For the flawlessly accurate, exquisitely clear reproduction of movie
soundtracks in your own personal theater.
NS-8HX
3-Way Bass-Reflex
Speaker System
NS-6HX
3-Way Bass-Reflex
Speaker System
NS-4HX
2-Way BassReflex Speaker
System
NS-C7HX
2-Way Acoustic Suspension Speaker System
NS-2HX
2-Way Bass-Reflex Speaker System
NS-C5HX
2-Way Acoustic Suspension Speaker
System
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FACTS, FEATURES & BENEFITS
HX Series:
Home Theater Reference
Speaker Systems
For Home theater
Enjoyment in the Digital
Age.
Many people know Yamaha as one of the
world's top manufacturers of home and
professional audio equipment, musical
instruments, and motorcycles. But what they
don't know is that we're also a leader in
acoustic research and technology, and in the
development and production of sophisticated
audio microprocessors. We were also one of
The 3 Elements of Ideal
Home Theater Sound
For Accurately Reproducing the
Intentions of Those Who Create
Movie Soundtracks
Accuracy
Faithful, accurate sound
reproduction
the first companies to embrace digital
technology, and have done much to make
digital audio as popular as it is today.
All of which means that we are ideally
qualified to produce the world's finest home
theater systems. With years of acoustic, audio,
and digital expertise to draw on, we have been
able to develop innovative, high-performance
home theater systems that make it possible to
enjoy movies at home with all the dramatic
sound impact that the director intended to
convey.
Now, in response to growing demand for a
home theater reference speaker system worthy
of the Yamaha name, we have developed the
HX Series Home Theater Reference Speaker
System – the ultimate choice for home theater
Speed
Sharp attack, superior transient
response
Depth
High dynamic range
enjoyment in the digital age.
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HX Series: Home Theater Reference Speaker Systems
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40 30 20 10
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40 30 20 100…00
30
30
ConWav
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ConvWav
Conventional Radiation
Waveguide Horn Radiation
Yamaha's goal in developing the HX Series speakers
was to achieve the three key elements of accuracy,
speed and depth, thereby creating a home theater
audio experience comparable to a real movie theater
or concert hall. This goal has been brilliantly realized
on the HX Series, assuring superb reproduction that
expresses every nuance of the soundtrack designer
or concert-recording engineer's intentions.
The Waveguide Horns
When conventional direct radiating speakers are
used in a home environment, their broad directional
characteristics result in a relatively high proportion of
reflected sound. Even at frequencies above 5kHz, a
significant portion of the sound reaching the
listeners' ears has been
reflected from the room's
walls.
Modern movie theaters,
however, are designed to offer
a highly absorptive acoustic
environment in which
soundtrack recordings with
five or more channels can be
used to achieve a rich sense
of spatial expression. To achieve a similar level of
spatial expression in the home, it is therefore
necessary to use speakers with a direct/reflected
sound ratio that is quite different from the speakers
used for listening to conventional music recordings.
Yamaha's exclusive Waveguide Horns were
specifically developed to address this problem, and
have now been refined and improved to offer an
even higher level of spatial expression in home
NS-8HX Tweeter Construction
30µm Aluminum Dome
Aluminum
Diffuser
Surround (Rolled Edge)
Face Plate
Edge-Wound
Top Plate
Shielding Yoke
Bottom Yoke
Shielding Magnet
Rectangular
Voice Coil
Main Magnet
(Ferrite, 16,500
Gauss)
listening environments.
Optimal Direct/Reflected Wave Energy Ratio for
Home Theater Sound
Yamaha's exclusive Waveguide Horns differ from
conventional horns in that their waveguide features a
horizontal control angle of 135° and a vertical control
angle of 120°. This allows the sound field to be
shaped and controlled for optimal spatial expression
in home theater environments.
Diecast Aluminum Waveguides
Yamaha tested a wide range of waveguide materials
to determine which offered the best home theater
sound reproduction quality. Cherry and other
hardwoods were considered, but in the end, diecast
aluminum was found to make the detailed nuances
of dialogue easier to hear, while providing the
incisive attack needed for action and horror scenes.
Flat High-Frequency Directional Characteristics of the Waveguide Horn (NS-8HX)
FrontFront
(5 kHz)
Rear
Rear
(8 kHz)
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High frequency directional
characteristics of an installed
Waveguide Horn speaker (red
lines) and ordinary (blue lines).
The Waveguide Horn speaker
shows excellent balance in the
front direction, with the surround
effect to the sides and rear is not
adversely affected by reflected
sounds.
FACTS, FEATURES & BENEFITS
Light, Stiff, White Spruce Diaphragms for
Midrange & Woofer Drivers
Yamaha's White Spruce Diaphragm (WSD) material
emerged from an intensive search for a light, tough
diaphragm material that would help us achieve the
three elements of ideal home theater sound.
The pulp material used for the WSD is
manufactured almost entirely from long fibers of
Canadian evergreen white spruce, the world's
lightest single-sheet diaphragm material. With a
Young’s coefficient* equal to that of metal, WSD
material offers both exceptional toughness and
lightness.
An exclusive Yamaha process
accounts for the distinctive white color of
WSD material. It was selected for use on
NS-8HX White Spruce Diaphragm (WSD) Midrange Driver Construction
White Spruce Diaphragm (WSD) Cone
the HX Series to reflect the performance
heritage of the Yamaha NS-10M, a longselling model that has been popular as a
studio monitor for over 20 years.
* The ratio of stretching force per unit of
cross-sectional area to elongation per
Spider
unit of length.
Edge-Wound Rectangular Voice Coils
Top Plate
with Aluminum Diecast Frames
These two high-quality components are
Shielding Yoke
now used in only a few luxury units. The
edge-wound rectangular voice coils have
a wire moment 20% higher than
conventional round voice coils, significantly
improving the efficiency with which they convert
magnetic flux to motion. In addition, aluminum
diecast frames with flexural strength three to five
times higher than that of normal metal plate or
plastic frames further enhance performance..
Advanced Suspension System and Spider
An advanced suspension system and spider are
used in the HX Series to guarantee dynamic linearity
and reduce unwanted vibration.
Surround (Rolled Edge)
Dust Cap
Aluminum Diecast
Frame
Edge-Wound
Rectangular Voice Coil
Main Magnet (Ferrite,
10,300 Gauss)
Bottom Yoke
Shielding Magnet
NS-8HX White Spruce Diaphragm (WSD) Woofer Construction
White Spruce Diaphragm (WSD) Cone
Spider (Advanced
Suspension System)
Top Plate
Bottom Yoke
Shielding Yoke
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Surround (Rolled Edge)
Aluminum Diecast Frame
Edge-Wound Rectangular Voice Coil
Main Magnet (Ferrite, 10,200 Gauss)
Shielding Magnet
HX Series: Home Theater Reference Speaker Systems
All-Aluminum Dome Tweeters
and Diffusers
Both the shape and material used
for dome tweeter diaphragms and
diffusers were refined to improve
speed and response. 30µm pure
aluminum film was formed into a
new dome shape and fitted with an
all-aluminum diffuser for wideranging 50kHz sound reproduction
capability.
Magnetic Shielding
As befits their status as a top-ofthe-line home theater reference
speaker systems, the HX Series is
equipped with magnetically
shielded cases that prevent
interference with video
components and signals.
Independent
Direct Crossover
Networks
NS-8HX Interior View
Yamaha's exclusive
Waveguide Horn
Three-Way
Mitered
Construction
Aluminum Dome
Tweeter
White Spruce
Diaphragm (WSD)
Midrange Driver
White Spruce
Diaphragm
(WSD) Woofers
Three-Way Mitered
Construction
Sound Absorber
Sound Absorber
Sound Absorber
Network for Tweeter
and Midrange Driver
with Independent
and Direct
Connection
Network for Woofers
with Independent and
Direct Connection
Fully Independent Driver
Elements
Crosstalk distortion that can result
Port
from signal interference between
coils, cables and drivers is kept to
an absolute minimum by using fully
25mm (1") Baffle
Board
independent direct crossover
connections for low-, medium- and
high-range driver elements. In
addition, interference between
speakers of the same diameter
and range is reduced by using
independent elements for each driver in center
speaker and double woofer systems.
Direct Connections
The HX Series uses short lead wires and direct
terminal connections for each component to
minimize energy loss and reduce interference. This
is in contrast to most other manufacturers, who use
low-cost printed circuit boards that can degrade
reproduction quality.
High-Quality Capacitors and Coils
The HX Series uses metallized polypropylene
capacitors generally found only in top-of-the-line
components and studio systems. This lowers the tan-
Canadian Maple
Veneer Cabinet with
Piano-Type OpenPore Finish
Aluminum Diecast Stand
∂ (delta) value that represents internal energy loss
(dielectric loss), thereby enhancing accuracy, speed
and depth. Magnetic linearity has also been
improved; in the low range by using a large inductor
with a rod-shaped silicon steel core, and in the high
range by using an air-core inductor.
Heavy-Gauge Internal Wiring
Heavy-gauge, 0.014ohm/m cables are used for all
internal wiring to keep energy loss to an absolute
minimum.
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100
Response (dB)
Frequency (Hz)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
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FACTS, FEATURES & BENEFITS
Natural Wood Cabinets
Three-Way Mitered Construction
Yamaha speakers have featured 45° mitered-joint
construction at the cabinet corners and baffle/body
joints for many years. On the HX Series, mitered
construction is also used for the back panel,
improving the tightness of the joints so that the entire
cabinet behaves as a single rigid
body. This reduces unwanted
vibration and helps realize the three
key elements of ideal home theater
sound.
25mm (1") Baffle Board
Exceptionally thick, 25mm (1") baffle board is used in
HX Series speakers* to further reduce unwanted
vibration.
* Except NS-2HX speakers, which feature 15mm
(5/8") baffle boards.
Canadian Maple Venner Cabinets with Piano-Type
Open-Pore Finish
Canadian maple hardwood cabinets are given the
same luxurious and environmentally friendly (nonPVC) finish used on Yamaha’s finest wood-grain
pianos.
Bi-Wiring Connectivity
Signal integrity is enhanced by a biwiring system that provides separate
+/- connection terminals for the
woofer(s) and tweeterother driver(s).
NS-8HX Frequency Response, Harmonic Distortion and
Impedance Characteristics
The result is decreased modulation distortion for
purer sound quality.
Aluminum Diecast Stands
NS-8HX and NS-6HX tower speakers are equipped
with heavy-duty aluminum diecast stands that
provide solid floor contact for accurate sound
reproduction. The stands also feature a high-quality
finish that nicely
complements the
speakers' elegant
design.
Yamaha’s Exclusive Three-Way Mitered Construction Produces
Strong, Sturdy Cabinets with Minimum Resonance.
Yamaha's exclusive three-way mitered construction
significantly improves the durability and precision of
panel joints in HX Series cabinets. The cabinets resist
deformation over time, and their precise construction
suppresses unwanted resonance when speakers are
played at high volume. Three-way mitering requires
advanced production technology and rigorous quality
control _ particularly when manufacturing compact
cabinets _ and these are areas in which Yamaha has
extensive expertise. In addition, our long experience as a
monitor speaker manufacturer assures a high standard of
woodworking excellence.