In this review, we will be comparing NS-F150 and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Yamaha and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Yamaha NS-F150 and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Yamaha NS-F150 | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | Yamaha
Japan · founded 1887 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft dome | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Cone | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-30k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-180 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 11.20kg / 24.6lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40.5" x 7.875" x 14.25"
1028.7 x 200.0 x 362.0mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both NS-F150 and Concord are 2-way speakers.
Yamaha NS-F150KLH Concord
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Yamaha NS-F150 |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
NS-F150 features a 1" Soft dome Soft dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Cone Woofer. On the other hand, the Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
NS-F150 has a frequency range of 37-30k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the NS-F150's min frequency of 37Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
NS-F150 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Concord which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. NS-F150 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to Yamaha NS-F150, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Concord can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas NS-F150 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 45 watts less than the Concord.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
NS-F150 features 5-Way post type posts and Concord has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Yamaha NS-F150's and KLH Concord's external dimensions. Yamaha NS-F150 has external dimensions of 1028.7 x 200.0 x 362.0mm (40.5 x 7.875 x 14.25inch) whereas KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Yamaha NS-F150 is 12mm narrower and 18mm less deeper than KLH Concord but it is also 2.7mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
KLH Concord needs about 11% more floor or shelf area. KLH Concord is 18mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Yamaha NS-F150 is approximately 724.0cm2 / 112.2inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The NS-F150 requires 10% less surface area than the Concord which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Yamaha NS-F150 weighs 11.20kg / 24.6lbs and the KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Concord 83% heavier than the NS-F150.
Here is a comparison of how NS-F150 and Concord's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
724cm2
vs
805cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
760USD
vs
1000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
37 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1026mm
vs
1028mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Yamaha NS-F150 |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
Yamaha |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-180 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
37-30k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cone |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1028.7mm (40.5") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
362.0mm (14.3") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
11.20kg (24.6lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
10 Years |
A generation apart: KLH Concord is the newer design, against a 2011 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | KLH Concord digs deeper - 28Hz against 37Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Concord is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | KLH Concord takes more power (225W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | Yamaha NS-F150 is cheaper - $760 against $1,000, about 24% less. |
A Yamaha NS-F150 B KLH Concord
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
KLH Concord leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Yamaha NS-F150 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 37Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Yamaha NS-F150 much easier to justify. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.