We all know Yamaha makes a wide variety of products from motorbikes to grand pianos. A bit of audiophile snobbery might dismiss the brand entirely when it comes to the line of the beryllium based loudspeakers they produced. Perhaps even more criticism can be found when comparing a speaker like this to small recording studio staples like their NS10, which engineers keep around for if no other reason than to know this: If a mix sounds good on THEM, they'll sound good on ANYTHING. They really do sound terrible. It could be seen as a tragedy that the gorgeous NS2000 is often overlooked by the highest of the high end, or seen as a small victory for those who have experienced them; They know something many others do not. They know these speakers give up next to nothing in terms of sonic performance, and they are an understated 3-way masterpiece of speaker design.
I've been in the hobby about 25 years- ever since my uncle blasted rock and roll through his Pioneer Spec gear to his beloved HPM 100's, and my grandparents had Heath tube fed Altecs. I was hooked on good music at an early age, and although I learned how to play guitar and drums, I mostly became obsessed with speaker design. I learned about field coils, compression drivers, horns, and so on. I learned about the history of Western Electric/Altec, and JBL. I learned about the classic British broadcasting monitor designs. I even spent some time living in a recording studio convinced I would be a producer at some point. All my life, all around me: music. I have had some amazing speakers come and go over the years. Some of the more notable ones were (in no order), Yamaha NS1000 and the rare NS1000x, TAD 4001/TH4001/1601 experimentals, JBL monitors too numerous to mention, Several Altecs but the 9844 was my fave, Lowthers, Spendors SP1 and BC1, Two Harbeth models C7es(3) and the pro version of the famed Monitor 40's, several Tannoy dual concentrics- the little HPD295a ala Eaton being my favorite, Magnepans, Quad ESL57 (awesome!, but needed work), Vandersteen Model 3a, Totem Rainmakers, Ohm model E and H, and a million others. Having a best buddy in the hobby has given me many extended hours of listening to his great speakers- Westlake BBSM15's. JBL 4345's, ATC Audio, and loads of other world class monitors. I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Yamaha NS2000 stands tall and is not the LEAST bit upstaged. Not a bit.
So what makes the NS2000 great? They are faithful. They do not lie. They do not trick you, or fool you in any way. They are the truth. If you think this speaker sucks, guess what? Your gear upstream sucks. In fact, whatever you want your system to sound like, just put the appropriate component upstream and it's what you get. Want a dynamic jackhammer experience? Want a soulful experience? Want a ruler flat linear experience? Want that magical, organic midrange experience? All you need to do is pick the right source and amplifier components and you can have any and all of those experiences. They are the only speaker I have owned that do not impart a personality on the music. The good thing about that is they serve as a lifelong tool (should you be lucky enough to acquire a pair in your lifetime) for the music lover. You can mess around with the rest of your system, but the NS2000's remain a faithful companion through it all. The bad thing about that is that you need to invest in worthy associated gear. You can't just stick these on poor sounding components and expect them to lie to you. They'll play your garbage really loud and accurately.
What strikes you when you first see them is their size. They're pretty big and beefy- more than pictures would suggest. Having had the NS1000 and then the bigger and much better NS1000x come through my stable, I was not prepared for an even BIGGER and better NS2000. They weigh a lot. A wrap of your knuckle on them results in a quiet thud and a very sore knuckle. The American black walnut veneer work is classic, but flawlessly executed. The drivers' faces are not polished to a mirror shine like the gaudy looking NS1000x, but more like the silver of the standard NS1000(m). Very nice. The tweeter is MUCH bigger than the ones on the NS1000 m/x. The woofer is sectoral carbon like the NS1000x (which I enjoyed tremendously), but even LARGER and with double the mounting bolts to secure them properly to the baffles. This was something the NS1000x desperately needed. The level controls are more subtle looking. That's a big improvement. The floating grills are nice. The binding posts are huge gold plated gems that accept bananas, spades, or (my fave) massive gauge bare wire. They do not spin, by design. Every speaker should have these. A look inside reveals a tremendously overbuilt cabinet. Full scale bracing with materials up to 1.5" thick. The crossover is another improvement over the NS1000 and NS1000X. BTW, there isn't any difference in the crossover between the NS1000, and NS1000X save for layout. The components are exactly identical in value and type. Not so in the NS2000. They are HUGE film in OIL capacitors, and the crossover is nearly TWICE the overall size of the other two models. There are NO electrolytic capacitors in the signal path. The inductors and resistors are of the highest quality. The midrange driver is special, too. It might look like the ones found in the NS1000 and NS1000x, but not so. They have even lower distortion characteristics, and a more linear response than their NS counterparts. These are the ones to have...possibly the finest midrange driver ever produced. Ever. Yes, I just said that.
The performance of these is startling and wide open. They throw a huge stage. There is a cohesiveness to the all the drivers that cannot be explained in text. It's the sort of thing owners of electrostatic loudspeakers have come to expect, but these are pistonic drivers. They have that uncolored immediacy you want in an electrostatic, but with ALL the power and authority the music calls for. There are no compromises in these transducers. None. Transient response is instant, and has the ability to make you flinch when a snare is hit unexpectedly- just like live music. The range is impressive. The quality of bass cannot be compared to that of the NS1000 (it's anemic) or even the punchy little NS1000x (it has too much mid-bass bloat). The bass from the NS2000 is perfect. It's tuneful, and effortless. Play a little solo from Avishai Cohen, and you'd swear he was RIGHT HERE! This coming from a guy who has spent his life around live music....I'm telling you. The bass is legit. Keep your classic paper coned 15's and 18's....your JBL 2245's, TAD 1603's, your ATC's. I'll take the bass drivers in the NS2000 for life. They're that good. The tweeters are a slight improvement on the other two models, but with a bit more perceivable extension and a noticeably smoother presentation. They are airy and clear like that first breath you take after a thunderstorm; They do not disappoint.
These are my last pair of speakers. My son will own these one day. It has been a long journey finding them, but now that I have, I can spend my time listening and collecting recordings. I don't tweak about speakers any longer. I don't even think about them. I have been spending the last year focused on collecting and enjoying rare reel to reel tapes for my trusty Revox A77. I track down rare tubes for my stable of classic amps. I listen to more music than ever before. Strike that. I ENJOY listening to music more than ever before. No matter what games I play with source components, and amplification, my speakers are a permanent fixture.That says something about the NS2000. They will be here till the end.
If you ever get the chance to acquire a pair, beg, borrow, steal, plead, drive across the country, do anything to get them. You'll never regret it. Even if you have leather ears, and don't appreciate them, you can always sell them...to me. I need a 2nd system. :)

Absolutely fantastic speakers. Well worth hunting down a pair. All the frequency ranges are relayed with supurb clarity and musicality. My absolute favourite speakers.

Only downside is they will reveal poor recordings - ruthlessly revealing. The upside is good recordings shine even more. It's like listening to familiar songs anew.

The build quality is extremely high, my pair were made in 1982 and it looks like they came out of the box yesterday. The standard of finish is exceptional & far exceeds many modern speakers.

These speakers would not be embarrassed by any modern speaker. Their sound stage could be a bit bigger I'f I was to be really picky.

Yamaha NS 2000 stil good. They are stil playing good music in my home c",) <3

Tønnes from Norway

Fantastic realistic sound that has pleased me over many years.
I'm way beyond having my life revolve around comparing speakers for fine points that no one I know can detect. My ears are still reasonable and I enjoy the sound of vinyl, but there's just not enough time for holy grail.
I love these speakers.

Size and mass. I don't know what I'd do if I had to move.

Wow! do a google on the internet and find others who own NS-2000 Yamaha's. Excellent. I was delighted to read even that other pairs exist out there in the world.
Let me tell you what I know about Yamaha. First got involved with them after six of us EE's built a half dozen pair of Bose 901's in the early seventies from a bootleg set of plans from an MIT student of Prof. Bose.
Soon came to see the shortcomings of 901's and then read fabulous things about the NS-1000's. Carefully AB'd these with Dahlquist DQ-10's for hours, and ended up with the Yamaha's. Had a blast as a young guy with a house where I could rock them at full volume. Then I saw reviews of the NS-2000 that said they solved the shortcomings of the NS-1000's. Could not come close to finding them in any store, so I bought them without even laying eyes on them. I had faith in Yamaha.
Paid $1300 for the 1000's in the seventies, and in the early eighties the 2000's listed for $2900 here in the USA. They were a MAP product, but I searched and called the classified ads in the back of Stereo Review unitl I found a guy five states away who researched and told me you needed a separate franchise from Yamaha just for the 2000's. His store didn't have one, but he worked with a buddy who applied and got one, and cut the mail order price to $2200 shipping included. Illegal. So I sold my 1000's to my girlfriend and have had the 2000's ever since. I never had had a pair of speakers before that I deemed perfect enougth such that I would never need search ever again, and that's still how I feel! These things are built like the rock of Gibraltar.
Along the way I attended a Hi-Fi show where an old timer with Yamaha Corp told me that years before they had stopped importing them into the USA because at 105 lb. each, the shipping costs killed them. The woodwork was done in the factory piano works in Japan, and they wouldn't trust the construction any place else.
So I have my pair that I am the original owner of and they sit in my NYC living room where they were uncrated in the early eighties. Hence they are in prime condition, without a flaw or scratch that I have ever seen on them.
Then one day about four or five years ago I was cleaning them and I removed the grills to witness that the foam suspension for the woofers rotted in place. When I touched the material with my finger lightly, it left a hole. I was horrified and figured that my beloved speakers were toast. I wrote to Yamaha with little hope and received a form letter explaining that rebuild kits were available for two hundred dollars apiece. Gladly I bought two kits and meticulously did the work myself using the particularly noxious Methyl Ethyl Ketone to remove the twenty year old cone glue. Yamaha supplies the new glue and detailed instructions and it was a proud moment when I finished and put these speakers back in operaton and they worked like new!
I do have the original product one sheet literature that came with these speakers when new. Yes, there was no manual for these three thousand dollar speakers, just the one sheet of paper with English on one side and French on the other side. I mention this for two reasons. First, someone mentioned in one of the other reviews that these speakers have 15" woofers. That is not the case. The original NS-1000's have 12" carbon fibre woofers, and the NS-2000's were advertised with 13" carbon fibre woofers. This is confirmed on the specs within my one-sheet. And the weight is listed as 103 lb. 6 oz. Secondly, since I read that many seem to have second-hand speakers, if anyone has the NS-2000's without the literature, it would be no trouble for me to copy the sheet for you. I could make a pdf and email it to you.
Now my girlfriend wants to downsize her NS-1000's so I am trying to find out where I might find a market for them if anyone knows about this? Let me know?

Similar Products Used:

Owned NS-1000's and NS-2000's
Magnaplanar speakers.

Extreme clarity, pace, rythmn, timing, bass and presence. All you want from a speaker...good looking, accurate and ability to reproduce things you never heard before in a speaker.

Rarity...find one pair of these and you're lucky. I had to go to japan to get some.

Bought these units from Akhibara-ten in Japan...a mecca for the best hifi equipment this side of SanFrancisco. Previously i had units by B&W and Dynaudio...also had the smaller Yamaha NS-1000X...which is one of the best speakers i ever heard until now. Excellent at everything but mainly i listen to rock and jazz. The 15inch carbon fibre woofer provides the necessary 'kick' to replicate quite closely a real drum. More fun than any speaker i ever had...audiophile qualities but will blow you away with power!

Similar Products Used:

B&W Nautilus 802 Yamaha NS-1000X

Very clear, enjoyable sound. Will go extremely loud when needed.

Not as precise as some newer speakers - but they cost lots.

After living with a pair of Polk RTA-11t speakers for about 10 years, a friend from work mentioned that he knew of someone wanting to sell a pair of Yamaha NS-2000s. I went to audition them, and I was not the slightest bit impressed with them. The system they were attached to consisted of a Vemak(?) CD player and a Cary amp (I think it put out about 10W/ch) connected with about $5000 worth of cables. However, I persisted and went back to audition them with my 130W/ch Rotel power amp. That made a difference. I have now been using the NS-2000s for about 2 months. They sit atop heavy, spiked steel stands. They are a 3-way design, with a 30mm beryllium dome tweeter, an 88mm beryllium dome midrange, and a 330mm carbon fibre woofer. The tweeter and midrange are (probably) identical to the ones used in the NS-1000Ms. The woofer and cabinet are superior. At lower listening levels I actually prefer to hook up a pair of mini monitors, since the Yamahas just don't seem to get going until you stuff several watts into them. But at medium to "share you music with the neighbours" levels, these speakers are fantastic. At times I am a "bass freak" and when I wind up the bass control, they are quite happy. Most of my friends do not appreciate what good sound quality is until you cause them physical pain. When I "show off" I sometimes play Dire Strait's "Money For Nothing". Towards the end of the guitar cressendo, you think your ears are going to bleed. But from the other end of the house, the sound is clear and undistorted. This lends credit to their high level abilities (and nothing to my intelligence). I listen mainly to rock/pop, but I do listen to jazz, classical and some folk quite regularly. I don't know if these speakers are "accurate" -- I haven't been able to directly compare them with a live performance, but I find the sound to be extremely "listenable". I find that I turn on the stereo far more frequently than when I had the Polks connected. I am considering upgrading my CD player, which is now around 9 years old. I think CD technology has progressed somewhat over that period. Despite Polk and Yamaha claiming a sensitivity of 90dB/W/m for their speakers, I find that for normal listening levels I used to have the volume control at about 9 o'clock for the Polks, but I use it at about 11 o'clock for the Yamahas (yes, I am using an identical electronics setup in both cases). The construction of the Yamahas is excellent, and the wood veneer finish is still beautiful, and these speakers are probably 15 years old. The previous owner had some modifications made, and the woofers reconed when the foam surrounds deteriorated. The new cones have a synthetic surround, perhaps butyl rubber, which should last longer than foam. The other modifications were internal rewiring, and the replacement of the spring clip connectors with banana sockets. The only problem I have now is that the midrange and tweeter attenuators are getting a bit scratchy. They need cleaning or replacing, and I doubt that Yamaha spares are cheap.
When used as home theatre speakers they are also excellent, except that I feel that I need a subwoofer. This isn't due to their inability to reproduce stacks of bass, but some movie soundtracks have bloated bass effects, and the 500Hz crossover point is just way too high. With my surround sound processor's bass boost on, the low bass effects are huge, but the upper bass becomes very boomy and tiring. A subwoofer crossed over at the recommended 80Hz would be better.
Overall I am truly happy with these speakers. They look great without their grilles, and the cabinets polish up a treat. I give them 4 stars. They are not as good as other speakers I have heard, but then I cannot afford those speakers. However, for the price I paid ($2000 Australian) they are a wonderful balance of clarity and ability to go loud. This suits me. I would really like to hear comments from other owners of the NS-2000.

Manufacturer's Specifications:

Woofer: 330mm (13") pure carbon fibre with 89mm voice coil
Midrange: 88mm (3.5") beryllium dome
Tweeter: 30mm (1-3/16") beryllium dome
Sensitivity: 90dB/W/m
Impedance: 6 ohms
Frequency response: 28 - 20,000Hz
Power Rating: 125W
Crossover: 500Hz, 6kHz
Dimensions (WxHxD): 440x752x370mm (17-5/8 x 29-5/8 x 15-7/8)
Weight: 47kg each (103lb)

My music system components:

Sony CDP-C705 CD player
Sony TA-E77ES preamplifier
Rotel RB-870BX power amplifier
Sony MDS-JE510 minidisc recorder
Nakamichi ST-7 tuner
Cable Talk 3.1 speaker cable