This was interesting. He mentions his source gear and how that may have affected his impressions.
Seems to be a polarizing headphone.
Synergy 
There was actually an interview with the engineers and they said they ended up making the HP too sensitive to amps lol. For reference…
So it’s not mid forward and doesn’t have sub bass roll off?
It has a slight upper-mid focus, similar to the utopia but the majority of the midrange, ime, is largely neutral. The mids are similar in tonality to the 800s with resolution and texture close to the mysphere (in the mids).
As for the roll-off, I don’t get that at all… That is, after I upgraded cables. The stock one imo holds it back a lot, despite it being decent for a stock cable. On a track like mountains by Hans Zimmer, the sub-bass didn’t roll off at all, as far as I can hear or “feel.” The d8kp didn’t do well on that track (and other tracks) and started to fall apart noticeably.
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So the cable change improved the roll off?
I’ll have to go back and listen to mountains. From memory my D8kp didn’t have an issue and I remember comparing side by side to the sus.
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I did get more extension with the cable, yeah. The stock and danacable were more focused on the mid-bass section, and I couldn’t really tell if I was hearing sub-bass or not. The brise made it quite clear that the yh5k was capable of doing it. By nature, I think the yh5k has more extension than the d8kp using the same cable.
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So with the stock cable you can’t tell if it has solid sub bass? So it seems like it has solid roll off with stock.
From the measurements I’ve seen the D8KP is much more linear than the Yh5k.
Yeah that’s what it looks like on a graph but that’s not what I’m hearing, so ymmv 
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First I’m hearing them mention what hps they compared it to, thought it was interesting…
(They weigh 320g, in case you were wondering, making them lighter than the Focal Utopia (490g), Final D8000 (523g) and Sennheiser HD800S (330g) – all models which Yamaha says were used to compare and benchmark the YH-5000SE from a sound quality perspective.)
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Still the best 
…
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Do you know how to find out if you have an affected unit? And any info on who/where to contact?
If you have one the earlier serial #s then it’s probably in one of the affected batches. I don’t know which serial #s though (it’s not the one on the top of the headband).
But other than that, the mechanism shouldn’t be loose. You should feel some resistance when you twist and pivot it. You’ll know it when you hold it with your own hands (should feel solid).
If it is a defective unit just contact Yamaha. Their support was pretty fast IME. You’ll likely have to ship it back to be sent to HQ here in CA. Mine was super quick but then again I’m in CA lol.
But if you’re having trouble getting it fixed (if it is defective) lmk and I’ll get you a contact.
It’s a pretty easy fix you can probably do yourself, but being the Japanese that they are you’ll need the specific parts to do so.
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Some preliminary 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. The gimbal on one side is loose and the up and down sliders could be tighter as they lengthen despite me constantly snugging them. These are all known issues and i sent a ticket to Yamaha to see if i can send mine in, as per @hifiDJ 's previous posts.
I had two listening sessions around 1hr 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 very 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 this) 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 butcthe 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.
Tbh i obviously need more time, 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.
More to come.
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@elementze I read through most of this thread but quickly. I dont remember what your impressions were. Do you mind stating them again?
Really reminiscent of the d8kp… Sounds weird at first listen then it clicks into place.
That’s still my main takeaway to this day. They are just so “insightfully musical.”
Have you tried piano tracks yet? If not, they’re stunningly accurate with piano.
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With all my listening i couldnt get into the Final stuff i tried. I gave it many more sessions and burn in as well.
No not really. I kind of just went and did a bunch of random tracks. How are they with female vocals? I have some Fiona Apple and Norah Jones i can dive into.
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They can be amazing. As mentioned before, for me they are on par with the mysphere midrange (albeit different presentations) which I hold in high regard (took me quite a bit to get there though).
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Small note, the Yams DO NOT LIKE THE PLUSOUND x8. Stock is way better. The PS brings out low end and heft but its soooo smeared and cluttered.
The start of Plastic Boogie has a bunch of chatter from many different people. The PS makes it so you can tell its multiple people but not how many and who is talking. A far cry from the clarity the stock cable brings where i could clearly hear each individual voice, how many people there are total, and their placemen. The PS just strays far from what the headphones are about.
Im reconsidering the PS on the Radiance now. Im going to try the Yamaha cable with it or maybe find a eletech inferno as @elementze has suggested.
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Did you not like the ps with your radiance?