If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
When it comes to the Yamaha NS-333 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers, I think they offer good value for money. The speakers are designed specifically for home theatre applications and offer good sound quality with a range of connection options. The speakers are ideal for two-channel or multi-channel systems, and are capable of providing a symphony orchestra soundtrack as well as a battlefield drama. The speakers are also magnetically shielded, making them ideal for use near TVs or video monitors.
However, there is still room for improvement. The bass on the speakers could be more powerful and the soundstage could be bigger. Additionally, the speakers do not come with an integrated amplifier, so you will need to purchase one separately.
Overall, the Yamaha NS-333 speakers offer good sound quality, but there’s still room for improvement. The speakers have a 5″ PMD cone woofer and a 1″ aluminum dome tweeter, and are designed for home theatre applications. The speakers also come with a waveguide horn for improved imaging, and are magnetically shielded. The bass on the speakers could be more powerful and the soundstage could be bigger, but overall the Yamaha NS-333 speakers are a worthwhile investment.
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Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
Yamaha NS-333 Review: Sound quality
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
The sound quality performance you'll end up getting from a speaker will always depend on your room acoustics - particularly room dimensions and speaker positions.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is also why it's not unusual to see completely different reviews of the same speaker.
In one case the speaker might be placed in a sweet spot inside the room and hence the user might be satisfied. In other cases the same speaker might be ill placed and hence user might even have returned it.
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The point most people miss here is that it mostly isn't even about the engineering behind the speaker itself. It's about where you place the speaker inside which room.
So, in order to solve this problem, I've partnered with Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD Andrea Cicero from AC Acustica and created Soundton - a simple, 2D, browser accessible online speaker placement calculator.
With Soundton, now there's a way to figure the sound quality of most speakers before you buy them.
Read more about its working principles at soundton.com.
The end colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) acoustics.