Article: Yamaha NX-N500 Network Powered Speaker Review

[The Computer Audiophile]

Have just unwrapped a pair for Christmas, now I need to sort out a stand, what were you using / any recommendations for desktop use with my ears about 2" above speaker top when they are on blue-tac?

Very cool.

 

I use these from ISO Acoustics. They work well and are fairly inexpensive.

 

IsoAcoustics ISO-L8R155 Medium Studio Monitor Stands - Pair | Guitar Center

[The Computer Audiophile]

If you want to get crazy with the stands pick up a pair of these - products « Ardan Audio

[Pysmooth]

Thank you for the review. Please make a review for kef x300a and also just released Audioengine HD6. They are all at the same price level and people would be interested in the speakers reviews especially a review that would compare them all. Thank you

[Pysmooth]

I just cannot find a review that would compare new speakers like kef x300, yamaha nxn500, audioengine hd6 against each other. They are all pc speakers for audiophiles. It would be great review from your side.)

[Jedders]

Very cool.

 

I use these from ISO Acoustics. They work well and are fairly inexpensive.

 

IsoAcoustics ISO-L8R155 Medium Studio Monitor Stands - Pair | Guitar Center

 

Just received my ISO-L8R155 and they produce a big improvement, audio stage much more coherent and centred. Still not getting the detail available from an usb headphone amp (AudioEngine D1 + Grado SR225e) but a nice rounded sound.

 

Jedders

[Jade]

Thanks for the review! Very interesting to learn of the speakers capabilities. I purchased these in the white variation and they just look beautiful beside the tv. The build quality is excellent and most importantly the sound is spectacular, mostly used when watching movies and playing video games. I highly recommend these, the only problem I had with them was that the set up process was a bit complicated, but I just rung up the store I purchased them from and they walked me through it after they also experienced the same problem I did (not connecting every single cable to and between the the speakers before turning them on and resting them)

FYI: I got them on Boxing Day 2015 for $1200 (NZD) from Harvey Norman on the recommendation of the sales assistant and not knowing anything about them until after the fact, best blind purchase ever!

[Paul J]

Before reading post #28 I had developed a short list of 3 powered speakers for my living room - yamaha nx-n500, audioengine hd6 and kef x300a. My interest is to listen to my FLAC collection, tidal.com HIFI and my TV. Have you "Psymooth", or anyone else, got any comments that could help choosing? Is one of these a superior product or are they similar? The n500 seems to have a higher end DAC. The hd6 seems to have active audio connections so you don't have to change the input when you change from TV to PC etc. Are the x300a's anything like the KEF LS50 passive speakers? A review or any comments would be appreciated!

[DaaDaa]

a review with mostly stock photos and full of description of the features

[The Computer Audiophile]

a review with mostly stock photos and full of description of the features

Hi DaaDaa - What constitutes a good review to you, and why?

[Pysmooth]

Hi, no, I didn't find any comparisons between these 3 models of speakers yet on the internet and have never listened to them yet. That's why I asked to make a review. I "tried" KEF LS50 at nearest dealer and they sound fantastic especially in small to medium rooms, and I think it'll outperform all these 3 speakers but it would cost you $2000 minimum with cheapest-good int amp like NAD, NuForce.

 

I also just want speakers for my desktop nearfield listening. If don't find any comparisons on the NET, when I am ready for the purchase probably I will just order a couple of speakers x300a & yamahan500 OR x300a & audioengine hd6 and would do audition at home. In this case I would definitely know what I like the most.

 

I have the same list. All separate reviews I found on the NET are good about all of them.

1. kef x300a - most desirable, the only doubts: how good is their bass and lack of sub out in case of not enough bass..

2. audioengine hd6

3. yamaha n500

 

I think they are all "similar" in terms of price/sound/purpose but with different "flavors" that I need to find out.

 

Let me also know if you find any comparisons or audition any of them.

 

Before reading post #28 I had developed a short list of 3 powered speakers for my living room - yamaha nx-n500, audioengine hd6 and kef x300a. My interest is to listen to my FLAC collection, tidal.com HIFI and my TV. Have you "Psymooth", or anyone else, got any comments that could help choosing? Is one of these a superior product or are they similar? The n500 seems to have a higher end DAC. The hd6 seems to have active audio connections so you don't have to change the input when you change from TV to PC etc. Are the x300a's anything like the KEF LS50 passive speakers? A review or any comments would be appreciated!

[ralphoi]

Hey folks. Did anyone finally get some comparison of these 3 speakers? KEF x300a, Yamaha n500, or audioengine HD6. It seems the KEF has the most glowing review of all the 3 speakers so far??

[Hifilover1979]

Superb review (just come across this now) after researching the NX N500's as well as the Focal Alpha 65's, M-Audio M3-8's and a few other actives available here in the UK (namely Adam Audio, Swan etc)

 

To answer the question re the KEF X300A's; yes, they're as good as the LS50's IMO and I've had both (X300A's (non wireless) with my Mac Mini for my desktop system and the LS50's with a Cyrus 8DAC amp/DAC in the living room (speakers sat on Partington Dreadnought stands)

 

I did a bit of moving about; had the Cyrus/LS50's on the desktop and X300A's in the living room and vice-versa and they were superb systems; but I'd go back to the X300A's for the near-field/desktop system, they're suited to that more than the LS50's are. Plus the LS50's, to sound their best, need to be on decent stands and have plenty of room around the to breathe!

 

I had my X300A's on RoXdon studio monitor pads (styrofoam isolation blocks - c£25 UK sterling on eBay) and they work superbly; come in 2 pieces so they can be made up to have the speakers sat flat; or angled up towards the listener etc

 

I'm still very tempted to get another set of LS50's and partner them with the likes of a NAD D3020 integrated amp/DAC, but then the 'all in one' system like the NX-N500's is very appealing and less 'clutter'!

 

The Focal Alpha 65's and M-Audio M3-8's would need a DAC to go between them and my Mac Mini (something like the Audioengine D1 DAC or maybe a bit more fancy/upmarket like the Musical Fidelity M1DAC or Emotiva XDA2 DAC) are what I have in mind as well...

 

I'm hopefully going to get some demo's sorted with what's been mentioned above soon, so I'll report back as soon as I can

[steveoat]

Chris,

 

Thanks for the review.

 

Have you been able to try this with Roon? If so, how did it work out.

 

Can this be used with Signalyst HQ player for dsd upsampling?

[Xin]

I just cannot find a review that would compare new speakers like kef x300, yamaha nxn500, audioengine hd6 against each other. They are all pc speakers for audiophiles. It would be great review from your side.)

 

I thought the same!!!?

[dentalfloss]

Hi, I recently got these, but am definitely not a computer audiophile. What's the best way to optimize audio quality through a wireless connection on these? In other words what form of wireless connection should I use (there are several ways to connect these through DNLA - WPS without an Ethernet cord between the speakers and wireless router for example, and then what i have now which is an Ethernet connection between the speakers and the router without WPS), and what software should I use to play music through these wirelessly? Right now when i want to play something i right click on it, and choose "cast to" and then I think windows media player wirelessly sends the music to the speakers. Is this the optimum way to connect the speakers wirelessly (would it be better to make a wireless connection through WPS for example) and should I just cast the music as I am doing now? Are there any settings which should be changed? Does any of this make a difference?

[Xin]

Anyway, I'd chose between:

 

Qacoustic BT3

Heco Ascada 2.0

KEF X300a

Yamaha NX-N500

Dynaudio Xeo2

 

I'll use on living room 36m2 to listen TV and some music, I've another setup in dedicated room.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi, I recently got these, but am definitely not a computer audiophile. What's the best way to optimize audio quality through a wireless connection on these? In other words what form of wireless connection should I use (there are several ways to connect these through DNLA - WPS without an Ethernet cord between the speakers and wireless router for example, and then what i have now which is an Ethernet connection between the speakers and the router without WPS), and what software should I use to play music through these wirelessly? Right now when i want to play something i right click on it, and choose "cast to" and then I think windows media player wirelessly sends the music to the speakers. Is this the optimum way to connect the speakers wirelessly (would it be better to make a wireless connection through WPS for example) and should I just cast the music as I am doing now? Are there any settings which should be changed? Does any of this make a difference?

 

Hi dentalfloss - All good questions, but there isn't a single best answer. I can only tell you how I recommend sending audio to these speakers.

 

If you don't want to use ethernet, connect the speakers to your WiFi network. Assuming your computer is already connected to your network (it can be wired or wireless, doesn't matter), use DLNA compatible software. I haven't used Windows Media Player is about 10 years, so I can't offer suggestions about it. I've found some applications that are much better for music playback and library management, that fit my needs better. As an example, JRiver Media Center can send audio to these speakers very easily. The speakers will appear automatically in JRiver Media Center, enabling you to select them and send all of your music to them with a click. When streaming via DLNA the sound is lossless, meaning you don't lose any audio quality.

 

Does this make sense? Does it help? What questions do you have?

[dentalfloss]

Hi dentalfloss - All good questions, but there isn't a single best answer. I can only tell you how I recommend sending audio to these speakers.

 

If you don't want to use ethernet, connect the speakers to your WiFi network. Assuming your computer is already connected to your network (it can be wired or wireless, doesn't matter), use DLNA compatible software. I haven't used Windows Media Player is about 10 years, so I can't offer suggestions about it. I've found some applications that are much better for music playback and library management, that fit my needs better. As an example, JRiver Media Center can send audio to these speakers very easily. The speakers will appear automatically in JRiver Media Center, enabling you to select them and send all of your music to them with a click. When streaming via DLNA the sound is lossless, meaning you don't lose any audio quality.

 

Does this make sense? Does it help? What questions do you have?

 

Hi! Thanks very much for the reply, and sorry for the belated response. So the problem I'm having is that if I want to use these speakers wirelessly I right click on an mp3 file and then click cast "cast to" and choose the yamaha speakers. The problem is that this is very buggy. Sometimes the Yamaha speakers don't appear at all in the "cast to" menu, sometimes they appear, but it just won't work. I tried the Jriver software, but I couldn't get it to find the speakers, besides which you have to pay for it.

 

Do you have any suggestions of free software which you can use to play music wirelessly over DLNA? Besides jriver? Thanks

[burialchamber]

Hi Chris, I must've read your review over a year ago, before I purchased my NX-N500s, but hadn't focused on the detail. I've been very happy with them until recently, when I started yearning for more bass. The absence of a sub out became a source of considerable frustration and I've been wracking my brains on how to overcome it, without success - despite enlisting the help of a guy from REL, who kindly contacted Yamaha on my behalf. All to no avail.

 

When I re-read your review I was puzzled that the bass put a smile on your face and made you chuckle. Then you wrote:

I turned up the volume on the rear of the left speaker to about 75% and turned up the volume via remote control to almost 100%

I checked my gain setting and it was at about 50%. That extra 25% has resulted in a substantial improvement to the bass. Thank you! I think I can let go of my angst about the missing sub-out and start enjoying the system again for what it is.

 

To dentalfloss: I use iPads to interface with the speakers via wifi and rarely have any problems.

[hyvas]

Trying to choose between the NX-N500s and the X500As led me to this thread. The Yamahas are certainly the more flexible in terms of connectivity but I was wondering if anyone was able to compare sound quality at all at this point. Thanks!

[koupa]

After one an a half year I wake the thread.

 

I just purchased the speakers but I have a problem with the USB connection. Sometimes it disappears for milliseconds and comes back. It's so quick that the sound cuts but the buffer is still full and the active program continues. It does it even on idle or with an other source like net radio.

 

I use Windows 10 Technical Preview Fast Ring. Before judge me I had for 2 years the Nuforce udac5 and it worked like a charm. The USB cable is the same. The weird thing is that the hiccups aren't constant or reproducible. Eg last weekend I didn't left the computer at all. The speakers were playing from 14:00 - 01:00 both days without a single glitch. Even Monday or Tuesday I used the computer from 21:00 - 23:00 and no problems. Today something happened.

 

Apart from that the speakers are excellent. Huge upgrade from my Dali Zensor 1. And of course the main reason that I bought them is the network capabilities. Everything through my phone. I wake up in the morning and with the press of a button I hear the radio. Or I leave the room and remotely turn off the speakers without touch my PC.

[The Computer Audiophile]

25 minutes ago, koupa said:

After one an a half year I wake the thread.

 

I just purchased the speakers but I have a problem with the USB connection. Sometimes it disappears for milliseconds and comes back. It's so quick that the sound cuts but the buffer is still full and the active program continues. It does it even on idle or with an other source like net radio.

 

I use Windows 10 Technical Preview Fast Ring. Before judge me I had for 2 years the Nuforce udac5 and it worked like a charm. The USB cable is the same. The weird thing is that the hiccups aren't constant or reproducible. Eg last weekend I didn't left the computer at all. The speakers were playing from 14:00 - 01:00 both days without a single glitch. Even Monday or Tuesday I used the computer from 21:00 - 23:00 and no problems. Today something happened.

 

Apart from that the speakers are excellent. Huge upgrade from my Dali Zensor 1. And of course the main reason that I bought them is the network capabilities. Everything through my phone. I wake up in the morning and with the press of a button I hear the radio. Or I leave the room and remotely turn off the speakers without touch my PC.

I’ve seen similar things happen with a bad USB cable. Please try another one you have laying around. The Yamaha may be more sensitive to such things. 

[koupa]

It's on my mind as a next solution. When I unboxed the speakers I tried another one and I had no sound. After a few terrifying minutes thinking of a bad speaker I remembered that the cable was broken and previously it had caused a BSOD. I threw it away and used the old one.

 

Tomorrow I'll buy a new one and try again.

[koupa]

After a week with a new cable everything is fine.

 

Now I have another problem but it's not Yamaha's fault. I have a Xiaomi phone and it's very aggressive with the battery. So the Musiccast widget lose the connection every time the screen closes. I have to rescan for the widget to work.

 

But I'll have to live with that because the phone is a tool since it has a 7" display and a 2 day battery.

[The Computer Audiophile]

3 minutes ago, koupa said:

After a week with a new cable everything is fine.

 

Now I have another problem but it's not Yamaha's fault. I have a Xiaomi phone and it's very aggressive with the battery. So the Musiccast widget lose the connection every time the screen closes. I have to rescan for the widget to work.

 

But I'll have to live with that because the phone is a tool since it has a 7" display and a 2 day battery.

Great to hear the cable fixed it.