[FullBright1]

On your mark..... get set...............SPEND that $5000 USD !!!!

Whenever you're ready for that Yamaha that looks like Tesla made it.

And remember, the pads are replaceable .... and the Cable does detatch.
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[doctorK53]

if I meant that I would have said gaijin, I think only @doctorK53 would have understood that reference in this whole thread. Lol

We seldom say gaijin nowadays

Well, obviously the color of skin, eyes and hair do not matter at all for audio. However, particularly for headphones, shape of skull and strength of the neck and shoulders matter a lot. so it makes sense to find someone who has similar form factor of body with you and ask their impression of the fit and comfort. You know, proper fit is important for bass as well.

Such ethnic divergence is what the headphone makers should consider, even though it is kind of average and varieties exist among the individuals. For example, the proprietary 3D wing support of audio-technica was very popular in japan, many praised and few complained. But in international user community it is a "love or hate" (I am on "love" side, fortunately), and no longer used in recent high-end models of the company. Some japanese bloggers think it is due to the ethnic difference of the skulls.

So when I read headphone reviews I try to know the shape of the reviewer's head. Reviews on Youtube is very helpful in that point.

 

[xeizo]

On your mark..... get set...............SPEND that $5000 USD !!!!

Whenever you're ready for that Yamaha that looks like Tesla made it.

And remember, the pads are replaceable .... and the Cable does detatch.
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Nice pictures!

 

[sp33ls]

Whenever you're ready for that Yamaha that looks like Tesla made it.

Ooof. That's an uncalled-for dig against Yamaha.

I find the Yamaha design to be quite unique and inspiring, unlike those stodgy, ubiquitous cars.

 

[doctorK53]

This thread wouldn't be complete or anywhere near what it is without your contributions. I want to let you know that I am very thankful for you, and I say with certainty that I am speaking for just about everyone here.

The fact that you are willing to devote so much of your time to contribute with the most accurate information, it's something that I envy. It's very inspirational and motivating! You are allowing the rest of the world to have a chance to hear all the details and information that is exclusive to the Japanese community. Thank you for everything. It would be far from a stretch to say that I am deeply grateful for every post you've made here =)

Happy to hear that. I did everything one hundred percent for myself. I wanted to know more about the YH-5000SE and totl headphones. Teaching is the best way of learning. Translation is the best way of reading. Also I supposed the information would be interesting for the non-Japanese headphone lovers. Seemingly I was correct and happy to see my posts provoked meaningful discussions while information is limited and trial oppotunity was almost zero outside japan. I'm looking forward to reading impressions from audio shows in Europe and NY this weekend.

 

[doctorK53]

I think it's really brave to buy something that's like $5K without auditioning. It was more of a compliment because I had the YH-5000SE 10- times in my cart. I just didn't have the guts to click purchase. Glad it worked out for you. Now if I have that same brave heart and didn't like the YH-5000SE and it's probably going to sting me and you won't care. Because we are strangers, trusting a whole bunch of stranger reviews on a $5000 is too much of a risk for me. I enjoyed reading your review, but I got to make sure I'm smart with my wallet. There is 2 headphones I want to get at this moment, the Atrium Close Back and the Yamaha YH-5000SE. Looking at my collection perspective, its probably better for me to get the YH-5000SE over the Atrium Close Back since I already have the ATH-L3000 as my wooden close back. But from my wallet perspective, ZMF LTD headphones don't usually go too low in the used market, like maybe $200-300 off from retail a lot of the time. Another thing is I do like that ZMF prints your name and engraves it in a wooden certificate, so buying ZMF headphones new feel more special. I am willing to wait for the regular YH-5000 (which is around $1000 cheaper if I remember what you said) and probably wait for a used one which hopefully be around $3500-3700. Sure, I'll lose some extra pads, the headphone stand, and the SE cable, but I'll save the extra $$$.

I don't want you to feel bad spending $5000, that's great that you did. You got your dream headphone very early and every day forward is going to be more enjoyable, while I wait thinking what the YH-5000 would sound like until I get my hands on one. Enjoy your YH-5000SE, don't mind what anyone says, because that headphone kick ass

Of 'course it was a difficult decision and I never recommend to do such reckless gamble! I tried to make an opportunity for audition, but lots of problems happened around me and it won't be possible next several months. I was sure I could not wait no more, plus, I did not have a competitor. I know my preference of headphones well through triing some expensive (not the most expensive, but, paying $1000 for a pair of headphones is crazy in the rest of the world) ones from Focal, Sennheiser, Denon, Fostex, audio-technica, etc.

As a result in this two weeks my life is more enjoyable, however, again, I never recommend to do like me. I was lucky this time.

 

[doctorK53]

Whenever you're ready for that Yamaha that looks like Tesla made it.

This is by Yamaha (music company) that looks like Yamaha (motors) made it.

 

[Saberpunch]

Of 'course it was a difficult decision and I never recommend to do such reckless gamble! I tried to make an opportunity for audition, but lots of problems happened around me and it won't be possible next several months. I was sure I could not wait no more, plus, I did not have a competitor. I know my preference of headphones well through triing some expensive (not the most expensive, but, paying $1000 for a pair of headphones is crazy in the rest of the world) ones from Focal, Sennheiser, Denon, Fostex, audio-technica, etc.

As a result in this two weeks my life is more enjoyable, however, again, I never recommend to do like me. I was lucky this time.

Glad you are enjoying the Yamaha YH-5000SE. Wish I could've gone to New York to try them myself, but I decided to only go to 1 CanJam this year which is going to be in Texas in November. If I stumble across a Yamaha YH-5000SE in CanJam Texas, I'll try them. I know I am going to like it and get the YH-5000. The real question is when I am going to get them and if I can afford them. For now, I will just enjoy reading this thread and your post on any new discovery with the Yamaha YH-5000 until I get my hands on them one day.

 

[HiFiDJ]

On your mark..... get set...............SPEND that $5000 USD !!!!

I'm just waiting for a dealer that doesn't charge tax lol. So realistically it's about $5.5k

 

[FullBright1]

Unfortunately not. I am a newcomer of the world of high-end headphone and live a bit far from large cities, so have little chance to audition many headphones. I managed to borrow some of second line (in terms of price) headphones. Btw I have ath-r70x with me. I use it for zoom meeting because it is super light. Openness and sound stage size is somehow similar, but yh have smoother, thicker and a bit warmer sound, more information, and more holographic presentation. not sure if this comparison is helpful, but at least r70x looks like a younger brother of adx5000.

Finally a review that isn't a complete polar opposite of the last person's, as they compared it to a really good sounding ATH headphone.
THe R70X, which is probably ATech's best sounding, "reference" gear and its cheap.
If you were sucked into the "HD600 is god" mantra..... and you didn't like this deity on your head, then the ATH-R70X is what you want, as its really a great sounding HD600, minus what makes that one annoying..... , = the midrange overkill, the lack of SS, and the miniature low end.
Light as a feather also is the ATHR70X.
So, if someone said that this FS Yammy is that sound but HD, then look out world of Audiophilia.
No one has said that, but a few say the Yammy is the HD800S done right., so that can be great.

Currawong is the only reviewer who said the Yammy has good bass, tho that was based on a quick listen..... and frankly, the typical Asian Headphone community considers what the American Audiophiles hear as BRIGHT, as their reference gear.

I hope the Currawong is correct.


Its always FOGGY research, when 50% of the reviews say exactly the opposite of the other 50%.

There does seem to be a consensus regarding the very neutral bass, not so wide sound stage, and comfort. Tho a few listeners said the SS is amazing.
Where it gets weird, is regarding the treble reviews, as about half declare the treble is the star., and most of these say its too much.
Also, its not unusual for a neutral bass tuned set to "skew" Treble that is genuinely good, as to be perceived as dominate.
Lot of chat about "natural sounding", and that is going to be the midrange quality.

What is strange, is that Yamaha chose the RME gear to tune their FlagShip.
That's an odd choice.
ThE RME (a good gear) is neutral on steroids, and a bit dry., So, you would think that if you paired the Yammy with anything else, such as a FiiO K9 that is much more lush and full... that the Yammy would sonically bloom and become that must own very expensive gear.

Soon we'll all know more about it.... as all the "i have to be the first to review it".... fanatics.... will be rushing to Utube it, to sell you their review for a "click".

Good luck with that..

 

[goldwerger]

We seldom say gaijin nowadays

Well, obviously the color of skin, eyes and hair do not matter at all for audio. However, particularly for headphones, shape of skull and strength of the neck and shoulders matter a lot. so it makes sense to find someone who has similar form factor of body with you and ask their impression of the fit and comfort. You know, proper fit is important for bass as well.

Such ethnic divergence is what the headphone makers should consider, even though it is kind of average and varieties exist among the individuals. For example, the proprietary 3D wing support of audio-technica was very popular in japan, many praised and few complained. But in international user community it is a "love or hate" (I am on "love" side, fortunately), and no longer used in recent high-end models of the company. Some japanese bloggers think it is due to the ethnic difference of the skulls.

So when I read headphone reviews I try to know the shape of the reviewer's head. Reviews on Youtube is very helpful in that point.

This is so accurate it’s painful

I have both the Audio-Technical ATH-L3000 and L5000

The latter has had bad rap outside of Japan as a very uncomfortable and bass light headphone. When I got it, it was exactly that. And it was so uncomfortable that it was unwearable. It was clearly designed to an average Asian head shape. I knew this was supposed to be a spectacular headphone and so I looked for a solution. I got the ZMF universe lambskin solid pads, which are very deep and plush, and these immediately compensation for the rigidly bad headphone design, and instantly the headphone aligned comfortably to my head. But the , for the first time, I got a proper seal around my ears (which is otherwise impossible with these headphones for the average Caucasian head shape). With that, a tight and exquisite bass followed. This is now probably one of my top 3-4 headphones, and one of the best one I’ve ever heard. Of course I got the same pads also for my L3000, with the same effect, though that one is shaped a little more forgiving.

Audio-Technical is clearly not focused on western audiophiles (they are on other audio segments such as musicians, studio, etc).

And the point is, where you get the info, and what you do with it, is critical.

I wholeheartedly agree with your observations.

(for those curious, my original post on the change I made on the L5000 thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audio-technica-ath-l5000.886814/page-14#post-17063207)

 

[betula]

What is strange, is that Yamaha chose the RME gear to tune their FlagShip.
That's an odd choice.
ThE RME (a good gear) is neutral on steroids, and a bit dry., So, you would think that if you paired the Yammy with anything else, such as a FiiO K9 that is much more lush and full... that the Yammy would sonically bloom and become that must own very expensive gear.

Exactly. The ADI-2 is a great little d/s DAC but certainly not what I would choose to show off a headphone like the 5000SE. It does seem that the Yamaha is a neutral reference tuning and as you said, the RME is a bit dry and it's amp section is really not that brilliant. Doesn't feel adequate to bring out the best of a $5000 headphone. Perhaps a Chord Dave if they wanted to show off clarity/staging, a Holo stack to bring some life to the sound or the Cayin HA-300MKII to add some tube lushness. You can see all these combinations on headphone shows, this is what other super high-end headphone manufacturers prefer. Maybe the RME was somewhat of an emergency solution. Let's hope, on the upcoming CanJam we receive some more impressions.

 

[FullBright1]

Exactly. The ADI-2 is a great little d/s DAC but certainly not what I would choose to show off a headphone like the 5000SE. It does seem that the Yamaha is a neutral reference tuning and as you said, the RME is a bit dry and it's amp section is really not that brilliant. Doesn't feel adequate to bring out the best of a $5000 headphone. Perhaps a Chord Dave if they wanted to show off clarity/staging, a Holo stack to bring some life to the sound or the Cayin HA-300MKII to add some tube lushness. You can see all these combinations on headphone shows, this is what other super high-end headphone manufacturers prefer. Maybe the RME was somewhat of an emergency solution. Let's hope, on the upcoming CanJam we receive some more impressions.

If the designers and the marketing research dept at Yammy was thinking..... """""Lets design this thing using a very mid-tier amp/dac, so that it can fit in with the budget friendly buyers."""""....and yet, its a $5400 SE headphone.....when you add in the TAX and shipping............hummmm.
This design/marketing concept does bring into focus......>"what are they thinking at Yammy".
Obviously they figured out they have some Legit Rep in the world of Planar tech, having been at the forefront, and ... How can any Asian stereo-fi company not realize the MINT that has been made by Hifiman and AudioTech, and all the American "Audiophile" Companies.
It took Yammy a while to get back in that game,, that they've SEEN going on for years now.,, that they helped create.
Headphone audiophiles will $$$$$$$$$$$$$ pay to have the opportunity to own the "best", .
Its what we do.

Yet, Yammy created it to work with the RME, ....thinking that the low-mid Tier buyers will be happy with their $5400 USD + Tax headphones?

The Literature says it took them 6 yrs to design the YH-5000.
This made me smile, exactly as i did when i read the Audeze Lit that says it took them 5 yrs to design the MM-500....

Maybe the Audeze CRBN took a while, but the MM-500? Ummmmmmm, really?

So, if it took Yammy 6 yrs to create this Impressive looking gear, they should have created a nice dac/amp to make it run up to its full potential, as well.
I vote, ... let me pay for a package that is designed from the first blueprint to work in partnership as a FLAGSHIP combo, vs, .... keep trying 28 more dac/amps and hope one is the sweet spot, and thank you for paying $5400 to do that for us.

Yes, i would like to own it, no matter.
Sure.
My only concern, is that the tuning is "Asian Audiophile", which means bright neutral, and ""where is the bass"??.
For that sound, Audio-Tech perfected it already with their ADX-5000 and a couple of their closed wooden cup, sets.
I really like the ADX-5000, but its the Anti-Audeze sound, and is even more neutral then the Susvara or any HEK1000's.

 

[adrianm]

$5400 SE headphone.....when you add in the TAX and shipping.

It's a 3500$ headphone that they sell for 5.5k in the rest of the world. I think people should curb their enthusiasm a bit. It's AN option, but reading Twitter impressions from Japan, people with exposure to high end gear were not that blown away by it, some even saying they can justify the price considering the weight, ergonomics, etc thrown in. I get that, it matters to me too.
But even (balanced) favorable impressions said it's technically on par with D8k but without the bass, and if you value low end at all you would definitely pick it instead. It seems like it's better than the Susvara in that regard, but that's not saying much. As such, I would advise caution before buying it blind. I felt more comfortable getting the D8k Pro LE over it, specifically because of the low end, and it's still a gamble. I haven't seen anything indicating it's really a next step in performance as of yet. And I mean technicalities, not tunning. I'd be happy to be proven wrong and get it, but i've been around this hype merry go round before.

 

[Tano]

I get more and more impressed about the elitism and nonsense on this hobby. So now the RME is a sub par piece of gear and the Yamaha engineers got no clue about what you need to make the YH5000 shine.
Maybe they need to hire some experts, don't forget to submit your CV