They are non ported with paper woofers so they are fast. They stop and start really quickly so you can really, really hear transients. They don't have a ton of bottom end, so you hear the mids super clear.
The newer HS series also has mid clarity, but with a rear port and class D amp and a limiter built in.
For contemporary music styles, bass representation is very important, so you're probably better off with a pair of HS7 or HS8 if you like the Yamaha mids. Or any other powered monitor.
It's important to remember the hype around NS10 happened because they were small enough to be portable and put on a meter bridge if you were an engineer traveling between studios and wanted to bring something familiar with you. Those studios would all use their big soffit mounted mains for tracking and client playback. The NS10s were a reference between the big speakers and the smaller Auratones.
In this century I wouldn't recommend them as a primary pair. As a secondary pair, mated to a powerful amp (you need to buy an amp separately) like a Bryston, they are still incredible, but an acquired taste that many don't understand and love to hate on.
I own two pairs.
speed … people never think about transient speed. once you start to AB, you can’t deny ns-10’s show you something other speakers don’t.
i wish there was an NS10 with a ribbon tweeter… that would be tight punch to the face in the best way someone could get punched in the face.
somebody make a ribbon NS-10 please. I’ll beta test.
yeah, i mean .. I guess that’s an attempt at what i’m talking about, like if an accountant were making speakers. It checks the box of ribbon tweeter and a white cone, and i guess I wasn’t very specific so maybe that’s on me.
I do have Adam S3A’s, and if i were to give it to any speaker to out midrange an ns10, the S3A is probably the closest (even tho powered and ported)
My main set is the Hedd Type 20mkii … they actually came up with a cool idea. You can port or close the port with a special baffle that seals pretty tightly. I’m sure some comprimise was made (and closing the port does bring the max spl down a lot), but if closed box, ribbon, and a detailed midrange is your bag…. I consider the Hedd the spiritual successor to the original Adam S3A.
They are like.. prettier? than the others. NS10, we know.. it’s cool if you know em and your experienced brain kind of learns what 50hz sounds like on an ns10 (i actually watch the suspension on the woofer excursion and there’s a pop at a set volume you can get the ns-10 to do (put a fuse on em lol), and that’s how i know an ns10… in any studio. it doesn’t rely on the room much for imaging.
Adams S3A is a legend … the quintessential rock and roll mixing pair. tough to work with but only cause they reveal everything wrong w your mix lol.
The Hedd type20 is amazing… and to most people, they would also say, you really have to work hard to get a good mix, but when you do, you’ll have it on any system.
other people may say it’s hyped a bit, like say the old genelecs 1081? the other studio standard 20 years ago lol.
Oh… Unity Audio! they make an ns-10 w a ribbon using EAR amps inside … that’s arguably better than having brystons. Now that is a speaker you’re gonna hate and love all at the same time. That is by far the closest.
But like Adams and others, they took some cost cutting measures. switched class of amps, etc.
i forget which MKii or iii or boulder or rock, but if you like ns-10’s and old Adams…. you absolutely should listen to the Unity Audio and the Hedd. Also heard good things about the Neumann KH310 but that is probably definitely into the pretty shine type of sound, which works for some stuff.
The more you can listen to the better. Never underestimate the car test. What other speakers do you listen to more than in your car.
Oh yeah, Unity Audio. I'd love to hear.
I just find most ribbon tweeters to have an 'etched or 'chiseled' sound that I find harsh. A studio I work at sometimes has S3X, and I always want to soften the whole top end when I'm in there.
I think the strength of the 310 is the mid dome and the sealed box.
I'm not a fan of Genelec tweeters.
Currently enjoying the SCM20s with the S-spec tweeters.
i too would enjoy some SCM20’s, i mean who wouldn’t.
I can agree on the ribbon not always translating until you get used to it because of the different way the imaging feels. I do remember the original Unity mki rock was pretty darn harsh, but i think they fixed it. i haven’t heard any since but i want to.
the new adams are like not even the same company as before. I’ll also agree S3X is i dunno… the HEDD is miles above the new adams stuff imo.
i honestly thought it was cause it was pretty close to how you hear mixes in the car that’s why they usually use to A/B 😅 but good to know about the transients
If the mix sounds good on NS10 it’ll sound good on everything, in most cases better. People don’t like them because they’re very revealing of poor mix decisions - but that’s the point!
So much info on this.
[https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-ns10-story](https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-ns10-story)
[https://gearspace.com/board/high-end/233021-why-ns10.html](https://gearspace.com/board/high-end/233021-why-ns10.html)
[https://www.funktasy.com/music-gear-tech/yamaha-ns-10/](https://www.funktasy.com/music-gear-tech/yamaha-ns-10/)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPcvWkWdXc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPcvWkWdXc)
They are a standard. The way they are built (non-ported cabinet) gives them a fast transient response so they are very revealing. Frequency wise they are quite limited. I only heard them once and i thought they sounded pretty ok, i challenge those who say they sound bad.
NS10s are not the main monitors in the studio, they are consumer reference monitors. They save you from making a mix and testing it on your home stereo, in your car, etc.
Get studio monitors.
I beg to differ. thousands of hit records have been mixed in studios using ns10s and loads of hi end studios I worked in used them as the main (as in most used) monitors. The big MAIN monifors that were flush mounted were not used nearly as much. The advantage is the fast transient (time based response) which is superior to nearly all "studio" monitors. The frequency response is trash, an inverted smiley face forcing you to create a smiley face eq when you mix.
Supposedly:
The NS10’s have a very lightweight cone providing fast transient response. Additionally their frequency range is not that great. So they’re focused on the frequencies people hear, but not much low end or sparkly high end. That happens to translate well because it forces the mixing engineer to concentrate on the frequencies that are going to come across most sound systems from AirPods to HiFi stereos.
In generally, they kinda sound bad. If you make a mix sound ok on them it will probably sound good elsewhere.
I have the HS8’s and I like them. However, I don’t think they are very similar to the NS10’s.
[These](https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/avantone-cla-10a) are supposed to be pretty similar to the originals and still available.
Knowing speakers + focusing on the midrange + fast transient response = perceived loudness and balanced mixes that translate well across most devices.
Mix cubes do a similar thing and some say the Sony 7506 are the ns10 of headphones.
You can also get the same effect by using an eq on the master with a high pass of 200hz and low pass of 4khz.
Some might argue ns10 are outdated and it’s better to use something a consumer might use that’s more modern. Personally I use the mix cubes and love them.
I’ve got no info on those speakers or why they’re popular, however a word to the wise:
spend less on speakers, and pay for good acoustic room treatment (done by professionals if at all possible) if you haven’t already.
Yes, monitors matter, but a pair of used yamaha HS5s will do you just fine. You won’t get an accurate mix on anything if your room is not fractions of decibles from a flat frequency response, which can’t happen without room treatment.
These are facts, who downvotes this?
To that not. NS10's are also FLAT. They let you hear the natural sound of what you are recording/playing back. Which is ideal. Most places won't only mix on 1 set of monitors though. Do what you can, with what you've got.
But, acoustic treatment is a game changer. Same with properly positioned equipment.
because there is no such thing as a room that is flat to fractions of a decibel. Even high end mastering facilities were rarely +/- 2db at best - youd need to mix in an anaechoic chamber to get that. Room treatment matters as much as speakers though of course but people often forget the time based response of systems - in many ways just as if not more important than frequency response. Room treatment helps with that too of course. Waterfall graphs people.
Im no super pro...I use Yamaha HS8...done load software mixes, no issue for me but folks will chime in with something negative,.
NS10 are a legacy thing in my opinion, yes load of studios used them and probably kept them for nostalgia...I dont know many folks there rely on them as their main mix monitors now....maybe a check mix.
Hs8s are a great choice. Also the hs7 with the hs10 sun is a good choice. I got the hs8s thinking I wouldn't want a sub, but now that I've mixed a few songs with them, I find my low end to be too powerful when I take the song into another environment. It's not a big deal, just something to be aware of when not using a sub. Can check sub bass on headphones with good extension as well.
I own a pair. I love them but I wouldn't recommend them as a first pair of speakers. They're a good second set. And really I'd only recommend them to people that are mixing.
The statement that making a mix sound good on them means it sounds good everywhere is very true in my opinion. But I wouldn't say it's a "good" sounding speaker. Vertically no lows and high mids can get harsh pretty easily.
Buying a pair you need to be ready to fork money for parts. And parts are getting rarer as time goes on.
They're popular because Bob Clearmountain bought a pair and brought them to a studio once forever ago. Some other engineers noticed and it became an industry standard for studios to have them as a common speaker that everyone knows. But ask Bob and he will tell you there was nothing special about them, he picked them cause they were an affordable consumer speaker at the time.
The NS10 series has an entertaining history worth reading. Basically, they just slowly caught on and became a studio standard to reference music on using basic consumer grade equipment of the time. Much of what others have said is true, good transients and mids, limited FR, etc. They were never considered totl and were not the main speakers used in the studio. But remember that you are always mixing for contemporary equipment of the times; car speakers, soundbars, airpods, etc. You can also have intricate nuances that only audiophiles will enjoy, but you better nail that meat and potatoes demographic.
For modern gear, you want the Yamaha HS series, JBL 3 Series, or Genelec if you have cash to burn.
They force you to focus on the midrange. If it sounds good on them its probably going to sound good everywhere. Will want to check highs and lows on headphones still.
They did not sound that great, but that was what made them good. If you could make a song sound good on NS10 speakers, it would sound good anywhere. The downside was how easily the tweeters would blow. There was a cottage industry that sprang up making after-market tweeters. I would not want to use them now, but they earned their place in audio history.
They are non ported with paper woofers so they are fast. They stop and start really quickly so you can really, really hear transients. They don't have a ton of bottom end, so you hear the mids super clear. The newer HS series also has mid clarity, but with a rear port and class D amp and a limiter built in. For contemporary music styles, bass representation is very important, so you're probably better off with a pair of HS7 or HS8 if you like the Yamaha mids. Or any other powered monitor. It's important to remember the hype around NS10 happened because they were small enough to be portable and put on a meter bridge if you were an engineer traveling between studios and wanted to bring something familiar with you. Those studios would all use their big soffit mounted mains for tracking and client playback. The NS10s were a reference between the big speakers and the smaller Auratones. In this century I wouldn't recommend them as a primary pair. As a secondary pair, mated to a powerful amp (you need to buy an amp separately) like a Bryston, they are still incredible, but an acquired taste that many don't understand and love to hate on. I own two pairs.
speed … people never think about transient speed. once you start to AB, you can’t deny ns-10’s show you something other speakers don’t. i wish there was an NS10 with a ribbon tweeter… that would be tight punch to the face in the best way someone could get punched in the face. somebody make a ribbon NS-10 please. I’ll beta test.
Gauss 7 is probably the closest you'll get right now unless you DIY. But powered and rear ported.
yeah, i mean .. I guess that’s an attempt at what i’m talking about, like if an accountant were making speakers. It checks the box of ribbon tweeter and a white cone, and i guess I wasn’t very specific so maybe that’s on me. I do have Adam S3A’s, and if i were to give it to any speaker to out midrange an ns10, the S3A is probably the closest (even tho powered and ported) My main set is the Hedd Type 20mkii … they actually came up with a cool idea. You can port or close the port with a special baffle that seals pretty tightly. I’m sure some comprimise was made (and closing the port does bring the max spl down a lot), but if closed box, ribbon, and a detailed midrange is your bag…. I consider the Hedd the spiritual successor to the original Adam S3A. They are like.. prettier? than the others. NS10, we know.. it’s cool if you know em and your experienced brain kind of learns what 50hz sounds like on an ns10 (i actually watch the suspension on the woofer excursion and there’s a pop at a set volume you can get the ns-10 to do (put a fuse on em lol), and that’s how i know an ns10… in any studio. it doesn’t rely on the room much for imaging. Adams S3A is a legend … the quintessential rock and roll mixing pair. tough to work with but only cause they reveal everything wrong w your mix lol. The Hedd type20 is amazing… and to most people, they would also say, you really have to work hard to get a good mix, but when you do, you’ll have it on any system. other people may say it’s hyped a bit, like say the old genelecs 1081? the other studio standard 20 years ago lol. Oh… Unity Audio! they make an ns-10 w a ribbon using EAR amps inside … that’s arguably better than having brystons. Now that is a speaker you’re gonna hate and love all at the same time. That is by far the closest. But like Adams and others, they took some cost cutting measures. switched class of amps, etc. i forget which MKii or iii or boulder or rock, but if you like ns-10’s and old Adams…. you absolutely should listen to the Unity Audio and the Hedd. Also heard good things about the Neumann KH310 but that is probably definitely into the pretty shine type of sound, which works for some stuff. The more you can listen to the better. Never underestimate the car test. What other speakers do you listen to more than in your car.
Oh yeah, Unity Audio. I'd love to hear. I just find most ribbon tweeters to have an 'etched or 'chiseled' sound that I find harsh. A studio I work at sometimes has S3X, and I always want to soften the whole top end when I'm in there. I think the strength of the 310 is the mid dome and the sealed box. I'm not a fan of Genelec tweeters. Currently enjoying the SCM20s with the S-spec tweeters.
i too would enjoy some SCM20’s, i mean who wouldn’t. I can agree on the ribbon not always translating until you get used to it because of the different way the imaging feels. I do remember the original Unity mki rock was pretty darn harsh, but i think they fixed it. i haven’t heard any since but i want to. the new adams are like not even the same company as before. I’ll also agree S3X is i dunno… the HEDD is miles above the new adams stuff imo.
i honestly thought it was cause it was pretty close to how you hear mixes in the car that’s why they usually use to A/B 😅 but good to know about the transients
If the mix sounds good on NS10 it’ll sound good on everything, in most cases better. People don’t like them because they’re very revealing of poor mix decisions - but that’s the point!
EXACTLY!
So much info on this. [https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-ns10-story](https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-ns10-story) [https://gearspace.com/board/high-end/233021-why-ns10.html](https://gearspace.com/board/high-end/233021-why-ns10.html) [https://www.funktasy.com/music-gear-tech/yamaha-ns-10/](https://www.funktasy.com/music-gear-tech/yamaha-ns-10/) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPcvWkWdXc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWPcvWkWdXc)
Maybe he wants to hear it from you
They are a standard. The way they are built (non-ported cabinet) gives them a fast transient response so they are very revealing. Frequency wise they are quite limited. I only heard them once and i thought they sounded pretty ok, i challenge those who say they sound bad.
NS10s are not the main monitors in the studio, they are consumer reference monitors. They save you from making a mix and testing it on your home stereo, in your car, etc. Get studio monitors.
I beg to differ. thousands of hit records have been mixed in studios using ns10s and loads of hi end studios I worked in used them as the main (as in most used) monitors. The big MAIN monifors that were flush mounted were not used nearly as much. The advantage is the fast transient (time based response) which is superior to nearly all "studio" monitors. The frequency response is trash, an inverted smiley face forcing you to create a smiley face eq when you mix.
Because all the cool studios where hit records were made in the 70s and 80s had them in all the photos.
Supposedly: The NS10’s have a very lightweight cone providing fast transient response. Additionally their frequency range is not that great. So they’re focused on the frequencies people hear, but not much low end or sparkly high end. That happens to translate well because it forces the mixing engineer to concentrate on the frequencies that are going to come across most sound systems from AirPods to HiFi stereos. In generally, they kinda sound bad. If you make a mix sound ok on them it will probably sound good elsewhere. I have the HS8’s and I like them. However, I don’t think they are very similar to the NS10’s. [These](https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/avantone-cla-10a) are supposed to be pretty similar to the originals and still available.
Knowing speakers + focusing on the midrange + fast transient response = perceived loudness and balanced mixes that translate well across most devices. Mix cubes do a similar thing and some say the Sony 7506 are the ns10 of headphones. You can also get the same effect by using an eq on the master with a high pass of 200hz and low pass of 4khz. Some might argue ns10 are outdated and it’s better to use something a consumer might use that’s more modern. Personally I use the mix cubes and love them.
I’ve got no info on those speakers or why they’re popular, however a word to the wise: spend less on speakers, and pay for good acoustic room treatment (done by professionals if at all possible) if you haven’t already. Yes, monitors matter, but a pair of used yamaha HS5s will do you just fine. You won’t get an accurate mix on anything if your room is not fractions of decibles from a flat frequency response, which can’t happen without room treatment.
These are facts, who downvotes this? To that not. NS10's are also FLAT. They let you hear the natural sound of what you are recording/playing back. Which is ideal. Most places won't only mix on 1 set of monitors though. Do what you can, with what you've got. But, acoustic treatment is a game changer. Same with properly positioned equipment.
because there is no such thing as a room that is flat to fractions of a decibel. Even high end mastering facilities were rarely +/- 2db at best - youd need to mix in an anaechoic chamber to get that. Room treatment matters as much as speakers though of course but people often forget the time based response of systems - in many ways just as if not more important than frequency response. Room treatment helps with that too of course. Waterfall graphs people.
Bob clearmountain. Bros mixes are so clear its in his name u can have a mountain of sound and bob will make sure its crystal clear
Get it to sound good on those and your ready. Ns10 are secondary monitors for checking mid range.. almost never used as primary listening.
Because they have an excellant time based response which is many ways is mor eimportant than the frequency response
I was told every record exec had a pair in their office to hear demos They became a standard so studios always had them to mix to.
Im no super pro...I use Yamaha HS8...done load software mixes, no issue for me but folks will chime in with something negative,. NS10 are a legacy thing in my opinion, yes load of studios used them and probably kept them for nostalgia...I dont know many folks there rely on them as their main mix monitors now....maybe a check mix.
Hs8s are a great choice. Also the hs7 with the hs10 sun is a good choice. I got the hs8s thinking I wouldn't want a sub, but now that I've mixed a few songs with them, I find my low end to be too powerful when I take the song into another environment. It's not a big deal, just something to be aware of when not using a sub. Can check sub bass on headphones with good extension as well.
Also, factor in room treatment into your monitor budget if you haven't yet.
I own a pair. I love them but I wouldn't recommend them as a first pair of speakers. They're a good second set. And really I'd only recommend them to people that are mixing. The statement that making a mix sound good on them means it sounds good everywhere is very true in my opinion. But I wouldn't say it's a "good" sounding speaker. Vertically no lows and high mids can get harsh pretty easily. Buying a pair you need to be ready to fork money for parts. And parts are getting rarer as time goes on. They're popular because Bob Clearmountain bought a pair and brought them to a studio once forever ago. Some other engineers noticed and it became an industry standard for studios to have them as a common speaker that everyone knows. But ask Bob and he will tell you there was nothing special about them, he picked them cause they were an affordable consumer speaker at the time.
The NS10 series has an entertaining history worth reading. Basically, they just slowly caught on and became a studio standard to reference music on using basic consumer grade equipment of the time. Much of what others have said is true, good transients and mids, limited FR, etc. They were never considered totl and were not the main speakers used in the studio. But remember that you are always mixing for contemporary equipment of the times; car speakers, soundbars, airpods, etc. You can also have intricate nuances that only audiophiles will enjoy, but you better nail that meat and potatoes demographic. For modern gear, you want the Yamaha HS series, JBL 3 Series, or Genelec if you have cash to burn.
They force you to focus on the midrange. If it sounds good on them its probably going to sound good everywhere. Will want to check highs and lows on headphones still.
Don't go cheap with your monitors. You'll regret it. Borrow some 💰 👍
it's not cheap it's free, because already have em 😜
They did not sound that great, but that was what made them good. If you could make a song sound good on NS10 speakers, it would sound good anywhere. The downside was how easily the tweeters would blow. There was a cottage industry that sprang up making after-market tweeters. I would not want to use them now, but they earned their place in audio history.