Yamaha Design “Synapses” S2000 series

2007 / HIFI COMPONENT


Continuing our legacy of natural sound, this high fidelity audio system offers faithful sound reproduction.

Harmony

The NP-S2000 (released in 2010) is an advanced network audio player with a natural material finish. Intended to harmonize with the design of other products in the S2000 series, the layout of the NP-S2000 emphasizes space, with the shape of the knobs expressing their functions.

Timeless

The embodiment of Yamaha's philosophy for HiFi audio; "Hi Fidelity=natural sound." This is captured in a ubiquitous design that stays true to its core values without being swayed by passing fads.

Reconstruction

The minimal controls are laid out asymmetrically on the panel, making good use of the space between them to achieve an air of quiet tension. This design has inherited the DNA of Yamaha Hi fi design while also bringing new elements of refinement into play.

Tactile

The switch-type levels on the control panel have slightly tapered tips, while the larger knobs feature a reverse taper to a slightly wider end. The controls all offer a large contact surface with a pleasant, mildly adhesive texture.

Professional

The subtle hairline finish of the panel and natural birch side panels give this product line an air of quality. This mix of materials gives the product superb resistance to vibration, and helps to improve its sound.


Kenshiro Tanaka
Kenshiro Tanaka
Designer
Design Holon Inc.

Aiming for a "Container for Sound"

The flagship A-S2000 and CD-S2000 models inherit the legacy of Yamaha’s renowned CA-1000 Hi Fi amplifier from 1973. The key phrase in the design of these products was "A Container for Sound."
Released more than thirty five years ago, the CA-1000 had a crowded control panel, resulting in a very mechanical feel. Nowadays however, people look for a more tranquil appearance in their audio equipment. I felt that this compared to the role that "pianissimo" plays in the music world. What emerged from that concept was a design that utilized a typically Japanese aesthetic of stressing the beauty of spaces. Those spaces are the balance between the rough and the fine. To a feel of spaciousness to something, we need to pare down compositional elements, and refine the details, working to achieve a balance between the two. Take, for example, the CD tray, honed to a minimum thickness, the minutely textured, knobs and switches, or the minimalist remote controls… the design concept of "beauty in spaces" permeates throughout..
Dishes, vases, letterboxes… "containers" are found everywhere in our lives. But the important thing about containers is what we put inside them. For an audio component too, the product itself is not important; rather the music, and the listener take the central role. The restrained presence that brings those roles to the fore is what constitutes the new design identity for Yamaha Hi Fi Audio.

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