Yamaha HS8 8-inch Powered Studio Monitor - Black Reviews

So, I decided to finally invest in a solid pair of monitors. After doing some research and consulting with my sales representative (Big Shout out to Logan my rep) I purchased these. The only con I can say is they were out of stock. Thankfully they came in way ahead of the time I was giving. They are crisp and clear. Also pack a punch!

These monitors are by far the best i've heard. I am so happy with them.

I more than happy with this purchase. the monitors sound amazing and are perfect for a home studio!

Yamaha HS8 8 inch
The Yamaha HS8 8 inch monitor speakers are a lot of bang for the money!$$$
I sampled several monitors in the store and when compared to the high dollar monitors the Yamaha HS8 8 inch monitor speakers hung up there with them. The high frequencies are spot on and the mids and low frequencies are good enough for me while working with a recording mix. Some folks prefer more bottom end and if that's you I recommend getting the sub that pairs with this item. The speakers are a bit heavy and look great in solid black and white. I have my Scarlett 2i2 interface hooked to it through a MacBook Pro M1 . I work in a 20'x15' studio room and the sound from the Yamaha HS8 8" DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. I would definitely recommend these speaker monitors if you like a great sound and it doesn't break the bank.

Very clean and clear, stereo imaging is great. Was able to tune my room and get a flat response with the Sonarworks SoundID program. Really enjoying mixing, mastering and just listening to music with these.

These were the first monitors I purchased, and I am still using the very same pair to this day. Not one single issue, they have never needed to be serviced, and they have been rigorously used. They are absolute workhorses! I added the hs8s a few years later to complete the set and I have zero complaints. Mixes translate quite well between these and any other listening environment I have at my disposal. If you want bang for your buck, look no further. Nothing else in this price point even compares. A lot of my friends went the krk/focal/Adam route (within the same price point) and many of them came around and at least bought some hs5s for secondary references.

I'm about to do a massive upgrade to genelec 8341s, but these speakers are still going to have their place as my secondary reference until the day they die and I can't find replacement parts.

I had a pair of JBL 305 monitors with the matching JBL sub. I upgraded to these Yamaha HS8's and the difference was startling. It was like the prior monitors had a blanket over them in comparison. The HS8's are very smooth, flat and natural.

I mix at conversation levels so the extra wattage does not come into play, but the extra headroom that provides is noticeable.

These joints blast!!! The sound quality and definition is amazing these bad boys. As soon as I purchased these I saw the quality of my mixes go straight up. I was going back and forth between these and another set but I went with the tried and try and it was totally worth it!

I've been using Yamaha Nearfield Monitors NS10s for years but I've also used the HS50M which were great for reference
including my Main Monitors 3-Way 12" Studio Reference etc.

I've been using the HS8 pair for a few weeks (after break-in approx) my home studio has excellent audio treatment, which is Very Important if you want "Professional Results" the speakers translate very well, it's better than guess-work which always sounds "unprofessional".

I work with client projects, commercials and my own compositions, I work as a session musician producer and engineer, though my specialty as a guitarist (classical jazz rock, progressive fusion pop) It's very important to be able to hear every aspect of fidelity and Mix-Level balance to Mastering. I've also worked in major studios with SSL boards and extremely expensive monitors, so I like to pick equipment for the specific situation so basically "In the Box" with some chosen hardware pieces.

Yamaha HS8 nearfields are wonderful monitors and I also like the fact "No Front-Face Ported Bass extension" which "Always Influences" Frequencies!!! and in how you perceive sound! In an expertly built High-end Studio Sound Stage, quality will follow but for the home studio (funny to call it "home studio" after spending over 100k) The HS8's are worth every penny.

No better place than Sweetwater with the latest in technology with amazing technicians (Mark M.)......

If you have a home studio and you're serious about getting the best results for the best price, Yamaha HS8s are it. And get the HS8S sub to go with them. After I got these, for the first time, I could mix something, take it anywhere else - the car, the phone, laptop, earbuds, any speakers - and it translated perfectly. No more guessing. Setup and balancing is fool proof, and they are very high quality. Clarity, punch, and low end. You can hear it all, accurately. No other monitors in this price range can come close. Don't even think about anything else. Get these.

I was shocked when I used this monitor for the first time. Hearing sounds was clear, clean and crispier. And when I make beats from them and play on a different device, I can feel everything is Good. In fact I love it. Is Amazing!!

I first procured the HS5 set and was pleased with the overall sound quality, craftsmanship and pricing. Whilst reviewing a few of my pieces over them I quickly can't to realize that my compositions included full orchestration in nearly them all. I needed to experience the basses, cellos and lower brass sections within a fuller dynamic range, not to mention the delicate flutes & piccolo. I made the decision to upgrade to the HS8 set, bypassing all in between models in this amazing product line. They arrived. It's a bit hard to put into words what I'm experiencing now. Written and recorded completely on headphones, these compositions have taken on New Life. My mixes are becoming so much more well rounded, I've become hyper-inspired to engage my passion to write and the glorious waves of sound produced by these reference monitors nearly exfoliates my face!
Anyhow, thanks to Mark over at Sweetwater for his spot on advice, support and technical direction on this and all additional building blocks over the years…..ff

It's a industry standard for a reason.

A little "hi-fi" but perfect for home studio. I might be reserved on mixing on these for anything I want to release, only because I'd need something a little flatter. But for ar**ing about at home, they're great.

I bought a pair of these to replace my dyna audio monitors. The sound quality is superb!

Great speakers to mix with great clear sound.

I've had these for a few years now and they sound incredible. I've paired them with the matching HS8S subwoofer and the complete system is extremely powerful and high quality.

I've had these monitors for almost 6 months. From the first use my mixed and mastering got better and most importantly I was able to correct the mistakes I was making! Absolutely would purchase again and again!

Great monitors that sound amazing. Paired these with the Yamaha sub, great value for a nice setup.

These monitors are great for the price. I switched from JBL305 MK1 motnitors. They are flat so I can hear when they are distorting, now my mixes can play back on hi-fi systems. Thanks to my sales engineer Patrick Lantz for helping me choose these speakers. I also have the Yamaha hs8 sub-woofer also!

Use these speakers for music and handling a Roland FA 07 Keyboard---Handles both situations very well!

These are great speakers if you"re looking to get into music production and engineering. Frequency response and overall sound quality is amazing. Well worth the price. Would definitely buy these again.

I've used many different monitors over the years, some expensive, some not so much. The Yamahas are really quite something, especially for the $; solid, clear bass, crisp, detailed highs and open mids. Right away I gave my old Mackie HSR8's to my son for his dorm (I never loved them, but had adjusted), and never even turned on my old JBL's to bother A/B'ing. Believe all the great reviews - even with that level of expectation, I was really blown away when I started mixing.

Reviewing after 7-8 months…

Brilliant, reliable Studio Monitors within $... price range!
I TRUST THESE Pair…

I"ve mixed already 25 songs with outstanding results.

Thanks to Yamaha and my personal Sales Engineer -  Derek Senestraro for his professionalism and dedication!

Best speaker for the money clean clear great bass

Just got these monitors yesterday-hooked them up and ran reference music through them to test them out- outstanding at their price point for sure !

Also a BIG thank you to my sales engineer Kurt Cripe-! Always a great experience shopping at Sweetwater !

I replaced my old Fostex 5" monitors as they were a little deficient in the lower end for the music I'm doing. The Yamaha HS8 a very accurate monitor. Deep low end, well defined mids, and crisp smooth highs. If there is something off in a mix, I have been able to really pinpoint the problem with these monitors. They are a great improvement for a reasonable cost. As usual, Sweetwater is the place for great selection and service. Shipped fast and work great.

I love monitors with dedicated mid range drivers, but I can't afford them right now.

These Yamaha's are as good if not better than most other speakers double their price, so I highly recommend them for this reason.

Big, loud and clear. What more could you want in a studio monitor? Coming from Tannoy Reveals and it's a big step up.

These babies rock! And the mix sounds good on other appliances.

Yeah man!!! I would recommend these to other people.

I'm in the process of building my own project studio (a first for me, as I have always been a for-hire engineer). I had been using Paradigm Shift A2's in my work station. They are a great speaker, but they are not designed to be critical monitors. I tread carefully with the purchase. The expectation level is very high. They arrived Thursday, and I was able to get some listening in Thursday and Friday before I left town for the weekend. I let the monitors run at a moderate level while I was gone (about 42 hours). I've been sitting at my workstation for the past 4 hours completely blown away. I was expecting there to be some sort of deficiency with the monitors, but nothing is standing out as over exaggerated or under exaggerated. Imaging is spot on, I can hear the texture of bass guitar, I'm not experiencing fatigue, and I am certain that I am hearing some things that I don't even notice on my Martin Logans in my listening room. I am absolutely thrilled with this purchase, and would recommend them to anybody who is looking for a low priced monitor that you will not end up replacing in a few years.

These are good enough for any studio, and with the sub, you just can't to any better especially for the price.
I'm not wow'd or blown away by them, but they are a 5 imo.

These are without doubt, the best studio monitors you are going to get in the thousand and less price range.
I was sold on the JBL 308 based on many reviews, so I purchased them.
Once I had them set up and did some actual mixing (massive fail) and mastering (another massive fail), I realized that the JBLs are not proper studio monitors, but more like AV speakers. Too much exaggerated bass and too much stereo sweet spot to know what your mix will actually sound like.
If you're always in the sweet spot, how do you know where to pan your instruments?
If the bass is always on boost, how do you know where to actually boost it?

The JBL's went back and enter the Yamaha HS8's

The Yamahas hit on all marks. Power, Clarity, Bass Accuracy, Imaging. Now I understand what they mean when they say, "If it sounds good on these monitors, it'll sound good everywhere"
They are that revealing and on point. They don't cover up mistakes.
It makes it really cool to mix tracks, and also monitor, as long as the tracks you are monitoring are good.
When you finish a project and do it well, these monitors will let you know

I've ran these through their paces and with reference quality mixes. These monitors are phenomenal.
I.E. My favorites....post 1970 Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage, Alan Parsons- Pyramid, I Robot and Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Boston - Boston, Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime and Empire, Black Crowes - Southern Harmony, Joe Satriani - Multiple Tracks

I had KRK's Rokkit 8's for the past five years a friend wanted a pair for his garage and i wasnt using them much so i sold them. Then i bought a Helix and using my Stagesource L2T was to loud and headphones weren't translating good enough to the churchs PA. I would have to do a lot of little tweaks when i set up church so i needed to get new monitors. Was going to get another set of KRKs but i decided to go with these and a pair of MS90 36in stands because the would look better in my home office and being rear ported i knew they would fill the room with sound when im just listening to music.

Right after i got it all set up and found the sweet spot in the traingle i tried some of my patches with the Helix and i could here were i was making all the mistakes with my headphones. I was able to make patches and they worked perfectly with the churches PA. But the best thing was last night i decided to really start breaking them in(always been told to play music for 50 hours to break in). I turned on Tom Petty's anthology and it sounded amazing. I really was missing out with my old monitors. They sound beautiful in the sweet spot but they also sound amazing when i started moving around the room. I have everything set to flat response and everything from metal to soul music sounded amazing. These are by far the best monitors i have heard under $ each.

Clear as crystal. I use them with a Kemper. Awesome! I listened to the comparable jbl and it wasn't close for me. Jbl had more bass but to the point they almost seemed unbalanced with bass. High gain to warm cleans....these are great! Just one guitar player's opinion.

Wow I really love these new monitors, I can hear details I've never heard before in my mixes! Well done Yamaha for making these wonderful monitors and Sweetwater for your great sales help!

These monitors are clearly the best choice for any home studio! They are ultra flat, articulate, and in my opinion give a true representation of my recordings. I wanted to not only review these but, offer a comparison for my fellow audiophiles. There were two brands I put head to head. Based on reviews, I expected the JBL's LSR 308's to be better. Now that I have used both, I can do an informed comparison. I purchased the JBL's first. Admittedly I was just not blown away by them. The cabinets are cheap and where was the detail I kept hearing about? I have desperately tried to love them because I spent a lot. They have since come down in price. While they do sound amazing cranked up I felt they were somewhat muddy and lacked detail at low-mid volumes. To be honest for the studio I was pretty disappointed.They were not near as loud as the HS8's are either. However, because of a more "colored" sound the JBL's are killer for listening. They are still a great speaker. In my opinion though, I found them pretty useless for mixing. Everything sounds good on them. I played the same tracks on the Yamaha's and found I was able to hear more detail ( good and bad) that did not show up on the JBL's. The HS8's translate better too. They feel ever so slightly more harsh to the ear but they are balanced, and loud. The HS8's work in a normal sized room well also. To be fair the JBL's might work better in a huge room. However, in the end most of us do not have that kind of real estate available. In my comparison test, I choose the HS8's. They speak the truth. They have somewhat less bass than the JBL's but I still do not feel the need to use a sub. They do sound awesome if you want to add one. In conclusion, if you are serious about recording and want to get a mix you can live with, my vote is for the Yamaha's. These are top sellers for the same reason the NS10's were. For your reference I have some treatment in my larger than average room. Sorry JBL peeps these HS8's definitely have the edge!!

I was very skeptical when I had to change my monitors. But now I'm more that happy about my choice. Those monitors deliver a very balanced crispy sound. My mixes blossomed and enjoying every minute of studio sessions using them.

These monitors are absolutely amazing. They are extremely flat but not boring. They can handle loud kick/ snare hits without clipping and the mids are clear and present. I compared to the jbl lsr308 and there is absolutely no comparison. The jbls are highly colored and not flat where as these are perfect for mixing and listening to music. For this price range, these are the best

I upgraded from a couple pairs of smaller & lower powered options and these have helped me with my mixes and the overall sounds from the start of my projects.
I love the room control and overall function.

My 5-star review is based on value for the price. Relative to price-point peers, clarity and stero imaging are excellent. It's much more interesting listening to reference material on these. The differences with high quality mixing really stand out, which is great for my learning curve. Now what to do with my old 5-inch monitors.... FYI, I saved a lot on these buying them at Gear Fest.

Very good sounding monitors, set them up in my home studio and was very impressed on how they sounded in my space.

I have been a huge Yamaha fan for nearly 6+ years I had a pair of HS50S and I loved them they were true and once I learned how to listen through them mixes start becoming easier. I eventually purchases a pair of Avantone Active Mixcubes with only helped my mix game. My HS50's eventually were getting worn down from all the travel sessions I did with them and now I mix from my own studio. I decided to go with the HS8's in White, they look great and its fun to have a color outside of the normal Monitor colors. These monitors are a step up in every way. Clear and balanced tone and the bottom end is extremely tight for now, I will be getting a sub soon. If you are considering these monitors they are fantastic, they have a very flat frequency response which is true, with a pair of mix cubes you have all you need.

I was hoping to improve my mixing results when I went with Yamaha's HS-8s, but I had no idea what a stunning difference they would make compared to my old Rokit 5's. The accuracy, balance, and trueness of my final WAV, MP3, and CD results are incredible and sound great on everything from ear buds to headphones, living room system to car stereos. I had to save up for these, but it was worth every penny. And sweetwater threw in the isolation pads and patch cables to match Amazon's online deal. John in Washington state.

I checked these out along with a ton of other monitors before buying.

What I found was these had the best flat sounding response and high end detail to my ears for metal/rock. The low end is there without being overdone or muddy... I mix a lot of drop A to E metal music and the HS8's have really helped me dial in that type of music. I used to get a very mid range heavy boxed sounding mix on what I was using before, but after getting these my music came to life with ease...

They are loud without being too loud and are not harsh sounding at all. No Sub really needed to get your low end right, but I will be buying one anyways myself at some point just to have if needed.

Great monitors for the price, I couldn't be happier.

I knew I was lacking in my low end referencing with my old school M-AUDIO SP-5B. Now that I'm working in film & video scoring, (BOOM, crash BANG) imperative to have a concept of that "feel" in the 80hz & below spectrum I clearly had been missing.

I'm amazed how these have delivered. After a good month learning/break-in period, I find my mixes more well balanced across the board, gone is the mud in the low end, retaining a warm mid range and a crystal clear, yet gentle top register.

With the 36-month 0% APR (I think it's 48-months now, I got screwed) financing, the HS-8s present a no brainier. Your mixes and listeners will thank you. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the Sweetwater crew is amazetastic!

So Happy I got these. Ever since I got these I've been making money back from mixing and producing. I use these speakers everyday as I work for myself in the music world. So glad I got these and I don't plan on changing at all. Took me awhile to really trust these speakers from past problems with other speakers. The level of quality at low volume level is amazing. Didn't think turning these down anvolume at low volume levels would be so easy

I've had a pair for over a year and I'll never again in my life have to buy another set of studio monitors. I'm a bit OCD, but these are the best monitors I've ever heard and probably will ever hear. I use them for leisure (listening to music, watching TV or movies) and producing.

If you're thinking about buying these, DON'T HESITATE!!

They rock!I switched from the rocket 8s. And the difference was like night and dayLoving them!

They rock!I switched from the rocket 8s. And the difference was like night and dayLoving them!

Just did a fairly exhaustive session of A/B speaker testing across the popular studio monitors (JBL, Mackie, KRK, etc). The detail in sound coming from the HS8 is unparalleled. In addition, bass is strong and clear, all the way down to 30 Hz. (starts leveling off at high 30s, but still present down to 30).

These speakers use old technology (no class D amps, no switching power supplies, no powerful amps), but their execution is outstanding.

I do not recommend buying the accompanying sub (HS8S), as it offers no range improvement. It's port is tuned at 35 Hz, and at 30 is just pushing air (no sound). Disappointingly, as the HS8 need to be complimented with a sub from another brand.

I have a basic bedroom setup for a "studio". I originally thought these would be more than what I needed because of the size of them. (I didn't measure how big they'd be on my desk.) But when I got them hooked up and started jamming I was amazed at the clarity at all volume levels. Even in an untreated room. They are worth the money. I only use guitar center to sample equipment and buy everything from SWEETWATER. I love the customer service I get, and Jed answered all of my questions promptly.

The range of these speakers are awesome! It's funny to think that the cheaper monitors are used to compare back and forth after the mastering process. If for some reason they went bad then, I'd be calling my Sweetwater Rep. ASAP! I'm a believer.

I love the flat sound that these give out, clear sound!!! Whatever you mix on your program will be the same sound you hear in audio systems

I upgraded to the Yamaha HS8 from Mackie RM5's after much research on the web . I was not sure if the difference would be that noticeable since the Mackie's sound pretty good but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Now my Steinway samples sound like a real Steinway piano and all of my other samples sound much more realistic . I had purchased several sample libraries that were fairly expensive and was disappointed to find they did not sound realistic so I just gave up on them but now with the Yamaha's they have come to life and sound so much better. I would not recommend these for your everyday stereo listening although they will do the job and sound good but I would highly recommend these for studio monitors if your looking for a true representation of the actual sound for mixing and recording. Great Studio Monitors Highly Recommended !

I don't record much anymore, so I have the HS8 and HS8S (sub) hooked up to my computer and use them as a stereo while lifting weights and coding. Amazing speakers. Great sound. Loud. I can hear detail in every mix like no other speaker I've used. I highly recommend these speakers along with the sub (HS8S).

A couple decades ago I once owned a set of Yamaha NS10M's in my old studio. A few years back I built a new home studio, and got some 8 and 5 inch monitors (Behringer and Mackie respectively). After recording an mixing one album through these, I found I was not pleased at all.

I finally decided to give these HS8's a try, and I'm glad I did. They have a solid bottom, rich midrange and crisp highs. I'm expecting future mixings to sound much better and these monitors will probably be much less fatiguing during long sessions than what I had been using.

In the end, I wound up dumping both the Behringer's and Mackies. I'm not totally sure these sound the same as NS10M's, but they do sound really great. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase them again, and I did seriously consider also getting a set of HS5's to A/B with, but wound up buying some 5" JBL's just to have a little "difference" in comparison.

The HS8's sound good, look really sharp (pay a very close homage to their NS10M ancestors), and are a great value for the price.

FULL FLAT MONITOR SUPERB JUDGEMENT FOR MIXING HIGHLY VALUABLE FOR THIS PRICE THANKS FOR YAMAHA FOR THIS SUPERB PRODUCT.WE ARE ALWAYS IN YAMAHA FAMILY.

I recorded a southern metal band when I first got these and was blown away at how accurately they produced the sound. I did a quick master mix of the band and listened to them on my computer, then in my car and it was like listening to them in the studio.....Great job Yamaha!!!!

Thanks Tony Dayton at Sweetwater. These are not NS-10s, but they are really damn close. Excellent monitors. Best for the value and sound quality.

The clarity is astounding but most of all the bottom that we need for reggae music is so on the money this my second pair

I worked many years on smaller monitors that sounded great. Not fatiguing, decent bass representation, and fairly accurate. I thought this would be a nice upgrade. Apparently, I never knew what I was missing.

The E-mus, similar to many KRK's and similar monitors, have a very smooth representation of the upper mid frequencies responsible for harshness of transients. Sure, I was missing sub-bass in my 5" monitors. But I never realized just how inaccurate the upper midrange was until these came in. Before, I'd be running hotter than necessary levels at 2.5-3khz, which really added harshness to drums and other sources. But I couldn't tell, because until I got a listen on several other sub-par systems, it was all so smooth.

I chose these over the HS80's for the same reason - a flatter, more up front response. I didn't want an always-pleasing monitor, I wanted an accurate one where I could be confident that my drum transients and vocals sat just right in a mix, without having to listen on countless systems. The HS8's have made my life ten times easier.

If you're serious about mixing, you need a detailed, telling monitor system. They're not all the same; these monitors are some of the best in the price range, and a heck of a lot more accurate than the ubiquitous yellow-cones.

HS8 (and the HS8S subwoofer) are the first set of studio monitors I've purchased, so I do not have adequate experience to comment how they sound against other models/brands.
However, compared to other speakers I own (PA, home stereo, car), I'd say the set (two HS8 and one HS8S) is very good and my favorite set of speakers. I am extremely particular about audio and I have no complaints with the HS8+HS8S.
The HS8 have very clear + detailed sound and are loud when you want them to be. I am able to hear details in the mix that were not as apparent with other speakers.
The HS8S sub pushes bass frequency in a similar way as is heard in a car loaded with aftermarket amp and sub. I'm far from a studio expert, but I'm thinking that if the goal is to verify an A++ mix on an aftermarket style car stereo, it would be beneficial to purchase the HS8S subwoofer also.

I've owned a pair of HS8's for a couple months now, and I couldn't be more pleased. I have also owned a pair of Dynaudio BM 6A's and the Yamahas really hold their own for half the price! Highly recommended.

These monitors are flat good for mixing your tracks and has some real power behind them as well.

I have 4 of them. I was using 2 of them for my Kawai MP11SE piano, and the combination scratches that itch for a sweet piano sound that I searched for, for so long. You can see in some reviews, keyboard amps don't really do well for piano sounds. THIS is what you need, although without a grill you'll have to be extra careful hauling them around for gigging. For at home use, the more you love the sound of your piano, the more time you'll spend playing and improving your skills.

Professional reviews say the HS8 is too big for small rooms, and even with large rooms you have to set them some 4' away from walls, etc. I find they sound lovely just sitting on the floor on each side of my piano, with NO adjustments at all. It could be because they are in my carpeted bedroom, with the bed preventing wall reflections and such.

As for the other two, I wanted to improve my Home Theater sound, so I got the 2nd pair and am using all 4 as part of my 11.1 surround sound with Dolby Atmos, where they perform very well. It IS kind of a pain sharing 2 of them with my piano, as they are heavy and the piano is in another room.

This is a great speaker. We're using it as a monitor for our organ in the choir area at church. Some of the voicing doesn't come across the same as the large speakers but it is doing the job of keeping us together in real time.

Very nice packaging. Sounds great with my Roland FA.
Need more time to give a more thorough review, but already thinking I'll need the subwoofer. Looking forward to working with them.

my experience is that these semi- high end speakers tend to have short lives.
so....we shall see.

but for now i am very happy with these and impressed with the bass frequencies for such small cones. they are a step above my old mx audio bx8a's...which konked after little use after about 4 yeARS.

These speakers bump! These were my first pair of studio monitors I"ve ever purchased. After having so many choices to choose from, I decided to go with these because they sound clear. KRK"s sounds like they"re in a box and they"ll annoy you (I sampled my buddies and guitar center)
These HS8"s are exactly what you"re looking for and you won"t be dissatisfied. I use these to Mix EDM and they"re amazing. Case closed

Good Sound!

Have had mine now for a few years and can always trust them to deliver accuracy and full range. You can"t mix what you can"t hear and these will get you hearing everything in short order. Demo"d several in this price range (and a few beyond) and nothing else came close. For the money, they"re hard to beat.

Simply fantastic studio monitors. Great for mixing and mastering. What you mix is what you get on your references. They have the most accurate treble representation I've heard. All the intracacies you put in, come back out. 3-dimensional minds, accurate bass.
These monitors are heavy, solid and powerful. If you're upgrading from 5-6" drivers, make sure you have stands that can hold monitors with this much heft.
These are deserving of the "Best in Class" designation you find in numerous reviews.
Don't cheap out on the JBL's unless all you want is background audio, party speakers, or A/V use.
If you want REAL studio class monitor's, to make professional mixes, throw down the extra cash and move up to pro level. You wont regret it.
My only complaints, are that they took away two room tuning options, and the speaker shielding. It forces the issue of correctly tuning your room with bass traps, isolation stands and panels. But if you're gong to do it, do it right, do it once and don't look back. The goal is pristine audio, and never needing to question your mix.
The Yamaha HS8's will get you there.

Previously, I had a pair of M-Audio 8" monitors. While they were great for casual listening in addition to mixing and mastering, these HS8 units are awesome. IMHO, the HS8s are all business because as far as I can tell there is no coloring of sound at all. Before, I found myself compensating a little in the low and high (sibilant) frequencies, but with the HS8 monitors I've found that I just mix what I hear and the results are better. They are sensitive and I think the 120W power rating is plenty. In fact, I run the output gain lower on these than I did with the M-Audios. Because of space constraints, these are right in front of a hard surface, so I keep the "room" switch in the second position. Just can't say enough about how clearly I can hear everything and that what I hear comes out the same way on the finished product (I put a lot of band tracks on Youtube). I've thought about adding the Yamaha sub, but right now I believe I am better off without it. This is making me a fan of near field monitoring; I may not "feel" the bass as much but for really getting the sound, I totally love these monitors. I love the detail of the bass tracks!

These monitors sound great. A nice frequency response through out. They are great for mixing, mastering and casual listeneing. The sound is rich and clear. You don't need a sub when using these monitors either. These monitors are the best for this price range. I had the more expensive KRK VXT8's and much to my surprise these sound better. My only complaint is the bass port is in the back rather then in the front like other monitors, but after moving them around a bit I got them to sound good.

Great pair of monitor's. The response is excellent and the sound is real. Very revealing. It your tunes sound good on the yammie hs8's. They most likely sound good on anything.

First pair of studio monitors. I can rest easy knowing I'm making masters than will translate well across all speakers and systems. Crystal clear clarity in the highs and upper-mids. Tight lows. I have these paired with the yamaha sub and first thing I'd recommend if you go the same route is to turn the LPF all the way down if you don't want your lows and lower mid-range to be over-powered.

PROS:
-Seems perfectly flat across the spectrum
-Sounds great
-Loud
-Crystal clear clarity

CONS:
-Has noticeable hiss coming from tweeters constantly.( not noticeable if set at a low enough volume)

Clarity in all my mix downs and works great for mastering
this is a case of you get what you pay for, I was looking at the KRK rokit 8s for months then came across this speaker and heard nothing but good things about how great the quality was .If you're looking for that Ns-10 flat sound this monitor is perfect.

Recommend : Yes
Rating : 9.5/10

ive had these speakers for 8 months, I previously owned KRK rokit 8s and these just blow the krks out of the water. I cant believe I trusted KRKs for delicate mixing, the KRKs are good but these just wash them away with there clarity and "front" sound while the KRKs sound a little distant. I highly recomend these for anything looking for great speakers.

The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars is the sub bass is a little muddy but the clarity up from that is pretty amazing.

I tried a few different monitor in this price range and these were heads above the rest imo. One of the best studio purchases I've made.

These monitors sound fabulous! Smooth, fat low-end, clear/clean mids, and crisp & detailed high-end! Plus PLENTY of power in these speakers!
When compared side by side w/JBL, KRK, Alesis, Mackie, & Fostex, the
Yamaha's came away the winner to my ears EVERY time. My only gripe
(and its a minor one)... I wish Yamaha would offer an optional grill to protect the woofer (the tweeter has a heavy mesh metal protector over it).
Overall, well built & sounds great, which is what I would expect from Yamaha!

This was a serious set up up from the last pair of monitors I've owned, but I've worked on and listened to a lot of different systems. Listening to these I definitly feel like I'm taking so much guesswork out of the equation. Not hyped up like a lot of monitors out there; what you put into them, is what you get out. Would absolutely recommend to a friend.

I replaced a pair of somewhat comparable 8" Mackies (HR824) which had wooden cabinets and had served for around 10 years

These speakers set out to do something very similar to the above.
Keeping in mind that newer does not always mean better, these speakers are very careful to retain progress made by their predecessors.

Made with a nearly seamless MDF plastic which is proving to be far more accurate and open, if not slightly more abrasive than a wood enclosure. Being able now to hear more contour in the high's and achieve more definite results, The mixes coming out of these translate nicely to other speakers.
The speakers reach all the way down to about 40hz effortlessly, giving a super articulate and flat low end.

I'd say these in particular have a place above any other budget monitor and maybe even as an A-->B style reference in a high end listening setup.

Would recommend heartily.

I have been using the HS5's for a while and upgraded to the 8's. They do sound much better.

Like Michael McDonald and Paul Rudd said in '40-year-old Virgin', "Yamh-mo'-be-there".

These are not your modern sounding, flatter the pre-mix, silky smooth, digital amps that we've all heard praise or warned about. There's nothing wrong with an Ultra smooth delivery, but there is something to be said for monitors that unfold or reveal bizarre levels quickly, but won't clean out your 2k-6k !

For this reviewer, some of the digitally amped monitors possess overly-sturdy upper mids/top end that sometimes fatigues the ear quicker and harsher. That's not to say DSP is not good, but the analog HS8's appear to have a bit more "pillow" in that range.

Back 2 analog: HS8's are more horizontal across the 800 - 2k range that made the NS10's so infamous (some NS-10's 7dB bump @ 1.6k) These have a similar bump but its only a few dB up from unity. For their size, the HS8's still possess that unusual mid range that makes decisions in those freq. quicker or less analytical. This reviewer has found that one can move forward sooner during the mix and/or tracking.

These were awarded 4 stars because they're solid, well conceived, and theres no real perfect monitor. Yes, they do possess that ssssizle that ssssome people like or absolutely loath. Thankfully, Yamaha built in a dip switch that attenuates those freqs. The rear-port takes a little while to understand. With HS8’s, I strongly urge one to use bass trapping in your room. Sorry to be cut n dry with these units, but allow me to save you time. If you're near a corner, flip the low end dip switch down and put in at least 4-5" thick bass trapping behind them and get it off the corner as far as possible. No need for a sub with these ... most of us are in 200 sq feet or less.

So far, they’ve shown themselves to be full sounding and able to deliver translatable mixes. Much like Focal’s CMS line, they’re not going to win any beauty contest, but we’re in Audio world, right ?

It has been almost a week now since I received delivery of the HS8's (shameless plug to thank Alex Morales and Sweetwater team for the quick service). I've only been listening to them to get used to their character before jumping into mixing with them. Most of my work is acoustic in nature so I have yet to drive anything heavy through them.

Right from the top I have to say they provide excellent stage depth and width from the mixes. The bottom end is smooth and not overbearing. I actually expected a little more bottom from them but my sub fills in nicely in concert with the HS8's. They have a very pure character and quality to them. Although they respond well to midrange frequencies, they are not at all brash and do not fatigue my ears even after hours of listening around (SPL of 80dB-85dB). I have really enjoyed listening to them and will begin mixing with them immediately. At this point, I can only say that they will remain on my monitor bridge for some time to come.

If your projects are centered around classic rock, consider this: The E1 string of a bass guitar is around 40 hz. This means for mix down, you need to go as deep as 40 hz.and as much as possible without the use of a sub which makes everything complicate and bias the results. I first tried the HS5 which sounds actually better in the mid range, but does not have as much warm low end as the HS8. With the HS8, your mix is less likely to sound boomy. It sounds really good and natural for that price range and the tweeter sounds sweet. I must say that the first time I did sound check with Violin using a pair of AKG 220 and a TASCAM DP-24 with these speakers, I was VERY IMPRESSED and my comment was "The dominance of big studio is over". Now everyone can do high end recording with less then $2000 worth of studio gear and publish highly professional production on internet. Times are truly changing since we can say the same about video production.

Far superior to M-Audio BX and KRK Rokit even though both have kevlar drivers.

I mainly record acoustic and electric folk music, 12 strings acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, cello, conga, djembe, drums and old school chunky electric bass. These speakers sound good enough for violin and cello and are a killer with low end and electric instruments and drums. I don't need to pay more for my home studio projects.

A keeper.

Great monitors. Worth the price.
I have upgraded to these speakers when my previous gave up on me after 8 years of faithful services.
I love the Yamaha HS8
My listening experience in the studio is more accurate and it shows in my mixes.

Thank you Yamaha for another great product.

After working at the top studio in the country, I have used countless speakers in my time. Ever engineer has their own preference, and I am no exeption. Namely, bodacious trebble, -60.3 dB mids, and rocking bass. If the bass does not shake my studio and make me feel something profound inside of me, its not the speaker for me. This however, I cannot mix without it. The features alone make this box worth the buck. It includes a 8' driver in white, which contributes to a "brighter" more "sparkly" tone. I am however deeply disappointed at the lack of modern features. Namely, the speaker uses VERY outdated XLR and TRS connectors. There is an utter lack of lighting, micro USB or 240 V waffle iron input. Bluetooth compatibility is also limited. After speaking with Manny Marroquin himself, he told me he uses this speaker in Mid-side configuration quit frequently. We are good friends. Sometimes we go to cubs games. Sometimes we do not. This weekend is a maybe. Buy this speaker and you will be Manny Marroquin.

I've been mixing for 20 years and I've had these speakers for 3 years and I've never had such a hard time getting mixes to translate. No bueno. Midrange is incredible inaccurate.