The NS10 reborn: Yamaha just couldn't resist...

Yamaha used to make the most recognisable loudspeakers in the world - the white-coned, famously grotty- but- useful NS10. They were responsible for - among other things - people wanting to put their speakers on their sides, and people covering their tweeters with tissue. In April 2001, Yamaha discontinued the NS10, claiming that it was impossible to get the right kind of pulp for the white cones. Earlier this year, Studiospares announced their £92 SN10 speakers, complete with white cone and sniffy reviews. Now, inevitably, Yamaha have announced the HS Range, complete with... white cones. It's tempting to imagine that a crack Yamaha research team have spent the last half decade trekking from Chile to Tibet, before finally securing a secret source of the rare pulp high in the Atlas mountains. So it's a disappointment to find the new HS speakers uses white cones made of polypropylene. (via)

Posted by Tom Whitwell.

Comments:

I can imagine the Yamaha boffins trying to recreate the NS10 in the speaker laboratory..

"Hmm, great low end response, warm highs, I'm not feeling fatigued by this mix yet... Bollocks. Back to the drawing board."

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:28 pm

i knew this shit would happen sooner or later.. there is just too much hype around these speakers not to do it - unless you dont like making money, that is

they better be cheap tho

# posted by

Awakened Yeti : 10:38 pm

Ha ha i'm calling bollocks on Yamaha for using White Poly cones. You can't fool us! It's bonzai tree pulp cones or no deal mates. I don't understand...are there no trees left?

I'm still laughing at how awesome that tissue test was. So ghetto-scientific, such a pragmatic solution! Like quarters on your needles, talking into your headphones plugged into the mixer mic input, taping the moog key down, or even getiing an old school EQ booster for your shitty car stereo so you can rock the EQ Smile (High Bass->Low Mids->High Highs).

Who wants to start a bonzai pulp cone factory with me?

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:45 pm

It'll be interesting to hear these things. They appear to be a cross between the cosmetics of the (horrible) NS10's and the sonics of the MSP5's, which happen to be really great sounding monitors.

# posted by

Anonymous : 3:35 pm

Really, how else could people be expected to get the subtle implications of earshrapnel into their FM synthesis intensive mixes?

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:33 pm

actually, they had to discontinue the ns-10 due to new enviromantal manufacturing guidlines for the cones - it bacame illegal to do it the way they had been. it was nothing to do with the whiteness, just legislation.

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:41 am

ooh, illegal woofers!

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:26 pm

Don't you just get sick of people calling NS 10's horrible ... They are without doubt the finest mix monitors ever made .. The don't sound that good ..but that's the whole fukin point people .. If you can't mix on these , then you can't mix ..Period !!

And before you slag , I've got two grammys and a whole wall full of platinum disks to prove it ..

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:33 pm

People seem to think that a nearfield monitor should 'sound' good. That's illogical. A good monitor exposes the sound as it really is, so, shitty mix, shitty sound and this is often why the NS10 is deemed to sound horrible. If it sounds shit on your NS10's, don't shoot the messenger. Sort your sound out!!

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:02 am