his room they had this edge of a full range. I bought one…. It absolutely filled out the low end like it should.
Dad4 replies to Dad4: @Audio Masterclass i sold mine years ago.
Audio Masterclass replies to Dad4: This is true. They occasionally come up on eBay for a price that is a lot lower than it will be when word gets out. DM
Nicolai Madsen: Speakers, on which everything sounds bad. Isnt that somekind of quality indicator? Really. You have cheap BT speakers today, that "somehow" are able to play every pop top track and be rich in sound AND bass. Its clever engineering OR the audio master is designed to cheap 10 euro speakers = its crap. We have a portable Sony SRS-X3 (i believe) in the kitchen, and Im amazed how that tiny speaker, when placed the right spot, can play this loud, this clearly and with that much bass for its size!
Got 2x DALI Opticon 6 myself mixed with a surround setuo for the living room, and while they are able to sound absolute phenomenal. They can however, also sound like utter shit. Like, streaming movies with a low bitrate audiotrack, bad masters on ex TIDAL... a good master however, and it sounds like an entirely different system.
incargeek: KEF Concertos here…sitting vertically, directly on the floor :0
Audio Masterclass replies to incargeek: Not bad. I'd have desired them myself back in the day. DM
Bob T: Would be interested to know your opinion of coaxial loudspeakers, e.g. the Tannoy VX series in the light of your comments on tweeter v. woofer alignment. I'd have thought it a no-brainer in favor of coaxial but there must be some drawback other than greater manufacturing cost.
Bob T replies to Bob T: @Audio Masterclass Yes, I'm talking about true dual concentrics although I have seen some speakers which carry a tweeter on a bridge mounted in front of and aligned with the cone's coil which may offer some advantages.
Audio Masterclass replies to Bob T: I don't know why they're not more of a thing. It's important to remember that there should be two drivers, not just a passive 'whizzer cone' in the centre which may offer some benefit but is not the same as a true dual concentric. DM
Papa Nick's Music: I’ve recently come across your videos (and subscribed!), and I am heartened by your willingness and ability to examine the fine details of sound reproduction while still reminding us that all of this—ALL of this—is subjective. If I mount my studio monitors in the attic pointing down through air vents into my studio because I like the way it sounds, that is good enough. If I like the way it sounds, it’s good. If I don’t, it’s bad. Far too many people throw around the word “objectively” in these discussions. You don’t, and I love that.
Audio Masterclass replies to Papa Nick's Music: Your comment reminds me of years ago when I saw someone's reasonably decent speakers placed tightly into the corners of their room. All wrong in theory as they excite more standing waves. Except it sounded really good, the main point being that you could be anywhere in the room and it sounded good, rather than just one 'sweet spot' listening position. I wouldn't say this is good for monitoring, but for enjoying music it's an option. DM
Alvaro Sundfeld: I thought I was the only one to think you look like Paul McCartney and Eric Idle 😅
UCS0608: I agree with the fact that you should have speakers that you can use to hear if your mix sounds ok on "any" speaker, but I absolutely want to have a real good set of speakers to check the soundbalance of the mix. So, not too much low, mids or highs etc. However, the levels (with a little focussing on vocals) I usually decide on speakers like this, on a rather low volume, because almost every mix sounds good on high volume... 😏
But I really think there are good alternatives for the, imho, way too expensive (occasion) Yamaha's. I used to have them, but sold them a long time ago, for a good price. Nowadays I use a set of Adam ANF10s and they are more than ok and you can find them used for a nice price.
I still have two mid 70s Auratones somewhereShould start using them again. 😄
Btw, I love your videos! 👍
Daniel Wylie: Mastering engineers can spot an Y-NS10 mix easily as they are often wooly sounding due to the speakers being so bright...mixing engineers over compensate for the brightness and when you get the mix home it's muffled. too many studio engineers don't get around to hearing music on normal home speakers...too busy working on music in the studio. What sounds great at the studio sounds shit at home. Mastering engineers have to try to save the day.
Mark Fischer: Your speakers, in fact your entire sound system is right or wrong depending on what your goals are and how well the system meets them.
If the goal is to achieve highly marketable recordings then sales volume could be your measure.
If your goal is to simply enjoy recordings then only you are the judge.
If your goal is high fidelity to live music then depending on your experience and memory that could be well beyond the current state of the art.
Vladdy Van Savage: fascinating stuff, been using Yamaha HS5 vertically for couple of years and they're clean and detailed sounding but very fatiguing to listen to so got Pioneer Andy James bookshelf speakers and tried mixing on them with varying results still gotta check my song mixes often on open headphones like DT990, Shp9500 and on the ole Iphone, and since i'm in Oz we do things upside down here, and break the audio recording rules.
Alley Cat Beats 🎹 replies to Vladdy Van Savage: Because its not a NS10
TWEAKER01: Time alignment (tweeters & woofers to your ears) is a HUGE factor to hearing detail objectively, as you alluded to towards the end. And the more drivers in a speaker cabinet, the more difficult that can be. We're subconsciously actually more sensitive to phase response than to pitch.
Douglas Blake: So much fuss over something that, in the end, makes no difference at all ...
Allan Moorhead: If speakers have their own "flattering" or "pleasant" sound, they aren't accurately reproducing the original signal. Shouldn't studio monitor speakers be accurate? Also, if you adjust a mix to sound good on poor speakers, isn't that compensating in a way which will actually sound bad on accurate speakers?
Audio Masterclass replies to Allan Moorhead: This is my opinion. Although the frequency response of the NS-10M Studio isn't great, the sound is very detailed. For myself, I prefer a detailed sound and for that I'm prepared to tolerate the frequency response. Of course, one should also listen on other speakers, high-quality headphones, and checking on earbuds is also good seeing is that is how many people consume their audio. DM
Ricardo Bussey: Agree
HomeTheatre101: I honestly enjoy watching your videos and listening to your take.
David Morgen: L like yammis! There smaller models are quite Good given the reason there being used..I rarely see them used any more.ill keep looking!!
Carl Sitler: I loved listening to my mom's albums in the '70s and she had a wide ranging taste in music. She had Led Zepplin next to Arlow Guthrie... Nate King Cole... Johnny Cash... Fifth Dimension... Donavan, etc. She had an all in one consul (speakers, turn table, 8-track, radio).
Alex Net: Если коротко: "Вам не нравится Лонг Джон? Попробуйте Бурбон !"
Audio Masterclass replies to Alex Net: Google translates this as "In short: "You don't like Long John? Try Bourbon!" DM
Bermud: can you recommend cheap medium quality amplifier that can i use with the Yamaha NS-10`s ?
Audio Masterclass replies to Bermud: I use an old Quad 306 and have no problems with that. So anything similar should be OK. https://www.google.com/search?q=quad+306 DM
JAFO-PTY: I like turning my bookshelf upside down... I love the look.
Scott Mac: personally, i find people get so uptight about sound and their rules or methods as being so rigid. this often is an obstacle they have from getting the best results, due to being so rigid.
Audio Masterclass replies to Scott Mac: Indeed, there is a lot more leeway than people appreciate. Anyone who can't have a good day out unless the sun shines is going to have a lot of unhappiness in life. DM
Thomas Jorgensen: Great video, but at some point it could have mentioned Bob Clearmountain—the person who pretty much made these speakers iconic. He was that person in the early 80s going from studio to studio using these speakers for reference. With so many hit mixes under Clearmountain’s belt, everyone started copying what he was doing; figuring they would achieve the same results.
Audio Masterclass replies to Thomas Jorgensen: Indeed, but then I'd also have to mention Bill Scheniman and Nigel Jopson. Oh, I've just done that. DM
Edwin Draaijer: Yes, vertically... like a line array!
Audio Masterclass replies to Edwin Draaijer: The point of a line array is that a narrow source disperses sound widely, a wide source disperses it narrowly. So the line arrays I heard just today at the Coronation big screen in Hyde park did their job and spread the sound widely across the crowd, while not wasting sound going up into the air. DM
Steve Johnson: The woofers are in a bad spot for mid-bass suckout. The first three room surfaces should be maximally different.
Daniel Startek: My speakers can converse in three languages and they are nice people!
LÁZARO•L-Noble• SDA. 🔳🔉〰️•AUDIO •VIDEO •WISDOM〰️: If you lay back and close your eyes you fall asleep and forget about your speaker problems😂
Grim wriggler: I have this issue with quad els 57s , they have to be positioned high way more those little legs they came with. mine are now placed on wooden bar stools . i have found that unconventional placing and positioning of speakers often yields dramatic improvements. your room your speakers, your ears so experiment
Jai Brown: But you may be related to Phillip Drummond, great video.
Barry Steinhart: I always thought about the combing effect of large boards with the monitors sat on top, but what can you do really. You'll never see a large reflective surface in front of the mastering engineer will you? In my home studio I don't have a reflective surface in front of me for that reason. I also use an old set of Mackie HR824 monitors because I think I get the best of both worlds, flatness and a Hi-Fi like power when I want it. But they get a bad rap too.
Barry Steinhart replies to Barry Steinhart: @Audio Masterclass A combing filtering effect between the two sound paths of board top monitors to the ears is just a fact. You might have to isolate upper mid to high end freqs and then move about a bit to really hear it, but it's there. Reflections are everywhere. Once I heard a wavering sound in my audio that I just couldn't isolate where it came from. It would come and go from day to day. Then I noticed it was coming from the spinning ceiling fan blades 15 feet above me where I sat. The sound from my near field mons were reflecting off the blades and back to my ears creating a wavering modulation in the audio. You wouldn't have believed it but it was distinct. :)
Audio Masterclass replies to Barry Steinhart: It has been said that the surface of the console is a corrective factor in the sound of the NS-10M. I might investigate in future but for the moment I'd have thought that equalizing the signal to the speaker would be a better solution. DM
Simon Hodgetts: It always amused me that hi fi enthusiasts should adopt studio monitors as home hi fi speakers - of course they won’t sound good in your living room - they’re not meant for that application! Also, a recording engineer’s ears are trained and used to hearing fine detail in a recording - they’re not listening to a recording for enjoyment - it’s their job! Music is heard on all sorts of rubbish equipment - it used to be transistor radios, nowadays compressed audio files on phones, therefore the mixing monitors need to be capable of emulating those conditions!
scrapethebottom: Apparently for a lot of people the orientation of your speakers was wrong solely based on the direction of the writing on them - funny and sad at the same time... hopefully your explanation will shut them up, and have them read into h/v dispersion, crossover frequencies and so on!
mauro marion bizzotto: Paul McCartney!!
Lovely!
Rick Salt: Speakers with no port is the best place to start a mix ... of course with a reasonably
designed 2 way speaker .
I was testing my NS10 on the right against a 2-way speaker on the left with a front port .
Using , Egypt Station , Paul McCartney , mute the NS10 and there was this weird thing happening
with the vocal that wasn't there on the NS10 .... and then I realized there was content around 300HZ
coming out of the port . I plugged it up and the issue was solved . I plugged the ports with a disc
of MDF and glued very well . I've put my NS10s away for the past 3 years and have enjoyed my
fully sealed Spirit Soundcraft Absolute 2's . I use Genelec 8040 with subwoofer after I'm happy with the
mix . An abundance of bass fools your ears into thinking your mix is amazing ....... ya sure it is in your bubble .
Audio Masterclass replies to Rick Salt: As I mature in years and experience, the more I come to dislike the port. DM
Gunther Mampaey: You stated it right, they are reference speakers, I have different types on my desk, even small pc speakers. Because the music that you master must sound "great" on smaller devices too, and if I want to test the material wonderful, then I go to my car, that's also a reference. With the years you learn these techniques.
Jeremiah Chamberlin: It is interesting to hear your take on this issue. I have a pair of KLH Model 17 speakers, they really didn’t do much for me until I turned them horizontal. Holy Shitake, Batman, did they come alive, with especially dynamic bass. Suddenly, I loved a speaker I was sorry I paid $60.00 for. 🙂
Jeremiah Chamberlin replies to Jeremiah Chamberlin: @Audio Masterclass You say you prefer your NS-10M’s vertical, and state your reasons why; I say I prefer my KLH Model 17’s horizontal, and state my reasons why. I fail to see why my issue is different than yours. I will say that the condescension in your response to my comment was palpable. I will also admit that I misinterpreted your video’s title in a classic fashion, I ‘heard’ that you were saying MY speakers were bad, which is why I clicked on it. As Jack Benny testified to Johnny Carson a few weeks before he died, “I think I have experience success because I talk up to people, not down.” It is a demeanor I am trying to master, and you, sir, would be well served to emulate Jack, in my [not so] humble opinion.
Audio Masterclass replies to Jeremiah Chamberlin: I think this might be a different issue, but there's always value in the trying alternative placements. DM
Matt Allen: do you like waffles?
Yasunaka Ikumi: as a Auratone user, i feel offended
Audio Masterclass replies to Yasunaka Ikumi: IMHO it's possible to enjoy listening to NS-10M Studios. Auratones on the other hand are just a tool. Opinions may differ. DM
TheFRiNgEguitars: correct !!!
gregalee: Oh gawds! People just don't understand studio monitors. The strength of the Yamaha NS-10s and their powered HS series is that they are incredibly changeable. If you understand how to apply corrective EQ and have an analyzer capable of the resolution needed, you can both zero out the room and make the speakers' response curves match whatever you want. Other speakers have a limited amount of flexibility when it comes to accepting EQ. Distortion will result. I have a 7.1 setup with a theater processor using older HS-80m powered monitors. I've removed their bass limiting circuitry to make them midfield instead of near field and EQ'd them to the JBL 'ideal' curve at the listening position. The imaging is otherworldly and the timbre is completely natural sounding. It's the next best thing to being there!
The people who think studio monitors sound like garbage are using them 'naked' without any modification to their sound. That's not the way to go. They're designed by professionals for whom the steps I took above are trivial.
linandy1: Vertical is correct. The tweeter should always be vertical to the woofer.
Sal LoPiccolo: I have the same speakers as you and I love them.
Esther S: I have a question for you Audio Master: can you talk about which speakers maybe suitable to keep hackers from controlling your speakers without your authorization? Please! Thank you
Audio Masterclass replies to Esther S: AFAIK it isn't possible to hack a normal passive loudspeaker, nor an active loudspeaker with an internal amplifier and no computing capability. But if one thing is certain, hackers will try. DM
Lyn & Ted Rockley: Al good points, especially about Eric and Paul.
But why did Yamaha make these with a left and right orientation? Why is the tweeter offset anyway. If both units were on a central axis to the box it wouldn't matter which was left or right.
Two identical speakers would be made symmetrical by turning one upside down.
Audio Masterclass replies to Lyn & Ted Rockley: My guess regarding the tweeter offset, and it is just a guess, is that if the speakers are placed horizontally the tweeter will be higher. Bear in mind that the purpose of placing them horizontally professionally is so as not to obscure the main monitors. Having done this, it makes sense for the pair to be symmetric. DM
Blaine Munro: I agree fully! The room dictates everything! Cheers
Steve Clark: and if you did mount them horizontally , there is good chance that the Yamaha logos would be upside down , this would make them more difficult to read. ( not to mention that the music would sound upside down ) carry on, steve
Brad Rapp: We know it’s because you listen with your head tilted all the way to one side or the other. 😅
lindsay weir: i expected the worst from this title, but very reasonable takes! i’ll check out some more of your content
Rock And Roll: Become deaf. Problem solved.
Rock And Roll: I just use two paper cups, connect a wool-wire to the XLRs out of my mixer. Just make s(h)ure the mixer outs are set to mic. Voila, free NS10s.
Mihai Dumitrescu: Omg, who didn't knew these SUPER basic reasons, can say don't know a damn about speakers in general and sound. Still amazed you had to explain these reasons. This was a hard one😂 🤦🏻♂️
Eric Gardner: Funny, I've always known these to be some of the best sounding speakers in history. Who thinks these are trash?
Peter S: I remember when the NS10M first appeared mid 1980s, as I recall their biggest selling point was that an NS10 sounded like an NS10 in almost every studio they were used in. This was the era of the freelance sound/mix engineer, who could be working in almost any studio from day to day. Other popular near field speakers seemed to interact with the room more thus sounded subtly different in different studios. The NS10 did not sound as accurate as other speakers but the sound was consistent so he/she had a known reference.
The original NS10M had an acoustic material speaker ‘grill’, but engineers always took it off. The result was the speaker was very slightly bright, which lead to people putting a sheet of tissue paper over the tweeter. This lead to a discussions of how many sheets, what brand etc. It sounds mad but it happened!
I remember one of the Lord-Alge brothers (sorry can’t remember which one) who said the NS10 only “sounded right” when it was so loud it was “farting” ie the bass driver hitting the end stop. Needless to say the bass drivers needed replacing very often when he was mixing. But his mixes sounded great so who am I to judge.
Peter S replies to Peter S: @Dad4 I don’t recall the tweeter fuse debate, perhaps it was more of a USA issue. We did have Urei 813A main monitors in 3 of our studios; they had, what looked like light bulbs, in series with the drivers. They were actually Barretter resistors https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barretter. These glowed if the speakers were driven too hard, increasing their resistance & thus protecting the driver. They also served as a warning that they were too loud. These would blow from time to time & were much easier to replace than a driver. I recall a small JBL speaker in the 90s that had a similar device inside, that when driven too hard you could see, though the bass port, illuminating the inside of the speaker.
Dad4 replies to Peter S: @Peter S ahh… I was at The Village at the time and this was the rumor. We swapped the out all the time too. Let’s not forget the “Fuse vs Non Fused” tweeter debate.
Peter S replies to Peter S: @Dad4 we did mot replace them every day, but we had a big stock of spare drivers & swapped out when tired, the engineer/producer requested or when they inevitably died.
Dad4 replies to Peter S: They used to replace the NS10 woofers every single day at A&M (Now Henson) studios. There was an aftermarket here in LA for less financially blessed studios, for cheaper than new NS10 woofers.
stratocat9999: Cheers for this from a retired mastering engineer!
I had my NS10M's in this orientation on my personal desktop for years, and got nothing but grief from my contemporaries. About a year ago, I relocated my home studio to a larger room, and relegated my Yamaha monitors stands off the desktop and in the customary horizontal position. Having them further apart has improved imaging, but this has to do with the fact they are slightly farther apart, not the orientation.
Yamaha is correct. It does not matter a whit or a tiddle if they are vertical or horizontal. Just keep them off of a flat surface in either case.
I also added a 1 octave step graphic EQ that allowed me to give them a nice 'HiFi' or loudness curve. In close proximity as designed, with this addition, reveals the little units are capable of surprising bass response, and there is no need to cover the tweeters in toilet paper. 😁
A simple flip of the switch allows me to go from flat to sweet. This has also pretty much eliminated the need for multiple monitor pairs.
My primary use for these speakers in my personal studio is for archiving my analog library and restoring or remastering much of the same for 96 khz 24 bit wave. And the occasional multitracking for myself of 'backing tracks', something I have done since the 80's in order to perform 'live' without a band.
I retired in 2018 after my company closed it's media division as far as in-house production and mastering after 22 years with them. All's well as ends better, as I am having far more fun being retired and working on my own projects!
Cheers again!
Donk: Apparently I can't use transmission lines in a smallish room, thankfully my TDL's don't know that :).
Eduardo Cruz: This time I don t agree with you concerning the NS-10S, the rest vertical or horizontal tweeters at the axis of ears it s fine.
I work in high end audio not in the selling, but in the technical, I have ear hundreds speakers, amplifiers you name it from 400€ to the sky, and one day came to my office a pair of NS-10 I was excited to ear nowadays what the record engineering ear when recording, and I got a bad surprise the sound was so ugly compared to any low mid range hi fi speaker anything from the 600€ was much better than the Yamaha all the people around notice that, and we asking to each other if they use this tool to record no wonder that some records sounds trash, I know that many studios use high end speakers and the biggest problem is to place them in a control room, and the placement is too far away to be perfect but is much, much better than using the NS-10, of course due the amount of money necessary to have that type of speakers and the amplifiers to match them is not for everyone only to studios that the quality of sound matters.
M Singh: I love the way the Master splits the hairs. Cocking his head to one side to discern the difference in the frequencies. And he has this amazing assistant, who is always there to fill in the gaps! I wish I could afford an assistant like that...
Editing SECRETS revealed!: Clicked Like as soon as you denied your pair of spy identities. Don't know your opinion about speakers yet.
Allan Moorhead replies to Editing SECRETS revealed!: @Editing SECRETS revealed! Someone who worked in speaker design many years ago told me those were the best engineered speakers he knew about.
Audio Masterclass replies to Editing SECRETS revealed!: Good luck on getting an unpoked pair. DM
Editing SECRETS revealed! replies to Editing SECRETS revealed!: I had the early generation Mackie HR-824s in my home studio back in the day and loved 'em. Line level run to amps at the drivers designed for them made a lot of sense to me then and still does. Haven't had a setup since then. I suppose if I ever make a new studio, along with whatever else I might as well see if I can get some NS-10s without the cones poked too much, just for purpose of comparison. For most listening the Adam's with the ribbon tweeters intrigue me, but I've not tried a listening test.
Fernando Ferrero: the best speakers are the ones you know best , they are all crap in one way or another :) and just to mention that the audio in this video was not as good as usual , a bit boommy IMO .
Editing SECRETS revealed! replies to Fernando Ferrero: He clipped and autotuned it a bit to please modern audiences
Theo NL: Good for you! 😊 You are completely right. It's all very personal.
comedy4cast: I assumed the background, including the speakers, was simply a static image via a greenscreen. So, I learned something today.
By the way, did you do the speaking character. If so, any info on how you did it? Either way, carry on!
Audio Masterclass replies to comedy4cast: It's a photograph of my room on a green screen background. I only had to tidy my desk once. As for Betty, she likes to keep her secrets secret. DM
Alvaro Vix: No. Your speakers are wrong.
Stephen Wise: I've turned speakers backwards! In the musical instrument business, you're producing, not reproducing. My instruments were organs and carillons. Both sounds have a large indirect component. "Speakers forward" often gave too much direct sound. It certainly puzzled a lot of customers, but they couldn't argue with the sound.
Stephen Wise replies to Stephen Wise: @Audio Masterclass I used to play the French horn.
Audio Masterclass replies to Stephen Wise: It's a useful technique in theatre too. And of course the French horn fires to the rear. DM
Alan Dawson: My ns10’s are early versions and have the writing the other way, so when they are upright the writing is the correct way up.
TuneLow PlaySlow: Get this man and Steve Albini in the same room and it's going to end a fist fight or the greatest sounding recording of all time.
Ola Svensson: The NS-10 is actually responsible for destroying many recordings, it is a terrible working tool for many reasons.
NS10 alleviates (makes harder to hear) the following problems (and more):
1. recessed nasal "fuzzy" sound due to too weak a sound in the seventh (three-string) octave,
2. noise in the low frequency range
3. anaemic timbre on male voices,
4. shrill sound due to distortion or other errors that produce too much energy in the 3-4 kHz register.
5. Inarticulate deep bass.
In short, productions made in NS10 often exhibit one or more of the above characteristics because they were not heard well enough in NS10.
Editing SECRETS revealed! replies to Ola Svensson: Ideally at some point in the process more than one set of speakers would be used for comparison
Scott Wolf: Never noticed the resemblance to Paul until you mentioned it, but damn, don't know how I didn't observe it. BTW, I employ the 1st iteration of B&G's dipole, push-pull, planar magnetic, RD-57 built by Dave Graebener at Speakerlab, before B&G Corp was formed. It features a 54 inch long by 2 inch wide, diaphragm, 4 turn voice coil for Frequencies above 200Hz. Could never imagine them not vertical.
RAILWAY FILMS: I got a question : do you think you can make equally good mixes on the regular Yamaha HS 8 ??? I mean it is my opinion that the HS8 speakers are just as good but because there is a large "cult following" the NS-10's will never go away. but are they really better for mixing than the HS8 -- if so, how much better?? I actually like that you place yours vertical. I wish I had a pair.
Alley Cat Beats 🎹 replies to RAILWAY FILMS: Totally 2 different horses...NS10 lovers don't want subs because of focus on the most important frequenties the Mids subs are horror in almost every room. Boomy muddy sound extraction from the wonderfull mids. Try to listen with a good ear and than you know 👍
Editing SECRETS revealed! replies to RAILWAY FILMS: As other commenters mentioned, one pro who checked with multiple speakers remarked they were popular home speakers useful for a comparison, some said oh he's got a point, then others jumped on the trend of "the one right way to do it" without thinking for themselves about the reasons.
Emmanuel Gutierrez: Is it wrong if you like to listen to it “flat”?
Jeffrey Caplin: I think it was none other than Bob Clearmountain who started using the NS-10s (and porting them around with him).
cdl0: My everyday home speakers are an old pair that had been stored in the loft for over twenty years. They were a bit dusty when I got them out, but cleaned up nicely, and sound fine for enjoying music. I can even hear them when I am cooking things in the kitchen. 🙂 Great video; tells it like it is!
T Zero: That has always been said of NS 10s. The speaker so lackluster that if it sounds good on them it'll sound better on anything else. I don't think they were even Studio Monitors originally. It's just that so many engineers and producers were using them as near fields that Yamaha jumped on the Band Wagon and started putting that on the front. The HS series are flatter, though not much better. But eventually White Coned Yamahas were ubiquitous in studios. So much so, that if they weren't in your studio, people questioned whether it was Pro, so of course I have them. And they look so cool. But, of course, I have to hear my mixes on a Jambox and in the car, headphones, etc... to really know what's going on. It was ever thus. Cassettes for the ride home.
Marc Vass: We used to tape some tissue paper over the tweeters , they are very bright and fatiguing sounding speakers and are supposed to represent the average hifi speaker on the home . That was back in the late 80s early nineties. Horrid speakers , pretty much every studio had them .
Thnx Eric McCartney 🙏🏼⭐️🥁
CrueLoaf: I'm quite happy with my cheap Wharfedale Diamonds! And so is my Mrs!
CrueLoaf replies to CrueLoaf: @Audio Masterclass nice!
Audio Masterclass replies to CrueLoaf: Wouldn't your Mrs prefer these? https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/egJkpQkY3iaHap8vs8hSj5-1200-80.jpg.webp
H - DawG: i always mount my speakers standing upright......they have perfect sized holes in the back of them!!
Nix Fingerpoken!: LOL, the smart-ass comments here 😂.
So much technical blabla , while the video already explains everything. Hilarious.
They have to vent I guess.
BennyFadeMusic: Thank you for the nice video, I can see audio now
Seachd: NS10's are not really that good, it's just because they are so numerous that they have become a reference point through commonality rather than true sonic quality. Perhaps one set of speakers had to fulfil this role and Yamaha nailed it.
Audio Masterclass replies to Seachd: You may say that, but I like them. DM
soberhippie: 0:04 Yeah, right. Pull the other one
Jack: I've never considered mounting my Maggie's horizontal 😅
Audio Masterclass replies to Jack: And here's why... https://www.google.com/search?q=magneplanar
Jack Duavit: No horrortones? LOL
Audio Masterclass replies to Jack Duavit: I wouldn't disrespect the Auratone personally but I think you have to tune your ears into them. And clearly, there isn't going to be any pleasure in listening. They are just a tool. DM
Mike Saunders: Paul M and Eric Idle……didn’t notice until you said it now I can’t get that image out of my head…..very funny!
Editing SECRETS revealed! replies to Mike Saunders: We've never seen all three of them in the same room, have we? We couldn't even trust a photo of them together at Abbey Road, he could have had his AI assistant stitch their pictures together.
Justin Hill: I've done many jobs over the course of my life. There's always someone who does it bass ackward, and they make it work. The proof is in the pudding. Results are what matter.
Shawn: She scares me!
David Harper: As long as the tweeters are at ear level, you can mount them any which way... Using them vertically, as you said, allows the listener to move horizontally and not have any phase/freq. response problems. Since we normally don't move our heads up and down when listening but do normally move a little left or right, you will get the most accurate response using them vertically... Just don't stand up... LOL... I have Kali Audio LP-6 monitors which are becoming the budget standard and very accurate for the money...
Tim: lol. People think they should be on their sides ? Bedroom producers. Gotta love em.
Thomas Shea: Now you are just funning..... You cannot be serious.
PreWar: I’m waiting to hear ‘what to do’….and if anything, what can we do right?
I admit…I’m losing faith….I have to think….how does this guy listen? All digital…can’t do that and probably can’t afford what I’d have to do to make it palatable for my ears…lesions on the nerves to the ears. I do remember how great nostalgia sounds…I just know, lps have been a saving grace!
Editing SECRETS revealed! replies to PreWar: You could just have fun with cassettes and not worry about it, as per his video
Hermiel: I've definitely notied the Paul resemblance. Eric Idle... That's a bit of a stretch. Eh? Eh? Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Nudge, nudge! Say no more!
Stuart Coyle: Here in Australia we mount all our speakers upside down, so that the sound comes out with the correct phase in the UK. :P
Staticaudio replies to Stuart Coyle: Gotta love Aussie humour so funny 😅
Pepe Henrikson replies to Stuart Coyle: Dont mess with the speakers, stand on your head when mixing or mastering.
FL660 replies to Stuart Coyle: 😆😆😆
Archie Macdonald replies to Stuart Coyle: dam Aussies lol ❤
Editing SECRETS revealed! replies to Stuart Coyle: In Australia, if you spin a record backwards, an evil message pops out with an American accent
Christopher Elam: This was great!
Bear-Head Studios: I have Yamaha NS a380a and love them
Dale Boylen: I use only time and phase aligned speakers in my studio. They allow me to hear far deeper into my mixes than non time/phase aligned units like the Yamahas. Hearing deeper into the mixes speeds up mixing time considerably. Laying speakers on their sides, or horizontally, messes time and phase even more. if you want to hear what the recording captured, and I would think you would, use time/phase coherent speakers.Most studio monitors are a far cry from time coherent, having as high as 48 db/oct crossovers. That's two FULL cycles of phase shift. I don't buy into the mantra "If it sounds good on the NS10's it will sound good on any speaker" Has not been my experience.
Alley Cat Beats 🎹 replies to Dale Boylen: Good for you,NS10's wrote the book period
paul davies replies to Dale Boylen: Agree they are only used as an"industry" standard
ONESNZER0S: Love this....
ONESNZER0S: Nice Job mate!!