Short answer: the Yamaha NS-800A for better sound quality, the Technics SB-C700 for the lower price. The Yamaha NS-800A ranks #47 of 105 bookshelf speakers at $4800. The Technics SB-C700 ranks #49 at $1699, $3101 cheaper.
On the Yamaha NS-800A side: Exceptionally well-built cabinet with no internal resonance issues at all - confirmed clean in both burst decay and impedance measurements. Watch for: A wide, roughly 2kHz-10kHz scoop in the upper-midrange/lower-treble gives it a laidback, soft, low-attack character - notably worse than the reviewer’s Audio First Fidelia reference in an A/B comparison.
What the Technics SB-C700 gets right: Distinctive coincident “Phase Precision Driver”: a 1.9cm dome tweeter mounted at the exact acoustic center of a 16cm flat-diaphragm carbon-fiber/honeycomb-sandwich woofer, giving true point-source geometry. Set against that: 85dB sensitivity paired with a 4-ohm nominal impedance wants a fairly capable amplifier.
Buy the Yamaha NS-800A if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Technics SB-C700 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| Yamaha NS-800A | Technics SB-C700 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4800 | $1,699.00 |
| Ranked | #47 of 105 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #49 of 105 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 40.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 4.3 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 84.9dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86.5dB manufacturer specified) | 85dB (2.83V/1m) |
| Drivers | 1.25" dome tweeter, 6.5" mid-woofer | Coaxial "Phase Precision Driver": 1.9cm dome tweeter + 16cm flat-diaphragm woofer |
| Weight | 28.7 lbs / 13.0 kg (28.7 lbs) each | 18.7 lbs / 8.5 kg (18.7 lb) each |
| Dimensions | 16.5"H x 9.1"W x 14.1"D (419.1 x 231.8 x 358.8 mm) | 8.7" x 13.2" x 11.3" (220 x 336 x 286 mm) (8.7 x 13.2 x 11.3 in) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex | Bass reflex |
| Crossover Frequency | 2600Hz | - |
| Output Power | 40W nominal, 120W max | - |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Yamaha NS-800A: $4800 The Music Room
Pros: Exceptionally well-built cabinet with no internal resonance issues at all - confirmed clean in both burst decay and impedance measurements. Good, wide directivity (~75 degrees horizontal) that stays consistent enough to EQ successfully. Distortion is low, staying under 3% at 96dB, and dynamic range holds up well until right near its 102dB limit. A shallower, higher-frequency bass rolloff profile (F3 68Hz, F10 35Hz) means it can be placed closer to the wall (about a foot) without turning boomy, actually gaining bass presence rather than losing it.
Cons: A wide, roughly 2kHz-10kHz scoop in the upper-midrange/lower-treble gives it a laidback, soft, low-attack character - notably worse than the reviewer’s Audio First Fidelia reference in an A/B comparison. On top of that, treble breaks up badly above 10kHz, swinging up as much as 8dB - a significant, named flaw. Sounds inconsistently voiced as a result (bright on some material like cymbals and shakers, dull/laidback on vocals and instrument attack) until corrected with real parametric EQ (the reviewer needed a +2dB boost around 4.5kHz at Q0.5 plus taming the treble spike to bring it to life) combined with near-wall placement and 30-degree toe-out. Without that combination, it’s a tough sale for a $4,800 bookshelf speaker.
Full Yamaha NS-800A review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 2600Hz |
| Dimensions | 16.5"H x 9.1"W x 14.1"D (419.1 x 231.8 x 358.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.25" dome tweeter, 6.5" mid-woofer |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 4.3 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Output Power | 40W nominal, 120W max |
| Sensitivity | 84.9dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner; 86.5dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 28.7 lbs / 13.0 kg (28.7 lbs) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Yamaha NS-800A vs Definitive Technology Demand D11
- Yamaha NS-800A vs ELAC DBR62
- Yamaha NS-800A vs ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62
- Yamaha NS-800A vs JTR Noesis 210HT
- Yamaha NS-800A vs Dynaudio Contour 20i
- Yamaha NS-800A vs SVS Ultra Bookshelf
- Yamaha NS-800A vs Revel Concerta2 M16
- Yamaha NS-800A vs JBL HDI-1600
- See all 14 comparisons
Technics SB-C700: $1,699.00 Value Electronics USA Tube Audio
Pros: Distinctive coincident “Phase Precision Driver”: a 1.9cm dome tweeter mounted at the exact acoustic center of a 16cm flat-diaphragm carbon-fiber/honeycomb-sandwich woofer, giving true point-source geometry. Directivity is unusually symmetric front-to-back and top-to-bottom (both horizontal and vertical average exactly 60°) and spdi_stddev (3.09) is tight for the passive-large tier. Die-cast aluminum chassis and a high-gloss convex “Entasis form” cabinet with side panels up to 42mm thick for extra rigidity.
Cons: 85dB sensitivity paired with a 4-ohm nominal impedance wants a fairly capable amplifier. Bass extension is shallow relative to its 6.5”-class woofer at -3dB (85.0Hz), though it reaches a more usable 40.5Hz at -10dB - a fairly steep low-end rolloff shape once past the reference band. At $1,699.99/pair, some in the ASR community have questioned the value proposition against similarly-measuring alternatives at lower prices.
Full Technics SB-C700 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 8.7" x 13.2" x 11.3" (220 x 336 x 286 mm) (8.7 x 13.2 x 11.3 in) each |
| Drivers | Coaxial "Phase Precision Driver": 1.9cm dome tweeter + 16cm flat-diaphragm woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 85dB (2.83V/1m) |
| Weight | 18.7 lbs / 8.5 kg (18.7 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Technics SB-C700 vs Definitive Technology Demand D11
- Technics SB-C700 vs Dynaudio Contour 20i
- Technics SB-C700 vs ELAC DBR62
- Technics SB-C700 vs ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62
- Technics SB-C700 vs Revel Concerta2 M16
- Technics SB-C700 vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- Technics SB-C700 vs JBL HDI-1600
- Technics SB-C700 vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- See all 10 comparisons