[SolarCetacean]

Someone in the CanJam NYC 2023 impressions thread thought that the Yamaha was tuned in the same vein as the Sony MDR-Z1R, and that one is also a pretty divisive headphone. From reviews and impressions I've read of the Z1R, it's either too sharp in the treble, or too muddy in the bass, or absolutely incredible. People tend to fall into one of those three camps. Impressions on the YH-5000 also seem to follow similar groupings; either the treble is too sharp, or the sound is muddy and undetailed, or the sound is wonderful and natural. So until I get to hear the YH-5K for myself or hear a convincingly different review, I'm going with the mental model that the Yamaha is basically an open-back MDR-Z1R.

I'm pretty curious: for people who like the Yamaha and have also heard the Z1R, do you like both? And for those who don't like the Yamaha, did you also not like the Z1R? I wonder if liking the Z1R could be a litmus test for liking the Yamaha's sound.

Prior to a week ago, I would have been uncertain if I liked that sort of tuning, as most of my collection consists of brighter headphones. But I recently bought a second-hand modded Sony MDR-Z7m2, and it has been very enjoyable to listen to. The first two minutes of listening, I thought the Z7m2 was dark, muddy, and unclear (similar to what people have said about both the Z1R and the YH-5K), but after a bit of mental adjustment, I found it was actually very detailed, but in a different way than I am used to. So, I'm quite interested in both the Z1R and the YH-5K now.

 

[adrianm]

Someone in the CanJam NYC 2023 impressions thread thought that the Yamaha was tuned in the same vein as the Sony MDR-Z1R, and that one is also a pretty divisive headphone. From reviews and impressions I've read of the Z1R, it's either too sharp in the treble, or too muddy in the bass, or absolutely incredible. People tend to fall into one of those three camps. Impressions on the YH-5000 also seem to follow similar groupings; either the treble is too sharp, or the sound is muddy and undetailed, or the sound is wonderful and natural. So until I get to hear the YH-5K for myself or hear a convincingly different review, I'm going with the mental model that the Yamaha is basically an open-back MDR-Z1R.

I'm pretty curious: for people who like the Yamaha and have also heard the Z1R, do you like both? And for those who don't like the Yamaha, did you also not like the Z1R? I wonder if liking the Z1R could be a litmus test for liking the Yamaha's sound.

Prior to a week ago, I would have been uncertain if I liked that sort of tuning, as most of my collection consists of brighter headphones. But I recently bought a second-hand modded Sony MDR-Z7m2, and it has been very enjoyable to listen to. The first two minutes of listening, I thought the Z7m2 was dark, muddy, and unclear (similar to what people have said about both the Z1R and the YH-5K), but after a bit of mental adjustment, I found it was actually very detailed, but in a different way than I am used to. So, I'm quite interested in both the Z1R and the YH-5K now.

FWIW I still love my Z1R, it's a very nice flavor, and some stuff sounds more "real" to me than a lot of reference headphones. It also is sharp in the treble lol. Muddy in the bass? sure? But it kicks like a mule. Also love it for vocals, and an enormous soundstage for a closed back. I mean on par with my Elites. I have the Stealth coming next week and we'll see how that fares in comparison, but even if it really is "better", the Sonys are not going anywhere. I don't need 2 reference sounding headphones, but it's different enough to keep.
I'm tempted to take the same approach with the Yamaha, but the price is a bit much for an occasional use headphone. Its only saving grace is the comfort. Just like Z1R. But it being a closed back and less than half the price makes it a lot easier to justify.

 

[jjss]

Someone in the CanJam NYC 2023 impressions thread thought that the Yamaha was tuned in the same vein as the Sony MDR-Z1R, and that one is also a pretty divisive headphone. From reviews and impressions I've read of the Z1R, it's either too sharp in the treble, or too muddy in the bass, or absolutely incredible. People tend to fall into one of those three camps. Impressions on the YH-5000 also seem to follow similar groupings; either the treble is too sharp, or the sound is muddy and undetailed, or the sound is wonderful and natural. So until I get to hear the YH-5K for myself or hear a convincingly different review, I'm going with the mental model that the Yamaha is basically an open-back MDR-Z1R.

I'm pretty curious: for people who like the Yamaha and have also heard the Z1R, do you like both? And for those who don't like the Yamaha, did you also not like the Z1R? I wonder if liking the Z1R could be a litmus test for liking the Yamaha's sound.

Prior to a week ago, I would have been uncertain if I liked that sort of tuning, as most of my collection consists of brighter headphones. But I recently bought a second-hand modded Sony MDR-Z7m2, and it has been very enjoyable to listen to. The first two minutes of listening, I thought the Z7m2 was dark, muddy, and unclear (similar to what people have said about both the Z1R and the YH-5K), but after a bit of mental adjustment, I found it was actually very detailed, but in a different way than I am used to. So, I'm quite interested in both the Z1R and the YH-5K now.

Can't agree wth your observations more re the sound of MDR Z1R as I used to love somewhat "brighter" HPs esp those of reference tuning. But when I listen to Sony's then gradually yes gradually I stared to change my preference and found those reference HPs are not just brighter but also "thinner" relative the Sony tunings - mine you louder isn't a substitute for a more solid (vs thinner) a more dense sound, and I guess this is due to a somewhat more balanced tonality from say MDR Z1R as its bass and sub bass are more than just being present, they are natural, hence making the overall tonality impression more real - a better sense of realism, esp timbre. I guess cos I used to listening to "brighter" reference HPs which give me a "sharper" sense of details as elevated/emphasised upper mids and trebles tend to inject such impression of sharpness. But there are details coming from MDR Z1R but in a more "rounded" (again relative to the "sharper") notes and it takes time to recognize the details!

I shall be getting my pre ordered YH5000SE next week and since I also has MDR Z1R, I definitely would spend time to evaluate and see what's my finding. Also some of my friends have the YH5000SE last week already and according to them this beast need a serious burn and the sound change is quire noticeable ..

 

[Nomax]

They're entirely different headphones. I don't think people should be comparing these two specifically as much as they are. They share almost nothing in common in terms of sound

NOMAX

PS.lol

 

[ApertureSilence]

I really don't think the final d8000 and the yamaha yh-5000se sound anything alike.

People are comparing them due to the manufacturing association. But the driver is different, the headphone construction and front volume are different, the damping mechanism is different and the pads are different.

They're entirely different headphones. I don't think people should be comparing these two specifically as much as they are. They share almost nothing in common in terms of sound

I can only speak for myself, but I didn't really make the manufacturing association until after I heard both sets. While the Yamaha is spicier in the treble and also seemed slightly more recessed but balanced in the mid-range (I know that doesn't agree with your impression), I thought they were pretty darn similar in bass and spacial presentation, which I later attributed to both having the circular driver design.

 

[ScornDefeat]

I thought they were pretty darn similar in bass and spacial presentation, which I later attributed to both having the circular driver design.

I've demoed the YH-5000SE 3 times now (twice at CanJam, once at Audio46), and have been a long time owner of every variant of D8000 at various times; couldn't disagree more with this, to be honest. To my ears, D8000 and YH-5000SE couldn't be more different, within the realms of Planars/Orthos, than each other when it comes to bass presentation. D8000 has solid extension, quick and tactile bass, good impact; YH-5000SE lacked in extension, was more mid-bass present than linear, and lacked impact.

Caveat to all of this is that we all hear very differently, so no one individual's impressions are more valid than the others.

 

[stacey]

I've demoed the YH-5000SE 3 times now (twice at CanJam, once at Audio46), and have been a long time owner of every variant of D8000 at various times; couldn't disagree more with this, to be honest. To my ears, D8000 and YH-5000SE couldn't be more different, within the realms of Planars/Orthos, than each other when it comes to bass presentation. D8000 has solid extension, quick and tactile bass, good impact; YH-5000SE lacked in extension, was more mid-bass present than linear, and lacked impact.

Caveat to all of this is that we all hear very differently, so no one individual's impressions are more valid than the others.

Did you get to demo it with any DAPs? Someone mentioned demoing with a LP6 here.

 

[ScornDefeat]

Did you get to demo it with any DAPs? Someone mentioned demoing with a LP6 here.

I demoed with RME ADI-2 and the A&K Acro CA1000T (close to a DAP lol?). The Acro seemed to be superior to the ADI-2 when it came to the bass performance, but (to me) that was still nowhere near the D8K's bass still.

 

[willson124]

After comparing YH-5000SE and D8000 Pro, I found that the spatial sense and sound positioning of YH-5000SE are significantly problematic. Although the three-frequency distribution and details have no problems in my system, this may explain why I have a strange feeling when using YH-5000SE.As for many people who feel that the treble is piercing, I think it is an issue with the ADI-2. I have not encountered the problem of YH-5000SE's treble being piercing on my end.I think the mid-frequency, especially the vocal part, is even more forward than the D8000 Pro, but this may also be due to the abnormal spatial sense of the YH-5000SE.

 

[ApertureSilence]

Well, y’all talked me out of my pre-order, which is probably for the best. I put that money towards the ZMF/Decware OTL instead.

I have a feeling this is the kind of headphone that - at least to me - made a great impression in a showroom but probably reveals more flaws over time. I think the V-shape, treble forwardness, and recessed but sweet mids just really grabbed me in the moment. I didn’t pick up on soundstage weirdness - just soundstage size and what seemed like very precise imaging. But I don’t doubt it’s there. It often takes me weeks or sometimes even months to figure out there’s something I dislike about a piece of gear.

 

[adrianm]

Well, y’all talked me out of my pre-order, which is probably for the best. I put that money towards the ZMF/Decware OTL instead.

I have a feeling this is the kind of headphone that - at least to me - made a great impression in a showroom but probably reveals more flaws over time. I think the V-shape, treble forwardness, and recessed but sweet mids just really grabbed me in the moment. I didn’t pick up on soundstage weirdness - just soundstage size and what seemed like very precise imaging. But I don’t doubt it’s there. It often takes me weeks or sometimes even months to figure out there’s something I dislike about a piece of gear.

That's a good choice. I postponed getting the Stealth since it came out because it was so polarizing and I expected it not to have enough bass for my tastes. I just picked up a slightly used pair as it was a safer, and while initially unimpressive (besides the shocking clarity and separation), the more I listen to it, the more impressive I find it. Purely because I can't seem to find anything wrong with it. Even the bass. If anything, there's a bit too much. Soundstage is not massive, but with it being a closed back, I can't really fault it.

 

[ddlo]

I just got mine today! the unboxing experience is really great and they even provided an instruction on how to pack the stuff back into box.

sounds even better than my vague memory of brief demo in e-earphone. maybe it's my own lovely music collection that makes it better

similarly easy to drive alongside d8k pro. wearing comfort is the best! superlight weight and high quality, sturdy build in every components. my dca ether 2 is even lighter but cant compete in construction quality. even adx5000 is a tad heavier.

That's a good choice. I postponed getting the Stealth since it came out because it was so polarizing and I expected it not to have enough bass for my tastes. I just picked up a slightly used pair as it was a safer, and while initially unimpressive (besides the shocking clarity and separation), the more I listen to it, the more impressive I find it. Purely because I can't seem to find anything wrong with it. Even the bass. If anything, there's a bit too much. Soundstage is not massive, but with it being a closed back, I can't really fault it.

i also got dca stealth/expanses duo. they're also very good headphones with very clean sound. i like expanses better as i got a bit bass boasted. i think it's well worth of the price and for headfiers looking for totl sound. just the gaming headphones look and the fake leather pad/headband needs improvement. i like the very complicated and beautiful grille of the expanses in particular (the carbon cup of stealth is also great).

 

[shabta]

I just got mine today! the unboxing experience is really great and they even provided an instruction on how to pack the stuff back into box.

sounds even better than my vague memory of brief demo in e-earphone. maybe it's my own lovely music collection that makes it better

similarly easy to drive alongside d8k pro. wearing comfort is the best! superlight weight and high quality, sturdy build in every components. my dca ether 2 is even lighter but cant compete in construction quality. even adx5000 is a tad heavier.




i also got dca stealth/expanses duo. they're also very good headphones with very clean sound. i like expanses better as i got a bit bass boasted. i think it's well worth of the price and for headfiers looking for totl sound. just the gaming headphones look and the fake leather pad/headband needs improvement. i like the very complicated and beautiful grille of the expanses in particular (the carbon cup of stealth is also great).

Be interested to hear some comparisons with the susvara, the d8000 pro and the raals. (compared to the yamaha)

 

[adrianm]

I just got mine today! the unboxing experience is really great and they even provided an instruction on how to pack the stuff back into box.

sounds even better than my vague memory of brief demo in e-earphone. maybe it's my own lovely music collection that makes it better

similarly easy to drive alongside d8k pro. wearing comfort is the best! superlight weight and high quality, sturdy build in every components. my dca ether 2 is even lighter but cant compete in construction quality. even adx5000 is a tad heavier.




i also got dca stealth/expanses duo. they're also very good headphones with very clean sound. i like expanses better as i got a bit bass boasted. i think it's well worth of the price and for headfiers looking for totl sound. just the gaming headphones look and the fake leather pad/headband needs improvement. i like the very complicated and beautiful grille of the expanses in particular (the carbon cup of stealth is also great).

I just got my second pair of D8k Pro LE like an hour ago. I'm curious, how are you adjusting to going from Stealth/Expanse to any other headphone? I'm having a hard time

 

[ddlo]

I just got my second pair of D8k Pro LE like an hour ago. I'm curious, how are you adjusting to going from Stealth/Expanse to any other headphone? I'm having a hard time

my answer maybe a disappointing one i'm not a critical listener so the subtle change in tuning/resolution, etc. didn't bother me much. so i didn't spend much on the source/amp/cable side as i couldn't hear any difference for good quality ones even doing side-by-side a-b listening. headphones/iems are the only thing that i could hear a noticable difference so i buy more of that. the stealth sounds too sterile and funless to me (most of other DCA cans do so too). expanses is the best DCA for my taste as it has more bass and a wider soundstage (still maintain the amazingly clean mid). having said that, i could be 100% happy listening to music using a wp900 or d9200 or hd800s too .

ml 5909 is my daily cans as my habit of listening to music is doing web browsing or reading concurrently (or on the go). i never pay 100% attention to music listening. 5909 in fact is 100% adequate and fully satisfying my music needs.

btw, the elite mystique and d8kpro LE look gorgeous! i like matt black stuff a lot (over the silly bing bing style things). i can imagine they sound as good as they look.

and really curious u bought a 2nd pair of D8kpro LE for collection?