Quick Summary
Yamaha's new audiophile headphones come in open and closed back models with proprietary drivers and exceptional engineering.
Prices are yet to be revealed, but current flagship models cost up to $5,000.
Yamaha has unveiled two audiophile over-ear headphones with proprietary technology that promises exceptional audio.
The YH-4000 use the same Orthodynamic planar drivers as the acclaimed flagship YH-5000SE pair, while the YH-C3000's newly developed Armodynamic drivers use the same Zylon material as Yamaha's high-end Hi-Fi speakers.
Yamaha speakers are a familiar sight in recording studios thanks to their transparent sound, and these headphones feature what Yamaha calls True Sound. This provides an accurate tone that almost lets you hear what the musicians are thinking.
As Yamaha puts it, the firm is "deeply involved in all aspects of both sound and music, from the moment it is created to the moment it is heard. We intimately know even the thoughts that artists put into their music". It hopes to translate that philosophy to these new headphones.
Both models are assembled by hand in Japan by technicians skilled not just in headphone design, but musical instrument manufacturing too.
The closed-back YH-C3000 headphones use the same Zylon material as Yamaha's high-end speakers
Yamaha YH-C3000 and YH-4000 headphones: key features
The YH-C3000 headphones have a closed-back design, and that Armodynamic driver has a three-layer moulded diaphragm designed to deliver "extraordinary" clarity and minimal distortion, while delivering powerful low end.
The housings are made of premium quality beech, which is lightweight and highly rigid, and the earpads are made from silk protein leather.
The open-back YH-4000 headphones are made from magnesium with the same dual-layer headband and tilt/swivel mechanism as the flagship YH-5000SE. They feature the latest iteration of the Orthodynamic planar driver that Yamaha has been perfecting since the 1970s.
This version deliberately omits the sound absorbing materials of the YH-5000SE and has been tuned to deliver a "uniquely responsive, natural and precise sound".
The driver is lighter than comparable dynamic drivers and promises lightning-quick response with low distortion and virtually no unwanted resonance.
Pricing and availability haven't been announced just yet, but the flagship YH-5000SE pair come with a price of £4,799 / $5,000 / AU$7,499 (about €5,538). You can expect south of that, but maybe not by much.
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