Excellent 
by Scott from Dallas, August 2008
Music Background:  Musician - Hobbyist

I basically wanted some active monitors to use with my Roland KF-7 keyboard at home, and had narrowed it down to the Mackie MR8's and the HS80M's. I bought both and took them home to A-B them with the keyboard. I alternated them at least a dozen times. The MR8's had a more pronounced bass response, almost a touch boomy in comparison with the Yamaha's, and seemed to have more of a "personality" that accentuated certain frequencies. The difference was not huge, but still noticable. To my ears, both seemed to reproduce the high frequencies about the same. One of the main things that infulenced my decision; when playing a programmed rythm track on the HSM80's, the reproduction of the mid-range sound of a hand hitting the drumskin was incredibly real. Another thing that influenced my decision was the somewhat smaller size of the Yamaha's, and the fact that they could be tweaked more via the controls on the rear of the unit. These have brought life to my keyboard!

  I'ts worth the money! 
by D'Luz from Orlando, FL USA, March 2008
Music Background:  Recording Engineer/Producer

I really Love these monitors, I am glad I didn't go with any other monitors. Whatever mix you do on these monitors is exacly how it going to sound everywhere else! I love the buttons on the back! It helps you so u can set the right prefference for yourself. Modifying the sound my personal taste is so easy and increadible, I can really tell the diff every time I move the buttons. I've tried it with different sound cards and even though they all sound different they're all very accurate and you can mix good on whichever. For me there is a learning curve, I just have to get used to them but the more I get used to them the better my mixes will sound! But its pretty direct.. what u hear is what it is. The manual is very clear. Sound quality is the best, you can really depend on these speakers... i just worry a little in the high mid freq.. The price is wel worth it, I dont think there are cheaper monitors that sound better than this, the only comparison are the new mackies. I love the way they look every time I walk into the studio and whenever someone else walks into the studio! It has a great presence and people say "wow this is a real studio" I think if I ever buy another set of monitors it would be the new mackies or genelecs but I think u can mix just as well on these monitors.. So I'm good.

  Pretty cool 
by Miz from Charlotte NC, February 2008
Music Background:  Producer

For anyone looking for a good monitors for the money, you will be stunned by the hs80m's. The are not ns-10's by any means, but if you know your stuff, you should know that the ns10 was a horrible monitor!!! It produced a terrible sound! So bad that if you had a good mix on those, your mix would sound good anywhere. Thats the reason you see them in every studio. The concept on this monitor is supurb accuracy, not bad sound. These are great and don't produce ear fatigue as the ns-10's does. Great job Yamaha.

  Amazing! Best bang for your buck. 
by Michael Pierson from Jackson MI, January 2008
Music Background:  Hobbyist/Intermediate Recording Engineer

Boy am I glad I didnt go cheap! Very happy that I spent the extra money to get a pair of 80Ms. These are the first set of "real" monitors I've owned so really I have nothing to compare them too, but I can tell quality sound from "so-so" sound and these are quality. I'm sure they will be in my set-up for years to come, so I'm glad I didnt go for a lesser monitor. CAUTION - Lift with your legs when handling them, they weigh close to 30lbs! Now THATS a piece of equipment.

  Great Sound for the price! 
by Rocco Talula from La Garita, P.R., November 2007
Music Background:  Recording Engineer, Full Sail Grad, Producer

I think that you can't really compare these speakers with the ns10, because the ns10 were unique in there own way, construction wise! Therefore to have the same response & sound it's quite impossible. Know compare this speakers with others at the same price range(KRK,M-Audio,Alesis,etc.) and then you'll be able to compare how superior they are. Not everybody have a thousand plus dollars to get a pair of speakers. This is the bottom line: if your sounds good on these speakers it will sound good and decent in any system, that's all yamaha promise. And that's all I'm in for.

Please Excuse my spelling my first languaje is Spanish!

  Stands up to the best. 
by Scott from ON, Canada, September 2007
Music Background:  Live & recording engineer, semi-professional musician

These monitors stand up to the best in the industry. I've worked heavily with dynaudio, genelec, JBL and other top name monitors and these are right in the same quality range. Beautiful, crystal clear high end, articulate, clear low end that is not at all boomy or tubby. I definitely recommend these to both the beginner and professional engineer.

  Awesome!!! It's like an ns10 in a bigger package 
by Kevin from Michigan, August 2007
Music Background:  Pro Musician, Recording Engineer, etc..

I've been adding to my home studio...little here, little there. Next step I've wanted to upgrade my monitors... Traded in my alesis m1 620's for these. WOW I was blown away... Great flat respines and very very responsive to transient details... every little noise will come through with clarity and life.. Listen to me and others... Just buy them! You wont be dissappointed!

  flat chested as a 12 year old boy. 
by Dustin from hollywood ca, May 2007
Music Background:  Recording Engineer, Blu room studios

Just buy them so you can post your own review, If your even looking at the hs80's....buy. Because you obviously have nothing to work with, and you're looking for something better just like I did for years. Translate perfectly. If you are ok at mixing on anything else you will be a mixing god on the hs80's.

  THIS ARE AMAZING!!! 
by Diz from Wadsworth, Ohio, October 2006
Music Background:  Recording engineer, recording workshop, chillicothe ohio...

The sound is great, to test any frequency in the spectrum, did a little searching,,, As a mastering engineer, this truly gives me alot of controll over the lo end, you can really hear what is going on,, when they say flat they mean flat... honestly these monitors will finish your studio.. And yes no more nights of wondering if the bass could be a little tighter, these definitely are one of the best monitor pairs I have purchased.... (terrible frequencys stick out like a sore thumb on these) things other monitors don't make as distinct

  Very Accurate Speakers 
by A. Brassoul from Durham, NC, October 2006
Music Background:  Producer, Recording/Mix Engineer, Professional Musician

The Yamaha HS80M are very accurate monitors. They are good for mixing a variety of styles and, paired with the subwoofer, they provide a great mixing system. I will soon purchase them for mixing R&B and Hip-Hop style mixes. They work great for rock as well.

  Great Buy 
by Owner from Florida, June 2006
Music Background:  Musician, Student, Engineer

These monitors are GREAT. They really crank out some sound when you turn them up; I only use them at half power and have only turned them up once to see how strong they were. The frequency response is very flat and the Various controls on these powered monitors are all those you expect to see on monitors twice the price. Great stereo image. Great monitor. I've had a pair since February and I like them a lot. Also use Mackie HR824 and the Yamaha's get the job done just as well and you can't beat it for almost half the price.

These sound beautiful! 
by Jeff D. from nashville,tn, March 2006

Changes my mixes for the better...really clean and flat for superb mixing...I love them! I couldn't get them at my local stores because They were out...they were flying off the shevles and i see why.

Nothing like NS-10's 
by Anonymous from CT, November 2005

I just bought a pair of these new Yamaha speakers and every sales person I talk to anywhere is hyping this speaker that it's like the old NS-10's that Yamaha stupidly discontinued making. I took them to a studio that I intern at and compared them to a pair of NS-10's and they sound nothing alike. I tried every combination of EQ setting possible on the back of the HS80M's and could not reproduce the sound at all. A friend there mentioned that he thought that the speakers sounded like the tweeter and the woofer where battling against each other. I think Yamaha is just trying to build off the name they made for themselves with the NS-10's and give us a new product that looks very similar to the old NS-10's (Stupidly taken off the market and discontinued!!!) and try and pass them off as great as the old NS-10's. While these speakers do have a nice sound though they have is no comparison between them and NS-10's. So overall though I would give them a 7 out of 10 as far as speakers that I think sound good for mixing.

The new Yamaha standard. 
by Anonymous from Portland OR, November 2005

These sound nothing like NS10s but they are quality monitors. NS 10s were discontinued because yamaha could not find a suitable replacement for their paper cones. The plup used for making these was getting harder to find, and Yamaha could not find an acceptable substitute. So rather than making NS10s that were inferior, yamaha decided to discontinue them so as to preserve the NS10 reputation. Yamaha did not want to stop production, they simply made a tough choice.

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