Yamaha NS-10M

Legendary mix engineer Bob Clearmountain popularized the use of tissue paper over the NS-10M's tweeters to tame the speaker's notoriously harsh high-end. Many other engineers copied this trick in the 1980s and 1990s to dull the aggressive mid-range frequencies. Despite this flaw, the speakers became an industry standard because if a mix sounded good on them, it sounded good anywhere.

Yamaha officially discontinued the NS-10M in 2001 after producing it for over two decades. First introduced in 1978 as a hi-fi bookshelf speaker, it was quickly adopted by almost every major recording studio in the world. The driver materials were eventually phased out as Yamaha shifted to dedicated modern studio monitor lines.

Because the Yamaha NS-10M is a passive speaker, it requires an external amplifier, and engineers often recommend a high-quality, solid-state amp with plenty of headroom. A popular choice historically was the Yamaha A-S500 or professional rack amps like the Hafler P3000. Since the speakers are notoriously inefficient and can dip to low impedances, an amp that can deliver stable power is necessary.

Most audiophiles agree that the Yamaha NS-10M speakers are terrible for casual, enjoyable listening. They were designed to expose flaws in a mix, resulting in a fatiguing, mid-forward sound with very little low-end bass. They are strictly surgical mixing tools rather than hi-fi speakers for music enjoyment.