eBay

Here in our store we have an amazing pair of used Yamaha NS-10 speakers with Tweed Style Grilles and the Original Box, Cables and Manual, as shown in photos. These were purchased from the original owner, whose parents bought them for her in the 1970's and had them shipped to her in the SF Bay area. (The label is still on the box) What a find-- these are in absolutely amazing condition! There are a few nicks and chips on the corners, as shown in our photos, but overall these are outstanding! These rare speakers are the predecessors to the classic NS-10M and have consecutive serial numbers . They were tested in our studio and the woofers and tweeters sound great. These vintage speakers feature a nice, classic Yamaha sound. There is some wear, as would be expected for the age of these speakers, so please see detailed photos. There is a ring mark from where someone left a cup sitting on top of the speaker, some tears in the screens on the backs and some wear to the tweed fabric on the grilles. These come from a smoke free / pet free environment. This item comes with a 30 day warranty from our store. We are experts at packing and shipping so your item will arrive safely and in the same condition that it left our store. Please remember to check the box to follow our Ebay store as we are adding new items every day. Dan's Bake Sale also buys new and used audio & video equipment. So if you have anything for sale, please feel free to reach out to us and let us know what you have!

Cosmetic Condition:
These are amazing! Purchased from the original owner who got them new in the 1970s, these are in fantastic condition and include the original box, cables and manual, as shown. There are a few small nicks and chips on the corners (see photos) , but these are pretty much the most amazing vintage NS-10s we've seen!

Auction Includes
2 used Yamaha NS-10 Speakers with Tweed Speaker grills, Original Box, Cables and Manual. (SN: 32113 / 32114)
(Stock Item # 15394)

Here is some additional info from the manufacturer
Sound On Sound Magazine Sept 2008
The Yamaha NS10 was designed by Akira Nakamura and launched in 1978, and it was as technically unremarkable then as it is now. During the NS10's 23-year life Yamaha manufactured a number of different versions (or perhaps just used a number of different logos): The NS10 started life as a (not very successful) hi-fi speaker: and the original NS10M shipped with cloth grilles, hence the grille-mounting sockets you find in the corners of this model (absent from the NS10M Studio that followed).

NS10M: The original domestic hi-fi speaker designed for vertical orientation (its front panel logo reads correctly with the speaker mounted with tweeter above woofer). This is the speaker that was too bright for Bob Clearmountain, leading him to resort to tissue paper over the tweeters — although, of course, it had to be the right kind of tissue paper.

NS10M Studio: Some time after Yamaha got wind of the NS10M's popularity as a nearfield monitor (and around nine years after the original product launch) a version badged 'NS10M Studio' was produced. This version was designed for horizontal orientation (the logo and connection panel text were turned through 90 degrees), incorporated a redesigned tweeter and crossover to address the HF tonal balance issues, featured a more rugged cabinet design without grille-mounting sockets, and had improved connection terminals.

Others: Web searches on NS-10 or NS10 will reveal some variants. There are versions badged NS10M Pro, NS10MX, NS10MC, NS10MT, and a miniature version that was sold in a 5.1 home-theatre package called the NS10MM. I've been unable to establish whether the NS10M Pro and NS10MX offer anything different (my guess is that they don't, but if anybody out there knows anything about them I'd love to hear it), but the NS10MC appears to be an NS10M Studio with a front grille, and the NS10MT appears to be a magnetically shielded and vertically oriented NS10M Studio with symmetrically arranged drivers and, wait for it... a reflex port. Aaaargh! There are also obviously NS10-inspired products out there, by which I mean nearfield monitors with black cabinets and white cones. In the absence of any independent technical appraisal I'd be very wary of purchasing one on the assumption that it will offer anything like the performance of the genuine article. If you really want a pair of NS10s, eBay is probably your only real option, and you should expect to pay anything up to £350 for a pair in good condition.

Before we get into the electro-mechanical and psychoacoustic nitty gritty that I know you're gagging for, let me take you through a little NS10 history. The Yamaha NS10 was designed by Akira Nakamura and launched in 1978, and it was as technically unremarkable then as it is now. At that time Yamaha were also producing the more extraordinary NS1000 (also designed by Nakamura). With its beryllium mid-range and tweeter domes this speaker is technically advanced even now, and if you ever come across a pair in good condition, worth selling your own mother for. The NS10 began life as a domestic hi-fi speaker, but it was relatively poorly received and quickly faded towards obscurity. How the NS10 was rescued from hi-fi death and resurrected as a nearfield monitor, single-handedly inventing a product sector as it did so, is a story that has probably been told slightly differently almost as many times as it's been told, but the version I'll tell here is, I believe, as close to the truth as makes no difference.

Bob Clearmountain's other significant claim to fame is probably that he was the first to use tissue paper over NS10 tweeters in an attempt to dull their over-bright balance. He resorted to tissue paper after the maintenance staff at The Power Station had refused to modify the speakers by wiring resistors in series with the tweeters (why he didn't simply put an HF shelf EQ in the monitor chain is a question for which I don't have an answer). Yamaha's second-generation NS10, the NS10M Studio, had a less bright balance, so removing the need for tissue paper. There's a technical analysis by Bob Hodas examining the effect of covering the NS10 tweeter with various types of tissue paper here: www.bobhodas.com/tissue.html

What the professionals say about the Yamaha NS-10 Speakers
"The old cliché is that if it sounds good on NS10s then it'll sound good on anything. I think it's precisely because they sound so bad that they are used so widely."

"NS10s are totally incapable of reproducing a double bass or the bottom octaves of a grand piano with any sort of accuracy, and have a harsh high-end that can really numb your ears after a while."

"I've never really got on with them and can gladly live without them in the studio. However, I've seen experienced visiting engineers produce good mixes on them and I've seen inexperienced people produce terrible bass-heaving mixes on them."

"They may sound horrible but they do highlight problems with your mixing."

"I totally hated the NS10s initially and wondered why they were industry standard, until I checked back some mixes on a pair. All the problems instantly jumped out."

"They really are somewhat unique in their ability to let you hear the mids in a relatively uncoloured way, and I can tell you that they have improved my mixes greatly, and I'm able to get a mix to translate better in a much shorter period of time, especially with busy mixes."

"Run out and buy a pair of NS10s... like the sound or not, that is not the point."

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About Us
Thank you for visiting our auction. For over 14 years Dans Bake Sale has been selling good quality new & used merchandise to customers all over the world. We pride ourselves in providing great merchandise, low prices, and excellent service. Our items are always shipped correctly so that they arrive in good condition. We are creative type techies and musicians who test and use most of the items we sell. We use eco-friendly packaging and re-use shipping boxes and packing materials whenever possible. We care about the Environment. By refurbishing older equipment and reusing technology, we can help reduce the amount of natural resources used to manufacture new products and also help reduce the amount of harmful pollutants produced by e-waste processes. When equipment can no longer be refurbished, we make sure that this equipment is safely recycled.A portion of the sale of each item goes toward non-profit organizations who help others who are in need of food, shelter, and clothing. Please remember to check the box to follow our Ebay store as we are adding new items every day. Dan's Bake Sale also buys new, used audio & video equipment. So if you have anything for sale, please feel free to reach out to us and let us know what you have!