Yamaha's Flagship speaker NS-A1738
Written: Oct 31 '03
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Pros: Nice laid back sound, very musical ONCE properly wired and equalized.
Cons: WPC rating is misleading. HF drivers (3) require more power than the single LF driver.
The Bottom Line: If you can lay your hands on a pair of these speakers then I highly recommend you do! And enjoy speakers built to last for a lifetime!!
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| Foster_dt1's Full Review: Yamaha NS-A1738 Speaker |
After owning these speakers for nearly 4 years now, I feel comfortable in posting this review. I've compared them against Advent Legacy II's & Heritage speakers, Acoustic Research Performance Series, and found them to be quite capable for H/T. And in some instances Music as well. But you must have power to drive these speakers. Rated nominally at 120 watts each, music power (read as peak power rating) 240 watts per channel. Unlike popular beliefs, the majority of the power isn't going to the big 15" subwoofer.
After emailing yamaha for answers, I discovered the breakdown to be aproximately 150 to 180 wpc going to the upper freq drivers (remember this is a 4 way speaker) and the big shielded woofer is only rated to handle between 45-60 wpc.
And simply straight bi-amping the LF doesn't work properly. The crossover virtually sends all freqs to the LF driver which muddys the LFE signals put out by any decent amplifier.
Solution? I installed a Numark 2600 adjustable gain equalizer between my H/K AVR8000 & my PA-2000 (which supplies power to the LF) rated at 100 wpc with hcc. (Most likely this figure jumps to 140-160 wpc when you factor in a 6 ohm load verses 8 ohms)
With the equalizer disabled the system sounds awful, sending everything but the kitchen sink into the LF driver, but when you activate the psuedo-crossover eq I've installed, the LF really cleans up, and kicks some major bass!! I've set the crossover point around 120 Hz (everything below 120 boosted, everything above 120 attenuated) Gain controls are vital depending on the music or sound selected.
This leaves all 125 wpc (rated @ 8 ohms by H/K) so in all likely event probably closer to 150-175 wpc @ 6 Ohms, to drive the 3 remaining drivers in the HF region.
The result, what everyone else has been saying. These speakers sound warm and laidback. Not harsh or overly bright, but tonality and voicing is very smooth and natural in character. The sound staging isn't perfect, but then again these speakers are narrow, and probably should be slightly toed (angled) towards the sweet spot of main listening area. Mine face straight ahead & are at least 8 feet apart, with the woofers facing out towards the room's corners. Otherwise the bass would cause my equipment to resonate and this would not be desireable.
To get an idea of just how these speakers differ from my other speakers, I typically use these for listening/watching DVD's that are DD 5.1 (higher compression) and mostly with music videos or concerts.
I also listen to CD's & MP-3's thru these jewels as well. However, when I put on an older source like a tape, record, or some earlier mastered music selection, I switch in my Advent's to brighten things up. (Sort of like low beams & hi beams) For Movies, especially THX style action, the Yams are just fine. But when I want to watch/listen to some detailed material, I like to augment the AS-1738's with some more transparent speakers. I've heard the analogy made that clean/good electronics require a smooth more laid back sounding speaker, while an older tube type amp requires a more detailed and in your face type of speaker (like Klipsch).
So with that in mind, these Yamahas when properly wired with heavy 12 awg, bi-amped (equalized) low freq signals will provide smooth and easy to enjoy sound for hours on end.
In short, I could listen to the Yamahas for many hours and not leave with ringing in my ears. However, the Advents & AR's I listen to can't make the same claim.
On the other hand, if you want a highly voiced sound staged speaker that envelops you with it's warmth, I's say these speakers can do so. (Provided, you have the electronics to back them up)
In closing let me just say, that I owned these speakers for several years, before I upgraded my electronics to adequately power these speakers. I'm glad I waited, because the amps make a HUGE difference in how a speaker ultimately sounds!! Since I paid only $400 or so (from Best Buy) because they were an open box item, I feel very comfortable in awarding 5 stars on both counts. If I were comparing them to AR-1's or NHT, 2.4's I'd be knocking 1 or 2 stars off the Yams, but since I'm not, for the money, they're a GREAT BUY! Remember to Bi-Amp and EQ the LF or you'll not be happy and most likely come here to complain....
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400 in 10/99
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Epinions.com ID:
Foster_dt1
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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