I compared these to the NS-AW350BL side-by-side and I found that the 390's definitely sound like a smaller speaker. The bass in the 390's did not live up to my expectations after having the 350's. The high frequencies sound great on both of these sets of speakers, and I recommend both of them to anyone who wants a great value for a set of fantastic sounding indoor/outdoor speakers. Yamaha NS-AW390WH 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers (Pair, White)
The Yamaha NS-AW390 is a very good choice for a fairly compact, wired, outdoor speaker. The sound is about as good as you could expect in an outdoor setting from something in a package this size.
I noted two issues/cautions regarding the design:
- Be extra careful handling them until you get them mounted, as the protruding grille is formed from thin perforated sheet metal. It doesn't take much of a bump to dent/deform the grille, and then you're stuck with it, as the sealed cabinet prevents access to the back of the grille, precluding any easy/non-destructive way to pop the dent out.
- The terminal clamps don't provide a very firm grip on the wire ends - it's too easy to pull the inserted wire out of the clamp. (Screw terminals might have been a better design choice.) They're fine once mounted and connected, but connections can be flaky while moving the speaker around to adjust the angle within the mounting bracket. (I used 16 gage stranded wire - like lightweight lamp cord.)
I purchased these from Wholesale AV, which I would highly recommend. I really only had other reviews to go by. Since the other older models received such high reviews, decided to go with the newer. They get the thumbs up from me. They have reasonable lows and nice crisp highs. Remember that if you're mounting these outside, you won't get the bass you're used to inside your home where there are better acoustics. I love being in my backyard way more than ever, either working or just relaxing. You'll look for excuses to just be outside!
I play internet radio through my computer & have a headphone to stero rca adapter going to my amplifier & from the amp I ran telephone line through the attic to the other side of the house, & just outside my patio I installed a stereo volume control purchased from Radio Shack for $40.00, & from in-wall volume control to the speakers mounted about 15' apart..just under the eave. You will need 4 screws to mount the bracket. I have hardy plank siding & used 2.5" wood screws. If you don't have speakers in your backyard, don't wait any longer. It's a great investment and you and your friends will love them.
the only caution I would make is that if you are hanging in the eves outside, you need to be sure you leave enough room on either side of the speaker to get the mounting "bolt" through the bracket and into the speaker. The head is large enough to adjust by hand and the bolt is kind of long. This is a convenience but without proper planning can become a pain.
I've only had these speakers for a few weeks, but they sound great on my patio. I spent several months reading reviews on different websites and listening to different speakers in stores. I was looking for a pair of speakers around the $150 price range and have a decent amount of bass. I really liked these when I heard them in the store at Best Buy, even compared to some of the more expensive speakers. It took me some time to realize that I should check Amazon to read reviews and I am really glad I did. They were a little less than half the price in the store. I installed them the day they arrived and I've been enjoying music on my patio ever since.
I have always loved the quality and sound of Yamaha, but I still do my research whenever purchasing another piece of audio, video, or any other equipment for that matter. And after clarifying our budget, visiting many websites, reading a lot of reviews, and comparing prices we decided on the Yamaha NS-AW390BL Indoor/Outdoor speakers for our deck.
The speakers were below our budget, but beyond our expectations. The sound quality is superb and fills our patio and backyard so nicely that it seems our neighbors spend a lot more time outdoors with us. I will admit that the deck doesn't tremble under our feet from the bass, but what do you expect from a 6 1/2" woofer. We would recommend these speakers to anyone loves their music very crisp and precise. *****
Can't beat these for the price. I wanted some speakers that didn't sound tinny for outdoors, but can't afford high dollar boxes for my backyard. These fit the bill perfectly. Good bass for the price, no tinny sound you would expect for this price point. I've had them for a month and am positively pleased. If they last a couple years I'll be 100% happy to buy another pair. - Yamaha - Outdoors - Speakers - Outdoor Speakers'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
