Listening
Contents
First thing to notice is that the Yamaha YH-5000SE is very easy to drive. When connected to the headphone output of our Macbook Pro, the sound was already very decent. The volume does not need to be turned up high, so we can confirm that the low impedance is not a typo!
A fun fact is that the YH-5000SE reveals every step we took in the reviewing process with better DACs or amplifiers. Having said that, the performance of the YH-5000SE on an ordinary headphone output is already very good. The quality of this Yamaha is immediately audible, which also immediately says something about the sound characteristics. It sounds very natural, easy and relaxed. Also fast, and coherent. With a lot of punch when you need it. And especially transparent and open. Even without the use of separate headphone amps, better DACs and big streamers.
The Yamaha’s are already good as is. “Yes, they should be for that money.” In reality, there are not many top-of-the-line headphones that perform likewise. Most only start to sound decent when paired with matching electronics. If the YH-5000SE were a wine, it would taste great with complex dishes but even a single glass of the Yamaha wine would be a feast for the taste buds.
Oh, oh, oh look at me going low
What stands out in the low frequencies is the bass and even the sub-bass that is audible and palpable. This, combined with the speed and phase correctness, produces a unique experience of music and is probably responsible for the sensation that we are listening to speakers instead of a headphone or better yet, the artists themselves. A proper bass reproduction and even feeling the lowest frequencies creates “the illusion of being there.”
Midrange
The YH-5000SE is good at many things, but these headphones are really outstanding in reproducing the piano. No piano sounds the same. Recording a piano or grand piano is one of the most complex things to do, because of its wide dynamic range and the physical size of the instrument in relation to space. We have listened to a number of piano pieces and what stands out is that the midrange is reproduced with extraordinary refinement, retaining the characteristics of the instrument in question. A piano can sing, growl and hammer (it is actually a percussion instrument). The Yamaha reveals it all.
The high
Planar magnetic drivers are known for their open, fast and accurate treble response; the YH-5000SE is no exception to this. Remarkably, we are experiencing a new midway between open and closed systems. These headphones are open by design; when we put the unit away for a moment while the music is still playing we can observe this. When we start listening again, it is somewhat between open and closed. As if we were entering a listening room. The aforementioned material properties of driver and filters probably contribute to this.
In short, the YH-5000SE is exceptionally complete. The specifications tell us that the frequency range is 5 Hz to 70 kHz and we are curious to see what the measurements say about this. The fact is that we experience both a bass pressure and the sound characteristics of planar systems, which makes for an unprecedented music experience. We use the word “music” intentionally, and not “sound”. Before we forget, did we mention the refined midrange yet?
Match
That being said, the YH-5000SE is sensitive to matching with amps. Headphone amps that give a lot of “oomph” do not match well with the Yamaha. Our Burson Conductor V3 is both powerful and very musical. We might even say it is a somewhat warm headphone amp that works very well with many planar headphones. For the Yamaha it is a bit too much, stressing the midrange in particular too much. We experience the same with the Fostex HP-V1, a tube headphone amplifier. When we connect to the Oppo HA-2 DAC/headphones the Yamaha suddenly sounds a lot more transparent and balanced. This is a fairly neutral amplifier.
The best match is with the Sennheiser HDVD800 headphone amplifier/DAC which dates back to 2015. A very neutral amplifier with a lineair frequency response designed specifically for the Sennheiser HD800 headphones. What we experience with the Oppo comes out to the power of two with the Sennheiser headphone amplifier. On some tracks, it is as if we are in a listening room where very nice music is playing. We haven’t experienced headphones disappearing like that before, behaving in the same way speakers can disappear. The light weight and good fit of the YH-5000SE certainly add to this experience. Wow!
You’ve guessed it; we cannot stop listening. It is amazing how much detail and precision the YH-5000SE extracts from music without becoming analytical. We can hear differences effortlessly between different versions of the same tracks. How different streaming platforms are tuned. We even hear back the effects of oversampling and the application of digital filters. And in all cases, musicality remains paramount. It doesn’t really matter what we connect this Yamaha to or what we listen to. It always sounds good, and it is up to your taste to match with an amplifier and/or DAC to your liking.
The easiness with which the YH-5000SE reproduces music of every conceivable kind is impressive. Classical chamber music, symphonic work, EDM, 1960s soul, jazz, vocal work. It is as if the headphones move along with the track. We can sometimes almost ‘see’ the room where the music was recorded in.
