[FullBright1]

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.

Ive owned the Final Audio gear you are thinking of....
I hated the cups, as i found them needing to be a bit larger. And they felt "scratchy".
Tonally, i heard them as a sibling to the Rossan Rad-0, yet with more soundstage.

The Susvara, ... i like it, but, it would not be my end game end game.
I enjoy the HEKs more, actually.

In the last few months ive left the world of Planars, as ive owned or own them all.
The ZMF Caldera is the best........so, i can always buy that one again, and will, once the Closed version shows up, as for me, its just better than anything made by Audeze, Hifiman, or DCA.
Ive been buying lots of E-Stats and powerboxes to nail it down to 2, and that was a bit of coin.

I was not expecting Yammy to create such a aesthetically lovely gear, after i had hung up my Planar lust.

If i buy it, ill review it.

 

[betula]

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

Nobody said, the ADI-2 is 'sub par'. In fact we all spoke positively of it. Summit-fi headphones thought can really shine with summit-fi gear...

 

[artisandro]

Gonna agree with Tano over here. If Yamaha thought it would make a significant difference, they would have used a top of the line chain to market their headphones. No matter how experienced you think you are, the Yamaha engineers specialise in this area. They have more credibility than a stranger on a forum.

 

[stacey]

Nobody said, the ADI-2 is 'sub par'. In fact we all spoke positively of it. Summit-fi headphones thought can really shine with summit-fi gear...

ADI -2 isn’t cheap, and it’s used in industry applications like studios quite frequently. That’s probably why it was selected for development

 

[Tano]

Gonna agree with Tano over here. If Yamaha thought it would make a significant difference, they would have used a top of the line chain to market their headphones. No matter how experienced you think you are, the Yamaha engineers specialise in this area. They have more credibility than a stranger on a forum.

Thankfully, pro audio world doesn't give a F about the audiophile nonsense and esoteric products cause it's not easy to fool a real professional.
You can say that you prefer other gear over the ADI, that's totally understandable, but you should not be mocking Yamaha engineers for using a professional tool like the ADI to engineer their headphones.

 

[artisandro]

You pay a lot of money for the last 5%! but it’s still only 5%. It’s worth the money if you have it. Top audiophiles are more sensitive to the last 5%, and it starts to sound like 20% to them, but in reality it is 5%. And, again, totally worth it if it’s your passion and you have the money. So, no need for anyone to feel offended imho…

 

[joe]

Mod note: Guys, Let's knock off the personal attacks. Let's get back on topic.

 

[537778]

You can say that you prefer other gear over the ADI, that's totally understandable, but you should not be mocking Yamaha engineers for using a professional tool like the ADI to engineer their headphones.

Couldn't agree more! individuals with their limited experience claim to know everything and assume these multimillion business are stupid to pair-match the audio experience.

 

[adrianm]

Gonna agree with Tano over here. If Yamaha thought it would make a significant difference, they would have used a top of the line chain to market their headphones. No matter how experienced you think you are, the Yamaha engineers specialise in this area. They have more credibility than a stranger on a forum.

I think there's a lot of respect for the brand and etc, especially in Japan, but that really doesn't give them any credibility in my book. They just want to sell stuff, just like everyone else. And worldwide pricing is as opportunistic as Hifiman and Abyss. They get the benefit of the doubt from me because I know the economic situation Japan is in and I don't think they can risk underpricing it with the value of the Yen being what it is.

I did too. And there's good and bad stuff on what you could call "summit fi". The problem is that most people on this hobby thinks that if you get a 5k HP, you need a 2k cable and a 3k amp to drive it to it's fullest.

Yamaha themselves are selling it with expensive cables and say even making them shorted by 50cm would alter the sound. I'm not sure I believe it, but still. They're just trying to capitalize off the revival of a technology they pioneered. Final has had success with what I assume are their drivers. Some people auditioned the Yamaha off an MSB stack btw and recognized it sounds considerably better.

That's elitism in a nut shell.

Elitism itself is not that bad. Snobbery is. While he might have been needlessly aggressive, he does make some valid points.
Some of us went through everything from 100$ to 30-40k and there are meaningful jumps in quality. Diminishing returns and all that, but it's not really 5% most of the time. There is plenty of snake oil for sure, but there are also meaningfully superior products. They are few and far between though. I'm skeptical about everything until I hear it myself and brand loyalty means nothing to me.
That said, it's just audio gear. Nothing is worth your peace of mind. The experience of the reviewer matters for putting things into context, but there is no reason to disrespect others just because they don't want to spend as much/have other priorities.

 

[betula]

Sure not everything sounds great that is expensive (nobody said that) and there are gems with lower price tags too. It is a very subjective hobby as all our needs, hearing, priorities and wallets are different.
If everyone could be happy with a $100 headphone and a $100 DAP, Head-Fi and these piranha tank conversations wouldn't exist. Some people take this hobby way too personal.

 

[adrianm]

If everyone could be happy with a $100 headphone and a $100 DAP, Head-Fi and these piranha tank conversations wouldn't exist. Some people take this hobby way too personal.

FWIW I might listen more to my Airpods Pro than my main rig. Even working from home. Sounds considerably worse but doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. I was actually hoping the Yamaha would be stable enough that I can use them around the house with an Ifi Go blu or something.

 

[eskamobob1]

So now the RME is a sub par piece of gear

Compared to what most people with headphones in this price bracket run it absaluely is. Tbh I would have been more understanding to see like an adi2 + sa1 used for design than just an adi2. The HP out from it is basicaly "acceptable" at best. Even considering the price there are better chains to be had if you don't go aio

 

[eskamobob1]

Tonally, i heard them as a sibling to the Rossan Rad-0, yet with more soundstage.

You should try the pros as well. The og and the pro are tuned so different to not even sound like they are made by the same company tbh. The pros have a much better flow to them and imo have the best (not most, but best) bass reproduction in the business (ahead of sus, 1266, Shang sr, x9k, etc)

 

[Tano]

Compared to what most people with headphones in this price bracket run it absaluely is. Tbh I would have been more understanding to see like an adi2 + sa1 used for design than just an adi2. The HP out from it is basicaly "acceptable" at best. Even considering the price there are better chains to be had if you don't go aio

Fair. This is your opinion. But Im sure that Yamaha engineers considered that the RME ADI 2 DAC matched the level of transparency, low distortion and power to showcase the YH5000 capabilities. Of course, personal taste will come to play when choosing a DAC/AMP of your liking, but I don't think they would choose something that undeperforms his new flagship.

 

[betula]

FWIW I might listen more to my Airpods Pro than my main rig. Even working from home. Sounds considerably worse but doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. I was actually hoping the Yamaha would be stable enough that I can use them around the house with an Ifi Go blu or something.

Well, I am also happy to have the option to listen to my TWS in-ears on flights instead of the screaming babies, but after a week or two away, my main rig really feels like water for the weary traveller in an oasis.