It’s because they can be brutally honest.
I have Yamaha NS-10 speakers in my studio.
The speakers are very famous. A lot of A-studios have a pair. And people often tell me that they’ve heard the NS-10s are great.
But are they? It depends on how you use them.
Because the sound of the NS10s is also often described as “horrible.”
If you think they’re great because they sound beautiful. I must disagree.
If you think they’re great because they reveal shortcomings in sound without mercy. I 100% agree.
The Yamaha NS-10s were designed by Akira Nakamura in 1978.
The goal was to create a domestic hi-fi speaker, but the product was poorly received and quickly faded towards obscurity.
Because people did not like them, some people called the NS-10s the worst speakers you can find.
And somehow, I can see what these people meant.
The sound of the NS10s evokes irritation. It’s because they can be brutally honest. If there is a problem with your audio mix, they sound awful.
They don’t color much, unlike most other speakers that do influence audio in one way or another so that it sounds nicer from the speakers.
But why would you want such honesty from a speaker?
For commercial use, I don’t like the honesty. But for my work I need it. Because if something sounds good on the NS10 speakers, then it will most likely also sound good on your speakers and most other systems.