Arkay
Lunatic Member
Just wondering... has anyone here tried to match up a Yamaha YST-SW1000L subwoofer with an NS-1000 series speaker?
I think these subs are uncommon outside of Japan; the "L" designation suggests they were not sold overseas. It seems they were the last "audiophile" ones made, before Yamaha made a clear shift to home theater stuff.
There is a shop here in Hong Kong that has a pair of these. (I think subwoofers should always be used in pairs; despite what some sub makers claim, there is stereo in bass, right down close to the bottom limits of hearing.)
They come in two variants: one is black just like the NS-1000Ms; the other is natural wood, like the NS-2000s. I'm not sure if they were supposed to match up along those lines or not; it doesn't seem to me that the 2000s need much bass extension.
Either way, the best-looking ones (IMO) are the wood-grain ones, which are the ones in the shop here. I have black NS-1000Ms, so the colors wouldn't match, but I'm thinking that these would augment (extend) the somewhat limited bass on the NS-1000Ms, and improve the overall (already good) sound. I suspect that Yamaha would have voiced these along similar lines as the woofers in the NS series, although they are ported for practical reasons. If they share the "Yamaha house sound", they should sound tight and clear. It appears from what I found online that these subs are popular with Japanese audiophiles, which is a good sign, but I can't find comments on systems that specifically match them with the NS-1000Ms.
Since these are contemporaneous Yamahas that cross over within the correct range (recommended crossover for them is at 65 Hz, but that can be lowered or raised between 30 and 100 Hz). to match up with the NS-1000s (or NS-2000s), I think/guess they'd be about the best sonic match possible for the NS-1000s --but that's just a guess.
My HOPE (if I get these) is to make the NS-1000Ms sound more like the NS-2000s or even the NS-10,000s. While I like the tight, accurate bass of the NS speakers, I think it needs to be extended (and perhaps filled out a little?), for optimum overall sound quality. {I'm also considering adding a rearward-facing Be tweeter on a small baffle mounted on top of the speaker, but that is for another/later thread.)
I'm thinking about placing these subs directly under the NS-1000Ms, one under each speaker, to emulate 4-way speakers. The subs are about 17" high, so it would raise the speakers slightly higher than the optimum height for them, but it should still be fine, methinks, keeping the tweeters close to ear level when seated. I'd have to think about isolating the cabinets from each other, perhaps placing an absorber (sandwiched cork and rubber? A big, flat sandbag?) between them, and perhaps something similar under the subs to isolate them from the floor - or else spike them to the floor, since floors here are reinforced concrete. Or maybe make some kind of frame to hold the NS-1000Ms just above the woofers, while isolating them from actual contact.
I have another complication, which is that I might have to turn the subs upright to fit them in, in my current smaller space, which would raise the speakers even higher (the subs are 23" in the long direction), but I won't be staying in this small a place forever, so this isn't too big a concern. (Actually, dual subs of this size are overkill in my current small living room already, but again this purchase would be a long-term one, so it doesn't matter. I did find a picture of a Japanese system where the subs were oriented vertically; other than a small difference in woofer and port height above the floor, it shouldn't affect the sound.
Just wondering:
Does anyone here use these subwoofers?
If so, what do you think of them?
If you use them, have you tried to use them with the NS-1000(M)s?
If so, what did you think of the combination?
Any other suggestions based on your experiences adding subs to extend the range of the NS-1000 series speakers?
I think these subs are uncommon outside of Japan; the "L" designation suggests they were not sold overseas. It seems they were the last "audiophile" ones made, before Yamaha made a clear shift to home theater stuff.
There is a shop here in Hong Kong that has a pair of these. (I think subwoofers should always be used in pairs; despite what some sub makers claim, there is stereo in bass, right down close to the bottom limits of hearing.)
They come in two variants: one is black just like the NS-1000Ms; the other is natural wood, like the NS-2000s. I'm not sure if they were supposed to match up along those lines or not; it doesn't seem to me that the 2000s need much bass extension.
Either way, the best-looking ones (IMO) are the wood-grain ones, which are the ones in the shop here. I have black NS-1000Ms, so the colors wouldn't match, but I'm thinking that these would augment (extend) the somewhat limited bass on the NS-1000Ms, and improve the overall (already good) sound. I suspect that Yamaha would have voiced these along similar lines as the woofers in the NS series, although they are ported for practical reasons. If they share the "Yamaha house sound", they should sound tight and clear. It appears from what I found online that these subs are popular with Japanese audiophiles, which is a good sign, but I can't find comments on systems that specifically match them with the NS-1000Ms.
Since these are contemporaneous Yamahas that cross over within the correct range (recommended crossover for them is at 65 Hz, but that can be lowered or raised between 30 and 100 Hz). to match up with the NS-1000s (or NS-2000s), I think/guess they'd be about the best sonic match possible for the NS-1000s --but that's just a guess.
My HOPE (if I get these) is to make the NS-1000Ms sound more like the NS-2000s or even the NS-10,000s. While I like the tight, accurate bass of the NS speakers, I think it needs to be extended (and perhaps filled out a little?), for optimum overall sound quality. {I'm also considering adding a rearward-facing Be tweeter on a small baffle mounted on top of the speaker, but that is for another/later thread.)
I'm thinking about placing these subs directly under the NS-1000Ms, one under each speaker, to emulate 4-way speakers. The subs are about 17" high, so it would raise the speakers slightly higher than the optimum height for them, but it should still be fine, methinks, keeping the tweeters close to ear level when seated. I'd have to think about isolating the cabinets from each other, perhaps placing an absorber (sandwiched cork and rubber? A big, flat sandbag?) between them, and perhaps something similar under the subs to isolate them from the floor - or else spike them to the floor, since floors here are reinforced concrete. Or maybe make some kind of frame to hold the NS-1000Ms just above the woofers, while isolating them from actual contact.
I have another complication, which is that I might have to turn the subs upright to fit them in, in my current smaller space, which would raise the speakers even higher (the subs are 23" in the long direction), but I won't be staying in this small a place forever, so this isn't too big a concern. (Actually, dual subs of this size are overkill in my current small living room already, but again this purchase would be a long-term one, so it doesn't matter. I did find a picture of a Japanese system where the subs were oriented vertically; other than a small difference in woofer and port height above the floor, it shouldn't affect the sound.
Just wondering:
Does anyone here use these subwoofers?
If so, what do you think of them?
If you use them, have you tried to use them with the NS-1000(M)s?
If so, what did you think of the combination?
Any other suggestions based on your experiences adding subs to extend the range of the NS-1000 series speakers?
