[smodtactical]

I tried a lot of hps when I went to purchase mine.
d8000pro was heavy as hell. wouldn't wear that even if you pay me. such big strain it placed on my neck that I thought I am wearing a brick, sound wise I was not impressed compared to yh5k.
I tried a bunch of dan clarks, I tried the new audiophile/studio hps from austrian audio called the composer (these were very comfy - but again, sound wise, yh5k was better to my ears).
I tried HD800 - not impressed.
I tried Susvaras - yh5k still.

I am not technical when it comes to compare the different sound, v-shape, u-shape, etc; so apologies for my very high level comment.

My point is - nothing I tried made me change my mind. Anything that I was trying, I could immediately feel the difference. Yh5K is so light, and it sounds damn good. Even on budget entry amp/dacs from Schiit audio, it is a dream to listen to. And I am sure I haven't burned them in properly yet.

Yh5K replaced my newly purchased beyerdynamic dt1990 250 ohm and my meze liric have not left the box ever since.

I can sleep comfortable at night knowing that I don't need to search for a better sound. I'm very happy with this.

Did you compare to utopia, 1266 tc or x9000, verite open .. atrium ?

 

[Strayngs]

HD800S has quirks, for one it is the only headphone that keeps pulling out one of my short hair every time I use it. That swiveling handband is a hair puller. Did I buy a hair puller? nope but it acts like one when I use it. Never happen on my HD600/650 or any other headphone ever. Left or right it don't matter, it just takes one everytime. Do I have to mention the minuscule amount of bass/sub bass? Yet it is still near and dear to me for what it is. Nobody's perfect.

Not to mention the fact that it feels like it's going to fall off your head at any moment at all times. To me it made it one of the most uncomfortable headphones cuz I always thought it was going to fall off my head.

 

[HiFiDJ]

A bit unrelated, but I'll ask anyway since it's related to Yamaha... How do you find your ns5000? I think if I were going for speakers I'd save up for this.

 

[HiFiDJ]

Did you compare to utopia, 1266 tc or x9000, verite open .. atrium ?

I have the utopia (pre-20) and verite closed (not open) for comparison. 3 cans for 3 different tastes. For my taste, yammy slaps the out of them. But I thought the verite was a fairly good complement for something more forgiving and (extra) weighty. Imo yammy is the most accurate of the two, which is what I tend to like and prioritize.

 

[1ceb0x]

Did you compare to utopia, 1266 tc or x9000, verite open .. atrium ?

I have not, apologies. I tried one focal product in the past (the bathys) and I didn't really like them. Since then, I haven't had any inclination towards focal products. But I don't think they come close to the yammys. They are something else. I know I am raving about them with no real proof to back me up except my own ears, but I have never heard anything like them before and I did listen to a fair share of hifi HPs in my time.

If the yammy will be priced "correctly" in the west, it will probably be the best value for money for a lot of folks....

 

[smodtactical]

A bit unrelated, but I'll ask anyway since it's related to Yamaha... How do you find your ns5000? I think if I were going for speakers I'd save up for this.

I really like it. Sound demo here.



My impressions here: https://sonicvisions.org/forum/threads/yamaha-ns5000-impressions.44/

 

[smodtactical]

I have the utopia (pre-20) and verite closed (not open) for comparison. 3 cans for 3 different tastes. For my taste, yammy slaps the out of them. But I thought the verite was a fairly good complement for something more forgiving and (extra) weighty. Imo yammy is the most accurate of the two, which is what I tend to like and prioritize.

How is yam vs utopia ?

 

[NehPets]

How is yam vs utopia ?

I've auditioned YH5K and Utopia 2023 on the same system, albeit a week apart. For me, the Utopia would be easier to live with than the YH5K with its stock cable, but with an after market cable, choosing between the two is more difficult. Both do most things quite well, just with a different presentation - the YH5K's the teenager & the Utopia, the adult. Being one of those people with a big bonce, both are just about big enough to sit comfortably on my head. Despite the Focal being about 50% heavier than the Yamaha, I can't honestly say I noticed the difference in weight. One thing I did notice, in terms of the user experience, is that my ears got a little warmer with the YH5K than with the Utopia, after the same amount of time.

 

[jamesjames]

HD800S has quirks, for one it is the only headphone that keeps pulling out one of my short hair every time I use it. That swiveling handband is a hair puller. Did I buy a hair puller? nope but it acts like one when I use it. Never happen on my HD600/650 or any other headphone ever. Left or right it don't matter, it just takes one everytime. Do I have to mention the minuscule amount of bass/sub bass? Yet it is still near and dear to me for what it is. Nobody's perfect.

Well, a 'quirk' is something generally unusual, strange or unexpected. It doesn't mean different, or not perfect. That's why I think descriptions which characterize a failure of a component to match a listener's personal preferences or expectations as 'quirky' are unhelpful to say the least. If the HD800S is 'quirky' then all headphones are 'quirky'. All headphones are different, and none are perfect.

 

[Strayngs]

Well, a 'quirk' is something generally unusual, strange or unexpected. It doesn't mean different, or not perfect. That's why I think descriptions which characterize a failure of a component to match a listener's personal preferences or expectations as 'quirky' are unhelpful to say the least. If the HD800S is 'quirky' then all headphones are 'quirky'. All headphones are different, and none are perfect.

Well one can say that some sort of bass is expected….so not having any would fit your definition.. I expect a headphone to feel nice on my head and the loose fit is a dealbreaker and can easily be used as your definition of quirky.

That said … all headphones come up short in some way….that way can always be described as quirky if you choose too. Some quirks are deal breakers for some…and some are not.

 

[HiFiDJ]

How is yam vs utopia ?

IMO...

Will most likely come down to synergy with your system, but overall I'd say the yammy are more capable and will scale higher with quality equipment than utopia. In general, if you want something with a wetter and romantic tone I think the utopia are a better pick. If you want something that has a slightly drier yet accurate tone, I'd pick the yammy. If you want more slam, holographicness, and macrodynamics the utopia is more capable. Anything that has to do with extension, timbre, and resolution the yammy will provide. There's not much the utopia does "better" technically than the yammy, but it does have its charm at times.

On lower-end chains that I've tried, I'd likely go for the utopia. Main reason is that the bass on the yammy is too muddy on lower-end amps (I hate muddiness). There's not enough control over it, but I guess if you prioritize quantity over quality you may like the yammy more.

On my best chain, yammy all the way! It just offers more of everything, especially in the lower frequencies. The utopia used to be my pick for treble king, but the yammy easily surpasses it (ie. incredibly life-like). This was all done on an even playing field, cables included.

To summarize...

What the Utopia does better:

holographic stage
macrodynamics
smoothness
contrast
slam

What the YH5K does better:

imaging
comfort
overall timbre
microdynamics
traditional stage
energy and texture
extension both ways
overall resolution/technicalities
black background/low noise floor
stage depth, verticality, placement, boundary, openness, and airiness

 

[marcus2704]

Brief update from me, spent the afternoon listening to these and I am pleased to say these sound great to me. There is a sharpness which is dulled when using the suede pads, but I am not hearing the shouty mids that some experience, although the mids are more forward than I am used to. Listening to Billie Bossa Nova (by Billie Eilish), bass weighty and pronounced, vocally its like she's singing right next to me. Tried a whole bunch of songs across multiple genre's, enjoyed them all and nothing stands out as being off-putting in any way to me with the presentation. As mentioned earlier, these are to be daily headphones, and comfort is second to none with these. Whether or not they 'feel' like £4.7K headphones I am not convinced, but that said I love the design aesthetic and of all the flagships I have owned these feel like the set that most fit my purpose and needs in this instance. Pairing with a Feliks Euphoria tube amp, again no issues here.

#update 2 - Noticing bass distortion/rattle at higher volumes. A track such as 21 Savage - Redrum, the rattle in the right driver is quite audible.

 

[Floorless]

#update 2 - Noticing bass distortion/rattle at higher volumes. A track such as 21 Savage - Redrum, the rattle in the right driver is quite audible.

Everything I threw at it, I didn't notice rattle. I wonder what levels you pushed and if unfortunately you got a manufacturing defect or if it's a design restriction. I used Yamahas amp and went no louder than -30db on high gain.

 

[Currawong]

Almost all reviewers I watched keep saying they are $5000 headphones. True that is what they cost right now but...

Late replying here, but as someone already said, the cost of accessories doesn't work that way. Accessories are priced a certain way for dealers, and probably also to prevent people buying up stock and flipping them. Dealer RRP is high enough that it can absorb costs such as shipping, and also give them a margin to discount if desired.

I tried a lot of hps when I went to purchase mine.
d8000pro was heavy as hell. wouldn't wear that even if you pay me. such big strain it placed on my neck that I thought I am wearing a brick, sound wise I was not impressed compared to yh5k.
I tried a bunch of dan clarks, I tried the new audiophile/studio hps from austrian audio called the composer (these were very comfy - but again, sound wise, yh5k was better to my ears).
I tried HD800 - not impressed.
I tried Susvaras - yh5k still.

I am not technical when it comes to compare the different sound, v-shape, u-shape, etc; so apologies for my very high level comment.

My point is - nothing I tried made me change my mind. Anything that I was trying, I could immediately feel the difference. Yh5K is so light, and it sounds damn good. Even on budget entry amp/dacs from Schiit audio, it is a dream to listen to. And I am sure I haven't burned them in properly yet.

Yh5K replaced my newly purchased beyerdynamic dt1990 250 ohm and my meze liric have not left the box ever since.

I can sleep comfortable at night knowing that I don't need to search for a better sound. I'm very happy with this.

What kind of music do you listen to?

 

[Floorless]

Late replying here, but as someone already said, the cost of accessories doesn't work that way.

I thought I was careful enough with my words to say the non SE version would be at most as cheap as, but curious what they'll actually price it.

Because surely it is part of the cost premium. Not like buying totl HP that don't come with all the extras, including the future 5000 non SE version.