Yamaha HS7 Review – Powerful Sound At A Great Price

The Yamaha HS7 is part of the entry-level range of studio monitors from Yamaha. It offers both new and established creators an excellent option for their studios. Let’s check out what it has to offer.

The Yamaha HS7 delivers outstanding sound quality in an affordable package making them one of the best entry level studio monitors available. Clean and minimalist in both design and functions. An excellent choice for beginners that don’t want to invest in a subwoofer.

Features

The HS series from Yamaha strikes an excellent balance between price and quality. Let’s check out in more detail what the HS7 brings to the table.

Sound Quality

The Yamaha HS7 offers impressive sound quality.

The low-end is substantial and well-rounded. For most situations, you can get away with not adding a subwoofer to your setup. The mids are clear without any muddy tones. Not as accurate as more expensive monitors. But at this price point, they over-perform. The highs are crisp and clean without distortion. No harshness making these excellent for analytical listening.

The balance between frequencies is also good. No single frequency takes center stage. For studio monitoring, this is exactly what you want. They perform exceptionally across the board but excel in vocal and acoustic representation.

The Yamaha HS7 offers excellent sound quality.

These speakers are ideal in the near field (within 3 feet or 1 meter). The sweet spot is rather narrow so you’ll need to position them precisely for best results. If you have an awkward studio space this could be an issue. They deliver plenty of volume with a total of 95W powering the drivers. But the sound quality at further distances isn’t ideal. If you need speakers to fill your room with even sound these are not for you.

Despite the small sweet spot Yamaha has delivered an exceptional speaker at a very reasonable price. Perfect for beginners or working professionals that need accurate and precise sound.

Build Quality

Build quality is often a concern in entry-level monitors. Cheap materials can alter the sound substantially.

The Yamaha HS7 manages to keep an attractive price point without making too many sacrifices on the quality side. Don’t get me wrong the materials are not super high-end. But, at this price, you can’t expect that. What is impressive is that despite the price the materials are still well above average.

Yamaha has a long history of manufacturing quality studio monitors.

If you need a monitor that will be able to handle years of use the Yamaha HS7 will be up to the task.

Specifications

The Yamaha HS7 name might lead you to think it has a 7-inch woofer. That is not the case as it is actually 6.5 inches. A perfect balance between the smaller HS5 and the larger HS8. A 1-inch tweeter handles the mid and high-end.

The Yamaha HS7 has a large 6.5″ cone woofer and 1″ dome tweeter.

The frequency response sits at 43Hz – 30kHz. For the low-end anything beyond 20Hz isn’t audible to the average listener. This is where you feel the bass or low-end as opposed to hearing it. Having that depth here is fantastic.

Likewise, the high end of audible hearing caps out at 20kHz. The extra high-frequency response helps to deliver clean and crisp highs without distortion.

Tuning Options

The Yamaha HS7 offers a refined set of tuning options.

At the back of the monitor, you’ll find Level control to adjust the volume. But you’ll also find two extra tuning options. Room Control and High Trim.

Precise and accurate control gives you more freedom to adjust to your space.

Room Control allows you to adjust the low-end frequency output to accommodate your space. If you find you have to place these too close to a wall this feature will be a lifesaver. You can adjust to cut any boominess from wall refraction.

Likewise, the High Trim control adjusts the higher frequencies. Depending on your space this will also come in handy to clean up the high end.

Both of these options involve a simple flick of a switch. What I also like is there is a clean and distinct difference. I’ve come across tuning options on monitors where it feels like not much changes when switching between settings. With the Yamaha HS7, the options are precise and accurate.

Connection Options

The refined and restrained mentality of the HS range carries over to the connection options.

Two input options are available that can handle both balanced and unbalanced signals.

You’ll have the choice of two inputs. A ¼ inch TRS option along with an XLR connection. Plenty of choices here but the lack of an RCA option is notable.

Keep in mind that the speakers don’t come with cables so you’ll need to invest extra for these. Where possible buy the best quality cables you can afford. Poor quality cables will impact sound quality.

Design

Design is highly subjective but I really like the look of the HS range from Yamaha.

The textured matte finish is clean and smart-looking. The contrast between the matte black and white woofer is appealing and distinct. But, not overbearing and loud like some other monitors.

The textured finish is perfect to prevent dust build-up and fingerprints.

This housing is also low resonance which adds to the excellent sound quality these monitors provide. The subtle addition of the Yamaha logo completes the look.

Extra flexibility is available with a white version of the range. An excellent choice for matching with clean white studio furniture. Plus you can also opt for install versions. While these are a little more expensive they come with mounting points and screws. Excellent for quick installation with compatible brackets.

Dimensions

The Yamaha HS7 is a larger monitor than you would expect from a speaker with a 6.5-inch woofer. Keep this in mind if you have a smaller studio space or limited space on your work surface. At 18.1lbs it is reasonably heavy but this does add to the sturdy feel of the speaker.

The Yamaha HS7 is a large and solid studio monitor suitable for medium-sized studios.

Value

The value proposition of the Yamaha HS7 is strong. They are not as cheap as other entry-level monitors. But, the quality to price ratio is great. Good quality components are housed in an attractive and well-engineered package. Yamaha has a history of producing quality products and that shines through here.

Excellent value for money and very affordable for beginners setting up their home studio.

What Others Have To Say

Yamaha is a popular brand for both new and experienced producers. Plenty of praise for the sound quality.

Brands You Can Trust

I’m not normally a brand loyalist. Both established and new brands can deliver excellent products. Likewise, they can also deliver poor products. But established brands do offer consistency. Plus they have an established history in the industry.

Knowing a brand has a track record of delivering quality products gives greater peace of mind when purchasing. It also gives extra confidence in after-sales support in the unlikely event that something isn’t right.

This is why I’m a fan of the Yamaha HS range of studio monitors. Yamaha ticks all the boxes on this front. Excellent support and a long history of excellence.

If you are new to buying studio monitors I suggest you stick to established brands. There are plenty to choose from so you shouldn’t have any difficulty finding the monitor that suits your needs from a brand you can trust.

Other Options

There are several competing options in this price range and size of monitors. Here are some alternatives to consider.

KRK Rokit 7 G5 Review

KRK is another brand that offers exceptional quality. It also has a solid reputation among professionals. The latest KRK Rokit 7 G5 continues this tradition and offers advanced features.

• Excellent sound quality with a satisfying low-end.
• Advanced tuning options with an easy to use screen.
• Integration with the KRK App could be better.

PreSonus Eris E7 XT Review

The PreSonus Eris E7 XT is another affordable option that packs a serious punch. An excellent choice if you need a larger sweet spot.

• The advanced waveguide delivers a generous sweet spot.
• An affordable price making it a good choice for beginners on a budget.
• A little tweaking using the tuning options is required for balanced output.

Mackie CR4-X Review

Mackie offers an aggressively priced range of entry-level monitors. The CR4-X is a good choice if your budget is tight and the large size of the HS7 is off-putting.

• Good sound quality but not as precise and accurate for analytical listening.
• Bargain price makes these an attractive entry point into the world of studio monitors.
• No tuning options reduce your options to fine-tune the sound output.

Should You Buy?

The Yamaha HS7 is an exceptional studio monitor. It ticks a lot of boxes.

It has a clean and clear sound that is also precise. Enough tuning options to adjust to your space. Build quality that can handle consistent use. A brand that you can trust. And a price point that isn’t going to break the bank.

It’s an excellent choice for both new and established producers and should be high on your list of options.