[SolarCetacean]

The cans’ chambers are deep and cavernous, and it feels safe for me to say that no one is going to have issues with their pinnae or earlobes pressing against the driver.

From the Major HiFi review. Hmm, I'm eager to test that claim, as my ears stick out a lot and have touched the inside of basically every headphone I've ever worn, even the HD800/820 depending on where I wear them. At least there's the thin fabric on the earpads to cushion it slightly.

Though mids present very naturally, I found a high-mid emphasis to become more apparent over the course of my listens. Supporting synths, distorted guitars, and vocals were tilted a little more towards their driving overtones than they were their softer fundamentals.

I'm curious where that high-mid emphasis actually is, as definitions vary on what upper mids even are. Some say that treble begins above 2 KHz, others define it as above 6 KHz, so upper mids can be anything from 1 KHz to 6 KHz. I'm partial to the Hifiman-style recessed 1-2.5 KHz followed by a boosted 3-5 KHz, while I find the new Audeze tuning (e.g. CRBN and MM-500) of a strong ear-gain region from 1-3 KHz with a treble drop-off above that to be "shouty" and strident. This review isn't particularly insightful as to what that tuning exactly is, as both guitars and vocals have overtones throughout that entire range. And without a comparison to another headphone in the review, I can't glean information about a possible contrast or similarity with another headphone that I may have heard.

The YH-5000SE’s high frequency abilities are what sealed the deal for me. Bold but not shrill, smooth but not muted.

I'm interested. For me, treble is the region that a headphone must get right straight out of the box, as EQ is very difficult at those high frequencies. I like elevated treble, but not peaky treble. I want something smooth, yet airy and bright. This description seems like it will check those boxes. But again, a comparison with another headphone would have been so helpful for a review. Will it be better than my Shangri-La Jr at the upper treble? I'm a bit skeptical here; I have not heard another headphone that toes that line so well. I am curious if it will come close enough in the treble that it more than makes up for it elsewhere. The SGL Jr's smooth elevation does have a downside where it combines with its sharp 5.5K notch to knock instrument timbre off kilter enough to make certain cymbal hits harder to distinguish - the initial sharp attack is de-emphasized in favor of its trailing decay. That's an opening for the YH-5K to pull ahead.

I'll have to give it a good long demo in order to find out the answers to those questions. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to CanJam NYC this weekend. Well, there will be more opportunities in the future.

 

[CMA Fifteen]

http://earphoneshop.co.kr/shop/shop...=113&mcode=047&scode=&special=1&GfDT=bWl3Uw==

The YH-5000SE is now available in stores in South Korea.
Priced at KRW 4,980,000 (USD 3,800)
It is available for immediate purchase and can be heard in stores starting today.

I was pleasantly surprised that it was released so soon.

 

[adrianm]

http://earphoneshop.co.kr/shop/shopdetail.html?branduid=1145905&xcode=113&mcode=047&scode=&special=1&GfDT=bWl3Uw==

The YH-5000SE is now available in stores in South Korea.
Priced at KRW 4,980,000 (USD 3,800)
It is available for immediate purchase and can be heard in stores starting today.

I was pleasantly surprised that it was released so soon.

Pricing is actually pretty good as well. As opposed to EU/US

 

[adrianm]

That link actually has the best review of the Yamaha i've seen so far. And not just. They sound interesting, not SOTA, not sure if they're for me, as I tend to avoid this type of sound signature (tubes and such), but definitely something something interesting of itself. The tuning seems very purposeful. At least it's different.

 

[betula]

That link actually has the best review of the Yamaha i've seen so far. And not just. They sound interesting, not SOTA, not sure if they're for me, as I tend to avoid this type of sound signature (tubes and such), but definitely something something interesting of itself. The tuning seems very purposeful. At least it's different.

Nice! Interesting insights in the review. I particularly like the focus on harmonic distortion in the mid frequencies which most likely leads to a pleasant and realistic timbre for vocals and acoustic instruments. The 'vintage' approach to bass though might not be my cup of tea. Audition is a must.

 

[adrianm]

Nice! Interesting insights in the review. I particularly like the focus on harmonic distortion in the mid frequencies which most likely leads to a pleasant and realistic timbre for vocals and acoustic instruments. The 'vintage' approach to bass though might not be my cup of tea. Audition is a must.

I agree, that was very interesting to me as well. Getting "tube" sound on a very neutral system could be a nice addition to a collection. Bass does seem to be very polarizing, and I suspect it wouldn't react that great to Eq. At least this gives more clarity on where it sits.
It's purposely tuned to sound a certain way, it's not aiming at reinventing the wheel and pushing technical performance. Certain people that are used to this kind of sound will surely gravitate towards it. Just like the Elites, the pad swap gives a nice option.
That said, my Z1R's also have an eccentric tuning and for me, as good as it was for certain stuff, the excitement wore off after a few years and I find myself wanting more and more neutrality and a do-it-all headphone, as opposed to this kind of approach.

 

[musicday]

From what I read this is up there with Elite.

 

[swedishpat]

It's been over 10 years since I started hearing tinnitus in my right ear, and I still don't have much trouble listening to music





The sound of the YH-5000 was clean and comfortable, similar to my Stealth, but I don't think it could handle my volume.





I don't think the D8000 can ever match this weight and this comfort.
Personally, if I had to choose between the two, I would choose the YH-5000.

But D8000 sounds completely different don’t they? D8000 have massive bass and Yamaha has much less bass?

 

[shabta]

A very favorable review from on-mag.fr. With a graph! Of course you may need google or bing translation since it is in french.

https://www.on-mag.fr/index.php/top...odynamite-les-petits-jeunes-de-la-concurrence

 

[Undun]

But D8000 sounds completely different don’t they? D8000 have massive bass and Yamaha has much less bass?

I am curious about the same thing, and am contemplating these vs the D8000 Pro LE, considering these seem to be in the same wheel-house--but I guess only time will tell. Eagerly waiting for more impressions, or an audition better yet! My LCD5s have served me quite well, but there is a distinct lack of dynamism/tactility and texture in the bass that I am hoping to get more from either of the aforementioned cans.

 

[SolarCetacean]

A very favorable review from on-mag.fr. With a graph! Of course you may need google or bing translation since it is in french.

https://www.on-mag.fr/index.php/top...odynamite-les-petits-jeunes-de-la-concurrence

Thanks for sharing this! This reviewer thought that there was an issue with the mids to treble transition. That graph looks like it was done on a miniDSP EARS, so that huge spike around 4.5K isn't actually there on the headphone, it's a measurement artifact. If we just look at the FR below 2 KHz, it has a Stax-like bump around 1.2K, but smaller, broader, and more rounded. It reminds me of the response that I measured on my SR-L700mk2, but with significantly better bass elevation and extension.

That link actually has the best review of the Yamaha i've seen so far. And not just. They sound interesting, not SOTA, not sure if they're for me, as I tend to avoid this type of sound signature (tubes and such), but definitely something something interesting of itself. The tuning seems very purposeful. At least it's different.

Thanks for this. The measurements here also show that significant dip around 3KHz, and also noted the high 2nd harmonic distortion in the midrange. I've noticed on my L700mk2 that higher harmonic distortion combined with a 1.2KHz peak means that the harmonic distortion kind of "fills in" the 2-3 KHz region, so it doesn't sound as odd as it would measure. In fact, when I use the L700mk2 on a lower-distortion amp, it sounds slightly worse overall, because the 1.2K peak stands out more as the level of 2-3K is reduced because it doesn't have that distortion to fill it out. It makes the sound "honkier" and more nasally as a result. It seems like Yamaha intentionally tuned the design with distortion in the midrange and bass to round out the low end. Perhaps that's part of why impressions are all over the place; distortion's effects depend on the level of the signal, so different signals react to distortion differently.
Another thing is that a dip in the 3-5 KHz range is similar to what a number of Audio Technica A-series headphones have. I have tended to enjoy the midrange on the AT Air-series headphones; it was very good for string instruments and vocals, so perhaps this design will capture a bit of that. Maybe.
The high distortion in the bass is something people noticed, and it looks like the measurements support that. Maybe it's similar to the Focal driver clipping issue? The Korean reviewer noted how the driver can be seen oscillating at high volumes.

All in all, a very interesting design with some quite unorthodox design decisions. That's pretty cool; I like it when a design is tuned with purpose. Maybe not aligned with my general preferences, but I think that it will work well for certain types of instruments, just like how my L700 renders trumpets and brass instruments with an exciting amount of stridency precisely due to its unusual tuning. I'm curious to try out this Yamaha.

 

[adrianm]

I am curious about the same thing, and am contemplating these vs the D8000 Pro LE, considering these seem to be in the same wheel-house--but I guess only time will tell. Eagerly waiting for more impressions, or an audition better yet! My LCD5s have served me quite well, but there is a distinct lack of dynamism/tactility and texture in the bass that I am hoping to get more from either of the aforementioned cans.

Being in the same situation, though I liked Elites more than lcd-5, i went with the LE. Should be here next week, not sure if it will dethrone the Elite for me, but for more tactility than this I think it's either the 1266 or the Final.
Will compare the Yamaha to the LE if the local dealer ever lets me take a demo pair home. Atm they're not even allowing in store demos, as they only have one pair.

 

[adrianm]

The high distortion in the bass is something people noticed, and it looks like the measurements support that. Maybe it's similar to the Focal driver clipping issue? The Korean reviewer noted how the driver can be seen oscillating at high volumes.

Final has also had issues with that, using the same driver archetype at least. Afaik it was improved on the D8k Pro LE compared to the Pro and the Pro compared to the normal version. A lot of thought seems to have went into overcoming that limitation for this driver type though. Yamaha might also need a few iterations.

 

[vsg28]

I had a nice, private session with the YH-5000SE earlier today. It's easily among the best built and most comfortable headphones I've ever used, although the actual design can come off steampunk-like (appeals to me). Excuse the purple lighting, Yamaha decided this ambient lighting enhanced the experience lol:

As you can see, Yamaha has decided to pair all demo units with the RME ADI-2. The local reps weren't sure why except that it was how everything was shipped with clear instructions to match them. They also mentioned the goal was to have a neutral sound without the most extension on either side to make for a non-fatiguing and natural presentation (their words, not mine). In practice, I did note the drop off in the sub-bass which makes this a more mid-bass focused set followed by some of the best mids reproduction. Indeed, I kept thinking about how this is a better HD 650 in that regard, although I would have preferred some more ear gain and upper mids presence. String instruments and piano keys do get their fair dues at the expense of vocals, especially female vocals. The upper treble also dips down but doesn't feel as dark to where orchestral music should be plenty fine here. Overall I'd like to get a set in for review and to see what this can do paired with other sources as I was getting close to maxing out the RME in the default settings they had, I couldn't change anything on it. They also said the UK is getting all of 30 units this year and that right now the team in Japan can't make sets fast enough to fulfill the pre-orders.

 

[Saberpunch]

I had a nice, private session with the YH-5000SE earlier today. It's easily among the best built and most comfortable headphones I've ever used, although the actual design can come off steampunk-like (appeals to me). Excuse the purple lighting, Yamaha decided this ambient lighting enhanced the experience lol:






As you can see, Yamaha has decided to pair all demo units with the RME ADI-2. The local reps weren't sure why except that it was how everything was shipped with clear instructions to match them. They also mentioned the goal was to have a neutral sound without the most extension on either side to make for a non-fatiguing and natural presentation (their words, not mine). In practice, I did note the drop off in the sub-bass which makes this a more mid-bass focused set followed by some of the best mids reproduction. Indeed, I kept thinking about how this is a better HD 650 in that regard, although I would have preferred some more ear gain and upper mids presence. String instruments and piano keys do get their fair dues at the expense of vocals, especially female vocals. The upper treble also dips down but doesn't feel as dark to where orchestral music should be plenty fine here. Overall I'd like to get a set in for review and to see what this can do paired with other sources as I was getting close to maxing out the RME in the default settings they had, I couldn't change anything on it. They also said the UK is getting all of 30 units this year and that right now the team in Japan can't make sets fast enough to fulfill the pre-orders.

Is UK only getting 30 units? I remember seeing only 3 in stock in one of the US store. I knew the Yamaha YH-5000SE was limited, but is it that low in number on retail right now?