Yamaha YH5000SE orthodynamic headphones (HP-1 successor)

I never been so curious about a driver transplant as these headphones with hd800 drivers. Probably shit but still curious.

 

I just got @Ishcabible 's YH5000SE

If an MOT has nothing nice to say don't say. anything at all right? Well I'm going to speak up now while I have something nice to say!

Well, first of all, Yamaha used a nice universally compatible 3.5mm plug for the headphone connection, but then recessed it into the headphone so my Hifiman Forza cables won't fit. Booo

But I just put them on, out of my Yggdrasil MIB -> Liquid Crimson

And Ive only listened to one song by toumani diabate and it's absolutely glorious! it's truly so beautiful, I've never heard such a 3D sounding ortho. And the harmonics are gorgeous. It's really stunning. But of course this song has only a string instrument, hardly any bass, no treble or vocals. Maybe Yamaha tuned the headphone to instrumental acoustic music. I don't know, but this is really great. I'm scared to put on any other music though.

 

Approximately 1 hour later…

 

It's the Cavalli - yamaha ortho synergy

 

Porting over a review I wrote a few months ago elsewhere. Please also note that even though this was written in the fall, I recently decided to sell these due to wanting pay down medical bills elsewhere. With that, please apply appropriate grains of salt.

Chain: Antipodes > Mojo Mystique X-SE > EC Studio B

Thoughts on the YH-5000 physicalities. It is just so slightly smaller than you think a TOTL headphone would be. Especially with most TOTL being much bigger with bigger drivers. It still isnt small and nothing touches my ears while wearing. It is silly light, and reminds me tons of the HD800s (in many ways). Where the Senn feels like putting on a lightweight stiff space tech frame that hardly touches you, this feels like its more cozy but still somehow "even less". Like a toy tiara your niece put on you while playing pretend. My set is an early serial that the previous owner imported from Japan before they were made official for the US.

I had two listening sessions around 1-2 hours each. So just gut reactions right now.

**Session One**
First thoughts on sound are "oooo extreme texture, but why is it so thin?" To me immediately it sounds like the mids are scooped and recessed, the bass isnt there in punch like the Utopia but isnt missing. And the highs are as reported by others. Detailed, extended, textured but with a sweetness that keeps it from being stringent. I would get used to it by the end of songs but switching songs/albums/genres would bring back that thin scooped feeling. And on top of that, i felt the timbre was plasticy. Stage was very, very deep but felt quite narrow, like shoebox width.

Now there is a lot working against this. The previous owner barely used it and it sat in a box for the past 7 months. So really not broken in and very under used. I only have a stock cable which is either 4.4mm (i dont have a source with 4.4) or 3.5mm with a 6.2 adapter. So a stock cable with adapter it is, for a totl one of these should be a 4-pin XLR IMHO.

I decide my ears are getting a little tired so i pop them off, burn them in for another 45ish minutes before turning it off.

**Session Two**
Later that night I decided to give it another try. 30 minutes of warmup and i expect more of the same putting the Yams back on. Oddly no. While the timbre is still a bit plastic and it is not the meatiest, i no longer feel it is scooped. Mids are more present for sure but they still have the delicate sparkle that the headphone present as a whole. It isn't a headphone about the heft or power or slam of a recording but the delicacy and intricacies and minutia. Its been a long time since I took a resolution/detail tier step up where I heard new things in recordings but I certainly do with the Yams. Everything is crystalline clear but without any glare. And there is thump in the lower registers but it is not Utopia levels. Billie Eilish's first album is bass overdose and i love it. The Yamaha brings that into check and highlights the nuance and texture, almost like it was remastered and brought into check. The Utopia just blasts you with everything that is there. I kind of prefer this because i know that album just is bass blasting. I also prefer the Utopia's bigger dynamics but the yammy is not far behind. The stage also felt way wider this time around to the point i had to remind myself to listen to it again as it felt natural unlike last time. Listening to Jazz at the Pawnshop was the best i heard. If i was a jazz head these may be the final word.

There is A LOT going on but i am surprised as i am engaged. I see where people relate these to electrostats but its allllllll this detail while still being musical.

The start of Plastic Boogie has a bunch of chatter from many different people. The stock cable is also great and actually tier appropriate (take note focal). I tried the PS cable from my Radiance and it was far cry from the clarity the stock cable brings. With the stock I could clearly hear each individual voice, how many people there are total, and their placemen. The PS tended to mush this into general "crowd chatter".



If i listened to more jazz, acoustic, orchestra, and instrumentals this would be the absolute final headphone I would buy. While it does not slouch elsewhere i think the biggest downside is that its not meatiest in the mids, so metal and hard rock feel more tame.

 

I agree here. The texture and separation on top of this really is a tier all its own. It really does something special in the treble where its all there, all extended, and all present. But it avoids any fatigue, pain, overemphasis that is usually associated with this region. I think this is why jazz and orchestras sound so so good.

Btw @rhythmdevils have you finished modding your Yam yet?

 

Yes, all except for a small decision about the shape of one part. I do think these are problematic stock (though show lots of potential) but I love my modded pair, they're in my top 3 favorite orthos.

I'm going to call them my RD-5000

Here's some pictures. None of it is aesthetic, it's all to shape how the sound moves around the driver and fix issues. and theres' more going on on the front of the driver too

 

They look pretty good to me, and i bet they are still featherweight.