In this review, we will be comparing NS-F210 and NS-F150, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Yamaha.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Yamaha NS-F210 and Yamaha NS-F150 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Yamaha NS-F210 | Yamaha NS-F150 |
|---|
| Brand | Yamaha
Japan · founded 1887 | Yamaha
Japan · founded 1887 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.875" Balanced dome | 1" Soft dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 3.125" Cone | 2 x 6.5" Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-45k Hz | 37-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-120 watts | 50-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.30kg / 16.1lbs | 11.20kg / 24.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.3125" x 9.3125" x 9.3125"
1049.3 x 236.5 x 236.5mm | 40.5" x 7.875" x 14.25"
1028.7 x 200.0 x 362.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Yamaha NS-F210 and Yamaha NS-F150 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Yamaha NS-F210 |
Yamaha NS-F150 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both NS-F210 and NS-F150 are 2-way speakers.
Yamaha NS-F210Yamaha NS-F150
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-F210 |
Yamaha NS-F150 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.875-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 3.125-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
NS-F210 features a 0.875" Balanced dome Balanced dome Tweeter and 2 x 3.125" Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 8 kHz. On the other hand, the NS-F150 features a 1" Soft dome Soft dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Cone Woofer.
Frequency Response
NS-F210 has a frequency range of 50-45k Hz whereas NS-F150 has a frequency range of 37-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the NS-F150 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the NS-F210's min frequency of 50Hz.
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-F210 and NS-F150 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. NS-F210 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the NS-F150's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Yamaha NS-F150 a more sensitive speaker compared to Yamaha NS-F210, 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.
NS-F150 can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas NS-F210 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 60 watts less than the NS-F150.
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-F210 features Binding post type posts and NS-F150 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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-F210's and Yamaha NS-F150's external dimensions. Yamaha NS-F210 has external dimensions of 1049.3 x 236.5 x 236.5mm (41.3125 x 9.3125 x 9.3125inch) whereas Yamaha NS-F150 has external dimensions of 1028.7 x 200.0 x 362.0mm (40.5 x 7.875 x 14.25inch).
Yamaha NS-F150 is 36.5mm narrower and 20.6mm shorter than Yamaha NS-F210 but it is also 125.5mm deeper.
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.
Yamaha NS-F150 needs about 29% more floor or shelf area. Yamaha NS-F150 is 126mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Yamaha NS-F210 is 21mm taller.
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-F210 is approximately 559.3cm2 / 86.7inch2 and base area of the Yamaha NS-F150 is approximately 724.0cm2 / 112.2inch2. The NS-F210 requires 23% less surface area than the NS-F150 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-F210 weighs 7.30kg / 16.1lbs and the Yamaha NS-F150 weighs 11.20kg / 24.6lbs. This makes the NS-F150 53% heavier than the NS-F210.
Here is a comparison of how NS-F210 and NS-F150's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 High Frequency Response |
45k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
559cm2
vs
724cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
500USD
vs
760USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
180 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
3.125 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1028mm
vs
1049mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Yamaha NS-F210 |
Yamaha NS-F150 |
| Brand |
Yamaha |
Yamaha |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-120 watts |
50-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-45k Hz |
37-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
3.125" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cone |
Cone |
| Tweeter Size |
0.875" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Balanced dome |
Soft dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
8 kHz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1049.3mm (41.3") |
1028.7mm (40.5") |
| Width |
236.5mm (9.3") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
236.5mm (9.3") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Weight |
7.30kg (16.1lbs) |
11.20kg (24.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Both are Yamaha, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Yamaha NS-F150 digs deeper - 37Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Yamaha NS-F150 is more sensitive (88dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Yamaha NS-F150 takes more power (180W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Yamaha NS-F210 is easier to place; Yamaha NS-F150 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | Yamaha NS-F210 is cheaper - $500 against $760, about 34% less. |
A Yamaha NS-F210 B Yamaha NS-F150
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?
The usual trade-off: Yamaha NS-F150 measures better, Yamaha NS-F210 costs about about 52% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Yamaha NS-F210 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Yamaha NS-F210 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Yamaha NS-F150 for a mid-size room and a large room.
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.