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Yamaha Soavo-1 Floorstanding Speaker Review

by February 19, 2008
Yamahas Soavo-1 Speakers

Yamaha's Soavo-1 Speakers

  • Product Name: Soavo-1 Tower Speakers
  • Manufacturer: Yamaha Electronics
  • Performance Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Value Rating: StarStarStarhalf-star
  • Review Date: February 19, 2008 09:55
  • MSRP: $ 1799.99/ea
  • Buy Now
  • Enclosure Type: 3-Way bass-reflex floor-standing
  • Veneer options: Black, Dark Brown, Brown Birch
  • Speaker Impedance: 6-ohms
  • Video Shielded: Yes
  • Woofer Size: Dual 6-1/2" (16cm)
  • Woofer Type: Advanced PMD Cone
  • Mid Size: 5" (13cm)
  • Mid Type: Advanced PMD Cone
  • Tweeter Size: 1" (3cm)
  • Tweeter Type: Aluminum Dome
  • Biampable
  • Frequency Response: 35 Hz - 50 kHz
  • Power Handling: 200W
  • Sensitivity (1W/1m): 89 dB/2.83 V/1 m
  • Dimensions (HxWxD): 41-3/8" x 13-3/4" x 19-3/16"
  • Weight: 59.5 lbs

Pros

  • Above par build quality
  • Beautiful finish
  • Plays low and smooth
  • Magnetic grills
  • Outriggers standard
  • Biampable

Cons

  • Midrange could feature more detail
  • Moderately narrow sweet spot

Introduction

Considering Yamaha has such a good reputation with making fine instruments the introduction of their new Soavo series loudspeakers is no surprise. We put the Soavo-1 towers through its paces and they convinced us that Yamaha has successfully re-entered the realm of high end home audio.
Seemoss posts on August 01, 2008 06:40
Yes, according to Yamaha's Soavo-1 brochure (PDF) Solen metalized polypropylene capsitors are used. But your pictures shows the tweeter net-work, I think, as Yamaha's photo of the Woofer crossover features several capacitors and resistors, not just two.
Could the subdued mid-range be due to the loss of the “Wave-Guide-Horn” in the Soavo-1, rather than the driver design? But why has Yamaha stopped using its White Spruce (WSD) cones. It was claimed, at the time, to the “world's lightest cone material.”
Audioholics posts on June 24, 2008 16:19
That is certainly possible. We couldn't really take apart the speakers further. What's odd is that Yamaha peer reviewed the article for technical accuracy and said nothing…
mardelgo posts on June 24, 2008 13:09
“Uses electrolytic caps in series with tweeter”

I Think this is wrong. What you show in the picture is the crossover for the bass drivers and not for the tweeter. (In many speakers that are bi-ampable they put the crossover for the bass drivers in front of the crossover for the mid and tweeter) I think they (Yamaha) use a high quality Solen capacitors for the mid and Tweeter. Here is a picture of the crossover components:
junchoon posts on February 23, 2008 09:41
Pheaton, post: 379643
Hi,
Glad I could help. I purchased my Macross Plus soundtrack back when it was released in the US. Now I would try ebay.

If you are a fan of Macross Plus music you might also like the music from Cowboy Bebop. It was written by the same person, Yoko Kanno. The opening song from Cowboy Bebop is called “Tank”, and I think it just rocks!

Good luck with your speaker search and your CD search.

Pheaton

i already have the best of cowboy bebop, and also escaflowne: lovers only. they are very good. if u think cowboy is good, then u most definitely seek out escaflowne if u like orchestral work ( for example carmina burana or conan the brabarian soundtrack). no ebay for me, too many fake ones. so i will get them from hmv japan.

cheers,
wps
Pheaton posts on February 22, 2008 20:08
mike c, post: 379185
thanks for sharing

Hi,
Your welcome.

By the way, those are some of the cutest baby pictures I have ever seen. They make me smile everytime I see them.

Pheaton
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About the author:
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Clint Deboer was terminated from Audioholics for misconduct on April 4th, 2014. He no longer represents Audioholics in any fashion.

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