Review: Yamaha NX-U02 – USB Powered Stereo Speaker

There are 5 things on my desk in my home office in Tokyo:

1. A white MacBook
   
2. An Apple Wireless Keyboard
   
3. A wireless Mighty Mouse
   
4. LaCie mini Hard Drive – to be replaced soon
   
5. And lastly, the Yamaha NX-U02 speaker, which is the subject of this post

So why did I end up with the NX-U02?

The problem
The search for a new speaker began when I found out that it took too much time to set up speakers for presentations. In a nutshell, here were the problems I encountered:

• Untangling cables of audio and power cords
  
• Having always to look for a power outlet
  

So naturally, I wanted a solution that could allow me to set up more quickly. I started looking for good speakers that were powered by USB or FireWire, which would not only solve my problems, but also reduce clutter on my desk.

Possible solution #1: LaCie FireWire Speakers
I first came across the LaCie FireWire Speakers. They got an interesting design and the plus is it uses FireWire, so it can leave my USB ports for something else.

It’s capable of outputting 8W (4W per speaker). One thing I wish it had were volume controls on the speakers.

They’re currently available at Amazon for $77.37.

Possible solution #2: Yamaha NX-U10
This Yamaha speaker was tempting. Here are the good points about it:

• up to 20W of output 
  
• can be powered by batteries, USB, or AC adapter
  
• the Yamaha brand name
  

The only bad part – it doesn't come in WHITE!

The NX-U10 is available at Yamaha’s website for $179.95.

The Solution: Yamaha NX-U02
I eventually settled with the NX-U02. The good points about it:

• Very simple and elegant design. And it’s white!
  
• Able to output 20W
  
• The Yamaha brand name
  
• There are three buttons on top for muting and volume controls. 

The downsides:

• On very rare occasaions, the sound does skip or hiccup probably because not enough power is being supplied to the speaker
  
• The speaker has a nice shiny white finish, yet the USB cable it comes with is black. From a production perspective, it’s probably difficult since there are different colored models. Still, if the USB cable was white, it would complete the user experience. 
  
• Unlike the previous two speakers, there are no other audio sound inputs besides USB, which means there is no way to hook up MP3 players or iPods to it. 

Conclusion:
I’m not really an audiophile, so I cannot comment too much about the sound. It sounds nice and the bass is noticeable, though not strong. For office use, I think it’s great. Unlike the other speakers mentioned above, you cannot hook it up to any other music devices. However, this versatility is traded off for simplicity in use.

It's pricey, but if portability, reducing desk clutter, and freeing up more power outlets are your priorities, I would recommend considering the NX-U02.  

I have these speakers for almost half a year, and I’m satisfied. It’s easy to bring to places and, most importantly, sped up my set up time for presentations.

The NX-U02 is available in white, red, and black at Yamaha's website for $149.95.

Worth mentioning: Yamaha NX-B02
Yamaha also has Bluetooth versions of NX-U02. It uses batteries or an ac adaptor as power source. However, it’s only capable of outputting 10W when the USB version can do 20W. It also sports a higher price tag at $199.95.

This speaker could be perfect for presentations. Having no wires makes it even more portable, but in my past experience, my Bluetooth experience hasn’t been all that seamless. I could just imagine everybody in the meeting room waiting for me to pair the speaker with my MacBook. With that thought, it’s plug-and-play USB for now.