Yamaha HS 7

What can I say about these Yamaha HS7 speakers that hasn't already been said.

From the moment you pick up the box to unpack them you just know they have a certain something special. They are heavy and solid and the build quality is superb, they have a look and feel that just says 'Quality'

Then of course there is the sound, which is why we buy these things, My HS7's are fed through a Fluid Audio SRI-2 which I have reviewed separately. I have them sitting on some t-akustic Insulators to eliminate any boom from the desk unit they are on top of.

When you turn on the power, the Yamaha logo just under the Bass cone lights up, a nice little touch. The range of adjustable presets on the rear of each speaker allow you to very quickly and easily 'dial in' to your room.

These speakers are powerful without being uncomfortable to listen to even at relatively high volume. The tonal range is clear and precise, I've heard detail in music that I hadn't noticed before. The sound is 'flat' but in a good way. These speakers don't add any kind of color or flavor to the music, they just deliver the sound as it was meant to be heard.

In the price range where they fall I think you would be very hard pressed to find anything better.

The only slight negative is that the power switches are on the rear of the unit which can be a little clumsy to reach depending on your setup. Perhaps the illuminated logo could be a power on/off switch on some future version?

I bought these monitors for a home studio situation, that includes playing VST instruments through them, my guitars, recording, mixing, mastering etc. I wanted an all round good pair of monitor that won't overpower a regular sized room that wasn't mean as a studio. At a decent budget.

Clarity on these is spot on. You hear every little thing, which is a good thing since this is what they're meant to do. All the way from low volume to max volume the speakers provide a smooth listening experience, they don't have any overpowering frequencies. Even at max volume with the bass booming it's just as clear as on lower volume. For those thinking these don't have enough bass they do, at least in my room scenario they have plenty. I read reviews saying they tire the ear or are a bit harsher, I haven't found that to be the case. On the contrary they sound very smooth. After using them for around 2 days I can say that I'm very happy with the purchase. If you need more bass or have a bigger room you can go with the HS8's. Otherwise these are a monster deal.

Construction is very solid. Sturdy, nothing rattles or whatever even cranked. But that's to be expected I think.

Controls on the back are simple yet intuitive. They're pretty much enough for what you need, nothing to crazy to get lost in. #makeyourmixsoundgoodbro

I would def recommend these for anybody looking for a pair of studio monitors. Great build quality, great design and beautiful sound.

I been after a pair of HS for a while for the home studio, and finally got the HS-7. Got the 6.5 inches version to improve on the low end response (details on this below).

I had very good monitors in the past (also Yamaha, other Alesis, etc) and though I had a good listening experience, but I was wrong.

The only way to explain the difference in listening from low budget studio monitors or HiFi speakers to this (mid budget) monitor, is listening to music under water, then taking your head out of the water, and then the music and everything gets defined and cristal clear.

That´s the change I experienced with the new HS-7´s.

I´m a guitar player and also fullstack producer, and mixing the mid frequencies has been always a constant pain (guitars, synths, vocals, snares... god the snares!), that was the main reason I got them.

Of course, not everything is perfecto, they have a few cons:

-> Like everyone says, this is flat sounding monitors, with VERY limited EQ settings in the back, this is not for music listening per-se, is a working tool.
-> Little bass, it´s really good for mixing kicks on the midrange, but the low end is missing. I got the HS-7 for the low end, but in the end had to add a Subwoofer, since I´m mixing some Latin stuff lately.
-> They are BIG! The HS-7 are huge! take this in consideration (I might needed to take the HS-5 + SW intead of this ones).
-> The switch in the back. it´s really annoying. Clearly is an outdated design, but I can live with it.

I use these studio monitors to mix electronic dance music, mostly House, Electro House, and Dubstep.
I also use them to monitor my mixes, when I'm DJ'ing at home.

The HS7's are the best choice in the price range they're in, Yamaha is best known by their NS10's, which are present in many pro studios, and still being used to mix regularly.
The NS10's are a trademark, but these new monitors (HS5/7/8) are more advanced, and better built. Overall, great quality of sound and design. Their clarity is way higher, and their sound is flatter.

The speaker cabinet is beautifully made and designed, it's simplistic design allows it to be very stealth, and the material used to cover the exterior of the cabinet doesn't stain or scratch easily, and it's super easy to clean.

What I don't like about the HS7's is the fact that the bass port is on the back, having the necessity to distance them a bit from the walls, more than normal, or having to put isolation behind them to absorb or control the bass frequencies, avoiding reflexes and phase cancellation.

Another fact is that the sub is 6,5 inches and not 7. I don't know why, but it is true that the best use you give these monitors is pairing them with an HS8S subwoofer.
A minor problem is that the treble is a little bit faded on these, but it's not a problem as you can easily tell by a reference track, what is the correct volume.


To sum it all up, my experience with these has been the best, they've almost burnt in and they are sounding great!
I totally advise anyone who is interested in a medium priced monitors with great sound to buy the Yamaha HS7's, honest, clear and high quality!

I've bought a pair of these to replace old Hi-fi passive system (yeah, it sucked, i know...) They are incredibly good for the price.

The sound is pleasant and pretty much neutral (good for mixing stations).

Only negative thing (and it was merely a turn off for me), the power button is in the rear side... so you have to get an acces to it to turn it on and off. This was not a problem after a few hours of "where am i placing that thing" in my home studio dedicated room but have that in mind before you purchase it.

I would buy it again, 100% (and trust me, you don't need the sub if your room is not larger than 25m², that would be a clear overkill situation)

I had the chance to compare those hs7 to the hs8. I would say the HS8 are just louder (and have more boosted basses) but the sound definition is similar, it's just a matter of size, and you know guys (and girls btw), size does not matter that much if you know how to use it.

Have fun with those, don't wait to buy =)

I use these in my "home studio" (git in to audio interface, in to these monitors) for practice, recording, and now listening to music as well. The difference in experience between sitting in front of these monitors and playing through headphones is further than night and day.

The sounds of my guitar is amazing, but it was already amazing through the headphones. It is just nice to not have to wear headphones anymore.

But since I am a recording newb, the place I notice the clarity of these monitors the most is when listening to the recordings other studio artists. The detail that comes through is just outstanding. It's like hearing many of my favorite songs for the first time again. Instead of hearing the music, you are sitting inside of the musical experience.

The additional clarity also makes it much easier to transcribe, because every instrument comes through completely clear.

Massive, massive value. If you are on the fence, pull the trigger.

Pros
* Accurate Sound at this price point.
* HS 7 provides the little extra bass you need for your mixes.
* The Room control and the High Trim are perfect options for home studios that needs adjustments and that are not accurately soundproofed.
* Value for money.
* Long lasting quality (bought in 2019).
* Plays in my house almost every day and is used by other applications and not only for listening to music or composing or mixing.
* Powerful sound !

Cons
* Not a professional studio monitor (go for Adams if you are really interested to the top quality) , just experienced them but never owned Adams.
* The white paper material speaker cones are eager to attract dirt.
* If your room isn't properly soundproofed your mixes are not going to sound accurate . This is not a minus to the speaker , it is just a comment to give awareness to the future buyer not to expect miracles buy simply buying an entry level quality monitor !
* Somewhat heavy.

Overall :
A nice Value for Money starter speaker great for the average Joe home producer musician like myself OR a secondary set for professionals. Great for guitar studying with your cab sims and small productions.
Not for professional job exactly but a great monitor to compare mixes between 2 other monitor set (if in studio).
The HS 7 can provide a wider range of frequency for users that do not lack the space in the house and want to experience a bigger sound in their mixes.
It helps me a lot because I do not produce only rock music but Electronic also.

I am not giving it a 5 star because I think that my friend's KRK G4s are a bit more sturdy and look more fancy and have better build quality and better mids.
In a side to side comparison they sound more bright than the KRK's (maybe there is more clarity on the highs or maybe our ears are not working as perfect as a professional's ears) .

I am a more high frequency oriented and he is more mid-bass oriented guy so... I guess that was our preferences.
You can read in forums about these differences too and see that I am not kidding at all.

In the end I prefer mine over his only for this reason, but if I was to buy again I would go for the KRKs .

My first Yamaha experience was hs50m, I fell in love with them, used in a combination with my old, accustomed Logitec multimedia speakers because of adjustable subwoofer in addition. Combination was perfect, I actually have done some masters on that, used them as main speakers and client was really happy. Then after some time I sold my Yamahas to save my girlfriend from debts. :/
Now is that day when HS7 arrived and I'm not dissapointed as well, they just sounds right to me, it's easy to learn them, there is a quite more bass as they are bigger of course, different feeling of low end, less mid feeling compared to hs50m and I need to get used to it, but my old Logitecs and some metrics will help me to find sweet spot. :)