Man am I pumped to bring you this KRK Rokit 8 G4 and Yamaha HS8 article today. The KRK Rokit 8 G4 are a set of speakers I have been excited to look at for a while now. I recently put the KRK Rokit 7 G4 up against the Yamaha HS8 speakers and had a lot of fun doing so. I think that this one we have here today is a bit more of an even match up as they are much more similar in their size and what they are offering. These are “professional” studio monitor style speakers that are more aimed that those looking to produce music than rock around their living room like I do so that is something to keep in mind.
The Price:
We have to start this KRK Rokit 8 G4 and Yamaha HS8 off like we always do with these things, looking at the current asking price. These are not drastically apart when it comes to the pricing, but there is a difference!
KRK Rokit 8 G4:
As I write this Amazon are currently out of stock of a “pair” of these KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers. They do though have them individually and these are priced at $299,99 down from $349 so you are looking at around 600 bucks if you were to buy these on Amazon right now. Of course, I did have a good look on eBay and the price on there seems to be in line with what Amazon are asking. I did find a few pre-owned ones that were considerably cheaper, but you always run the risk of coming into problems with pre-owned speakers on eBay if you ask me.
Yamaha HS8:
As I write this the Yamaha HS8 speakers have held at a pretty consistent $398,99 on Amazon. The list price for these (according to Amazon) is actually around 100 bucks more than this so that is one hell of a saving. Also, it is around 100 bucks less than what the KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers are going for. Just think of what you could do with that extra 100 bucks! These are readily available on eBay, but I have yet to see a deal on there that I feel is better than what you can currently get on the good old Amazon!
The Verdict:
I have to pick the Yamaha HS8 speakers as the winners here. I think that you are just getting better value for money with those speakers. That is not to say that the KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers are overpriced at all, but for me personally, I would say that you are getting a better deal with Amazon here.
The Design:
We have come to a really hot round of this KRK Rokit 8 G4 and Yamaha HS8 battle. These are two awesome looking sets of speakers, each have their own very distinct and fantastic style, but they are quite different. I think this is the kind of round that could go any way!
KRK Rokit 8 G4:
Man do I love the style of these KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers and this whole series of speakers actually. I highly recommend you watch this short and sweet, KRK ROKIT RP8 G4 (Generation 4) unboxing and quick test video to get a better look at these. These are available in both black and white, but it is the black models that we are looking at here.
These come in at 10.5 x 15.8 x 12.2 inches so they are not too big, but still a decent enough size so that they stand out. The build quality of these is fantastic, the black matte kind of style they have is great and the gold accents really do make these speakers pop in a way that they would look awesome in your living room or a music studio. I just do not see anyone not loving the way that these speakers look! I think that the fact they use this same style for this entre line shows that they know they struck gold with this design.
I am a huge fan of the way these speakers look from the front, but it is round the back where the KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers really show that they are different. You have this awesome little graphic equalizer that is just so much fun, but it also serves a practical use as well as it lets you play around with the sound. On either side of this, you have a balanced input and a volume dial. In all, it is a really cool design, but it does mean you have to be able to get to the back of these to make the most of it. Still, I think this is a really neat design, and like I said about the other version of these speakers, I am sure it is something that you music makers are going to find useful.
Yamaha HS8:
Out of this series I like the overall style and size of the Yamaha HS8 speakers the best. They just hit that sweet spot which I like and I think that they are pretty much perfect in their design. These come in at 13.1 x 9.8 x 15.4 inches so they are very comparable with the KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers. They are available in white and black, but I have only ever had the pleasure of playing around with the black version of these speakers. These just have the kind of aesthetic that I love when it comes to a set of speakers. They have two tones of black going on that is quite subtle, but it really does work. I think that they walk a fine line between gloss and matte when it comes to the finish and they just scream the 1980s to me which if you have read anything else that I have written on here, you know I think is pretty damn cool man, pretty damn cool!
The back of the Yamaha HS8 speakers is pretty much the same as the other speakers that are in this line. You have a switch dial, a room control dial, and a high trim dial as well. You have your power port and the power switch close to the bottom of the speakers. I like how it is a very smart and clean design on the back with not too much going on just for the sake of it. These are just an awesome set of speakers that I love and would happily have somewhere in my own home.
The Verdict:
This is a tough one to call when I put the KRK Rokit 7 G4 speakers against the Yamaha HS8 speakers, I said that I felt the HS8 were a better match up due to the more similar stature. However, I must say that I think I am giving this round to the KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers. The graphic equalizer on the back is just such an awesome touch, but I do also love the way that gold pops on the black version of the speakers.
The Sound:
As is the case with any AND article that I do, the sound is the main event and that means this is the main event of our KRK Rokit 8 G4 and Yamaha HS8 battle. This so far has been one of the evenest battles that I have done and I can tell you right now, that this is going to be another very close round.
KRK Rokit 8 G4:
I can tell you right off the bat that the sound coming out of these KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers is better than what I experienced with the KRK Rokit 7 G4 speakers. The upgrade to an 8-inch woofer makes a hell of a lot of difference when it comes to the power and the bass and I was very impressed when listening to The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, the title track, Welcome to the Black Parade sounded so balanced, raw and real that I really was quite taken aback by what I was hearing. These filled the room with sound and while I felt that the KRK Rokit 7 G4 speakers could use a subwoofer to help with that lack of bass, there is no need for that here at all. It really is quite an impressive jump up in sound quality, especially the power department when you use these after playing around with the smaller version.
The way that these balance the sound is something that is very impressive to me. One of my wife’s favorite bands is 80s UK pop superstars Bananarama… yeah really! She fired up her pretty rare Bananarama – The Greatest Hits Collection and was very happy with what she was hearing. While this is not my cup of tea, I have to say the song, Love in the First Degree really showcased what a balanced sound you get out of these speakers. I have said many times that I am about as far from being a music maker as you can get. However, I know great sound when I hear it and these do sound great! I think that for you music producers that love writing and producing your own music are going to be very happy with how authentic your music sounds when pumped out of these speakers.
Yamaha HS8:
I have had the pleasure to play around with these Yamaha HS8 speakers for a little while now and I have been very impressed. I have used these for many, many hours, playing some of my favorite albums in the process and I can give these speakers two thumbs up. the 8-inch driver, gives these a nice amount of power to fill a room or a music studio. Check out this These Studio Monitors are UNBEATABLE!!! – Yamaha HS8 Review video and you will see what I am talking about.
These have a lot of power, far more than I was expecting to be honest with you and when listening to Hellbilly Deluxe by Rob Zombie an album I have been listening to since my high school days and an album I have bought with each re-release, it well and truly rocked me! I would consider myself a rocker first and foremost and any kind of rock or loud and aggressive music is going to sound amazing with these speakers.
The thing is, these Yamaha HS8 speakers bring it in every regard. They have tremendous vocal clarity too, live music is another one of my passions, and listening to Acoustic Hits: MTV Unplugged by A-Ha was truly mind blowing stuff and made me fall in love with these speakers even more. I was playing around with these with my wife and we put so many records and CDs on and we never once had an issue with how anything sounded, no matter what kind of music it was! these are just very, very special speakers and I can see why they are so highly regarded by people who are musicians. The music they will hear out of these will sound so very real and raw, just like the way they feel it inside them… ok so that was cheesy as hell, but you get what I mean.
The Verdict:
I have read some other comparisons of these two speakers and they tend to lean towards the Yamaha HS8 speakers. I have to be honest and say that I think I am slightly more leaning towards those speakers as well. However, this hand on heart could not have been any closer. If I am giving the Yamaha HS8 speakers a 10 then the KRK Rokit 8 G4 a 9.8, that is how close this round was, and to be real with you, I could see why some folks may even say that they would go the other way.
Which Is The Better Speaker?
This KRK Rokit 8 G4 and Yamaha HS8 battle has been one of the closest one of these things that I have done in a very long time. You really could not go wrong with either the KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers or the Yamaha HS8 speakers. These both sound great and they look great too, but the HS8s are a bit cheaper so that is something you do have to consider. I think for me personally. While I love the design of the KRK Rokit 8 G4 speakers, I have to give the win to the Yamaha HS8 speakers, they sounded just that little bit better to me and they also cost around 100 bucks less too.
