Yamaha intended the NX-N500 to be suitable for a wide variety of circumstances, from computer speakers to main system use. Such versatility means that a description of the imaging and soundstage characteristics is highly dependent on the seating arrangement. The driver selection is geared for very wide even dispersion especially in the horizontal plane, making it quite forgiving. These speakers were a little more critical of vertical height and angle but their small size made them easy to tune. Used as a close-proximity computer speaker, the perspective was very much intense nearfield, offering a wraparound soundstage with some diffusion of images and compression of depth. Centre precision was more listening-area restricted but acceptable in the assumption of a fixed seating position in front of a monitor screen.

Pushing seating position to the midfield to simulate a small dedicated room gave the speakers a little more breathing space. The centre image locked into position over a larger left-to-right spread and stage width evolved from wraparound to more conventional wide spread, attaining greater differentiation of individual instruments in the horizontal plane. Front-to-back information expanded to present more realistic placement and venue information. The tonal balance remained consistent, demonstrating excellent driver matching. Operating as a farfield monitor challenged the NX-N500 and showed one of the inherent pitfalls involved with any wide-dispersion monitor. Room reflections which are sidestepped in the nearfield become secondary sound sources whose delayed arrival times contaminate frequency response and imaging precision. Predictably that occurred and required a little extra setup TLC. With that addressed, how did the little Yamaha fare when asked to play as the main audio system?

Image focus improved beyond that achieved in the near- and midfield positions and the perspective changed from immersive to observational. Left/right spread enhanced with better precision. Front-to-back information favoured depth over projection but absolute distances were somewhat compressed, making for a shallower if still well delineated soundstage. Image height and size honoured the monitor tradition of bigger and bolder rather than "miniature figures on a miniature stage". The presentation kept a believable sense of scale and proportion that belied the hardware's size. Hall venue information was present to emerge from a deep dark background lit when instruments played rather than existing as an independent entity. Comparisons with similar speaker designs constituted a challenge. This caliber of versatility and performance usually occurs higher up the financial chain. The current poster child is the Devialet  Phantom. That can go louder and deeper and does the integration trick rather neatly but its DAC tops out at 24/192. It offers impressive specs for its size but whether or not those translate into musical performance is still a question to be answered. At price points below the Yamaha, the alternatives become interesting but go very different routes to achieve anything comparable. The Bluetooth brigade is by definition performance limited and often mono so not competitive. In similar size and format, the Audioengine products (which have not been in house) come to mind but wireless and DAC capability do not come integrated but as outboard accessories. Those DACs currently also top out at 24/96 output, 24/192 input and software integration is not even a discussion point. The majority of competing designs follow that mold so I was forced to make a comparison based more on sonic merit.

On hand were the Swans 200 MkIII active monitors and Kanto i5, both a generation away but overachievers at their time. The Kanto was forward thinking and designed to accommodate Apple Air and be remotely operable via its own remote or a compatible phone. The iPod still reigned and a dock was integral. The matter of higher-quality DACs and better file formats was not yet on the horizon. From a current standpoint, the Yamaha is far more advanced. On sonic merits, the Kanto is still a loveable contender, offering deeper but less controlled bass and higher output, making it more the party animal. It is less at home in the nearfield, preferring more distance to strut its stuff. The amplifier stage is feisty, giving the speaker lively bounce for its size but it clips hard when hitting its limits. The Yamaha has better driver integration and more sonic sophistication, greater placement versatility, far more advanced wireless ability and a dynamite DAC. The next-gen MusicCast software makes the argument even more single sided. To bring the Kanto up to Yamaha benchmarks, while in some ways possible, is at best far more expensive.

Where does that leave us? Yamaha kept aspirations and abilities honest. The NX-N500 doesn't overreach to pretend at being something it's not. It's neither the loudest nor most extended. The NX-N500 is simply the most versatile mini monitor system I have come across in terms of accessing and presenting an audio signal. On its most basic level as a small powered box, it handles itself with near studio-level resolution but applies a less aggressive tonal balance that opts for a bit of midrange prominence over textbook flat. As an almost full-fledged system, the sum of the parts is truly spectacular. Software and hardware are intelligently done and flexible enough to appeal to a variety of music lovers from casual to hardcore. A pair of NX-N500s could conceivably replace almost every traditional component and do so with surprising competence. That makes it a musically versatile alternative for someone downsizing from behemoths; or contemplating a modest start into a better version of the HighEnd future. At its price of admission, the Yamaha NX-N500 is a minor miracle. Is it absolute state of the art? Of course not. Is it absolute state of the dollar? You best believe it!


Is there anyone it won't appeal to? Be realistic. This is a 5” woofer in a small cabinet. If subterranean bass and room-shaking volume are at the top of your list, look elsewhere. If you want the last word in spatial presentation, be aware that Yamaha's core signature follows more the studio style of slightly shallower and drier. Also keep in mind that this is a self-contained concept. There are no upgrade interconnects or speaker cables required or even possible. You buy into a design team's vision of what music should sound like. If your visions mesh, this will be heaven. If it is not your sonic cup of tea or you are addicted to the perpetual wheel of upgrades, this will be the wrong route. Other than that, this is the brave new world of music playback. The NX-N500 is a very easy recommendation.

Yamaha website

Canadian distributor's website