Yamaha NS-F160 Floor standing speakers
The appearance of Yamaha NS-F160 cannot be accused of being too utilitarian. Sidewalls have smooth edges and laminated films, expertly imitating the veneer of natural wood. Protective grills are removable, carefully faceted. In short, at first glance, nothing hints at the low-cost status of the model. The speaker arsenal is presented with a 30mm (1.2") dome tweeter and two 160 mm (6.3") drivers, responsible for medium and low frequencies. The large bass reflex port faces forward, which simplifies deployment of the speakers relative to the walls and furnishings. Despite the use of the three drivers, the speaker system is two-way in design.
Nominal impedance of the speakers is 6 ohms - most modern amps work well with a similar load. The only thing we must remember is that many amplifiers and receivers are set to the default 8-ohm load, so you need to switch the selector to the desired position, or set this option from the menu. Loudspeakers are endowed with magnetic shielding, so that fans of the old CRT displays will not be afraid for the quality of the picture.
The sound of Yamaha NS-F160 has a pronounced cinematic character. Treble and upper bass are emphasized, which is usually done in the films themselves by the sound engineers for a more spectacular sound experience. The speakers do not dive too deep, and it's right - a subwoofer should be responsible for this frequency zone. Panorama swings open wide, the level of detail is good. The mid-range might be a little more legible, but for this price the quality isn't something to complain of - there aren't any universal floorstanding speakers in this price range.
In order to reveal the advantages of Yamaha NS-F160 most fully, it is necessary to take the choice of amplifier seriously. An expensive one is unlikely to be combined well with low cost speakers, and a low-powered one is not able to work with large cone drivers, and as a result, instead of the bass you hear incoherent droning, and in the middle a mish-mash of sounds. At the same time, the amplifiers with a vigorous attack and good cushioning can make Yamaha NS-F160 sound quite decent. A good example of such qualities is an AV-receiver by Yamaha. And no wonder that with these devices the speakers combine most harmoniously.
