Yamaha YH-L700A Review: A Premium Over-Ear Headset With A Focus On Sound
While Yamaha is renowned for its motorcycles and scooters in India, the company also boasts a strong reputation in the realm of musical instruments, AV receivers, and audio devices. Their recent foray into the wireless headphone market has yielded impressive results, with the flagship Yamaha YH-L700A over-ear headphones leading the charge. Priced at Rs. 34,990, these headphones promise an exceptional listening experience, prioritizing sound quality with features like advanced Bluetooth codec support, a "3D Sound Field" mode with head tracking for directional sound, and active noise cancellation. But do these features truly elevate the YH-L700A to the top of the premium wireless headset market? Let’s dive into this comprehensive review to find out.
Bold Design, Bulky Comfort
The Yamaha YH-L700A stands apart with its distinctive design. Unlike the sleek, understated aesthetics of many headphones in this price segment, the YH-L700A goes for a bold, premium look reminiscent of the Apple AirPods Max. While slightly smaller than the AirPods Max in overall dimensions, the ear cups and padding are noticeably thicker, contributing to their substantial feel.
A unique touch is the liberal use of fabric on the ear cup surfaces and the headband. This fabric, combined with thick foam padding, ensures a comfortable over-ear fit that completely covers the ears, effectively isolating ambient noise. The metal frame of the headband features comfortable padding and is adjustable for a secure fit. The ear cups can swivel and tilt, further enhancing the fit. The ear cups are adorned with Yamaha’s distinctive logo, serving as a visual identifier of the brand’s premium audio heritage.
While the padding provides excellent comfort, the YH-L700A‘s bulkiness (weighing in at 330g) might be a dealbreaker for some. The substantial weight becomes noticeable during extended listening sessions, and the clamping force can feel a bit too intense, especially for those wearing glasses. While the headphones become more comfortable over time, regular breaks every 45 minutes or so are still recommended.
Physical Controls and User-Friendly App
In contrast to competing headphones that often rely on a blend of physical buttons and touch controls, the YH-L700A employs physical buttons for all controls, from power and modes to playback. The right ear cup houses the power button, a 3D Sound button, the USB Type-C charging port, and playback/volume controls. The left ear cup is equipped with a button to switch between active noise cancellation and ambient sound modes, along with a 3.5mm socket for wired connectivity.
The playback and volume controls are located on the side of the right ear cup, covered by a leatherette sheet. While this design appears aesthetically appealing, the buttons lack the tactile feedback, making it somewhat challenging to discern them by touch. Even after several days of use, I found myself occasionally hitting the wrong button. While not a major flaw, the control interface could be more intuitive.
Yamaha’s Headphones Controller app (available for both Android and iOS) provides essential configuration and control over the YH-L700A’s customisations and functions. Once the headphones are paired via Bluetooth, the app automatically detects them and offers device-specific options.
The app allows you to adjust the 3D Sound Field mode, as well as configure Listening Care and Listening Optimizer. You can also control ANC and ambient mode activation and set an auto-power-off timer. The app accurately displays the battery level, but curiously lacks any equalizer settings for tailoring the sound to your preferences. Although the app covers the essential functionalities of the headphones, it feels a tad simplistic for a premium headset like the YH-L700A.
Powerful Performance Driven by 40mm Drivers
Equipped with 40mm dynamic drivers, the Yamaha YH-L700A boasts a frequency response range of 8-40,000Hz. Connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 5, supporting the SBC, AAC, and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs for high-quality audio transmission. The headphones also support the default voice assistant on your smartphone. The sales package includes a charging cable, a stereo cable for wired listening, a flight adapter, and a sturdy carry case for safekeeping.
Battery life on the YH-L700A varies depending on how you utilize its features. Naturally, the heavy use of ANC and the 3D Sound modes will drain the battery faster. The headphones are rated for up to 34 hours of listening with only ANC enabled and 11 hours with both ANC and 3D Sound activated.
In practical use, with ANC enabled and occasional use of the 3D Sound feature, I managed to use the headphones for over 23 hours on a single charge. While not the best in its class, this is more than adequate for hassle-free all-day listening.
Exceptional Audio Quality With 3D Sound as a Gimmick
Many audiophiles seeking high-end over-ear headphones gravitate towards leading brands like Sony, Bose, and Apple. However, the Yamaha YH-L700A offers a compelling alternative, delivering a rewarding audio experience that surpasses expectations. Its sound quality is impressive, making it a formidable contender for those looking beyond the usual suspects. Features like 3D Sound and active noise cancellation work effectively, although the former might not be a necessity for every user.
Features like Listening Care and Listening Optimizer operate behind the scenes to enhance the overall listening experience. Listening Care maintains a balanced volume level to prevent sudden volume spikes, while Listening Optimizer is designed to fine-tune the sound based on the internal sound levels detected by the ear cups. While I personally did not notice any noticeable differences in my music with these features enabled, they are intended to work subtly and seamlessly.
Qualcomm aptX Adaptive support on the YH-L700A ensures superior audio quality when used with Bluetooth source devices that support this codec. Expectedly, I found the sound quality noticeably better when using a OnePlus 9 compared to an iPhone 13, highlighting the potential of this codec.
Starting with "Frankie Sinatra" by The Avalanches, the headphones immediately showcased Yamaha’s decades of expertise in the audio industry. The soundstage was expansive and opulent, providing a remarkably realistic sense of direction and depth with this vibrant, sample-based track. Even the faintest sample elements, the mid-tempo beat, and the instruments all felt distinct and well-positioned, even with the 3D Sound mode disabled. The large drivers and superb tuning of these headphones naturally enhance even basic stereo signals, enabling them to reproduce detail with the fidelity of a high-quality pair of full-size speakers.
While the captivating soundstage of the YH-L700A is its most distinguishing trait, there is much more to appreciate. The sonic signature is balanced and incredibly refined, giving every frequency ample space to shine. With David Guetta’s "Dirty Sexy Money," the bass was tight and impactful without ever feeling overwhelming or out of control. Onur Ozman’s "Only Human" showcased the headphones’ ability to capture the slow, rumbling beat with accuracy, creating an immersive and enjoyable listening experience on par with my current top pick for high-end headphones – the Sony WH-1000XM4.
3D Sound: An Intriguing Feature, But Not a Necessity
A key feature of the YH-L700A is 3D Sound, which bears a striking resemblance to Apple’s Spatial Audio technology for its AirPods headphones and earphones. Intriguingly, when activated, this mode works seamlessly across various audio content, regardless of the app or operating system used, unlike Spatial Audio, which is limited to specific apps.
The different 3D Sound modes introduced distinct listening effects, but unfortunately, they often compromised sound quality, particularly when listening to music. Only the "Audio Room" mode managed to maintain a decent level of sound quality without creating too much of a strange depth effect. Head tracking functioned identically to Apple’s Spatial Audio, convincingly simulating the movement of sounds across channels based on head movements. However, overall, I found the 3D Sound mode to be a bit gimmicky and only truly applicable to watching TV shows or movies, if at all.
Active Noise Cancellation: Competent But Not Class-Leading
Active noise cancellation on the Yamaha YH-L700A is adequate but falls short of the quality offered by headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM4 or Apple AirPods Max. While the silencing effect was noticeable and effective indoors, it struggled to effectively reduce typical outdoor noises.
The effectiveness of ANC also hinges heavily on the noise-isolating seal. In my case, my glasses created a significant gap, significantly reducing ANC effectiveness. Ambient Sound mode allowed a reasonable amount of sound to permeate through, facilitating conversations or maintaining situational awareness. However, it felt somewhat artificial and lacked the natural feel of the AirPods Max. The headphones performed surprisingly well for calls, both indoors and outdoors, and connection stability and quality were never a concern, even at distances of up to 4 meters from the source device.
Final Verdict: A Worthy Addition to the Premium Market
In the premium headphones segment dominated by a handful of well-established brands and infrequent new launches, the Yamaha YH-L700A emerges as a breath of fresh air. These well-designed over-ear headphones deliver exceptional sound quality and compelling features, creating a satisfying overall listening experience. Yamaha’s long-standing expertise in high-end audio products is evident, making the headphones a compelling choice at their price point.
While average ANC performance and less-than-ideal controls detract from the experience slightly, the Yamaha YH-L700A offers detailed, enjoyable sound comparable to leading products like the Sony WH-1000XM4. At around Rs. 35,000, it comes at a premium compared to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and JBL Tour One. However, it represents a worthwhile investment for those prioritize top-notch sound quality and the unique benefits of its 3D Sound mode.
