Yamaha NX-P100 Portable Wireless Speakers - Bluetooth Speakers Evovled
On the surface, the Yamaha NX-P100 looks like a standard portable, wireless, Bluetooth speaker. But under the hood it has a number of features that set it apart. Can the speaker also deliver performance to truly make it a cut above the rest?
All the Bells and Whistles
Yamaha has been in the audio business for a while now. Many of you may know them for their quality, high-end, home theatre products such as sound bars. But over the years they have introduced multiple speaker models ranging from CD players, micro hi-fi systems to docking stations for the everyday consumer. They had also branched out and jumped on the wireless, Bluetooth speaker bandwagon previously with products such as the PDX-B11. Now they have released an evolved Bluetooth speaker in the shape of the ultra portable Yamaha NX-P100.
Bluetooth speaker evolved, the Yamaha NX-P100 comes with NFC compatibility.
Design and Features
On the surface the Yamaha NX-P100 looks like every other wireless, Bluetooth speaker intended to be portable. It has a candy bar design that's easy to grasp in your hand and is available in black, white and lime colors. The speakers weigh just half a kilogram and can fit in a large cargo-pant pocket or carried in hand. There is a front grill with circular holes that resembles Apple’s iPhone 5C case. But besides that there is nothing extra-ordinary about the speaker's appearance.
The front grill helps add a textural element to the aesthetics of these Yamaha speakers.
What makes the NX-P100 different from other wireless, Bluetooth speaker are its features. First up, the Yamaha speaker is NFC compatible as evidenced by the NFC tag prominently displayed at the top face. Additionally the product is IPX-4 certified and has silicon caps on the side panels which means that it can withstand splashes of water. The NFC feature is meant to help out with usability while the IPX-4 certification is meant to make the product more portable and brave the elements of weather.
Buttons on the top can be used to power the device on or off as well as control the volume. The second button from the left is a battery status function that reads out the remaining battery charge left on your speaker. Last but not least, you can also see the location of the NFC tag denoted on the far right for quick device pairing.
As can be expected, the speakers have a built-in battery with eight hours of battery life. There is a flap on side of the NX-P100 that hides and seals the connectivity ports. There is a 3.5mm port for those who would prefer wired playback and a USB port can also be used for wired playback, which is an offer that not many products in this category offer. You can also use the USB port to charge your smartphone if you are willing to sacrifice some of the speaker’s battery. Rounding off the list of impressive features is a built-in microphone that enables speakerphone functionality.
The selection of ports available with the speakers can be seen here.
In terms of hardware to power out the audio, the Yamaha NX-P100 features dual 40mm drivers. To help out with the low frequencies the speakers also come equipped with SR-Bass. SR-Bass is essentially a swinging passive radiator. To further up the standards of performance, the NX-P100 is also armed with Apt-X codecs to help the transmission of data over Bluetooth, which as we know is a lossy transmission format if your streaming device supports it.
Two vents can be found at the bottom to help with bass performance.
Performance and Conlusion
Here at Hardwarezone, like most audiophiles, we prize neutrality of tone above all else. But it would be unfair to completely evaluate the Yamaha NX-P100 based entirely on its audio performance. It is obvious that Yamaha has intended to make the product convenient to use and portable. The choice of Bluetooth, which offers great compatibility with a number of devices, and a small stature, which makes it portable, are not necessarily going to improve the audio performance. But they most definitely help make the overall package more attractive. During our listening test we will be keeping these factors in mind while we evaluate.
MP3 Testing
We started off with Melt My Heart To Stone by Adele and the NX-P100 gets off to a good start. The tone of the speakers is rich and full, which matched excellently with this particular track. Strong mids were evidenced and the warm tone of the song is well represented. Adele’s voice was given its due place as the focal point of the song and that helps the product garner a high score for this track. However, the trebles sounded subdued and a bit lacking in the overall mix.
The same characteristics mentioned before helped the Yamaha speakers perform well for the live, acoustic version of Hotel California by The Eagles. The strong mids helped deliver the core melody of the song well. But the subdued treble meant that the track was not represented in its full glory. We also noticed that the speakers have a sub-par transient response which meant that the alternate percussions used on this song sounded off-color.
The lowest point of the Yamaha’s performance was Sail On Soothsayer. The NX-P100 does not have the proficiency with trebles to handle the sharp attack of Buckethead’s lead guitar lines. This meant that the defining characteristic of the track is missing which reduces the enjoyment the listener derives. The distortion guitars are also a bit lacking in bite even though the mids have good weight behind them.
Finally, we listened to Elements Of Life for Tiesto which we use to check out the bass performance of the Yamaha NX-P100. For its small size, the speakers have good low frequencies with good depth and sufficient impact. But passive radiators, which are part of SR Bass system, are known for bad definition. Some of the low notes, especially the organ parts for this track, were blared out and lacked definition.
Lastly, there are some problems with the soundstage of the NX-P100 which is quite constricted to begin with. When the speakers are used for personal listening in moderately close quarters, we found notable distortion of the soundstage and volume drop even if the user turns their head. But at distances farther away, volume dips are no longer apparent even if you're walking about.
MP3 Testing | Score
|
Melt My Heart to Stone - Adele | 8.5 |
Hotel California - The Eagles | 8.0 |
Sail on Soothsayer - Buckethead | 7.5 |
Elements of Life - Tiesto | 7.0 |
Overall Audio Performance | 8.0 |
Final Thoughts
Before passing judgment on the Yamaha NX-P100, it is important to look in on its mission brief. The speakers are most definitely not positioned as an audiophile product. Instead Yamaha hopes the NX-P100 will appeal to the lifestyle user, which is a goal it accomplishes to a high degree thanks to its amazing set of features.
The Yamaha NX-P100 is more of a lifestyle audio product rather than one targeted at audiophiles.
When using the NX-P100 we found the Bluetooth pairing via NFC to be extremely snappy and easy. The ease of convenience when using NFC puts the standard Bluetooth pairing process to shame. IPX-4 certification may not be the hardiest around, but it means that the speakers can be used at the swimming pool or the beach with the user not having to worry that a little bit of water will spoil the product for good. While Bluetooth may be a lossy transmission format, Yamaha has fitted the NX-P100 with Apt-X codecs to mitigate the problem. For those who would prefer wired playback they can do so with the help of a 3.5mm port or via USB.
The synergy between smartphones and the NX-P100, besides the Bluetooth pairing, is also some of the best we have seen for the product category. Speakerphone capabilities mean that the Yamaha product is versatile and can be used for purposes besides audio playback. Our particular feature however was the USB port which can also be used to top off your smartphone battery using the charge that is stored for speakers.
All the usability and functionality however is let down slightly by the audio performance. The strong mids of the NX-P100 make the speakers perfect for new soul, like Adele, and RnB. Low frequencies too are quite strong and have great impact. But a poor soundstage and sub-par transient response means that strict audiophiles would not be happy with the performance.
The Yamaha NX-P100 is priced at S$399. It is reasonable if you want a water-resistant, portable, wireless Bluetooth speaker that you intend to bring out for parties and social occasions. But if you are looking for a wireless, Bluetooth speaker for accurate quality audio, there are better options as the NX-P100 is more of an all-rounder solution.
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