Yamaha 5000 series HIFI - FULL review - Grandfather style HIFI made for today showing off!

[@caligula57]

The most comprehensive analysis of a sound system that I have ever listened to. Outstanding! The good and the not so good explained. I am a fan of music at its best reproduction possible. I am a fan of yours now. I'm subscribing as of this moment. Congrats and thank you Morten for sharing your knowledge. Always learning even after 50 years of circling around great stereo systems which is my passion.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Hello Fernando! Thank you for your kind words! Much appreciated! I actually ended up buying a C-5000 myself, as it in itself is a great tool for comparisons :-)

[@mantaproject]

Nice Yamaha 5000 series review! Thank you! One side note: at 21m24s you mentioned a tribute to the NS1000 speakers and probably intended to show them, although you accidentally showed the NSX10000. ;-)

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

I liked your thorough presentation, and I like the fact you included the entire series in its scope, not just the amp or preamp, as so many other have done. I plan to check out some your other videos.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Thanks Jeremiah! Let me know what you would like to see more / less of, and thank you for watching.

[@stjernholmreviews]

I have added the error to the video description.

[@RoyFJ65]

M5000 and AS3200 are the best sounding amps out there period, thanks for the review.

[@MattyHogue_73]

What a fantastic review. I haven't enjoyed a review this much in a long time. And man i really REALLY want a 5000 set. Such a beautiful aesthetic. And I love the fact they went analog.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching my little channel!

[@taghappytv]

I have spent many hours setting up and listening to the NS5000 while working at Yamaha. Truly amazing speakers. I did find placing the tweeters and mids on the outside, instead of the in helps widen the sound stage.

[@stjernholmreviews]

That was also my first impulse, but Yamaha advice the other way. The soundstaging has much to do with the distance to the speaker as well. In our case we did very nearfield listening. With a 3 way system, it just can compete with the coaxial driver on the SB-R1 we compared it to. It really performs crazy good nearfield due to the perfect phase.

[@MaxPower-zp7wy]

Do you work for Yamaha ? Please tell Yamaha to make a modern Floor stander version of the amazing NX-N500 network active powered speakers. I have been waiting for Yamaha to make a network powered speaker now that the wireless active brands are making a market and a reason for Yamaha to get in on the action.

[@JR-ho5qm]

The new Yamaha stuff looks really good! What’s your thoughts on the new NR2000a streaming amp? I’m thinking of getting one

[@phatjbl]

I very much like the new era of Yamaha. I have heard only the speakers on their 3000 integrated amp. I have a cd2000. Plus vintage gear like the C2a preamp. They have always made great value product at all sensible price points. $13000 for a preamp may sound insane to some but in the grand scheme of the market it's very reasonable given its build quality. I saw in on static display in a hifi shop a while ago. Pitty it wasn't going. If I had the money I would ask boldly to hear it before plunging in....just to be sure.

[@phatjbl]

Your review and analysis is very helpful and informative. Your explanation of their intent is great too. I wonder if a 5000 cd player/dac/ transport will ever eventuate. I know it's not in their initial design brief but it would compete the system along with an AM FM tuner.... crazy maybe. Mc Intosh have a new model for $11000 Aud. The completest with the money would buy it all. Yamaha as you know made killer tuners too. I have a T1

[@giangvu7902]

Beautiful review! I'm sure they sound incredible!

[@Filtersloth]

The audio dimmer button is probably for when you are changing the sides of a record. I like it.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Then they should call it "The audio dimmer" and not a "mute" button, right? :-) Thank you for watching the channel!

[@reyiiteleco]

the VU mode where the luminosity varies is to select the intensity you want and switch back to whatever mode you like at the desired luminosity.

[@stjernholmreviews]

It has been covered. Check the description, mr." not reading descriptions man" 🤣 Or check this segment: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJW1eGiVhbylh7M&si=f3Dsmcn2ntow3Haj

[@dokterbc]

Fantastic review!! As a NS 5000 owner I completely agree. I have combined them with my gear Bryston poweramp and Naim preamp and love it. All types of music. Specially piano and trumpet sounds magically real.

[@Smood47]

What speakers have you heard before owning the ns5000?

[@dokterbc]

@@Smood47 lots, I own monitor audio GS6 that were in my main system before. I was very close to deciding on ATC active 50. Also very nice but with lower quality recordings very unforgiving. I play all kinds of music but also have older recordings that sounded very flat on the ATC’s.

[@Smood47]

@@dokterbc The reason I ask is I have NS5000 as well and I do love them but wonder what other speakers people have heard and which speakers ns5000 'beat'. I do know there is one guy on whats best forum thats using them with MSB select dac which speaks to how much he likes those speakers!

[@stjernholmreviews]

Couldn't agree more!

[@czaplowka68]

I like your take on the system! Great review. Two questions, if you don't mind helping me out: how to properly use the speakers foam diffusers in a close to the wall setting? And how about the tone adjustment knobs cutting the sound of when adjusting?

[@stjernholmreviews]

The speakers does not come with any diffusers. They come with a little foam piece that you can use to block the port in the back, if you feel you have to much bass. So if placed very close to the wall, and you feel there is to much bass, use it to reduce bass pressure. Nothing is wrong with the tone control defeat. There is a little mute when enabling the tone control when the circuit is being engaged. Thats normal, as a relay is inserting the tone control circuits. I hope this answers your quesions.

[@kaneda7katsuragi]

Thanks for making a playlist on Spotify. Has some great tracks I haven't heard before.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Thank you for appreciating that. Let me know if you have some "sonic snacks" that would be great for testing (in any genre)

[@johnkirby8140]

more seriously thank you for your very attentive review I came to learn more about the speakers I think you sold us the Yamaha Preamplifier!

[@KimmoJaskari]

The black piano lacquer is actual piano lacquer - it's the same stuff they put on their grand pianos and done to that standard.

[@sebg.7614]

I find the separate to be so good that I get the C-5000 & M-5000 and for my need of digital CD-S3000. WOW !!! that sound is delicious and my Sl-1210GR is so happy. Thanks !! Like you said the black is blikidy black and the sound is so effortless and dynamics. If you have very revealing interconnect and dedicated audio ac line with quality AC cable, OMG

[@stjernholmreviews]

Hi seb. Congratulations on your new system! What cartridge are you using with the 1210 GR?

[@prewinder]

Seeing the striking similarities with the on Yamaha B and C series components makes me wonder how the old vintage classics compares to the new versions. Do you have any experience with the old vintage models? Would love to hear your opinions about what has changed in the sound.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Good question!

[@user-hb7hb1id5s]

Excellent review of the C5000 & M5000 the best I have seen so far. I have wanted to see these two units in person but so far no one has them on display near me. I will be honest cant afford these brand new so looking for second hand and to date have seen quite a few almost new, this opens up a new concern why are so many people selling these within 18 months is there a fault of some sort. I really want these two but cant afford to get it wrong, any thoughts please.

[@stjernholmreviews]

I think these are "budget" endgame products. You really cant fault the C-5000 and the M-5000 in any way, and they are built like TANKS. I did not find the M-5000 the right match for me, but as you know, - I got a C-5000 as the perfect pre to do all kinds of comparisons. Every time I use it, I appreciate how good it actually is! Love is still very strong. :-)

[@kcr2365]

Great review my northern friend

[@rickp6731]

Wait until you hear these NS-5000's with the new MoonRiver Reference 404 Integrated amp😇

[@David_vdk]

i have a combination of marantz amp and old technics(2002) speakers ,in 2018 i bouth a marantz amp, technics amp su vx 660 (1995) died after 22 years, the sound that the speaker are given with this amp, how clear and pure, and the aspeakers they sounded and saying ,why didn't you bouth us this before, we can handle it !! now i reallyu want to now how a marant pm-10 would sound on the sb-r1

[@robertseifried3742]

Absolutely stunning review! Thank you! All my interests and/or questions are covered. I own A-S3000, so if I could wish something additional from Mr. Stjernholm, it would be thorough comparison of C/M-5000 system with A-S3000/3200 integrated amplifiers (not just one sentence at the end of review mentioning alternatives exist), or even better, specifically comparison of A-S3200 to A-S3000, and C/M-5000 to A-S3200. Of course, I know that I can find some comparisons of these elsewhere on the web, but I would like to hear Mr. Stjernholm/T. Harris opinions...

[@stjernholmreviews]

Hello Robert and thank you so much for watching the channel! Unfortunately, the S-3200 we got was a development unit, that did not have the last "sound-tuning" carried out on it, so it could not be considered a exactly the same unit that would end up with a buyer, thus not being "reviewable". Thats the main reason for not covering it deeper and not doing the direct comparison. That said, we used the power amp to drive the 3000 speakers most of the time, and I also tried it in combination with the SB-R1 speakers. No doubt, it is a magnificent integrated, and I think it must be very close to the M/C-5000 combo. Enjoy the music! What speakers are you using with your S3200?

[@robertseifried3742]

@@stjernholmreviews Hi and thanks for answer to my comment :) I chose Canton A 45 3-way speakers in that time and I am still very satisfied with them too. Today, with availability of improved A-S3200 and availability of bigger Cantons I would go either for Canton A 55 or Canton A 65. However, If I would decide to switch to C/M-5000 any time in future, I would probably also switch to some series of Focal speakers because few Focals I had chance to listen to (up to Scala Utopia EVO) were the best speakers I ever heard so far. Of course, if I would be considering such a great step forward in my HiFi system quality (and price) I would probably consider even switch from Yamaha components to T+A HV series (even if I superlike the sound of Yamaha) because combination of T+A HV series components and Focal speakers is just my ultimate dream of listenign nirvana. (Note: of course, I am very well aware of an option that even if I would own such a supersystem, it might end up in situation I would be dissatisfied from too digital, technical, analytical sound and would later gladly return to good old sweet analog Yamaha ;) I really really like its sound philosophy and the sound it creates for my ears). But currently, with my A-S3000, Canton A 45 is simply perfect match very well satisfying all my listening needs (well, yes, those A 55s and A 65s are still hanging over my head as a big questionmarks :). But you know human nature, human beings have never enough ;) Knowing there is A-S3200 on the market, and even one level up C/M-5000, my brain is constantly asking "what if..." ;) In the end, everything is underlined by the price we are willing to invest into our hobbies and the constant mental fight if I really need any improvement from status quo. Anyway, seeing your excellent review of C/M-5000, I would still be very interested in your comparison review(s) I suggested above (if you ever get the chance to make them).Thanks a lot once again and happy listening! :)

[@MisterTwister222]

nice, very impressive. Interested in how they implement their volume control. Thats key to sound, and the lack of details is a red flag. The balanced design is wonderful, as well as the doubling of power as the ohms drop. But I do very much think at this price level that 100 watts is just not going to cut it, no matter how high quality those watts are. At this price range, many accompanying speakers dont really "wake up" until you hit

[@stjernholmreviews]

:-) Mr Twister, the difference between a 100 watt and a 200 watt amplifier is 3 dB extra headroom. Its way more important that the wattage avaliable matches a reasonable SPL that the speaker is able to produce. So it is really way more important that speaker sensitivity and the available amplifier power matches to get most headroom-wise from a given speaker. In the case of the 5000 system, that was actually something we felt not matched that well, as the amplifier could be driven to a point where you felt a bit more headroom was needed with very dynamic pieces (we are talking the 1812 overture and Hok Man Yim on the sonic snacks playlist here..) In order to get those ekstra dBs, we had to bridge the amp and turn them into monoblocks. A bit silly and expensive for just 3-4dBs more, right? Much better if the speakers had just been a bit more effective here! In fact, you could gain those 3-4 dBs by moving just 3 feet closer to the speakers, its that small a gain! All this is naturally totally relative to room size, your listening preferences, musical style and so on. For 90% of listeners, I feel certain that it will never be an issue, and the power of the M5000 (that really matches the NS-5000 so well tonality wise) is more than adequate. In short: Amplifier wattage really only matters when speaker sensitivity is a problem in relation to the wattage. Hope this adds to the perspective. Thank you for watching the channel! I look forward to your comments.

[@harrisedgar]

Oh my god... Two M5000s atthe same time..???!!! That's it, I'm subscribing..!!! Hey, you really have some great gear reviews... all of them interest me.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Welcome aboard!

[@Kidvo]

The dimmer function from the VU meters allows you to set their brightness. Switch to dimmer, wait untli the meter light has a brightness level to your taste, and switch back.Voila, VU meter brightness dialed in ;-)

[@stjernholmreviews]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJW1eGiVhbylh7M&si=ZL5wWoapBWbOwkHd

[@Kidvo]

@@stjernholmreviews 😅👍

[@sebg.7614]

love your review !!! Did you compare to the a-s3200 ? I'm shopping for both and hear both systems but in different room and speaker in different time period. Can you tell me the differences in the phono stage and preamp of both amp. (btw dimmer mode is not a party mode but a function to set your intensity of light on the meters) Thanks.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Hello Seb. I did not test the phono stage of the 3200, and it was not considered as the 3200 we got was a prototype unit. We bought it in to be able to show a great alternative, as they are build much in the same way. Power-wise it seems like it is delivering the same kind of power. Thank you for the correction on the dimmer function. I did not check the manual for this, and obviously, it was not self-explaining. Will go read the manual now in shame, thank you 😀. Thank you for watching, and let us know what you find!

[@asplmn]

@@stjernholmreviews honestly, I would love to see your take on the AS-3200. As well as the new Accuphase E-5000 Class A/B integrated. I think a lot of folks are interested in hearing just how far interested amps have come when compared to these statement separates.

[@micheldegroot2063]

@@asplmn me too! Really curious to hear your verdict on that. The a-s3200 is on my shortlist.

[@agx502]

It's made in Malaysia (5000 series electronics)

[@stjernholmreviews]

Oh, yeah. Technics also manufacture there, and they are really good at it! Thank you for watching the channel!

[@jamil8lila]

"bliggity-bliggidy black, old school style"

[@dragonstone6594]

You know you're not supposed to have anything in between the speakers to get the full imaging right?

[@stjernholmreviews]

"I am also supposed not to drink my own urine, but its sterile and I like the taste". . (Dodgeball movie quote ). :-). Empty room between speakers only works in the brain. Now close your eyes and tell me if there is something between the speakers?

[@ladronsiman1471]

I don;t have that kind of money .But i am lucky owner of Yamaha's B-1 and B2 ,preamps like C50,60,70 .. and i am used to those ..I wonder what else could i gain

[@stjernholmreviews]

That is not easy to say. It depends on the whole chain. In my experience you get the biggest improvements in actual sound from the simple things: 1) Your room, 2) Speakers and their placement 3) having some sort of eq’ ing ability on the system. Thank you for watching!.

[@MoY206]

I need this system in my life 😢🤣

[@stjernholmreviews]

Moninn, I know the feeling! 😁... All you need to do is sell the car, and move to a cheaper house.... and maybe skip a few Holidays! Thank you for watching the channel!

[@Smood47]

Your room is really tiny and I think likely is handicapping the ns5k. Try them in a very big room, 30x40 feet... this is how they are demo'd in many places and you may be surprised how they scale and improve in terms of soundstage presentation and imaging.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Hmnn.. The room is 7.5 metres x 7.5 Metres with 2.5 metres to the ceiling.

[@Smood47]

@@stjernholmreviews Then why the hell are you sitting that close with the speakers that close together?

[@stjernholmreviews]

@@Smood47 To maximise output/dynamic performance & minimize early reflections. This way, coloring and smearing caused by the room is kept at a minimum.

[@Smood47]

@@stjernholmreviews As long as you have a good room the ns5000 will do better with a bigger triangle. Trust me I own them and have tried.

[@stjernholmreviews]

@@Smood47 Yes indeed. We did change positions a lot, så the NS-5000 was also reviewed with more air to the back wall, and further apart in the SB-R1 position and so on. They have also been sampled freestanding. When doing A/B comparisons a setup like what you see in the video is nessasary, to get kind of the same axis. I totally agree , that the NS5000 performs best with a little larger distance to the listener. That is due to the phase related issues you have with a large 3 way speaker. You can say, it takes a little "air-time" for the 3 drivers to "blend" perfectly and reach your ear in perfect synchronized "time". You started out by assuming the room was "tiny", but that is not the case. The listening space you see in the video normally provides at least 2.5 metres between the speakers.

[@dokterbc]

Was wondering if you tried combining the ns5000 with other amps, like the llyngdorf or unprompted?

[@stjernholmreviews]

Yes. Its covered in the review, actually :-)

[@rttange1]

Anyone tried the M-5000 power amp without Yamaha equipment with it? I'm looking at It to partner it with Radio X2t speaker, but what about the power and and the partnering of other brands preamp?

[@stjernholmreviews]

That is simply a thing you just got to try! The M-5000 provides suitable power for this speaker, so that is not a problem. Question is if you like the sound in the combo. Nobody can tell you, - you can only experience it and try a couple of power amps. Blindtest them if you can, for a prolonged time with YOUR music. For exsample, I find the M-5000 and the Nuprime Evolution One monoblocks being very different on the reference speakers I use. In the review here, we tried nuprimes on the NS-5000 and did not like it as much as the M-5000, while on the SB-R1 we liked the Nuprimes more. I am sure a good reseller can help you with a home test and right to return, so you can make arrangements trying out the amps you lust for. As always, just listen! Thank you for watching! Let us know what you learn!

[@elderinmoi1571]

So the m5000 can only be used with speakers with min 8ohm ? Why is that ? I mean almost every speaker drops below 8ohm and some are 4ohm by default…..

[@stjernholmreviews]

aigh? Please expand on that assumption?

[@eugeneswanepoel877]

That's not what he said, it only applies when using a pair in bridged mode.

[@sloboat55]

Excellent

[@stjernholmreviews]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@bartrainer3916]

Ok. Now I go to eat a Hamburger.

[@stjernholmreviews]

🤣

[@dennishill290]

Yamaha... !

[@michaelwright1602]

Beautiful gear, and I did look at it... Out of my league price wise, well, the speakers are, and no way could I justify spending that kind of money on an old school cabinet speaker, no matter how many coats of lacquer on them... I went with the KLH Model 5 speakers and an all Denafrips analog setup, their Ares II DAC, soon to be a Pontus II, Iris DDC, Hades pre and Thallo amp... I have had many eargasms with this system, and it gets better by the day. But, if I could justify the cost, the Yamaha gear looks incredible, but I wonder if it could match this KLH/Denafrips setup of mine, I bet it would be very close. How about a Denafrips review? Maybe drop Alvin Chee a dime at Vinshine Audio?

[@stjernholmreviews]

🙂. If eargasm occurs, then you got it made with that system. Its all that matters, really.

[@MaxPower-zp7wy]

I can't afford anything like this. I have to make do with my Yamaha NX-N500 all in one active network powered MusicCast speakers. Based on the NS10 studio monitor.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Those things are great too! Thank you for watching the channel! Dreaming is more fulfilling than most people realise, and there is plenty of people who loves to share their passion with others, no matter the size of the wallet.

[@GP-hb3bx]

is audiophilia inherently unbalanced?

[@stjernholmreviews]

I am not sure I undestand what you mean? Technical or philosophical? 😄

[@ilcomendante]

😂🤣💯

[@dieselbrodeur]

Hi, they have not gone all analog. You are supposed to complement it with a CD-S3000 or 2100 accompanied bye a WXC-50 for digital streaming in to the DAC of the 2100/3000. That’s how the demo it. Great video otherwise.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Sadly, they discontinued them!

[@jamestartaglia7686]

wow what kind of distance.do u have from these systems.... u look like you are sitting 5 ft away 🤔

[@stjernholmreviews]

You are absolutely right. It is a side effect of many years in the studio :-) The listening position is rather nearfield, so we can get clean sound less prone to coloring from early reflections. The "master" placement is a triangle of approx 2,5 meters to the master listening position. It also has the advantage, that maximum SPL, thus dynamics are optimized, as there is not so much "air-loss". Disadvantages can be that multiway systems dont "blend" enough or reach their best phase before hitting the ears. In those cases, I naturally move further away, as well as experimenting a lot with placement and so on. Thank you for watching!

[@jamestartaglia7686]

@@stjernholmreviews wow thanks for the reply

[@abbersj2935]

If the speakers had not been used for around 300 hours there is no way that they would give of their best. Even electronics "bed in" to a degree.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Haha, One could ask themselves, why its not a natural part of any high-end gear to get this bed-in process at the factory if it is a thing of great importance? 300 hours is the magical limit, that to me seems like an excuse used to postpone any possible returns (300 hours are 14 days and nights of constant play). :-) While I experience small differences over time, especially with speakers where drivers naturally have to "settle in", I don't find that with any digital or solid state electronics at all. These NS5000 was the Yamaha "on road" speakers, living in flightcases, so they had been used extensively before reaching me. Thank you so much for watching the channel and commenting.

[@abbersj2935]

@@stjernholmreviews It seems that you're just showing your ignorance. Maybe in your world of $100 systems, you can't hear the difference, but in the world of mid and high end audio this is well known. Manufacturers can’t do it because they don’t have the room for 1000 pairs of speakers to be bedding in. I suppose you'll also say car engines don't need careful treatment for the first miles also. But then, you’ve never owned a new vehicle so how would you know... PS. For your information I said around 300 hours. So now it seems you have a problem with English language comprehension also. What a surprise.

[@xfloodcasual8124]

Speakers typically need 600-800 to truly "lock in". The physical surround materials are like a new shoe and need a lot of wear, otherwise tons of phase distortions are occurring that will go in and out as it breaks in. Higher end speakers use higher end materials, like real leather shoes take far longer to break in than Chinese fake leather $20 shoes. a Chesterfield sofa can take 5+ years to break in, maybe longer. Then there is the copper voice coil and so forth. I wonder how many KZbinrs are giving reviews with

[@mekore]

wtf pronounced mids is what I'm after!

[@stjernholmreviews]

😄 Then check out the NS-5000 speakers. As clear butter in the midrange.

[@ewloncctv498]

5000 may seem like a great thing, but if you don't know what devices you made in the 80s. Against their background, this is an obvious degradation. 50 years has not been good.

[@stjernholmreviews]

Actually, I cant agree on that. Yes, Yamaha made MIGHTY gear like the 10000 series i cover in the history segment, but the quality of this 5000 series i simply masterful, and I also think it is brave that they focussed back on pure analog in this quality, while simplifying the products (like the C-5000) even more. At the pricepoint, I am having a hard time finding products that can match quality wise.

[@JohnDoe-rn3jy]

Hi, How good is the phono stage on it? Good enough to not buying a separate one? Thinking seriously about buying one, but if I'll do it I'll be run out of money to add an external phono preamp worthy of a cartridge around 2K. Any advice will be apprecoiated. Kind regards

[@stjernholmreviews]

Hi John. Thank you very much for watching the channel! I love the phonostage in the C-5000. Sounds super natural, dynamic and has a very low noise floor. Also compared with my external €1.000 reference RIAA I find myself preferring the C-5000. Never the less, it is always hard to know, if it represents exactly the right "spice" with your dish (turntable and cartridge combo). But I can voucher, that you get a high class RIAA stage built in. It even has Balanced inputs too! Best thing to do is to just listen. And when you buy a C-5000, I am pretty sure that the dealer will loan you a high-end RIAA for comparison, so you know what you are / are not missing 😀 . Please share your experience and call me a liar in the comments if you dont agree 😀. Best of luck with the purchase.

[@banxxx333]

What‘s the most difference between the 5000er‘s and a AS3200? Sound‘s much better or it‘s only a liitle bit better?

[@stjernholmreviews]

@banxxx333 its in the details. Overall, very much the same signature. I think there is a added feeling to the overall build quality on the 5000 series that makes them "end-game" at a decent pricepoint, but in terms of sound experience the differences are not huge. All this is relative to wallet size, speakers, other components and how you prioritize. Better to spend money on a troubled room and buy a cheaper component, that buying the most expensive and then cant afford to do something for a troubled room for exsample.