Yamaha NS-333 Review: Packs a punch

The Yamaha NS-333 are bookshelf speakers that can function as both front and surround speakers in a home theater system. These are ideal for two-channel or multi-channel systems and perform well whether playing an orchestral soundtrack or an action-packed movie. To achieve their mission, they are equipped with a 5-inch PMD cone woofer and a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter. This combination delivers 150W of power along with satisfactory efficiency and dynamic range in most living rooms.

With that said, YAMAHA isn’t a brand that we normally associate with sound systems, but the truth of the matter is that they have some pretty solid options in this sector, and as an example we can mention the Yamaha MCR-B020, a complete system with head unit . and pair of bugles. Either way, it’s time to return to the Yamaha NS-333 speakers, which offer a lot of sound for their affordable price, but like everything in life, they have drawbacks to consider.

Design

Despite being speakers that have been on the market for a long time, we can say that they look very good in today’s sun. The handsome elliptical gloss black cabinet and angled grill exude a bit of regal elegance. With the grills removed, the silver drivers provide a striking appearance. With that in mind, the grill design and fabric provide an attractive, acoustically transparent protective cover for the drivers.

Yamaha has paid a lot of attention to these speakers, as they are not only excellent from an aesthetic point of view, but also functional. In this sense, the speakers are magnetically shielded , so they can be placed on a television or video monitor without degrading the image due to stray magnetic fields. As if that weren’t enough, Yamaha outfitted the internal component wiring with Monster Cable , which provides a clean, clear signal from the crossover network to the speaker driver.

With all that said, each speaker cabinet has size dimensions of 200 x 320 x 213mm and weighs around 5.5 kilograms. Additionally, the speakers feature a nice set of binding posts installed neatly into the cabinet with a screw-in fixture and a built-in wall-mount bracket.

In short, they are compact speakers, not very heavy, elegant in appearance, and with the right size and mountings for various use cases and applications. However, you should always keep in mind that its power and soundstage are only recommended for small to medium-sized bedrooms or living rooms.

How about the sound?

The Yamaha NS-333’s are rated at 6 ohms with an efficiency of 87dB and required good quality power to power properly. With that in mind, these speakers feature a bass-reflex design that can be used for main or surround channels and feature a 5-inch Polymer Injected Mica Diaphragm (PMD) cone woofer and 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter. inch . Together they deliver an output equivalent to 150W .

Additionally, they have a waveguide horn that considerably reduces reflected sound and increases the proportion of generated sound waves that reach our ears directly.

The result of this combination of factors is a clear and precise feeling for the direction and location of the sound. Going into detail, under optimal conditions -both power and acoustics- these speakers deliver a moderately deep and wide sound stage , which has slightly above average imaging qualities.

When it comes to its performance at different frequencies, we have to emphasize the fact that the treble offers fantastic detail with a lively and light touch , which lends itself to enjoying rock and electronic music. For its part, the midrange exhibits a smooth, liquid quality that is well-suited to many types of material, especially vocal and piano tracks.

When entering the lower mids and bass, things drop a bit , as they seem to lack strength; which compresses the soundstage and hurts other sections, although it still provides a decent extension. When flush against the wall the bass extension improves a bit and provides better balance, but even then they lack maximum clarity.

Connectivity

When it comes to connectivity, the Yamaha NS-333 speakers are quite versatile; they have a decent variety of inputs and outputs, allowing you to easily add them to your home theater setup. Connection options include a stereo mini-jack input, an RCA input, and an RCA output.

Unfortunately they lack Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but that was to be expected given the price these speakers have and the year they came out.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, these speakers deliver a consistent musical sound quality that more than delivers in the budget range, not to mention that they look great even today. 

Yamaha NS-333 Specifications: