The NS-FP9500 from Yamaha is a responsive and good-looking home theater speaker system that includes two front main speakers, a center channel speaker, two rear surround satellites, and a powered subwoofer.

Floor stands are included for the mains, but they can be detached for wall mounting, as the backs of the cabinets are specially designed with mounting holes. To further expedite this, the mains are quite flat, which helps them mate well with a flat-screen display. Optional tabletop stands can also be purchased for the two main speakers.

The non-ported mains each contain four 4-inch woofers and a 3/4-inch soft-dome tweeter. Some speaker systems employ unmatched drivers, which can lead to an uneven response. This is not the case with the NS-FP9500; the center channel uses the same component complement in a horizontal configuration, and it comes with a detachable stand.

The rear satellites have the same setup as well, but stands are not provided, as these speakers are specifically designed for wall mounting. Having the same driver configuration throughout the speaker group ensures that the soundfield is uniform and has a balanced timbre. The subwoofer uses an 8-inch driver and is powered by an internal amplifier rated at 130 watts.

These speakers can be played at fairly loud levels, and they provide a clean, natural sound. The center channel is adept at producing crisp and intelligible movie dialogue, while the subwoofer provides a surprisingly strong low end that is more than enough for most movie playback situations.

Simply add an audio/video receiver, DVD player, and a display, and the NS-FP9500 is ready to create a fine home theater experience. The Yamaha NS-FP9500 system is an ideal upgrade over the often-mediocre speakers found in many home theater-in-a-box systems.

Warranty
2 years