Yes there are 2 versions, dc pro and regular pro. Didn’t listen to the regular as i wanted their top version only dc pro vs pro lol. The pro just has more special things and was different, from bass to space to detail. Dc pro was a normal reference tuning, even inferior in dynamics to the regular pro, they seem to lose their touch with each update after the regular pro, LE was close enough but the DC just lost the uniqueness.
They had many chains, but I specifically chose to try the headphones with Questyle Fifteen and direct usb from my iphone using Deezer. I thought to minimize sound enhancing like streamers and cables and stuff just basic neutralish chain (my previous demos included streamers and cables and that was not good for me after buying the hp for my chain).
I didn’t know something all in one like the fifteen could have this much black background and stage depth capabilities and drive, low gain was plenty of power and loudness at 9oclock, really nice.
Used the stock perforated leather pads. What’s the other pad? A solid leather one or suede? And which one do you prefer.
Only suede and leather, both perforated. Stock leather was the one, the other one made it lose what makes it special imo. 4000 has hybrid leather and suede.
Small update: I think the 4000 are the only headphones that I can enjoy Adele albums on, despite her music being so poorly recorded. It’s impressive how it manages to blend in and balance performance with “musicality” and forgiveness.
Truthfully, when I listened to Adele on the 4000, it brought back a lot of nostalgia from the days when my peers would sing her songs on the school bus on the way home. It, of course, sounded like playing through the bus speakers, but it was still a joyous time and these headphones managed to evoke that.
Whoever tuned these headphones at Yamaha has my utmost respect. They’re coloured, yeah, but these headphones are growing on me, and I’m loving them more and more. They’re such a unique and creative take on the music.
Hmmm, it’s not quite to the same level (different experience entirely). The c3000 is more of a guilty pleasure for me when I just want max bass quantity and punch. They definitely serve a different purpose imo (and are more genre specific). But I will caveat by saying my Allnic 300b is too powerful for the c3000 in terms of volume (and hiss). So it’s kinda hard to listen and evaluate when I can barely move my volume control. Fortunately, I was able to pick up a mass kobo 433 for a good price which just arrived yesterday. I think that amp will be a more suitable pairing functionality and synergy wise (just a hunch). Perhaps my thoughts will change then.
Dang dude… The YH-5000SE are really fun headphones to listen to lol. I got to listen and compare it against other headphones for a little while, but I can at least say the below:
YH-5000SE sounds like no other headphone I ever heard. Its kind of hard to compare it to any other headphone because the YH-5000SE really just do its own thing in presenting the music and a really fun way of doing it. To me and my setup on 2 different amps (tubes and solid state with tube pre), YH-5000 sounds like big sounding bass and treble sounds forward. Vocals sounds pull back compared to the 2 and its kind of hard to say midrange is pull back because some songs I hear the electric guitar pull back and some songs I don’t. I got to listen to a lot of different genres to get a better feel of the YH-5000SE. Reminds me a little of cinematic movie tuning where movies with no center stage soundbar where everything is loud and vocals sounds a little quiet compared to everything else (probably a really bad analogy, but its all I can think of).
I did switch back and forth with ZMF Atrium Open, Modhouse Tungsten DS Ver 1, and ATH-W3000ANV. I notice it more in the 40ish/50ish hours in the YH-5000SE. I wanted to A/B the YH-5000SE with the Atrium and the Tungsten because vocals don’t really sound honky to me anymore. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t brain burn in because the YH-5000SE sounds consistently good for vocal timbre for me. When I switch from the Atrium to Tungsten to YH-5000SE, I concluded that I really enjoy vocals on the YH-5000SE because of its amazing resolution and details, but with some caveat. I would like vocals to be more forward instead of being pull back in the music. Because of this, I do find myself averaging like 85db (on jpop songs) on the YH-5000se which is way louder than any of my other headphone ( I usually listen like 70-75db). Vocals sounds more pull back even compared to the Tungsten. It gets dangerous (besides my hearing), because sometimes I do turn the knob and get it louder without being conscious of my hearing and I will get bass clip and the peak was probably above 95db (using my decibal app that I use can’t really measure below 40Hz).
When I A/B the Tungsten and W3000ANV to the YH-5000SE, they feel like polor opposite to each other. To me, I think Tungsten have an incredibly natural tuning and its a really believable tuning. The YH-5000SE to me is like a chaotic tuning that just really works. The ATH-W3000ANV also feels like an opposite tuning of the YH-5000SE where female vocals are much more forward on the W3000ANV compared to the YH-5000SE and female vocals on the YH-5000SE are more pull back. But, all the instrument feels more behind the female vocals on the W3000ANV where the YH-5000SE feels like the music is in front and around the female vocals. The way Yamaha just stage and present the music is just way too unique.
I think resolution-wise as a whole, YH-5000SE is a step above Tungsten, but I haven’t compare it to DCA Stealth, but I probably want to say its in a similar level. It gets really hard judging resolution in that stage that I will have to really A/B it.
Last note, I tried the suede pads and thought they were really terrible. Sounded like a veil was put on the music, so I went back to leather. I am still interested in trying their hybrid pads when that becomes available again in the Yamaha US shop.
All in all, its a fun headphone and this kind of tuning is usually not my type of preference, but the YH-5000SE is just too unique and fun to not like. I might try to do a true comparison and list genres a really like with these headphones compare to other headphones, but I honestly need a couple of months to even compare to these headphones just because its just too different. For sure, these headphones really come to life with acoustics and live music (I probably still prefer Mysphere 3.2 on that, but I haven’t A/B it yet). Not a big fan for EDM on these, especially compared to DCA Stealth. Not a fan of jrock on these as well, as I would rather listen to something like DCA Stealth or Onkyo A800 for that. Jpop and female vocal central pop music, I actually feel pretty good on the YH-5000SE even compare to my ATH-W3000ANV that I really like it for. I want to say I like it more, but need more time. Even anisongs and cinimatic media song like Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s album I really like the YH-5000SE probably the best compared to my current collection for some reason (maybe because they really do remind me of the movie theatre?). Haven’t tried a lot of my library yet, but I know its going to be a good fun experience going into 2026.
playing through the bus speakers, but it was still a joyous time and these headphones managed to evoke that.