Features
- 2-way studio reference speaker
- mid/woofer: 18 cm (7") sheet-formed white-cone
- tweeter: 3.5 cm soft dome dome tweeter
- frequency response: 60 Hz - 20 kHz
- input power: rated for 25 Watts (max. 50 Watts)
- impedance: 8 ohms
- sensitivity: 90 dB SPL (1W, 1m, on axis)
- crossover point: 2 kHz (12 dB/oct)
- enclosure: wood, black finish
- volume: 34 L
- dimensions: 382 x 215 x 198 mm (15" x 8-1/2" x 7-7/8")
- weight: 6.3 kg (13 lbs 14 oz)
- price: ~$550
Tissue Paper Phenomenom
Engineers unhappy with the "ugliness" of tHe NS-10M speakers in their studio have devised a scheme in which they cover the tweeter driver with tissue paper to reduce some of the high frequencies, giving them a warmer sound. Bob Hodas has done an in-depth analysis of this practice. A redesigned NS-10M Studio model appeared later that rectified the problem with the tweeter, making the tissue paper solution obsolete.
Availability
Originally released circa 1982, Yamaha discontinued the production of the Yamaha NS-10M speakers (somewhere before 2003, reference needed), and replaced them with the Yamaha MSP5, and Yamaha MSP10 studio monitors. In spite of being discontinued, the NS-10M are still widely used in studios and even won Yamaha Corporation a Grammy in 2007 for their technical excellence and impact on the recording industry. You can find them online sold as a balanced pair on eBay selling for around $550.