Yamaha ns 5000

My setup is

• Yamaha NS5000
• Schitt Yggi+ OG DAC (using fibre optic to stream into USB)
• Benchmark HPA4 preamp
• CODA #16 amp (first 100 watts Class A | 150 - 300 - 600)

I am good with this setup. It was the Yggi+ OG that really put this over the finish line. A great DAC at any cost. I had the Yggi+ LIM on the NS5000 instead of the OG and it was not as good. It was missing some top end. I love the LIM on my Magnepan LRS+, but not so much on the NS5000.

The Sanders Magtech amp and the Benchmark AHB2 were not as good on the NS5000 as the CODA #16. The Magtech is incredible on the Magnepan LRS+.

The 2 speakers that I narrowed it down to for the final decision were the KEF Blade 2 Meta and the NS5000. Both because they sounded great, and both had unsurpassed research and tech in the design.

I truly enjoy this speaker. Yamaha is such an honest manufacturer when it comes to pricing...just look at the sheer amount of resources spent to develop this speaker from scratch, the innovation and what they price it at. Compare it to the trash that’s priced at 50k (with purchased drivers that run a couple of 100 dollars tops)...the 50k crooks gave you a polished cabinet and the price of non-innovative trash went to 50k apparently!

P.S. 30 watts class A ain’t working on the Yamaha... Luxman m900u, Schiit Tyr, etc are examples of the kind of power it requires.

My NS 5000's are on casters I sized to screw into the spike location on the stands. It provides useful 3 inch lift. I have them connected to Red Dragon M500 monoblocks. Preamp/DAC for now is an Emotive XDA-3. 

We visited the Yamaha Innovation Road museum in Hamamatsu, Japan. They have grand pianos costing multiples of NS 5000. But there is also a display of NS 5000 cut open and disassembled. Signage says the speaker was by a team of young engineers. It also displays the zylon (carbon fiber) driver material in different manufacturing stages. The woofer coil is literally one pound of copper. The back wave dampers look like tumble generators.

As you peruse the museum you notice the exhaustive research (world's largest musical instrument maker) in resonance with wood in violins, guitars, pianos, etc. Hence NS 5000's mitered joint plywood construction is deliberate. 

Few names at any price point can match the research, resources, buying power, and pro audio ubiquity behind this speaker with its drivers all of the same material. It is not for flea watt amps. $15K is real money. Do your own research.

Regarding break in... I noticed music during the dat was much more difficult to enjoy than evening listening and eventually pulled out my trusty realistic analog DB meter to find ambient noise (in my basement) was nearly 20 db louder in the day 60 db, compared to mid 40's at night. I'm not dismissing speaker break in, just offering another possibility. 

Get the Dream.  I have the Dream CDP/DAC and I can't imagine how it could get any better.

Congrats. Hope that solves the fatigue issue for you.

I actually got some inspiration from your NS5000 videos for my NS5000 placement. First thing I did was remove a wooden shelf out from in-between the speakers. Then toed-in a bit like you have, and then vola. Incredible improvement in the sound. I am sharing the room with my son's toys, so it took some time to figure out how to best arrange the room.

What I have now is just fantastic. 

My setup is 

- Benchmark LA4 preamp

- Benchmark DAC3B

- CODA #16 amp

- NS5000 speakers

- Playback Designs Streamer-IF (for the DAC3B and another future DAC)

- future DAC will be a Playback Designs Edelwise or Dream

Wanted to share that yesterday I paired the Doge 8 with the CJ LP 70S. This was the best sound i’ve heard from the NS5k.

Unbelievably huge expansive soundstage. The music completely detaches from the speakers and they disappear. Midrange projects far forward with utmost texture and intoxicating tone. I actually liked the doge 8 in the chain more than moreplay because it seemed the doge 8 helped to open up the stage more and improve see through clarity.

I was especially impressed with bass which became even more weighty, punchy and again seemed to project around my listening position in a way ive never heard before (including out of my big SS pass x350.8). Oh and 1 final point this was with KT120 tubes in the LP70S since I think one of the 6550 tubes I had popped. I think the 6550 sounds even warmer and bigger but the KT120 controls the bass and provides more transparency. Truly exceptional combination!

The amp you should try is the KRELL Duo 300XD. There is a local dealer selling a used one for $6250. I owned the 175XD at one time. The model number represents the number of possible watts in Class A. So, the 300XD is 300 watts and the 175XD is 175 watts.  It is the smoothest and least fatiguing amp I have ever heard (and owned). It is somewhat like the CODA #16, but smoother.

Now that I have moved my CODA #16 with the LRS+ I am debating whether I should get the KRELL Duo 300XD or a pair of Benchmark AHB2 mono. Two rather different sounding amps.

I think its not a room issue you know why, I put my headphones on my pass amp it made them sound bright as well... it gave them the same fatiguing character. I am sure the x350.8 is warm relative to a lot of SS amps but im just really sensitive to treble energy and i need it way relaxed so I can sink into the music.

Would be cool to try coda 1 day.

@smodtactical That is the opposite issue I am having. I am thinking I want a bit less warmth than the CODA #16 with the NS5000. I love the #16 and the full range sound with the NS5000 is excellent. My issue is that I use the top end of the Benchmark AHB2 as my reference. Though, I do not think even mono AHB2 will sound as good overall as the #16. I may get a pair of AHB2’s for a home trial. Another amp is SimAudio that should work but at a higher cost.

I moved the #16 to my office today with the Magenpan LRS+ and that is a great combo. I think the LRS+ is a bit brighter than the NS5000 so it seems to be a perfect fit with the Class A #16. I think I will be using the LRS+ and #16 together going forward.

Your comments about fatigue with the PASS makes me wonder if your issue is a room acoustics problem. Why not measure your room acoustics and see if that is the cause of your fatigue.

Mitch Barnett from Digital Room Correction (DRC) Calibration - Accurate Sound can help you with your room acoustics. You do not have to use his software-based solution, you could choose physical room panels instead. However, getting a professional to help you sort the room out was the best move I made in my small office. He charges $700 for the measurements and the resulting convolution filters made for your speakers and room.

If you try this out for a month or so you can see if you still get the fatigue. If not, then it is not the gear. You can save a lot of money by fixing the room and not chasing gear. You can then fix the room with panels or Mitch’s filter or a combo of both. I use panels only in my office.

@yyzsantabarbara I can't really say since mine were demo models and also I moved to 2 different listening rooms over the 3 years of ownership.

What I can say is for me and my ears the pass + ns5000 combination is becoming too fatiguing (X350.8). I don't blame the ns5000 I blame myself for craving a warmer, richer sound.

So I am sampling different amps and pres right now. So far the amp that impresses me the most in terms of the huge stage and warm tone is the CJ LP70S (I had lp140ms also).

I am in the process of probably buying a CJ pre to go with it and then I think im going to have some serious magic on tap.

I do have the willsenton r800i right now and I actually like it more than the pass x350.8 but i think i still want warmer and also the CJ soundstage is like 2x the size of pass or r800i. The problem is CJ doesn't have the clarity of the former too. So I have some work to do yet to dial things in.

@jtgofish @smodtactical I think we are the 3 people on A'gon with the NS5000.

How long did it take for your speakers to settle in with the sound not changing. I think I am close to 100 hours now on mine.

I have a CODA #16 amp with it, and I have loved it but last night the sound was not as good. I am thinking it could be the drivers still being broken in.

I have heard the ATC SCM 100 actives.The NS5000s are much better-especially midrange tone and timbre.What surprised me was how boomy the ATC s were .

I wonder how the ns5000 compares to the atc scm 100 or 150.

@yyzsantabarbara In Singapore. 

@auroravengeance Where did you here both the NS3000 and NS5000?

The NS3000 and NS5000 are amazingly neutral and fast, but out of these two for near field I would choose NS3000.

I’ve heard these two near-field in all Yamaha setup with Yamaha CD-S2100 and AS-2200. These setups sounded very live front-row seat experience, but even with NS3000 the setup was already powerful enough. NS5000 definitely needed more space to breathe.

Because you listed Kef Ref 1 and Utopia, I believe you are looking for slightly warmer tone? If so, then yes, Esoteric F-03A and a warmer sounding DAC like MSB Discrete would help.

If you want speakers similar in sound to NS3000 and NS5000, consider auditioning Cabasse Baltic, Audiovector R1 Arrete, and ATC SCM100 as well. Slightly more laid back in sound you could get Kaya S12 or Harbeth SHL5Plus.

The ns 5000 looks promising and I was also interested. I believe you can get a 30 day return policy with purchase. I bought a pair of blade’s because sometimes I like to listen at concert levels and now am hooked on the blades. If mine sell I’ll upgrade to the meta but if not that’s good too.

The NS500 is the an incredible speaker (likely my second fav now). I wanted to buy the NS5000 for my Livingroom but recently figured out that the KEF Blade 2 Meta will work in this space, so I am going with that instead. Keep in mind that the NS5000 is very powerful and you need some space for them.

I then thought about getting the NS3000 for my home office, it is a small room, 12 x 11 x 9. The NS3000 is not available in the USA, but I can get it from a Toronto, Canada dealer. I liked the NS5000 so much I am willing to buy the NS3000 unheard because it is supposed to be like the NS5000 without the low end.

My son accidently poked a hole in my 10 year old KEF LS50 that I had moved back into my office. So I thought I would give the LS50 Meta a try, since I always wanted to keep a LS50 around. I was planning on getting the NS3000 too.

However, after hearing the LS50 Meta I decided to not get the NS3000. LS50 Meta is amazing with the gear I have on it. The same gear I was going to use with either the NS5000 or NS3000 (gear with an overall neutral gear sonic signature).

Benchmark AHB2 mono | Benchmark LA4 preamp | Musetec 005 DAC | Audience FrontRow speaker cable.

I am not sure how your Esoteric would work with the Yamaha’s. I have warmer gear in the CODA 07x preamp and the KRELL Dou 175XD and I would not use that with the Yamahas. I plan to use the KRELL with the Blades (maybe an upgraded Krell). and I know it sounded great with my old LS50.

I will use the Musetec 005 DAC for both the office and Livingroom system. Getting a used second 005 this Saturday.

BTW - I was going to go back to the NS5000 as my choice over the Blade 2 Meta because of this poked driver issue. However, I found a company that makes speaker dust covers for the Blade 2, that I can use like the NS5000’s driver covers.