You might know Yamaha better for its AV receivers and soundbars, but the company blew us away when we tested its high-end YH-5000SE audiophile headphones back in May 2023.
And, building on their success, Yamaha has decided to branch out with two additional models.
The YH-C3000 are due to go on sale in October, while the YH-4000 will be available in January 2026. Expected US pricing is $1699 and $2499 respectively, with UK pricing still TBC.
We were actually invited to have a listen to the YH-C3000 back in April, but Yamaha kept the specs close to its chest. Nevertheless, our first impressions were promising, and following their official launch, we now have more meat to add to their bones.
The YH-C3000 are a closed-back design which use a new armodynamic driver - a three-layer diaphragm which combines Zylon (which is also used in the drivers of Yamaha’s high-end speakers), with composite materials such as paper and resin.
The new driver design also includes clever ventilation on the rear and a patented Y-shaped reinforced mesh damper.
Each hand-crafted housing is made from beech wood and features a black mirror finish. Beech is also used in Yamaha’s grand pianos; it's lightweight, rigid and promotes a natural sound.
The dedicated silk protein leather earpads have memory foam underneath, while the dual-layered headband with stepless slider is borrowed from the flagship 5000SE model.
To minimise air leakage, there’s plenty of vertical movement in the swivel’s rotation axis to get the pads sitting snugly.
The open-back YH-4000 borrow more heavily from their YH-5000SE siblings.
These headphones use the same orthodynamic drivers (also known as a planar magnetic drivers) and driver housings.
However, Yamaha has deliberately removed the sound-absorbing material used in the flagship model and fine-tuned the sound for “a uniquely responsive, natural and precise sound”.
Yamaha has also developed a new mesh filter for the housings to regulate internal pressure to improve midrange and bass performance while maintaining a spacious sound.
The Yamaha YH-4000 get the same ultra-lightweight magnesium body as the YH-5000SE, together with the same dual-layered headband, stepless slider, and tilting swivel mechanism.
The earpads have been developed exclusively for this model and combine high-quality artificial suede on the inner surface and flexible synthetic leather on the outer edge with a perforated surface.
The headphones are assembled in Japan at Yamaha’s Kakegawa factory, which also builds the company’s flagship grand pianos.
Now that both the YH-4000 and YH-C3000 are official, we look forward to welcoming both pairs into our test rooms in the very near future.
MORE:
Read our full Yamaha YH-5000SE review
Our pick of the best audiophile headphones on the market
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