Yamaha HS-8 vs Adam T8V vs Headrush 108s or 112s

gbsmusic

gbsmusic

Inspired
Just looking for opinions on these what you would pick? I just play at home it would be set up in my living room which is on the smaller side untreated, & hardwood floors. I also see the Adam A7V that are more than three times the cost. Are they that much better than the others? Is the average person going to notice a huge difference? Thank you for any opinions
 
I've used the Yamaha HS-8 and tried the Adam T7V but eventually ended up with the Focal Alpha 65's. The HS-8's were ear fatiguing in the highs and the T7V had a distortion in the high end that once I heard it couldn't unhear it - especially on clean tones with the Axe III and FM3. The Alphas are incredible monitors and 'affordable'. Great full range sound without any harshness.

No experience with any of the Headrush FRFR's. Had thought about the 108 but since getting the Alphas, my search for monitors/speakers has ended.
 
Yamaha HS8s are great. I bought them last year and I'm very happy.
I use them with my Fractal and as normal PC speakers.
 
gbsmusic said:
Just looking for opinions on these what you would pick? I just play at home it would be set up in my living room which is on the smaller side untreated, & hardwood floors. I also see the Adam A7V that are more than three times the cost. Are they that much better than the others? Is the average person going to notice a huge difference? Thank you for any opinions
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When you have the opportunity to test different speakers I highly recommend doing so.
You have to decide with your ears how they sound in your room.

My experience: I bought the Adam A7X based on all great feedback but they had something going on in the high end that I did not like.
Returned them and bought the Yamaha HS7 that I liked more and only cost half the price of the Adams. There may be many different good alternatives but I liked the sound in my untreated room so I had no reason to look further.
 
If it is for home use, i suggest studio monitors. But you should take attention of the field (nearfield, midfield, etc) you want/need in your living room, what is your position in relation to the speakers... I had a single Headrush 112 and didn't like it for home use and therefore only used it when necessary at a gig. Now i have two Adam A7V's on my desk and couldn't be happier. I can also play along with music, something that was not possible on the headrush, because that needed strong EQ-ing. At gig's i just have my IEM's.
 
I’ve had Adam A7, Yamaha HS8, and now have Focal Twins. They all sound “good,” but the Focals are far less fatiguing and more revealing. My tones translate much better with the Focals.

I also treated my room when changing to the Focals, so it’s not apples to apples.

Whatever you decide, I strongly recommend setting up your listening position in a symmetrical part of the room if possible, and treating the first reflection points with at least 4” deep porous absorbers if possible.
 
I'm happy with my HS8s + sub. I probably don't really need the sub but it fills bass to more of the room so nice. imo, Headrush is a different animal (FR cab I guess?) so a bit apples to oranges comparing to studio monitors.
 
Jeronimo said:
When you have the opportunity to test different speakers I highly recommend doing so.
You have to decide with your ears how they sound in your room.

My experience: I bought the Adam A7X based on all great feedback but they had something going on in the high end that I did not like.
Returned them and bought the Yamaha HS7 that I liked more and only cost half the price of the Adams. There may be many different good alternatives but I liked the sound in my untreated room so I had no reason to look further.
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Unfortunately I'm over 3 hours from anywhere I could test something out, and right now we have over 2 ft of snow here in Montana and a lot of idiots on the roads. Thank you for all your opinions and keep them coming I'm going to do some research into the Focal.
 
FWIW, my experiences are the same as Joker’s. Fractal Alpha 65s were the answer for me too. And the Headrush units were very boomy in my space.
 
nathan_393 said:
FWIW, my experiences are the same as Joker’s. Fractal Alpha 65s were the answer for me too. And the Headrush units were very boomy in my space.
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Yeah the reviews on those are incredible, pretty spendy just a quick follow-up question, what about the alpha'80s they are $100 more a piece if I'm going to spend that kind of money I want to get as much sound potential as I can. Thank you for your opinions keep them coming.
 
My cousin-in-law has some Genelec and Focal Shape Twins. He likes them both in his small studio, but the Shape Twins he said are his go-to. They are amazing. Not sure if you can swing that kind of money, but if you think you can I would suggest making the effort/trip to listen to monitors in that price range.

As I've said previously, I had HS8 before I bought the Focal Twins (not Shape series). I was so moved by hearing the Twins that I sold a bunch of gear to get them. I'm only sorry I didn't listen to decent monitors years ago.
 
jakel said:
My cousin-in-law has some Genelec and Focal Shape Twins. He likes them both in his small studio, but the Shape Twins he said are his go-to. They are amazing. Not sure if you can swing that kind of money, but if you think you can I would suggest making the effort/trip to listen to monitors in that price range.

As I've said previously, I had HS8 before I bought the Focal Twins (not Shape series). I was so moved by hearing the Twins that I sold a bunch of gear to get them. I'm only sorry I didn't listen to decent monitors years ago.
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Good God, there is no way I could afford those! In order for me to buy something like that I would have to get full release/ happy ending every time I heard them😁😁😁
 
The Alpha 80s are nice. They’re big. If you can afford them and have the space, great. The 65s feel similar in bass output to me as a typical 8” speaker. The 80s are bigger still. Because they’re not rear-ported, the bass fires in your direction. It makes a big difference.
 
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I still think the JBL LSRs are the best speakers in that price class. $500 or so for a pair of 306Ps is really hard to beat.

Once you move up, I think Genelec and Neumann are kind of the winners unless you go really high end....and even then, they hold their own.
 
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The HS8s are great. You find them in control rooms just about everywhere and they really can’t be beat for the price. AX7s are also great a different but cost more and unless you are a bat you really wouldn’t need them for just home use. Unless money is no object…
 
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Brucegregori said:
The HS8s are great. You find them in control rooms just about everywhere
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I thought Yamaha NS-10s were the ones that became a pro studio standard back in the day, as a secondary pair, for consumer conditions reference, since they were initially a consumer based stereo speaker that could cross over into studio use as a reference monitor. But that was a while ago, maybe HS8s have taken their place for that purpose in pro studios - my 8s seem to translate well for a price I can afford without ear fatigue. They don't dramatically thrill me compared to other sources I've heard with same type content, but that's not what studio monitors are necessarily supposed to do.
 
sprint said:
I thought Yamaha NS-10s were the ones that became a pro studio standard back in the day, as a secondary pair, for consumer conditions reference, since they were initially a consumer based stereo speaker that could cross over into studio use as a reference monitor. But that was a while ago, maybe HS8s have taken their place for that purpose in pro studios - my 8s seem to translate well for a price I can afford without ear fatigue. They don't dramatically thrill me compared to other sources I've heard with same type content, but that's not what studio monitors are necessarily supposed to do.
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I agree HS8s are great, especially for the money. In my (amateur's) opinion, controlling some of the room reflections is way more important than the difference between low-end and mid-range priced monitors. Any monitor can sound fatiguing if there is chaos going on in the room, especially if some of the low mids are perceived as quieter due to it.
 
sprint said:
I thought Yamaha NS-10s were the ones that became a pro studio standard back in the day, as a secondary pair, for consumer conditions reference, since they were initially a consumer based stereo speaker that could cross over into studio use as a reference monitor. But that was a while ago, maybe HS8s have taken their place for that purpose in pro studios - my 8s seem to translate well for a price I can afford without ear fatigue. They don't dramatically thrill me compared to other sources I've heard with same type content, but that's not what studio monitors are necessarily supposed to do.
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I think they have gotten a lot better and to be honest the size is better for mixing which needs to be at a lower volume. I have a pair in my studio and usually those are the ones I go for. The issue is they were not really designed to use with a modeler per se so lots of people get them and throw a fractal to them and find it not pleasing. The other thing with the HS series is to not crank them. 1/2 to 3/4 volume is best and you have to elevate them slightly above your ears and below the top of your head to get a true sound. TBH they are a very good value still. And many places have them because they are accessible and reliable. The pair I have are in service for about 7 years non-stop. But again you can get better and pay more but it is not needed.
 
My voice is also for Focals. IMO, much better than Yamaha and Adam at the same price tag at least. But I've heard on more that a few occasions that for guitar you want 50s or 65s, so I didn't go for 80s and very happy with 65s.
 
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