The Yamaha NS-800A ranks #29 out of 56 total Large Size Bookshelf Speakers for sound quality. See Top Recommended Speakers By Attribute for all the top speaker suggestions.
#29 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.
How it compares: Just above it: Wharfedale Aura 2 - $1000 cheaper, 0.5Hz higher bass extension (-3dB). Just below it: Focal Aria 906 - $2601 cheaper, 0.5Hz higher bass extension (-3dB).
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68Hz |
| Crossover Frequency | 2600Hz |
| Drivers | 1.25" dome tweeter, 6.5" mid-woofer |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.8 ohms minimum) |
| Output Power | 40W nominal, 120W max |
| Sensitivity | 86.5dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | N/A |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex |
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Product prices and availability were last checked August 12, 2026 at 5:33 PM UTC and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.