[Listening test] Yamaha NS-BP150 Two-Way Bass Reflex Compact Loudspeaker

Product: Yamaha NS BP150 bookshelf loudspeakers
Manufacturer: Yamaha - Kapan (Indonesia)
Suggested retail price: 150€ (much less depending on offers)
Reviewer: Lucio Cadeddu - TNT-Audio Italy
Published: December, 2023

In my never-ending search for small entry-level speakers that sound good, I stumbled upon the Yamaha NS BP150, a compact two-way bookshelf speaker that lists for €150 but is quite easy to purchase for much less, starting from €55, shipping included (!!!). The speaker is part of a system designed primarily for home theater, but it has some nice features that intrigued me.

A closer look

The NS-BP150 is a compact, two-way speaker with rear firing bass reflex port, equipped with a hemi-dome tweeter (“balanced dome” as Yamaha describes it) and an 11 cm diameter woofer. The drivers are Yamaha-branded and, like the rest of the speaker, appear to be made in Indonesia. The woofer boasts a truly impressive magnet, the size of the driver itself. It is filtered with a 0.6 mH coil, and the tweeter is filtered by a capacitor; I've not been able to read its value, too much glue! The crossover frequency is claimed to be at 5 kHz but, considering the 0.6mH inductance, it should be lower.

The MDF cabinet features some sound absorbing lining and a pretty unusual internal bracing arrangment that should minimize sidewall resonances. To further reduce resonances, the same bracing has notches with rubber inserts (see pic below), which should dampen vibrations. This bracing scheme is a refined touch and absolutely unprecedented in this category of speakers. The rear binding posts are well made and accepts bananas, bare wire, and spades, a welcome plus, instead of the spring-loaded posts standard in this price range. At the base of the speaker there are three (and not four!) truncated cone rubber feet. Unscrewing the driver bolts unlocks the entire front panel attached to them, another expensive design not usually found at this price level. The beautiful dust cover attaches magnetically to the front baffle. Summarizing, this speaker seems to have been designed with unusual care, given the extremely low price tag. My expectations, also considering the famous brand, were therefore high.

Claimed tech specs

Nice finish, poor sound

It's impossible not to think of a direct clash with the champions in this price range, namely the Lonpoo LP42s. Honestly, I admit I was hoping to have found not only worthy opponents, but even competitors which would put the LP42s to shame. I'll say it right away: I have yet to hear a match for the LP42s, including now. I have tried many pairs of entry level speakers - Wiibo, Moukey, Fenton, Scythe, McGrey...- and all of them, more or less, were miserably defeated in a direct comparison with the small but jaw-dropping Chinese speakers. These Yamahas, though nicely designed and crafted and sporting a real crossover network and a bigger and better-constructed cabinet, to my disappointment have joined the long list of losers.

In terms of tonal balance, I'd classify the Yamaha NS-BP150s as quite dark, with a prominent low end and low mid range. After many attempts, I found the best balance placing them at more than a meter from the rear wall. I even tried foam plugging the bass reflex port or filling it with drink straws (an old trick dating back to the 1970s) to reduce air turbulence from the rear duct. There was nothing to be done: the low range always remained quite prominent and, unfortunately, not exactly well articulated or controlled. Not only that, but the small woofer has obvious power handling limits, given that it bottoms out quickly. The sensitivity is low, even lower than that of the Lonpoo, so you need to raise the volume a lot to make the Yamahas play at acceptable levels, but you shouldn't overdo it if you want to avoid reaching their physical limits with tracks rich in deep bass frequencies. With certain tracks it was impossible to reach beyond 90dB peaks at the listening seat 3 meters away, a level the Lonpoo LP42s easily exceeded (and by several dB!) without any trace of compression or distortion. The Yamahas’ midrange always remains a tad behind, and human voices and instruments with main output in this range, such as guitars, sound less lively and present than they should. The high range, warm and not very incisive, doesn't help either. Overall, the mid and the high ranges contribute to create a sound that severely lacks presence and realism. Maybe it's suitable for undemanding background listening, but in the long run it becomes utterly boring.

The lackluster dynamic performance makes the picture even worse: the attacks and decays are slow and not very incisive, contributing to the sensation of an inoffensive and relaxed sound, dare I say dull? In some sense, these speakers remind me the sound of other speakers I have tested recently, in particular the small McGrey and Moukey bookshelf speakers: heard without a direct comparison with better speakers, they may even sound acceptable, but put against something lively and exciting as the Lonpoo LP42, their faults become evident. The LP42s sound more transparent, precise, open, and defined, with significantly superior dynamics and power handling and a powerful, articulated bass that doesn't fail even with truly killer tracks.

Obviously, as already written in their review, the LP42s must be installed close to the rear wall; otherwise the bass becomes too light. In these conditions, however, they still amaze and make fun of their competitors. Please understand that the difference is not small, it is not just a question of nuances. Anyone who claims that the LP42s are just “worth their cost” or that they sound bad should make an effort to find a speaker at the same price that sounds as good, much less better. I'd be very happy to listen to it. I've already tested almost all of them!

Finally, a few words on the three-dimensional image built by the small Yamahas: unfortunately it is severely limited to the space around the speakers, being unable to surround the speakers and the space behind them. No deep or wide soundstage to speak of, no matter how far you keep the speakers from the rear wall. OK, inexpensive loudspeaker generally don't image well, but the Lonpoo LP42s do.

Complaints

Construction, finish, features.
The level of manufacturing is excellent, much more refined than with other speakers of the same price, Lonpoo LP42 included. The only discordant note is the edge of the reflex port (see pic above), poorly finished and roughly glued, and this is a probable cause of the air turbulence noise from the reflex duct. The user's manual is well done, with advice on how to install the speakers properly and how to get their best performance. I don't feel like making any criticism in this area.
Sound.
Unfortunately, the sound never even came close to my expectations: it remained there, dull, inoffensive, tonally restricted, harmonically poor, slightly swollen, slow and not very lively. Raising the volume is a no go, because the woofer has quite evident limits in terms of power handling.

Value for money

These NS-BP150s list for €150, but luckily they can also be found for €60-70 per pair. Let's say that at full price their quality/price ratio is very low, while purchased at €60-70 they redeem themselves a little, but not enough to be considered a real bargain.

Conclusions

I had hoped, for a short while, to have discovered a small speaker capable of giving a run for their money to those which are still at the top of the class in the category under €100 per pair, namely the Lonpoo LP42. Unfortunately these Yamahas, although beautiful, well engineered and made, not only don't defeat those Chinese speakers but they don't even come close, in any parameter. They can be fine as surround speakers in an HT system without great expectations, or as a speaker for casual easy-going listening to background music, but they do not go beyond these roles. What a pity! Hence, the search continues...

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Yamaha NS-BP150 - compact bookshelf loudspeaker

Nice finish, poor sound

A closer look

Claimed tech specs

Nice finish, poor sound

Complaints

Value for money

Conclusions