I bought these around 15 years ago and they still are going strong. I have paired them with a hs10 sub to fill out the low end and I have never felt the need to upgrade them at all after that. I would describe them as tight and clear. On their own they lack oomph in the really low stuff but add a decent sub and you'll have a setup that rivals much more expensive solutions. I wouldn't be too worried buying these second hand either as the build quality is so good that I can hardly imagine what it would take to break them. Just don't buy these for portable use as they are really heavy for their size.
I totally agree with that review. I work on MSP 5 for 15 years now. I even master my mix on it with better translate results than with my Focal Solo 6. I plan to add a subwoofer for greater accuracy in the lower range. Beside that, I trust them most of the time.
@@lescomptinesdegobette8197 no, I mean the actual design looks like they are leaning forward. I own them myself and just realised this while watching this video for the tent thousand time.
@@lescomptinesdegobette8197 if you flip them upside down and place them on a flat surface you might notice. If you don't notice anything then I must be crazy:))
had mine for 10 years and can't fault them , really good match to my AKG Quincy Jones 701 headphones , anytime ive done a mix on them and taken it to another studio the mix has sounded fine .......its what you are used to at the end of the day
i've been using them for more than 10 years now .. they are my main monitors and i cross-reference with Focal Twin6 be. love them and won't sell them anytime soon.
Used my msp5s since 2003. Reliable and great for close monitoring (for my ears) Will upgrade, but i'll keep these as they show excellent mid-range and good highs ( a little harsh)
Been using these for about 10 years now and compared to other bigger extended range monitors, these just sound like taking a magnifying glass and focusing on the midrange of the spectrum, where it matters most.
I borrowed a pair for a session (one of my dynaudio monitors had blown up), and I never returned them. I bought them off the guy who let me have them, and I bought an extra pair to carry around. I find them that good. They are my main nearfields these days. The tailoring eq is very subtle and lets you accommodate for diff environments. BUT you want to refrain from eq'ing them so they sound "nice". They are tools, not hi-fi spkrs (for the way I use them). If what u need is loudness, go bigger
It's been 7 months so you may have already bought some monitors...However, for the same price range as the msp5 (an extra £8 in the UK for a pair) you can get the HS80M which is pretty good and overcomes some of the minor shortcomings of the msp5 for low-end bass details. The msp5 is still pretty good nonetheless, depends what music you're interested in producing.
@SDRockman sounds like for bass in your situation, you really would be better off investing in some headphones, bass will travel whatever speakers you use - if they are bigger than little computer monitors.
The electronical components of the MSP were superior to the HS series, the don't distort so unpleasant. I use the MSP10, this is one of the greatest ever, and I used to have Adam P11A, Tannoy Ellipse etc...
I had those monitors, and I admit I miss them! I dont remember them having scooped low mids, or maybe it was a matter of placement (pretty close to wall, but 15cm bass trap on it). They lacked lowest bass, had slightly harsh highs (but no like on hs80 which I also owned and hated!), but they felt like a great tool - they allowed me to immediately hear what was wrong with midrange and low mids. I will definitely get them again one day:)
@keybox8 Hi, you will need a soundcard with 1/4 inch jack/ XLR (or even RCA) IN or a mixer to be able to connect it to your mac. Which model do you have?
You will need a subwoofer *out* in your soundcard/player/recorder etc. You might need to upgrade your sound card or add one if the motherboard doesn't have it. You may use an external sound card too. I'd say you should use decent equipment (decent sound cards or a motherboard with a decent built-in sound card with the necessary outputs) whenever you want to use quality studio monitors and studio subwoofers. The necessary outputs are 3.5mm line-out jacks. One of them should be for the subwoofer. Ideally, everything should have XLRs. Alas, that's just wishful thinking. But 3.5mm to XLR cables are also available. So connecting problems are solvable when integrating home equipment with quality professional studio speakers. The balance in-jacks on Yamaha studio speakers are 6.35mm phone jacks (= 1/4'' headphone jacks as opposed to smaller 3.5mm headphone jacks). Some studio monitors also have RCA inputs like Adam studio monitors. If you want nice bass, studio monitors might be not the best idea. Check out audiophile equipment. It will have more power and more bass. Active audiophile speakers (for use with a PC) are increasing in numbers. Studio monitors should be flat and bassless (well, in fact they do have precise bass, just not in the amount audiophiles want or accustomed to). *Studio speakers also need proper placement and the position of the listener is even more critical (!!!), which is not the case with consumer speakers = sound from the studio monitors degrades very fast when position of the listener and the speakers are not optimal, and so much so that the sound might become much worse than on consumer speakers which don't require precise placement.* Also, every single studio monitor needs to be connected to the power socket. And they are not sold in pairs. With all these drawbacks, studio speakers can't be beat, not even with hi-end audiophile/consumer junk when it comes to the quality of the sound!
Hi, cool review. I have these speakers since 2001 ( a different design on the back though). I found them great but in the last 2 years my hearing was a bit damaged and I need a subwofer now. Which subwofer will you suggest to go with? Thanks in advance!
@yoe91 Don't do it, the MSP is a really flat speaker with high quality components. The HS are hyped, they go lower, but they sound weird. i used to workl at thomann and musicstore and could compare all models to each other. HS sound more like a hifispeaker to me.
I was wondering if someone could help me...I want to practice, play and record a bass guitar on my computer. I was wondering if using studio monitors would be suitable for this, or just use normal desktop speakers? The reason why I am not going to play through a bass amplifier, is because I live in an apartment in Japan and I used to have a small 30 watt Roland bass amplifier which is definitely going to be heard. So now I'm confused on what kind of speaker I should get.
@europica These monitors are magneticalyshielded so there shouldn't be a problem with the computer screen... Maybe it's your cell phone which made the interferences???
hi peeps, I do have a pair of these but I have a problem. I get interference, like the sound you get when in between radio stations. I've tried using different computer screens which are magnetically shielded, but this has not solved the problem. When recording my bass which is monitored through earphones I have to stand as far as I can away from my pc to get rid of the interference. The monitors are about four foot apart. Can anyone shed some light on this? Many thx in advance.
The prob with the ns10 is simple: they may be good monitor speakers but when you are working in the studio for so many hours and forced to listen to those speakers all the time it just isn´t joyful. But music has a lot to do with joy and fun. So I decided to go for different speakers and I guess the MSP-series won´t suit my attitude.
@keybox8 Yes it will function. You will need a 1/4 jack Balnced cabel to XLR male. This is the best option. U can also use 1/4 jack to 1/4 jack but this is would be unbalnced and worse option.
Ima a Hip Hop And R&B Producer So Alt Of My Music Contains Alot Of Synthesizers and Bass. Now a roblem ive had on my krk rocket 6's is that they are to plumpy and realy only meant for bass. they dont really get the clarity out my mix so i dont know if im mixing right or not. Youve Mentioned that these will make me work hard to Mix my music. im planning on changing to the yamahas but wich would i be better off with the msp5's or the ns-10 m? i really want my music to be as clear and professional
These speakers are good, but their bass response is inadequate for monitoring modern music. I bought them, much to my regret, and so was forced into buying a subwoofer to add to them. It would have made more sense to have purchased larger monitors such as the MSP7.
@@khaninhazarika6585 I still have them, used with an Adam Sub7 subwoofer. However, they are also good paired with the woofer section of a Logitech Z4 computer speaker system. I would have replied sooner, but I never received an email notification.
i have a pair they are the best i have ever used and u use them for computer speakers and only sound good when playing quality high kbps high wave audio not mp3 junk which is low quallity sound. These speakers have taught me to apprecate quality sounding music more and more and they are good for listening to high quality dc transferred music. Yamaha is the best.
Would you be able to recommend a pair of speakers that I can use in a non treated room. Just a decent pair of speakers on which I play a reference track which I then try to emulate. If that makes any sense. I use a Focusrite Saffire. Thanks.
I recommend using smaller speakers in an untreated room. Less bass buildup, especially in a small room. I have HS-8 - which are great - but, I actually prefer the HS-5.
yes Realy good.. I have the msp10 . high end built good nichicon capacitors. the yamaha hs serie,s are cheap built and will break fast. and are not flat . most monitors now are badly built. the mackie hr824 are also high end built with nichicon capacitors
A great review, very articulate display of thoughts and facts... Say sonicstate, would you be kind enough to answer this: I just got the MSP5 reviewed here yesterday. Sounds awesome. But I am to give it back in 3 weeks to the Yamaha store in exchange for the HS80, my original request. Could you quickly compare the two in a few sentences ? I'm pretty sure the HS80 is a better unit based on a few reviews but I trust your judgment.
That's very wrong saying "don't buy these for the computer". You just might add, "folks just go buy junk computer speakers or audiophile crap instead of quality studio monitors". These are not audiophile bassy speakers. *But not everyone is an audiophile and not everyone needs a lot of bass. So these studio monitors can be superb solution for some people when paired with a PC with the 'bass' caveat!* They can be connected via 3.5mm to two XLR cable or via 3.5mm to two balanced ins (two 6.35mm headphone in jacks also callded TRS headphone 1/4" jacks). It would be correct to say these are not for audiophiles or bass lovers. And even in the latter case, a quality studio subwoofer can be added! Whether you need a subwoofer or not is just a personal preference. I don't need it, and there's no accounting for taste.
i have them and don't like them. scooped in low-mids, bright and hyped. actually, i don't like any yamaha monitors. even the ns-10 sucks hard. imo, the only serious monitors of this company are the hs-80.
13 years later and not a single 'like'. Probably because anyone who thinks these monitors sound scooped in some frequencies and hyped in others needs their ears syringed.
As soon as you said you need to work hard for a good mix on these monitors I got a huge grin on my face. I could use that.
I've had 4 of these for 10 years. They just keep on giving. I've seen them priced at about £268 GBP today. Good choice for me.
I bought these around 15 years ago and they still are going strong. I have paired them with a hs10 sub to fill out the low end and I have never felt the need to upgrade them at all after that. I would describe them as tight and clear. On their own they lack oomph in the really low stuff but add a decent sub and you'll have a setup that rivals much more expensive solutions. I wouldn't be too worried buying these second hand either as the build quality is so good that I can hardly imagine what it would take to break them. Just don't buy these for portable use as they are really heavy for their size.
I totally agree with that review. I work on MSP 5 for 15 years now. I even master my mix on it with better translate results than with my Focal Solo 6. I plan to add a subwoofer for greater accuracy in the lower range. Beside that, I trust them most of the time.
Am I crazy or the design of the cabinet makes the speaker lean forward? I mean they clearly have an angle of leaning forward.
@@stemipro MSP5 don't lean by themselves . But I've put them that way too, but can't remember exactly why…😁
@@lescomptinesdegobette8197 no, I mean the actual design looks like they are leaning forward. I own them myself and just realised this while watching this video for the tent thousand time.
@@lescomptinesdegobette8197 if you flip them upside down and place them on a flat surface you might notice. If you don't notice anything then I must be crazy:))
Did you managed to add the subwoofer? If yes, then which? I'm looking to add a sub too and I'm not sure if the sw10 would be the right choice.
had mine for 10 years and can't fault them , really good match to my AKG Quincy Jones 701 headphones , anytime ive done a mix on them and taken it to another studio the mix has sounded fine .......its what you are used to at the end of the day
i've been using them for more than 10 years now .. they are my main monitors and i cross-reference with Focal Twin6 be.
love them and won't sell them anytime soon.
Super review thanks. How do these in your opinion compare to the Yamaha HS series. Your review has got me rethinking what I want to buy.
What is the best matching subwoofer for the Yamaha msp5 speakers?
Thanks for this review...bought these babies in late 2015 they awesome.
great review. honest, informed , clear and thorough. I will be following your further videos for sure.
I have a pair of these today, they still rocking but costing much more nowadays. Great ones so far
Used my msp5s since 2003. Reliable and great for close monitoring (for my ears)
Will upgrade, but i'll keep these as they show excellent mid-range and good highs ( a little harsh)
Been using these for about 10 years now and compared to other bigger extended range monitors, these just sound like taking a magnifying glass and focusing on the midrange of the spectrum, where it matters most.
I borrowed a pair for a session (one of my dynaudio monitors had blown up), and I never returned them. I bought them off the guy who let me have them, and I bought an extra pair to carry around. I find them that good. They are my main nearfields these days. The tailoring eq is very subtle and lets you accommodate for diff environments. BUT you want to refrain from eq'ing them so they sound "nice". They are tools, not hi-fi spkrs (for the way I use them). If what u need is loudness, go bigger
thank you. straight on no bollocks. Respect💃
i have the MSP-5 and the MSP-3... love 'em both... (yes, would like on/off switch on the front...)
It's been 7 months so you may have already bought some monitors...However, for the same price range as the msp5 (an extra £8 in the UK for a pair) you can get the HS80M which is pretty good and overcomes some of the minor shortcomings of the msp5 for low-end bass details. The msp5 is still pretty good nonetheless, depends what music you're interested in producing.
But is not better to get MSP7 over HS80M/HS8, even discontinued?
@SDRockman sounds like for bass in your situation, you really would be better off investing in some headphones, bass will travel whatever speakers you use - if they are bigger than little computer monitors.
@juleswinns sounds like a lead problem. try changing it or checking the earthing on your leads.
The electronical components of the MSP were superior to the HS series, the don't distort so unpleasant.
I use the MSP10, this is one of the greatest ever, and I used to have Adam P11A, Tannoy Ellipse etc...
I had those monitors, and I admit I miss them! I dont remember them having scooped low mids, or maybe it was a matter of placement (pretty close to wall, but 15cm bass trap on it).
They lacked lowest bass, had slightly harsh highs (but no like on hs80 which I also owned and hated!), but they felt like a great tool - they allowed me to immediately hear what was wrong with midrange and low mids.
I will definitely get them again one day:)
@keybox8 Hi, you will need a soundcard with 1/4 inch jack/ XLR (or even RCA) IN or a mixer to be able to connect it to your mac. Which model do you have?
I still mix on my msp5 mk1
Great info, great pithy review. Thanks for this.
Hi.If i want to connect a sub were should i go with the cable?I use the 6,3 hole to the presonas soundcard/Peter...
You will need a subwoofer *out* in your soundcard/player/recorder etc. You might need to upgrade your sound card or add one if the motherboard doesn't have it. You may use an external sound card too. I'd say you should use decent equipment (decent sound cards or a motherboard with a decent built-in sound card with the necessary outputs) whenever you want to use quality studio monitors and studio subwoofers. The necessary outputs are 3.5mm line-out jacks. One of them should be for the subwoofer. Ideally, everything should have XLRs. Alas, that's just wishful thinking. But 3.5mm to XLR cables are also available. So connecting problems are solvable when integrating home equipment with quality professional studio speakers. The balance in-jacks on Yamaha studio speakers are 6.35mm phone jacks (= 1/4'' headphone jacks as opposed to smaller 3.5mm headphone jacks). Some studio monitors also have RCA inputs like Adam studio monitors. If you want nice bass, studio monitors might be not the best idea. Check out audiophile equipment. It will have more power and more bass. Active audiophile speakers (for use with a PC) are increasing in numbers. Studio monitors should be flat and bassless (well, in fact they do have precise bass, just not in the amount audiophiles want or accustomed to). *Studio speakers also need proper placement and the position of the listener is even more critical (!!!), which is not the case with consumer speakers = sound from the studio monitors degrades very fast when position of the listener and the speakers are not optimal, and so much so that the sound might become much worse than on consumer speakers which don't require precise placement.* Also, every single studio monitor needs to be connected to the power socket. And they are not sold in pairs. With all these drawbacks, studio speakers can't be beat, not even with hi-end audiophile/consumer junk when it comes to the quality of the sound!
Hi,
cool review. I have these speakers since 2001 ( a different design on the back though). I found them great but in the last 2 years my hearing was a bit damaged and I need a subwofer now. Which subwofer will you suggest to go with? Thanks in advance!
@yoe91
Don't do it, the MSP is a really flat speaker with high quality components. The HS are hyped, they go lower, but they sound weird. i used to workl at thomann and musicstore and could compare all models to each other.
HS sound more like a hifispeaker to me.
will it sound good if i hook it to my korg pa 600 keyboard..
I was wondering if someone could help me...I want to practice, play and record a bass guitar on my computer. I was wondering if using studio monitors would be suitable for this, or just use normal desktop speakers? The reason why I am not going to play through a bass amplifier, is because I live in an apartment in Japan and I used to have a small 30 watt Roland bass amplifier which is definitely going to be heard. So now I'm confused on what kind of speaker I should get.
@europica These monitors are magneticalyshielded so there shouldn't be a problem with the computer screen... Maybe it's your cell phone which made the interferences???
hi peeps, I do have a pair of these but I have a problem. I get interference, like the sound you get when in between radio stations. I've tried using different computer screens which are magnetically shielded, but this has not solved the problem. When recording my bass which is monitored through earphones I have to stand as far as I can away from my pc to get rid of the interference. The monitors are about four foot apart. Can anyone shed some light on this? Many thx in advance.
Thanks
If it sounds good on a NS-10m, it sounds good on everything!
The prob with the ns10 is simple: they may be good monitor speakers but when you are working in the studio for so many hours and forced to listen to those speakers all the time it just isn´t joyful. But music has a lot to do with joy and fun. So I decided to go for different speakers and I guess the MSP-series won´t suit my attitude.
@keybox8 Yes it will function. You will need a 1/4 jack Balnced cabel to XLR male. This is the best option. U can also use 1/4 jack to 1/4 jack but this is would be unbalnced and worse option.
@violinmyth the NS10 or the ones from the vid?
Ima a Hip Hop And R&B Producer So Alt Of My Music Contains Alot Of Synthesizers and Bass. Now a roblem ive had on my krk rocket 6's is that they are to plumpy and realy only meant for bass. they dont really get the clarity out my mix so i dont know if im mixing right or not. Youve Mentioned that these will make me work hard to Mix my music. im planning on changing to the yamahas but wich would i be better off with the msp5's or the ns-10 m? i really want my music to be as clear and professional
@audioh0lic I meant the MSP5 but also the NS-10m unless it's the studio version.
check out also "yamaha ns10 story" on soundonsound review
These speakers are good, but their bass response is inadequate for monitoring modern music. I bought them, much to my regret, and so was forced into buying a subwoofer to add to them. It would have made more sense to have purchased larger monitors such as the MSP7.
CrankCase08 So whts ur next choice ?
MSP5 with sub sounds great. Great to be able to turn the sub off. MSP5 tracks faster than MSP7
@@khaninhazarika6585 I still have them, used with an Adam Sub7 subwoofer. However, they are also good paired with the woofer section of a Logitech Z4 computer speaker system. I would have replied sooner, but I never received an email notification.
i have a pair they are the best i have ever used and u use them for computer speakers and only sound good when playing quality high kbps high wave audio not mp3 junk which is low quallity sound. These speakers have taught me to apprecate quality sounding music more and more and they are good for listening to high quality dc transferred music. Yamaha is the best.
@sonicstate will these hold up to today's standards? I have them with a subpac!!
Would you be able to recommend a pair of speakers that I can use in a non treated room. Just a decent pair of speakers on which I play a reference track which I then try to emulate. If that makes any sense. I use a Focusrite Saffire. Thanks.
I recommend using smaller speakers in an untreated room. Less bass buildup, especially in a small room. I have HS-8 - which are great - but, I actually prefer the HS-5.
@@rickyjordan31 Yes thanks.
Are those Sonodynes behind him?
Great review - thanks
have you got a reveiw of the yamaha hs50s
Best review
yes Realy good.. I have the msp10 . high end built good nichicon capacitors. the yamaha hs serie,s are cheap built and will break fast. and are not flat . most monitors now are badly built. the mackie hr824 are also high end built with nichicon capacitors
is that good for heavy metal music ?
i play some brutal shit and im building my homestudio
so i want something good to start with
is that good ?
A great review, very articulate display of thoughts and facts...
Say sonicstate, would you be kind enough to answer this:
I just got the MSP5 reviewed here yesterday. Sounds awesome.
But I am to give it back in 3 weeks to the Yamaha store in exchange for the HS80, my original request.
Could you quickly compare the two in a few sentences ?
I'm pretty sure the HS80 is a better unit based on a few reviews but I trust your judgment.
does anybody has msp7s??Are they have much better bass than msp5??
@audioh0lic These are different monitors and design though bare the Yamaha name.
That's very wrong saying "don't buy these for the computer". You just might add, "folks just go buy junk computer speakers or audiophile crap instead of quality studio monitors". These are not audiophile bassy speakers. *But not everyone is an audiophile and not everyone needs a lot of bass. So these studio monitors can be superb solution for some people when paired with a PC with the 'bass' caveat!* They can be connected via 3.5mm to two XLR cable or via 3.5mm to two balanced ins (two 6.35mm headphone in jacks also callded TRS headphone 1/4" jacks). It would be correct to say these are not for audiophiles or bass lovers. And even in the latter case, a quality studio subwoofer can be added! Whether you need a subwoofer or not is just a personal preference. I don't need it, and there's no accounting for taste.
i have them and don't like them. scooped in low-mids, bright and hyped. actually, i don't like any yamaha monitors. even the ns-10 sucks hard. imo, the only serious monitors of this company are the hs-80.
13 years later and not a single 'like'. Probably because anyone who thinks these monitors sound scooped in some frequencies and hyped in others needs their ears syringed.
@@Claidheambmor I stand by my opinion. HS8 is great, MSP5 pierce my ears. Not the worse monitors I tried though, dynamics are great at least.
Did you seriously just suggest the bass reflex port was a positive because you can feel port chuffing!?!? *facepalm*
Thank god for the experts