The LSX-70’s concept is to create a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere wherever you are. With a 9.4 cm diameter cylinder, the LSX-70 Portable Sound System fits comfortably in your hand thanks to its textured leatherette finish. Two loudspeakers located at the top and bottom produce omnidirectional sound that travels around 360 degrees.
Audio controls include a volume control to achieve a perfectly balanced sound image for private listening at low volume or loud music playback.
The sofa in the living room isn’t the only place to relax. Each of us has our own favorite place of this kind: for example, by the window, from where a pleasant evening breeze blows, in a secluded attic, or even on the stairs. The LSX-70’s concept is to create a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere wherever you are.
With a 9.4 cm diameter cylinder, the LSX-70 Portable Sound System fits comfortably in your hand thanks to its textured leatherette finish. Two loudspeakers positioned at the top and bottom produce omnidirectional sound that travels around 360 degrees.
Audio controls include a volume control for a perfectly balanced sound image for private listening at low volume or loud music playback.
From the very beginning, I will not hide my loyalty to Yamaha’s design department. The look of their current line of Hi-Fi audio components is outstanding, and Yamaha’s approach to the design of docking stations and stereos is completely unprecedented.
They manage to create masterpieces of industrial design on the field of the mass market, which, undoubtedly, will take their place in the history of material culture, while perfectly coping with their direct functions – playing music.
The Yamaha LSX-70 is the newest product in the category of what is commonly called “designer” audio. I put this word in quotation marks, because, as a rule, they denote exorbitantly ugly speaker systems of wavy shapes and incredible colors, the purpose of which is to be sold to the nouveau riche with bad taste and to stand in the corner of another gilded country house with turrets on all sides.
The subject we are talking about today has nothing to do with this “design”. This is the most real modern design of the highest standard, already marked, by the way, with the German IF Design award for 2017.
What is the Yamaha LSX-70? In fact, it is a wireless active speaker system using a Bluetooth connection with the AptX codec. Its main feature is that Yamaha engineers have taken a fresh look at the idea of ”light music”.
Few people today do not make wireless backlit speakers that shine and blink in all the colors of the rainbow. But Japanese design thought went much deeper – and in this, undoubtedly, one can guess the quality drawn from the antiquity and greatness of the culture of this country. Instead of arranging a disco at home, Yamaha designers made the speaker backlight, firstly, dim, secondly, warm – the same temperature as a burning candle, and thirdly, constant.
Yamaha LSX-70 really looks like a large lantern with a candle inside, casting an even and soothing light on the surrounding objects. The psychological effect is simply amazing. Honestly, contemplating this ideal form, clearly built in compliance with the principle of the golden ratio, and the glow it emits, you even forget about the musical properties – this thing is just gorgeous like a lamp. But also plays music!
I must say, the controls of the Yamaha LSX-70 are amazingly simple. There are only two buttons – turning on the light and turning on the sound, as well as adjusting the volume and backlight. If desired, the sound source can be connected with a mini-jack cable, but it is even easier to connect via Bluetooth, which takes 15 seconds. Yamaha LSX-70 instantly appears in the settings of your computer, tablet or smartphone, after which it is ready to receive a music signal. As a control program, you can also use a special application for smartphones – it allows you not only to control the backlight and music playback, but also to set the timer – to set the column off time to fall asleep to the music, and on to wake up to it.
Separately, it must be said about the acoustic design of the speaker. It looks like a 2-way design, but the specifications indicate that both drivers used are broadband. At the bottom of the Yamaha LSX-70 there is a woofer loaded onto a bass reflex, whose miniature hole will be noticed behind the decorative grille unless our brother is an audio enthusiast. This, however, does not prevent the speaker from producing quite tangible bass, especially on a flat surface of a table or shelf. However, the main sound source here is the second smaller broadband, which is directed upwards – towards the spectacular mirror splitter, and thus provides a circular radiation pattern.
It may sound surprising, but the speaker’s sound is absolutely outstanding. Well, what do we usually expect from such a device? So that something could be heard there and not too disgusting. Engineers who are trying to take sound seriously, as a rule, go along the extensive path – 2- and 3-band solutions appear, even with band amplification, separation of working volumes, in general, they are trying to recreate the quality level of full-fledged Hi-Fi in miniature. complex. Not so with the Yamaha LSX-70. This approach is what I would call vintage, and it fits perfectly with the whole device concept. A broadband with a circular directivity pattern does not try to surprise with the transparency of the top or depth of the bottom, but it perfectly conveys the middle and gives the very, very lively feeling of sound for which wideband designs are famous. I would like to call the sound of this speaker warm and tube-like, especially since, in fact, this is a table lamp. In combination with the backlight, this sound character is ideal, you can listen to music for hours. Yes, disco will not work. And the volume level is not the same, and the frequency range is more modest, but for a “candlelight dinner”, light cocktail jazz, like Charlie Hayden or Chet Baker, it is ideal. The spirit of the music is conveyed wonderfully.
The advantages of the Yamaha LSX-70 do not end there. Not only does it glow and sing, it is also beautiful to the touch. Let’s note the quality of workmanship – there is not a trace of a mass market – perfectly fitted parts, no backlashes and creaks. The column leaves the feeling of an absolute monolith. Aluminum grille, metal fluted lid with logo and discreet yet stunning faux leather on the bottom. I would like to take this flashlight in my hands and not let go! By the way, this is quite feasible.
The Yamaha LSX-70 has a built-in 8-hour battery, so if you want you can simply unplug the power cord and walk with this speaker in the garden or place it in the center of a party table. This makes sense, by the way.
This object literally has a magical effect on girls, they lose their will and cannot take their eyes off it – it has been tested empirically in the course of out-of-laboratory experiments.
