Description

Yamaha NS-5000 Flagship Bookshelf Speakers

Introducing the Yamaha NS-5000 Flagship Bookshelf Speakers, setting a new standard in performance and quality by which all other Hi-Fi speakers should be judged.

 

View Owners Manual >>

 

Features

• Newly developed diaphragms boast acoustic velocity comparable to that of beryllium
• Newly developed R.S. (Resonance Suppression) Chambers suppress unwanted resonance in the mid and high ranges
• 30 cm (12”) 3-way bookshelf design draws on the tradition of the legendary NS-1000M
• Carefully crafted laminated plywood enclosure made of Japanese white birch from the island of Hokkaido
• Newly developed Acoustic Absorber eliminates sound-absorbing material to revive the original presence of the music
• Glossy black piano finish provides improved signal-to-noise performance — and adds to the luxurious joy of ownership
• Frequency-dividing Network

 

NS-5000 CONCEPT
This summer, Yamaha proudly introduces the NS-5000, a 30 cm (12″) 3-way bookshelf speaker system that illustrates the future direction of Yamaha’s speaker technology grown out of years of cutting-edge research on all aspects of designing Hi-Fi speakers, including components and materials. The NS-5000, built upon the tradition of natural sound for which all Yamaha speakers have been known — from the very first NS-20 and NS-30 models released in 1968 to the latest — and sets a new standard in sound excellence expected of Yamaha’s top-of-the-line speaker. With non-colouration of sound, wide frequency response, consistent sound characteristics across the frequency range, and extremely low distortion set as self-imposed requirements for a new-generation speaker, we scientifically probed each of these characteristics to be incorporated into a flagship capable of bringing out the best of high-resolution audio sources. The result is the superb NS-5000, with sound and performance that sets a standard for all Hi-Fi speakers to come.

 

Speaker Units – Newly developed diaphragms boast acoustic velocity comparable to that of beryllium
NS-5000’s tweeter, midrange, and woofer all feature diaphragms made of 100%*1 ZYLON® — a synthetic fiber created in Japan rated as the world’s strongest*2 and boasting optimum elasticity — using Yamaha’s original monel alloy vapor coating deposition method. The soft-dome diaphragm suppresses peaks and dips in the frequency response caused by the inherent resonance of the diaphragm, while taking advantage of ZYLON®’s high acoustic velocity comparable to that of beryllium, considered as the ideal diaphragm material for its hardness, lightweight (low density), and stiffness. The result is a remarkably flat frequency response, with unified tone color and acoustic velocity over the entire frequency range, providing comfortable listening experience and meticulously accurate, superb sound reproduction of the highest degree.

*1 Using 100% for the base material.
*2 Comparative data concerning all existing organic fibers (source: Toyobo Co., Ltd., May 2015)

 

Newly developed R.S. (Resonance Suppression) Chambers suppress unwanted resonance in the mid and high ranges
Mounted on the back of the tweeter and midrange speaker units are newly developed R.S. Chambers (patent pending) that suppress unnecessary tube resonance generated behind the diaphragm. Two specially shaped tubes installed in accordance with our proprietary acoustic analysis cancel tube resonance. These R.S. Chambers achieve higher-resolution audio reproduction by eliminating the need for a large quantity of sound-absorbing material inside the enclosure that tends to smooth the frequency response of each speaker unit and might degrade minute nuances of the sound.

As a result of meticulous research on a variety of enclosure designs during the development of the NS-5000, we chose a bookshelf design as a successor to the continuing legacy of the NS-1000M (released in 1974), the pinnacle of Yamaha monitor speakers. This bass-reflex enclosure with an internal volume of 65 liters — the smallest possible size for a 30 cm (12”) 3-way configuration — is solidly assembled with the 3-way mitered joint construction technique and other traditional crafting methods. Reinforcing crosspieces inside the enclosure, based on FEM analysis, suppress “box ringing” caused by delayed vibration from the six surfaces of the enclosure. In addition, a twisted flare port prevents port noise (wind noise produced at each end of a bass reflex port) inherent in the bass reflex design, and improves resolution in the low frequency range while also enhancing signal-to-noise performance.

 

Carefully crafted laminated plywood enclosure made of Japanese white birch from the island of Hokkaido
In selecting a material for the enclosure of the Yamaha NS-5000 Flagship Bookshelf Speakers, we carried out comprehensive studies of mechanical strength and acoustic properties of various materials, as well as the quality of domestic wood processed by painstakingly removing every knot and hole from the lumber and ensuring the durability necessary to withstand long use; we settled on laminated plywood made of white birch from the island of Hokkaido. Moreover, the birch wood is harvested with ecoforestry techniques, extracting timber from ecologically protective forest thinning, for environmental considerations. The front baffle is 29.5 mm (1-1/8”) thick and the other five sides of the enclosure 20 mm (3/4”) (in all cases, omitting paint primer layer and paint thickness), ensuring ideal rigidity of the entire enclosure.

 

Newly developed Acoustic Absorber eliminates sound-absorbing material to revive the original presence of the music
The cuboid enclosure unifies internal standing waves at a specified frequency, which are cancelled by a newly developed Acoustic Absorber (patent pending). This technology eliminates the previous need for the huge amount of sound-absorbing material inside the enclosure. The result is the virtual elimination of standing waves with amazing efficiency and pin-point accuracy — to energetically revive the essential presence of music, formerly lost by sound absorption.

 

Glossy black piano finish provides improved signal-to-noise performance — and adds to the luxurious joy of ownership
All six external surfaces of the enclosure have a glossy black piano finish created using the same dedicated paint, primer, and polishing processes used for Yamaha’s renowned grand pianos. The uniform and hard membrane further increases the overall rigidity of the enclosure, and at the same time it suppresses fine vibrations, contributing to the bright sound and significantly enhanced signal-to-noise performance.

 

Crossover Network
All drivers in the Yamaha NS-5000 Flagship Bookshelf Speakers are connected in positive phase with single wiring to deliver a natural, pleasing listening experience. Components of its crossover network are mounted on a double-sided printed circuit board with extra-thick copper traces of 140 μ in thickness; a shorter signal path on the circuit board minimises the loss of sound data during transmission. Moreover, in order to minimise signal loss, we used for the network handpicked parts of only the highest quality, such as the MCap SUPREME EVO audio capacitor, which is made by Mundorf of Germany and renowned as the pinnacle of audio-use capacitor, Mundorf’s MResist SUPREME attenuator, and a woofer coil that weighs as much as 1.6 kg (3.52 lbs.).

 

Speaker Stand (SPS-5000)
The SPS-5000 is a speaker stand especially designed for the NS-5000. In order to design a stand that solidly supports the NS-5000 without emanating any undesired sound, the four legs are composed of solid aluminium. The legs have smooth curved surfaces and are all installed at an angle of 42° to the baffle surface so as to minimise the effect of the reflection of sound from the speaker. In addition, in order that the height of a seated listener’s ears matches the height of the tweeter of the NS-5000, the stand is set to a height of 304 mm (12”) (including spikes) — higher than that of a normal 30 cm (12”) bookshelf speaker, so that reflections from the floor surface are minimised. The legs are equipped with spikes that can be attached or detached as desired, allowing fine height adjustment.

 

Specification – NS-5000

Type	3-way bookshelf, bass-reflex system
Frequency response	26 Hz – 40 kHz (-10 dB), – 100 kHz (-30 dB)
Normal input power	200 W
Maximum input power	600 W
Sensitivity	88 dB / 2.83 V / 1 m
Nominal Impedance	6 Ω (minimum 3.5 Ω)
Crossover frequencies	750 Hz, 4.5 kHz
Diaphragm	ZYLON®
Voice coil	Square copper wire
Tweeter	3 cm, ferrite, non-magnetically shielded
Midrange	8 cm, ferrite, non-magnetically shielded
Woofer	30 cm, ferrite, non-magnetically shielded
Filter characteristics	Tweeter: -18 dB / oct. Midrange: -12 dB / oct. (low), -6 dB / oct. (high) Woofer: -6 dB / oct.
Input	Single
Dimensions (W x H x D)	395 × 690 × 381 mm 395 × 690 × 422 mm (including speaker terminals) 15-1/2” x 27-1/8” x 15” 15-1/2” x 27-1/8” x 16-5/8” (including speaker terminals)
Weight	35 kg; 77.2 lbs.
Accessories	Separate protectors (for tweeter, midrange and woofer), port plug, owner’s manual * Speaker cables are not included.

SPS-5000

Material	Aluminium (four legs are solid aluminium); Steel (top plate, spikes, spacers)
Dimensions (W x H x D)	393 × 304 × 376 mm; 15-1/2” x 12” x 14-3/4” (with spikes), 393 × 285 × 376 mm; 15-1/2” x 11-1/4” x 14-3/4” (without spikes)
Weight	8 kg; 17.6 lbs.
Accessories	Speaker fixing screws, owner’s manual

*Speaker Stands Included*