Today’s Mac mini setup really pumps up the clear audio with Yamaha studio monitor speakers, suitable for the user’s music production. They mount the speakers on stands, which is great. But they mount them sideways, which is … odd. And despite having those, they love their HomePod mini for most uses.
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Yamaha studio monitor speakers rock Mac mini setup
This pair of Yamaha HS7 powered studio monitor speakers is suitable for music production. Each speaker contains a 6.5-inch woofer and a 1-inch dome tweeter.
- Near-field monitors for detailed response
- 95W total power
- Accepts balanced or unbalanced signals
- Look elsewhere for huge volume and bass
Redditor Far-Communication886 (“FC”) showcased the Mac mini setup in a post entitled, “Setup for Uni & Music Production,” They explained they use the setup for university studies and music production. And in a surprise, because the only visible computing device is an iPad Pro mounted on the front of the TGmastery monitor shelf, they revealed it’s a Mac mini workstation.
Last we I covered the Mac mini hidden on the back of the display and related concerns. Today I’ll focus on those sweet Yamaha speakers, which are near-field monitors meant to deliver clear audio at close quarters for tasks like music mixing.
“I only use them for [music production] because I don‘t like the subtle white noise they give off when not playing anything, lol, otherwise I use my HomePod [mini],” FC said.
Can you mount speakers sideways on stands?
Photo: [email protected]
Aside from preferring HomePod mini to avoid speaker hum, FC also mounts the speaker boxes on their sides. A commenter expressed surprise and wondered if laying down the speakers is OK.
“I think officially [you] shouldn‘t — but I take the slightly worse sound quality in exchange for aesthetics lol,” FC replied. “Also, since my room isn‘t sound treated either it doesn‘t really make a difference.”
For studio monitor speakers and some larger speakers, sideways placement is a bad idea for these reasons:
- Sound quality may suffer because of disrupted sound dispersion (which can change how sound resonates off walls and shelves).
- May disrupt cooling air flow, so the speaker might overheat.
- The speaker may be less stable mounted sideways.
And another user laid down a flat-out warning against sideways placement for Yamaha HS7 monitors.
“You should not,” they said. “You get bad comb filtering from these particular monitors if you do. The difference isn’t small, either. It’s massive.”
Yamaha HS7 Powered Studio Monitor Speakers
“HS Series speakers were designed to give you the most honest, precise reference possible, providing an ideal sonic platform to build on throughout the mixing process,” Yamaha says of the speakers.
Speaker features:
- 2-way bass-reflex bi-amplified nearfield studio monitors
- 6.5-inch cone woofer and 1-inch dome tweeter
- 43Hz – 30kHz frequency response
- 60W LF plus 35W HF bi-amp system for high-performance 95W power amplification
- Room control and high trim response controls
- XLR and TRS phone jack inputs accept balanced or unbalanced signals
More Setups posts featuring Yamaha studio monitor speakers:
- 42-inch smart TV may be user’s best display ever
- Classic iMac G4 looks on as Mac Pro drives monster display
- Seriously, how big is too big for desktop speakers?
- Running classic Cinema Displays with newer Macs
- Hello, 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook; goodbye, 3 external displays?
Shop these items now:
This pair of Yamaha HS7 powered studio monitor speakers is suitable for music production. Each speaker contains a 6.5-inch woofer and a 1-inch dome tweeter.
- Near-field monitors for detailed response
- 95W total power
- Accepts balanced or unbalanced signals
- Look elsewhere for huge volume and bass
Yamaha studio monitor speakers and other audio:
Computers and stands:
Display and light bar:
- 27-inch Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K monitor
- TGmastery monitor shelf
- Xiaomi Mi Computer Monitor Light Bar
Input devices:
Lighting:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually work fine). Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
