Yamaha YST-MS50 2.1 Powered Speaker System - Excellent Sound for Computers and More
Written: Dec 01 '04
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Pros: Excellent sound, solid construction, easy to use, auxiliary input, conservative styling
Cons: Conservative styling
The Bottom Line: I am very happy with my Yamaha YST-MS50. It produces excellent sound, is easy to use and didn't cost me an arm and a leg. It performs...
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| dkozin's Full Review: Yamaha YST-MS50 Speaker System |
I have had the Yamaha YST-MS50 for more than a year. Normally it sells for about $120, but I was able to get it for about $52 after a rebate from Buy.com. The YST-MS50 is a 2.1 computer speaker system (but can also be used as a 2.1 powered speaker system for portable and not so portable audio) which features 80 Watts of power and consists of two 2-way speakers and a powered subwoofer.
The system is also available in white or black color. I chose the latter, since my LCD monitor is black as well and I dislike white peripherals. The system came in a relatively large box and, according to FedEx, weighed 24 pounds. Surprisingly, the box had a photo of the system in white, but, to my relief, it was black, indeed.
The box contained the, relatively large, subwoofer, two speakers and 3 cables: multi-pin cable, connecting the subwoofer and the right channel speaker, the cable to connect the right channel to your computer (or another device) and a RCA cable to connect the sub to the left channel speaker.
The subwoofer looks good, but the speakers could look more high-tech. After all, they are computer speakers and should look as such. But I could care less, since they perform so magnificently.
In general, the system looks conservatively-styled. Perhaps it is a good thing. Sometimes the hi-tech look is combined with poor quality. These, conservatively styled, speakers sounds great.
Connectivity
The system's subwoofer has a power button on the back as well as a level control on the front panel. I always leave that power button on. The right speaker's front panel has a power button (this is the one which is used to turn the system on), a volume control and a headphone jack.
The back of the right speaker has 2 inputs. One is to connect the computer and another one to connect another device, e.g. CD player. Both inputs use the same headphone-style jack and both can be used together - the signals from both will be mixed together in this case.
The subwoofer has a permanently-attached power cable. All three connecting cables are different, so there is no way to make a mistake and connect the components in the wrong way.
The system seems solidly constructed and has clear labeling for inputs and controls. The speakers are magnetically shielded and can be placed close to the CRT monitors without causing picture distortion. It doesn't matter for me as I use an NEC LCD display.
Performance
Obviously, the system is past the break-in period, as I have used it for over a year.
According to Yamaha, the system produces 20 W per channel and 40 W through the subwoofer. I had to turn the subwoofer level control (located on the subwoofer) almost all the way up to balance the bass with the left and right channels.
I placed the sub under the desk, close to the wall. The subwoofer can be placed either vertically (which I did) or horizontally. With the subwoofer level almost all the way up, the system produced excellent sound. I tested it playing MP3s encoded at 225 kbps as well as 160 kbps as well as Audio CDs and DVDs.
I tested Audio CDs both through my computer's sound card (Creative Sound Blaster 16) and through the Panasonic portable CD player connected to the auxiliary input.
The sound is crisp with very solid bass, solid midrange and excellent treble. The 2-way speaker design along with a separate subwoofer really pay off, if you plan on listening to music either from your computer or another device.
The imagining is excellent for the price and size of the system and the system sounds spacious and can play pretty loud too.
It is easy to connect even a portable CD player to this system and have excellent sound without spending substantially more money for a similarly-sounding full-fledged audio system.
Warranty
The system comes with full (both labor and parts) 1-year warranty. The included product registration card is even prepaid. With most other manufacturers, you get shorter labor warranty and have to put a stamp on the product registration card. In any case, the warranty does not require the return of the product registration card and you can also register the product online at Yamaha's web site.
Bottom Line
I am very happy with my Yamaha YST-MS50. It produces excellent sound, is easy to use and didn't cost me an arm and a leg. It performs great not only for a computer sound system, but as a speaker system for music listening in a small room as well.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 52 (rebate)
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Epinions.com ID:
dkozin
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 in Electronics |
 - Top 10 |
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Location: California
Reviews written: 848
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About Me:
I love to push buttons on electronic (audio and video) equipment. It makes me happy.
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