So I’ve heard the YH-5000 on their HA-L7A dac/amp at the Munich High-End, didn’t have too much time with them since I was in a hurry to catch my train but still felt to share my impressions with them.
Extremely detailed with a very clean and precise sound, definitely on the drier side as far as timbre and overall sound goes, what really stood out to me were the harmonics: crazy amount of them, very noticiable in something like the distorsion of guitars in a couple of death metal tracks I listened to, anythig acoustic sounds really great on them. Treble seemed to be the area where those really excel, with a really great extension and quality to them.
Can’t really talk about stage or depth since the booth were I was listening to them was in the same room where they were demoing their speakers and despite being in a enclosed booth with the headphones, the external noise did interfere a lot with the listening experience.
Something I noted was that they are really not forgiving of poorer recordings, to the point were they sounded kind of almost shrieking, although there’s also to note that because of the proximity of speakers I most definitely had to raise the volume quite a bit, so that might be the culprit. Could also be the amp’s fault, I think they could really benefit by being paired with a warmer source, while I felt that the amp leaned more on a cleaner/drier sound profile.
Still, probably the most impressive headphones for my tastes since I value a lot technicalities and a leaner/slightly drier and more forward sound signature, definitely on my list of potential heapdhones to replace my HD800S since they sound kind of similar to them in certain aspects.
Also, they are crazy light and pretty comfortable, lighter than HD800S, almost felt like a prop.
Little more details on the ha-l7a with pics to boot. I’m less interested knowing it’s a DAC/amp combo, but still looks interesting nonetheless. Reminds me of the Sennheiser hdv series of devices (but better lol)…
I was waiting for my cable to come before writing the article but… I’ll just update it when the time comes. My thoughts remained mostly the same when I first posted my impressions but with a few minor changes… also more comparisons which i think is more helpful
I’ve been a bit negative on the Dana + yh5k pairing, but I think I found out what was causing that slight harshness/glare that made it sound slightly off to me. Now that it’s been fixed I take back what I said, I would definitely rec this cable for the yh5k. I think it’s a pretty solid option if you want to tilt a bit warmer. Assuming one already likes what the “dana” house sound offers, then it’s pretty great synergy-wise.
I couldn’t fully realize this until I upgraded my cable, but my goodness the treble texture and resolution of this hp is ridiculously impressive. I’ve never heard such accuracy and spot-on timbre in the treble until now. It is just so distinct, clear, and balanced.
And also with the brise cable, it’s now even more brutal with recording quality but when it hits it rewards. It gives so much insight and is so faithful to the recording it makes the utopia seem a lot more forgiving by comparison, noticeably so (both using the brise).
It’s by far the least compromised headphone I have in terms of performance regardless of preference. Of course, not everyone will like its presentation and what not.
Imo, yes it is a great option. Compared to the Danacable lazuli ref, it’s a more neutral and uncolored cable for the utopia. It maximizes its dynamic capabilities and pushes it forward with great energy without it being overbearing/fatiguing.
In terms of performance against the Dana (for this particular model), there’s no comparison and it’s a night and day difference (to me at least). I’m sure it’ll depend on the rest of your cables and chain as well so ymmv with how much impact it may give.
All that said, I noticed that if you really want to capitalize and prioritize the utopia’s holographic and spherical stage, I think you’re better off going with the higher end Dana options (as the lazuli ref does this better than the brise). The brise sort of forces its stage to be more traditional and no-nonsense, prioritizing width over depth.
Cool thanks. I’m really happy with the Viking Weave cable I have for it and probably won’t invest in anything related to only Utopia in my system anymore but always good to learn about more options.
I think the Brise cable has pretty much settled in, so I re-did the cable pairing section in the article, also refined the big picture section, and will probably redo some of the headphone comparisons at a much later time (particularly the utopia and mysphere) to add more detail into it. Because given what I’ve heard with the yatono, I’ll be saving up for another one for the mysphere (cuz I need it in my life lol)…
Headphone Cable Pairings
HBC-SC020 (Stock) - In my opinion, it has pretty good synergy off the bat and is likely the best stock cable that comes in a headphone, although I do wish it was a bit more technical for the price. It’s certainly enough for most people but since this is a flagship headphone, it deserves better.
Danacable Lazuli Reference - This is a solid option if you want to tilt a bit warmer, relaxed. It has great grip in the bass, a very organic sound, and solid stage depth, although stage width is on the narrow side. It is slightly on the more colored side of what I consider neutral, but it’s still a solid match in terms of synergy and balance. And I’m sure many will enjoy the Dana “house sound.”
Brise Audio YATONO-HP Ultimate - A cable that is on the neutral, ever so slightly relaxed side. It elevates the YH5K from top to bottom, taking excellent advantage of its strengths (ie. stage openness, treble texture, resolving power), and it provides a more coherent stage with improved width and insane depth, adding even more to its openness. It is superbly balanced, controlled, and refined with awesome energy throughout. On top of that, the entirety of the bass has excellent heft, texture, and command. In my mind, this cable completes this headphone very well and there’s really nothing for me to complain about. It is a worthwhile pairing in my opinion, and absolutely worth its cheddar (assuming everything else in your chain is up to snuff).
I haven’t been able to clip mine, although I didn’t test that out for too long, for obvious reasons. It took quite awhile for the bass to settle ime. Some of the owners I’ve asked pretty much agree with what I was hearing on mine (after the long burn-in), so not sure what’s going on there.
Haven’t tested it myself but perhaps more people try it out in canjam socal but just for clarity I was referring specifically to the Yamaha amp and headphones combo (and I double checked with the guy it happened to in London to make sure I’m not confusing anything).
Turns out the screw inside my hinge cap was loose on both sides (where the earcup housing meets the headband). Some early units were affected but has since been addressed with later stock. Took awhile to get to the right department at Yamaha, but they took care of it quick. I was told it can be a problem down the road, and although I could tighten it myself they recommended replacing everything inside the hinge cap. Good and fast support from Yamaha (also helps that they’re in Cali too), and the guy that fixed mine will be at canjam too so there will definitely be a chance to check out the yh5k, along with the ha-l7a, for those of you going.
Anyway, now that I have my yh5k back it feels much better in the hand now. That fix was definitely noticeable since there’s way more resistance when swiveling the earcups, and there’s no hint of looseness whatsoever… Doesn’t feel too much like a prop anymore lol
There are many more parts inside the physical slider itself (the piece that actually moves up and down) according to the schematic, but I’d need to heat it up to remove the adhesive of the cap which I don’t really need to do, so I won’t lol
Also, I think it’s time for me to start revamping the entire yh5k article. A lot has changed, or rather a lot of things became easier to hear since moving up to the brise.
In essence, the yh5k still remains as impressive as ever. The mysphere is still a fantastic complement to it. And the d8kp vs yh5k bass became a lot more interesting to compare.
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