Customer Ratings & Reviews

Yamaha released their newest line of headphones in Nov 2020 - Over-ear and On-ear headphones. E700A is their over-ear wireless headphones and this is my first experience with Yamaha headphones. I own seven different brands of headphones in the price range $300 to $1000 and comparing the E700A experience with those. Personally, I prefer over-ear headphones as they seal your ear, better than on-ear headphones, from external noise to provide you with an immersive experience. Quality: These are well-built headphones, designed to last with no cheap plastic parts. It's a little heavier than the ones I currently own. It has pretty good padding on the metal headband. The hardcase for the headphones is well built to protect the headphones from accidental drops. These headphones are built to last so I rate it 5/5 on quality. Comfort: One thing I noticed on this headphones is that they are very comfortable to wear for hours. They don't exert pressure or squeeze your head, which is a common problem with some headphones and it gets uncomfortable after few hours of use. It has large (larger than the ones I own) foamed leather ear cups and offer an excellent seal from external noise. I rate it 5/5 on comfort Features: All the controls buttons/switches are at the bottom of the ear cups. It has 3 controls on one ear cup for volume, play/pause, and power button with USB C port for charging. It has the ANC button and aux port for wired option on the other ear cup. It comes with airplane connector and wired aux cable as alternate option for airplane use. Its one's personal choice on what you prefer, ear cups controls or little buttons at the bottom. It also has a USB A to USB C convertor and a 3.4 mini stereo connector. Bluetooth (5) pairing was easy and it has pretty good range and I didn't have any connectivity/streaming issues walking around the house. I used it for 8 hrs so far and feel pretty good about the battery life, one charge should last about 35 hrs play time, with 3.5 hr charge time, based on their ad. The Yamaha App is pretty simple, just has few functions that you can turn on/off - listening care, listening optimizer, and noise cancellation. I generally like having the equalizer option on the app, so I can adjust the settings for different experience such as gaming, movie, music, etc., but not a deal breaker as it has its own patented technology. It support siri/google assistant and voice assisted prompts. What's different on this headphones ? Every company has some unique functions/features and patented technology on how they optimize the sound, what technique they use for ANC , to allow ambient sound, etc., and Yamaha E700A has its own. Listening Optimizer: I was a little intrigued by their "listening optimizer" feature and had to read up a little to understand what exactly it does. Its internal headphones makes constant measurements of sound to analyze and process the information to check the ear cup fit/seal and air leakage to constantly optimize/customize the sound to individual listener's perceiving capability - AI can do that! I definitely see this being an interesting feature as the ear cups lose their sealing capability with use, and this technology compensates for the loss. Also, this feature can dynamically maintain the sound fidelity when using outdoors. This could end up being my traveling companion, if it truly performs as described! Advanced Active Noise Cancellation: Yamaha has its own technology for ANC. I didn't get a chance to test the headphone's outdoor noise cancellation capability, which I usually do when I take the subway and plane rides. Yamaha brags about their "Advanced ANC" feature and what does it differently from other ANC technologies - it uses internal microphones and unique algorithms (AI?) to suppress (erases!) the surrounding noise and not have to process (alter) the music signal - pretty intriguing. So far I rate it to be in the top three, based on its advanced ANC and the tests I did at home by playing simulated background noise on my home speakers. Listening Care: This is an interesting feature for low volume listening, as low volume usually cuts out certain frequencies and this feature intelligently adjusts sound frequencies to maintain full range sound. As an audiophile I have to rate it on the standards and the frequency range that I usually look for in speakers and headphones Frequency Range Frequency Values Comments Sub-bass 20Hz to 60 Hz GREAT! Bass 60 to 250 Hz GREAT! Low midrange 250 to 500 Hz Great (for harmonics) Midrange 500 Hz to 2 kHz Good (horn like quality) Upper midrange 2kHz to 4 kHz Great (timbre) Presence 4 to 6 kHz Good (for clarity) Overall, I highly recommend this headphones to bass lovers, Yamaha took it a step further on the sound quality with their differentiated features. Good value for the price, it definitely beats the high end headphones on the sound quality. It is reasonably priced, which is surprising for the sound fidelity it offers. Gamers would love the true immersive experience this headphones offers, no second thoughts on that!

I’ve worked in a few studios in years past as a session engineer and a session musician and used various types and brands of headphones and these are among the very best in my opinion. But there are a few things to be aware of depending on how music you plan on listening to music with them. Going to get right to the point. Sound quality, frequency response wise, is different between the wired connection and bluetooth connection. Most people will likely only use these with bluetooth but in order for me to compare them to some of my headphones I had to use them wired. Part of the review process too. Wired: I compared them to my Fostex T-20RPs. The T-20RP has a pretty flat frequency response & takes a little more power to drive. I tested them on my Marantz RS 3555 and Sony CDP-C601ES. The highs are a little louder and cleaner but the bass is much less than the E700A. I could hear things with the T-20RPs that I couldn’t with the E700As. For Example: I could hear the reverb trailing off and fading out longer on the synth harmonica solo in Steely Dan’s Hey Nineteen. I could also hear more harmonics in the layered backing vocals in the chorus (The Cuervo Gold….). With the E700A the bass was overpowering everything. Even when the bass was set at minimum it was too loud for me. My receiver's specs for tone controls are 100hz and 10khz +/- 8db. I also listened via CD Direct which is a flat response. I also tried my Bose SoundSport earbuds since they are wired. They are very close to the Fostex T-20RPs for mids and highs with more bass, but not even close to the bass of the Yamahas. Bluetooth: Here’s where things got interesting. The sound of the E700As actually improved. Huh? No way! CDs vs streaming, WMA, MP3 and other types of files at various bitrates and what not??? So I listened closely back and forth. Wired & Bluetooth, take a break, come back and do it some more. With and without ANC, Listening Care and Listening Optimizer. My Conclusion is DSP (Digital Signal Processing) at work in the signal chain is doing its magic. The bass is reduced but still tight, clean and bold. The high mids and upper highs are now about on par with the Fostex and Bose. Then it was time to pit them against my Master and Dynamic MW07 Plus BT earbuds. I know it’s apples and oranges but why not? The M&Ds had the best & cleanest highs with solid bass but sound a little harsh compared to the Yamahas. I like the sound of the Yamahas best when ANC, Listening Care and Listening Optimizer are on. There’s a “presence” and warmth that isn’t there with any other headphones or buds I have used. Bluetooth or wired. I really like it alot! Sometimes the best specced device isn’t always the best sounding if you know what I mean. These cans have something the other don’t when using them with BT sound quality wise. ANC (Ambient Noise Cancelling) is the best I have used so far. According to Yamaha they have taken a different approach to ANC by “Using internal microphones and a new, unique algorithm”. Choices are: On, Off and Ambient Sound. Selectable via a button in the left can. Ear cups are cut at a slight angle for best fit. Listening Optimizer “utilizes microphones to make constant measurements (every 20 seconds) and advanced processing to analyze factors such as seal and air leakage” The effect is subtle but noticeable & I think that is by design. It does improve the sound. Listening Care “encouraging lower-volume listening by intelligently adjusting sound frequencies to maintain the full-range sound”. Yamaha’s explanation reminds me a bit of the definition of the “Loudness” button on stereo receivers. They boosted the bass mainly and highs slightly. The effect is subtle here too. https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/headphones/yh-e700a/index.html Connectivity was no problem connecting to any of my devices. Note 10+, Asus laptop, Samsung TV and Wife’s Note 9. Range was good without dropouts unless I was well over 30 feet away line of sight from my phone. No complaints with phone calls either. A British lady tells you when you are connected to bluetooth, battery condition & other voice notifications. Buttons are easy to feel and find. Build quality feels premium quality. Nowhere did I find out if the cups and headband are covered with leather but it sure smelled like it and felt like it! They come with a USB power cable (50cm; type A to C), 3.5mm stereo mini plug cable, Flight Adapter and Carrying Case. I really like how they fit my ears and head. Very comfortable for long periods of wear. Your ears might sweat a little after prolonged use especially if you are active. They will stay put on your head with normal activity. Not so with the Fostex T-20s I mentioned earlier. You look down & they’re gone. The E700As Are easy to adjust to fit by pulling down the cups and they fold nicely to fit back into their case. The case comes with a cardboard insert that shows you how to properly fold them. Battery life pretty much lives up to what Yamaha claims at 35 hours. I think the only weak area is the app. It’s extremely limited and the firmware update for the headphones via the app doesn’t work. I hope Yamaha fixes this and adds more functions like EQ and adjustable levels for ambient sound level. The app for my Sony WF-SP800N earbuds is what I would like to see Yamaha do for these headphones. With the pros overwhelmingly outweighing the cons, I very highly recommend these headphones!!

============================ >>>>> Bottom Line Up front: <<<<< ============================ The Yamaha YH-E700A wireless noise-cancelling headphones provide excellent sound reproduction, along with incorporating some interesting new technologies that worked quite well, such as “Listening Optimizer” and “Listening Care” (more on those later) – of which I have never experienced on a wireless headset before. The YH-E700A has a sturdy, if not a little too “plastic heavy” design and feel the will undoubtedly hold up well for many years to come. The “Advanced” Active Noise Cancelling worked flawless in my time with the headset and should be a big boon for anyone that is looking to cut back on background interference while trying to enjoy their tunes or audio. The Yamaha “Headphones Controller” app for Android leaves A LOT to be desired – particularly compared with many other competing headsets at this price point. The lack of “customizable” EQ profiles really was a letdown, and I would expect products at this price point to provide end user more customization and flexibility with their sound profiles – especially when others out on the market are able to do so. The YH-E700A still sounds excellent across a wide vary of musical styles, and ultimately provides a very unique “it just works when I turn it on” kind of vibe going for it – that can be a real boon for folks that are not looking to be inundated with too many options ============================================== >>>>> Personal Observations after a regular usage: <<<<< ============================================== Yamaha never ceases to amaze me in the regard of how deep, and far spanning, their consumer product lines can go. The “tuning fork company” (Yamaha) has been making quality musical instruments, monitors, and headsets for professionals and consumers alike what seems like forever now, and all of their products I have ever used have never failed to impress me with their performance and reasonable prices. The YH-E700A wireless noise-cancelling headphones are no exception. ============================ >>>>> Packaging/Unboxing: <<<<< ============================ From the moment you start to unbox the YH-E700A’s, it becomes relatively clear that a lot of though and design effort went into the product’s design and presentation. The packaging and presentation do an excellent job of protecting the headphones, while not going overboard on excessive amounts of packaging waste and plastics (as you can see in the photos). You get a reasonability sturdy travel case, as well as the standard cables you’d need to charge, connect, and listen to tunes right out the box. I appreciated the paper insert inside the case that helps guide you on how to store it, as I often have found myself play “origami” style games to cram some of my other headsets back into their respective cases. The plastic pouch with the “instructions” is a little on the “basic” side – but that is easily addressed by looking at the manual online as provided in the packing materials. What wasn’t clearly mentioned was the “name” of the Yamaha App that should be used to interact/control the headphones on a mobile device … a quick Google play search for “Yamaha headset” returns more than a few possible results – but I included a photo of the appropriate app in case anyone has issues finding it. It’s not promising that as of the time of this review it has a 2.5 star average review – and I hope Yamaha takes the time to address many of the observations and constructive criticism that users have posted in there. From my point of view, the app is “basic” at best -and provides no EQ customization, or in-depth product guides and step through explanations – if that happens to be important to you. ============================ >>>>> Headphone Fit & Feel <<<<< ============================ Sound playback profiles, physical sizing, and material selection on any product – ESPECAILLY headphones - often tends to be a highly subjective area. With that being said, I found the YH-E700A to be pretty comfortable for the most part, but overall, not what I would consider among the “best” for my head and ear shape. I have been “blessed” with larger than average ear size, and unfortunately, I found the “round” shape of the YH-E700A’s ear cushions/design a little more constricting than I would have liked. It’s interesting to me that Yamaha went with this shape, as the majority of the headphones I own/have used have all been “oval” shaped – which have always tended to allow the top part of my ears to fit a little better. Additionally, I found the YH-E700A’s “clamp pressure” on my head a little tighter than what I am accustomed to on my Bose Quiet Comfort II’s and AKG N700’s by comparison. I really appreciated the thick cushion that surrounded the ear cups and the synthetic covering they used on them helps to seal in the sound pretty well, but can get a little “hot” if you’re the type to break a sweat easily. I only worry that over time, these types of synthetic materials can potentially break down and “peel off” after some heavy use, but as I said before Yamaha usually makes pretty solid products so I don’t think that will be an issue. I appreciate the little touches that the YH-E700A has like the fabric “L” & “R” coverings on the inside for quick reference, especially since there aren’t very many tactile buttons or knobs to easily/quickly gauge which side is which. Speaking of buttons there are relatively few (as you can see in the photos) and a simple tactile ”dot” on the “Vol +” up button when you have them on. The headband has a nice contour shape that fit me nicely with just the right amount of padding to add a bit of softness for my taste. The height adjustment is handled by metal accented plastic extension supports (as you can see in the photos). This is pretty typical in this category, and the YH-E700A’s implementation is quiet and feels more than sturdy enough to stand up to everyday use. On a sperate note, I found the type of matte plastic backing used on the exterior shell of the ear cups were finger print magnets. To me, this isn't necessarily an issue, just something to be aware about - but if your concerned about others seeing your fingerprints all over your headset in an office environment, or are a very style conscious person then keep that in mind. ======================================= >>>>> Sound Quality/Playback Experience: <<<<< ======================================= While I could repeat all the “specs” on the web page description/box over again here – I’ll try to keep it simple. The sound quality is excellent. I think the YH-E700A’s playback strengths lies in the proprietary Yamaha “Listening Care” and “Listening Optimizer” tech. In short – the headphones seem to adaptively respond to your music selection and bring out the best automatically/dyonically adjusted EQ band to match. The result is – you can “hear” the finer details of your music, such as supporting instrumentation, background vocals, and finer details of the sound stage that are traditionally lost when you “crank up” the music volume. My only criticism is that if you WANT nothing but BASS for example or something where you specifically want a certain part of the EQ band to come through – the YH-E700A’s seem to correct that for you regardless. Yamaha’s Active Noise cancellation technology works exactly as expected as I ran the headset through my paces. I often have a fair amount of relatively computer fan noise and background chatter present in my work environment, and the YH-E700A handled that with ease. While this whole category it again VERY SUBJECTIVE – I think the YH-E700A is up there with the best of them in this regard. Although the inclusion of “Ambient Sound” passthrough technology isn’t anything new to the wireless headphone category, it is implemented nicely here as well. With just the flick of a button, you are able to turn on this feature and interact/collaborate with others without having to remove the headset at all. ========================= >>>>> Closing thoughts: <<<<< ========================= While the YH-E700A didn’t exactly fit my head the way I wanted it to – I didn’t change the fact the it is still a very well thought out and executed wireless headset. Honestly, I think the YH-E700A biggest problem is that it is part of a very competitive segment where other headsets can match what the Yamaha has to offer, through custom EQ user sound profiles AND have a usable/polished Android app for added usability. That being said – I would recommend the YH-E700A to anyone in the market for a quality wireless noise canceling headset without a doubt. Perhaps Yamaha can add more customization feature in future app updates/firmware roll outs in the future.

SOUND: Starting with sound quality, as I do believe sound is the single most important feature of audio devices. Yamaha has knocked it out of the park with the YH-E700 series. The 700 series is not only equipped with Bluetooth 5 and aptX technology, but also large 40mm drivers. These headphones stream very high quality and sound amazing to say the least. I have and have owned several pairs of Bluetooth headphones in this same price range and can say without a doubt, these will be my go to for listening to music and gaming. The frequency response of 8 Hz - 40 kHz provides all you need for crystal clear highs and lows and a premium “hi-fi” listening experience. Whether you are listening to extreme high fidelity music, gaming, or simply taking a phone call, these sound beautiful. My playlists take me all over the spectrum. From Rhianna, to Gojira, to the Beatles, and even Lana Del Rey. I am hearing intricacies I never heard in mixes before, especially with older music like the Beatles. Just awesome. DESIGN: Yamaha has designed these well. They are well built and use premium materials throughout. They are very flexible and comfortable. I have not experienced any discomfort wearing these and that is another reason they are now my go-to headphones for extended periods of time. The ear cups are soft and provide plenty of space to completely cover your ears making the noise cancelling feature much more efficient. While the size is a bit larger than most other Bluetooth headphones, that doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, that is one of the reasons these sound so great. Available in black or white, the small Yamaha “Tuning Fork” logo is classy and not over-the-top. Yamaha has also included a rugged zip case for on the go use. The headphones rotate flat to place inside, or to lay flat on your chest when not in use. Both excellent features that I think all headphones should include. ALL THE REST: Battery life is rated at 35 hours with ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) on. To me that seems like more than you would ever need since there are only 24 hours in a day. Charge time is rated at just over three hours. Use them all day, and charge them overnight. It's all good! Bluetooth connectivity is strong and flawless for me. Even going from my Android phone, to my iMac, to my TV for games. Once you disconnect from one source, it connects to another source easily and with no lag or fuss. Both Siri and Google Assistant work very well for me depending on what device I am using at the time. A nice feature and very powerful once you get used to the commands. The app is very basic and lets you control all of the features available including, ANC, listening optimizer, and listening care. It also lets you set an auto off time in minutes so you can just set them down and not worry about turning them off first. I have mine set for five minutes auto off. The one thing that has not worked for me in the app, is the firmware update menu. I constantly get the error “could not check for update.” I do expect Yamaha will address this and update the app soon. I have attached screenshots of the app and the error with this review. I have also attached a photo of the headphones being worn by my lovely wife :) In a world of MANY available options for music tech devices, the Yamaha YH-E700 series headphones stand at the top of the hill for me and I encourage you to give them a try. While I can’t be sure your local Best Buy will have a demo of these available, it would be worth it to check. Especially if you are in the market for a solid set of stylish and very awesome sound headphones. PROS: Amazing crystal clear sound quality Comfortable and stylish using premium materials They fold flat and include a case! Noise cancelling adapts to your environment automatically CONS: App will not let me update firmware at the time of this review

The Yamaha YH-E700A Wireless Headphones are an outstanding sounding pair of headphones with some really great features. They are definitely a premium sounding headphone for a mid-range price. Build Quality: These headphones are definitely well built. There is not a single thing that feels cheap. The earcups are soft and plush, there is adequate padding on the headband, all buttons are solid and laid out in an easy to use manner (one of the easiest button layouts I have used so far). These do also come with a 3.5mm cable if you want a physical connection to your player of choice. Great Features: These headphones have a lot of the features you have come to expect from a great pair of headphones plus a little extra. Bluetooth 5 with aptX Adaptive connectivity to ensure a solid connection with premium streaming quality, USB C Charging, outstanding battery life which Yamaha rates up to 35 hours, and ambient sound for when you need to know what's going on outside of your listening world. The only thing I would improve is the app. There is not much functionality and you can't adjust EQ settings. Basically tells you how much battery you have and if settings are on or off. The real key features that I think are awesome are Yamaha's True Sound Listening Optimizer, Listening Care, and Advanced Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). The Listening Optimizer utilizes microphones to take measurements every 20 seconds to analyze various factors that can impact the how you hear the actual music. It then corrects in real time to optimize the settings in order to playback the best possible quality sound for you to hear. That is just simply amazing and I have to say, in listening to these in different environments, I am impressed! The Listening Care allows you to listen at lower volume but not lose out on the quality of music. These do sound incredible at a high volume, but it is not necessary to do so to hear the fine details in the music. Combine all this with their ANC and the outside world fades away letting you get lost in your own world of immersive sound. Sound Quality: This leads me into the impressive sound quality. The YH-E700A's utilize a 40mm dynamic driver that produces an incredible frequency response from 8Hz-40kHz. This means you get great low ends for you bass and impressive highs that combine to offer an incredibly ranged sound stage. The bass is tight, the highs are clear and crisp, and the mid range if full and clear. I was very impressed how good these sound and how accurate they were in their reproduction of sounds. In listening to various genre of music, I couldn't find one that didn't sound good. Piano keys rang as in a concert hall, bass drops were tight and I could feel the thump, synthesizers sizzled, and vocals were as clear as could be. There were a few songs that I found actually made my hair stand up and gave me goosebumps. Truly impressive sound! Overall: I would absolutely recommend these headphones to anyone looking for amazing, full, and immersive sound. Definitely a premium quality set of headphones.

I’ve owned many a wireless headphone, with and without active noise cancelling, ranging from very affordable to consumer grade audiophile, and I have to say that the Yamaha YH-E700A headphones have earned their place as one of my favorites in terms of sheer sound performance. For me, these have a comfortable fit, with moderate clamping pressure that keeps the earphones seated on my head without feeling like it’s squeezing the sides of my head too hard. The 10” headband has a flexible steel core and is wrapped in leatherette with a thin, quarter-inch foam-padded underside; it can extend up to 1.5” on each side. The matte plastic exterior, although lightweight, feels somewhat cheap and unfortunately picks up fingerprints and skin oils easily, so I found myself constantly wiping down the outside of the earcups to keep it looking clean. The large, round earcups, while bulky at 3.5” in diameter, have ample interior space with a circular cavity that measures 2.25” diameter. The 0.75” leatherette-wrapped foam ear cushions are soft, but not memory foam, so they have a bit or resistance that can be felt on the skin around my ears. They do, however, also provide a decent seal so that even without active noise canceling (ANC) enabled, there is a good amount of passive noise isolation dampening outside sounds around you. The earcups tilt about 25°and swivel about 100°; they can lay flat around your neck, though I felt the heft and bulk of the design made wearing them this way somewhat claustrophobic. The earphones come in a semi-rigid zippered clamshell case, also leatherette wrapped, which includes a storage area for the accompanying accessories: a USB-C charging cable, an AUX cable with gold-plated connectors and right-angle jack, and a two-prong flight adapter. The folding design for storage is cleverly compact, but not intuitive, so I was thankful that there’s a printed visual guide inside the case to remind you how to get the headphones to fit in the space. Upon powering on the headphones, you’re greeted by a pleasant voice-prompt notifying you of the headphone’s battery level and it immediately enters pairing mode. Pairing the headphones to devices was somewhat of a mixed bag. When I first paired the headphones to my Windows 10 PC via Bluetooth, the computer didn’t recognize it as an audio device and wouldn’t output sound to it. I did resolve this by changing the device’s properties in Windows settings manually to enable all the Bluetooth services and got them working, though it was odd to me that they weren’t enabled by default. When pairing it to my phone it worked straight away. These headphones can remember up to 8 paired devices and automatically connects with the last one it paired to (provided it is in range) when you turn the headphones on. The audio quality of the YH-E700A is crystal clear and crisp and did not disappoint. The bass response is full and deep with lots of low bass support. The midranges were balanced and well-rounded, and the treble ranges sparkled without sounding harsh or overly sibilant. The sound stage is wide and placed a bit farther than I’m used to, but I found that I actually liked it better because it almost feels as if you’re listening to music in front of a stage in a larger venue. I was quite impressed with the active noise cancellation. As soon as it is enabled, background noises nearly disappear but what surprised me more was that the output sound is virtually unchanged otherwise. With other ANC headphones I typically expect some sort of artificial EQ boost; not so with the E700. Without any music playing, I didn’t hear much white noise or hissing which I find commonplace with other ANC headphones. These headphones use Yamaha’s “Listening Optimizer” technology which utilizes a microphone on the interior of the earcup to sample how sound is reaching your ear several times a minute, continuously updating and adjusting the playback to customize the sound stream. As a result, the listening experience remains very consistent, even if your listening environment changes while you’re using them. I found out the hard way that the output power of these headphones is really powerful, so now I always make sure to turn down the volume first before starting any music, then ramping up the volume to a comfortable listening level. When using the headphones wirelessly for watching video, there’s virtually no input lag or delay between the video and the audio, though sometimes it takes a few seconds to sync up. One interesting feature that the YH-E700A has that I’ve seen on a few other ANC units is the ability to pass through ambient sounds intentionally using the exterior mic using ‘ambient sound’ mode. This allows the listener to have more situational awareness and hear things going on around them while music is playing. That’s great for commuters who need to hear announcements on public transport or folks using these while out cycling. To change modes, short press the ANC button adjacent to the AUX port on the left earpiece to enable noise cancelling, ambient sound, or turn the feature off. There’s also a mobile app, “Yamaha Headphones Controller,” which allows you to enable or disable features like listening care, listening optimizer, noise cancelling, and auto power-off timer from your phone. Power, volume, and playback buttons as well as the USB-C charging port are along the bottom edge of the right earcup. The unit needs about 3.5 hours to charge fully and can reportedly last up to 35 hours depending on your listening volume and whether or not ANC is on. The volume keys double as track skipping controls with long presses, and you can use the headphones for hands-free calling when paired with a mobile device. A word of warning though, callers on the receiving end mentioned that the mic pickup from the headphones is sometimes low and a few times I felt the caller’s audio feed on the headphones had audible digital distortion like compression artifacts, though this may vary based on signal strength and carrier signal quality. Overall, I enjoyed the listening experience of the Yamaha YH-E700A; they are comfortable for use over a long period of time and have a battery life that can sustain longer listening sessions for several days between charges. The active noise cancellation works great and doesn’t distort the audio output which is very consistent. The only feature I felt was “missing” was the ability to use an AI voice assistant like Siri or Alexa at the touch of a button on the headphones, but that's not a deal breaker for me.

What a great pair of over the ear headphones. They came charged out of the box and paired with my iPhone quickly and easily. As someone who wears glasses, I am very particular about how well the over-ear headphones sit and feel with glasses on. These handle glasses quite well. The sound is amazing. In my initial test of these headphones, I chose an eclectic mix of music including Security Joan (Donald Fagen), Mercy Street (Peter Gabriel), Telephone Line (ELO), We Will Rock You (Queen), Serengetti (Grateful Dead), and Song for America (Kansas). Every track sounded exceptional. Great highs. Solid lows. The headphones handled the bass really well. I also made a few calls to friends and family and all said that my voice sounded and clear and strong. A really well rounded and solid set of headphones. One of the best I've purchased in a long time.

I want to start by saying that these are, obviously, better than run-of-the-mill inexpensive headphones. By those standards, I would give these 5 stars. However, as a higher end product that is selling for $350, I cannot give these a strong recommendation and would suggest you search elsewhere if you are looking to invest in a new pair of over ear headphones. I will start with the positives. These headphones are light and do not put too much pressure/ clamping force on the top of my head and jaws like many others do. In that regard, I could wear these for hours. I also appreciate their look: it is standard, but slick and functional. Audio-wise, these headphones shine with acoustic sounds. If that is what you find yourself listening to most of the time, maybe give these a shot. When listening to songs that feature an acoustic guitar, it sounded like it was being played right in front of me. Furthermore, the headphones can capture some small elements of instruments that I rarely hear in other headphones: the echoing hum of a bass drum after a particularly loud hit stands out to me as the most significant and surprising example of this feature. This can help open new layers of the music you are listening to if you care about that kind of thing. I know most people care about bass more than anything else, and it comes out nice and clean here, if without some of the “oomph” that other similar headphones provide. Unlike a particular new pair of headphones that cost about $200 more...these headphones come with a very nice case that cover the entire product and have space for accessories like the charging cable and flight adapter. These charge via USB-C which is a big plus for those who love fast charging or have other USB-C compatible devices. The noise cancelling works and works well. I am able to completely drown out my partner who sits next to me and often plays WoW or streams while I work. This isn't a novel feature though. The positives end there, unfortunately. For high end headphones, I would expect these to perform at least similarly if not significantly better than lower price point competitors in key areas such as audio quality and long-lasting comfort. These do not. The most glaring issue I found is that the speakers sound like they are starting to blow out/ distort audio well before you hit max volume – particularly for singers who sing at higher registers. Ava Max should not sound like she is singing through a supermarket speaker, but she does when you turn up the volume past 60%. High hats on drums sound grainy. Furthermore, for songs that are quite busy instrument-wise (I am thinking System of a Down’s discography, for reference), you lose out on some of the intricacies of the music because the instruments do not come through well. These headphones really struggle when they must deal with sounds that are not in the midrange. Even though pressure/ clamping force is okay, these things get HOT around the ears, and FAST. The leather material is not breathable at all. If you have ears that tend to overheat when you put something around them, I would look elsewhere. I should note that I am no audiophile, I have just used many higher end headphones that perform better than these do, have the same features (if not more), and are yours for a lower price. If I noticed these problems, I have no doubt that people well-versed in detecting them would have no trouble either. That said, those people are likely looking for something a little more expensive for their listening needs. If you want something nice but are on more of a budget, there are better options.

The Yamaha YH-E700A is an outstanding sounding pair of ANC headphones and a welcome competitor to the market. This is the top of the line model in Yamaha’s new ANC headphone line up and if you’re familiar with any of their other audiophile products, you won’t be disappointed. They’re a bit plain looking, but are super comfortable, sound amazing, and can go days without a charge. I do hope they update the app to add an EQ and a fader to adjust the Ambient Sound level. The bass can be a bit too heavy at times, which an EQ could fix right up and while the Ambient Sound pick up is good, it feels like the music drowns it out if it’s playing. Yamaha touts their Listening Optimizer and Listening Care algorithms as revolutionary, and… I guess they work? I honestly don’t know, but they really do sound good at all volume levels which is what Listening Care aims to do - balance the sound at all volumes. This is especially useful if you tend to turn the volume up to ”wake up” certain frequencies that don’t really seem to come alive at lower volumes with conventional headphones and speakers. I’d say this feature actually works and is a great step towards protecting our hearing for a lifetime of sound. If you’re into cars, it’s like having an engine with a big, wide power band. Every RPM is a sweet spot, it just depends how fast you want to go. The YH-E700A aren’t perfect headphones, but they produce some of the most full and robust sound that’s graced these ears. If you’re in the market for upscale wireless over-the-ear ANC headphones and want the best sound, these just might be it. Check below for more details. PROS Excellent sound quality Strong bass Clear sound at all volumes apt-X bluetooth connection 35 hours of battery life Super comfortable Pivot, swivel, and folding hinges Great build quality and details Sturdy hard case Intuitive controls USB-C charging CONS No EQ Sometimes bass heavy ANC not totally silent Cannot adjust Ambient Sound level Low profile buttons hard to feel Greasy fingers magnet SOUND Music is where the Yamaha YH-E700A headphones shine with clear vocals and robust bass. There's a deep, full bass extension to please listeners of every genre and it even comes with some oomph at higher volumes. The driving bass line in “Pray for Me” by Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd commands a presence without getting muddled, and yet it’s delicate enough to catch the echoes and textures of Gary B.B. Coleman’s “The Sky is Crying”. I’ve had headphones with strong bass, but never with this sort of range. If anything, on some tracks the bass is too strong, which an EQ would definitely help settle. Yamaha also includes an aux input to use them as regular wired headphones and even throws in an adapter for the plane. Hardwiring it bypasses the ANC and processing, but I was pleased to find out they sound just as good without them. As much technology Yamaha touts with these headphones, I'm happy it’s not all built on processing. These are excellent sounding headphones which should please music lovers of all types. ANC The Active Noise Cancelling works ok, but it doesn’t shut everything out. In fact, I have a hard time telling the difference between ANC on and off, as both allow some sound to leak in. If you just want to muffle the loudness these will do the job, but if you want complete silence, these aren’t it. That said, Yamaha notes how their noise cancelling tech ensures no drop off in sound quality and for a true to signal sound experience, to which all I can say is that they sound excellent with the ANC on, off, or with Ambient Sound. Speaking of which, I really wish the app had a slider for the Ambient Sound to music mix. Sometimes I can hear everything around me clearly and other times it gets drowned out by the music. It works great if I stop playback, but a fader would be really helpful in getting it just right for the moment. FUNCTION Connecting and using the YH-700A is a breeze. The controls are just like every other wireless headset you might have tried with buttons for play/pause button, volume up/down, power, and ANC. To skip to the next track just hold the volume up button, and the same with going back a track and the volume down button. To put the bluetooth in search mode simply hold down the power button for 5 seconds. You can even summon Google or Siri by holding down the play button. There’s nothing fancy to relearn here and everything works as it should, which is a huge plus. The only issue I have in terms of function is maybe more of a design issue, but the low profile buttons are shallow and make it a bit difficult figuring out what button you’re using by touch. The volume up button has a little bump that lets your fingers know where they are, but it can be tough to feel for, especially if you’re wearing gloves. I find myself frequently mixing up the play/pause with the volume down button if I go straight for it without starting at the little bump. I wish I could say more about Yamaha Headphones app that connects to this set, but there really isn’t much to it. The only thing you can do with it is turn the “Listening Care” or “Listening Optimizer” on/off, change the noise cancelling mode, check the battery life, or set the auto power-off timer. I’m really surprised there isn’t an EQ or way to adjust the ANC or Ambient Sound mix. Hopefully that comes in a future update. DESIGN They’re over-the-ear headphones, so they’re going to be a bit bulky but nothing outside of the norm. I treat them delicately, but the build quality seems good. Really nice tight stitching on the leather and the materials are light and sturdy. It’s mostly a plastic affair, but the headband has a metal band that runs along it. I’m guessing this is used to hide the wires while adding some support and flexibility. The hinges fold and allow the cans to pivot vertically and swivel horizontally to help create a solid and comfortable seal between your head and the headphone cushions. What’s interesting is that despite being leather, they never started feeling hot or uncomfortable like most others do after extended wearing. I’ve comfortably had these on for hours and have never once had to take them off because they felt irritating. Aesthetically, they’re rather plain looking with smooth flat surfaces and a matte black color scheme that attracts every bit of oil on your fingers. You won’t win style points here, but that’s ok because you can drown out all that noise with beautiful music.

PROS + Genuinely immersive, clear, defined, accurate, and beautiful sound quality + Fantastic bass response + Impressive soundstage for closed-back headphones + Great imaging + Effective Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) which doesn’t negatively affect the core sound quality + Bluetooth 5 and aptX Adaptive connectivity + Listening Care, which sounds great at low-listening levels + Listening Optimizer for tuning sound in real-time + Big earcups with soft, comfortable earpads + Easy to use tactile controls with smart assistant support + Comes with a solid, hard carrying case + VERY LONG battery life CONS - A bit on the heavy side at 11.46oz - The inner headband could use more padding, can get mildly uncomfortable after a few hours of listening - I wish the headband adjusted just a bit larger for larger heads - App is barebones, with no EQ/preset options - Large size of the headphones means the carrying case is quite large as well THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT Yamaha has always been a brand I have liked, having owned a few of their speakers and soundbars, but with these headphones they have really knocked it out of the park in one swing. I am no audiophile, but I do appreciate good sound quality, owning several pairs of headphones from various companies, including other pairs of noise cancelling headphones, wireless, wired, open-back, closed-back, over-ear, and on-ear; along with a dedicated surround sound system for my home theater. This all being said, I don’t want to overhype these, but I can’t help but honestly admit that these are my new favorite headphones by a good margin. For me, while noise cancellation is a nice benefit, my primary feature in any headphones I own is sound quality above all else, and if you are like me, you need to seriously consider these. They aren’t the most comfortable headphones I own (not far off, but falling short in some key areas), nor the most portable, but they have every tech feature that counts, and more importantly, they completely blew my already high expectations out of the water with their audio quality. If you want a bit more depth on what I like and what could be improved (no headphone is perfect after all), please read on and I will try to give you my objective thoughts. However, if you don’t have time, just rest easy knowing I have no reservation recommending these for anyone wanting amazing sound quality, with the added benefits of amazing portability, wireless connectivity, and an unkillable battery life. These are simply the best wireless, and right up there with the best wired, headphones I have ever used. COMFORT In terms of overall comfort, I would call these headphones serviceable; they aren’t bad, but they also aren’t near the top of the pack for me in terms of comfort. The earpads I actually quite like, with a soft leather, or leather-like, texture that feels great on the ear. I have larger ears, and the earcups are quite wide in diameter, meaning they have no issue fully covering my ears with some space to spare, while also providing a soft texture so that ear pain is non-existent (something I have experienced with other headphones after long listening sessions). The pads’ leather-like texture and size can cause some heat build-up, so you will likely feel your ears getting warm after some time using them, but I never felt them running overtly hot, just noticeably warm. I don’t think this will be an issue for many people unless you are using them to workout, but given their weight and size, I wouldn’t recommend them for working out anyways. Where the comfort falters to a greater degree in my opinion is in the headband. It is padded with the same leather-like texture as the earcups, but I wish it was a bit more effective. It doesn’t hurt, but after long listening sessions, I did find that the top of my head tended to feel noticeably uncomfortable since the padding just isn’t enough to compensate for the heavier weight of these headphones. Likewise, my head is on the larger side and I need to use these headphones with the band fully extended, which is close to perfect for my head shape, but combined with the tighter pressure of the cups, tends to make me want to take them off for several minutes after a couple of hours of listening, just to relieve the discomfort. If you have a smaller head, or smaller ears, your mileage may be different, but for me, these aren’t the most comfortable headphones I own (nor the most uncomfortable). However, there is some room for small tweaks to make them a lot better, namely just a bit more padding and extension on the headband. TECH/CONNECTIVITY For the most part, these headphones check all of the boxes anyone would need for connectivity options and onboard tech. They are wireless (but can be used wired as well with the included 3.5mm cable) and feature Bluetooth 5 and aptX Adaptive, so the sound quality on my hi-res audio tracks sounds excellent, with no dropouts whatsoever, even when I walk several yards away from my phone or computer. The earcups go back to basics with no touch or stick controls, but rather tactile buttons that feel great. In my opinion, these work flawlessly, with the right earcup featuring a volume control (which can also be used to switch tracks with a long-press), a play/pause button which can also be used for answering phone calls, and a power button which is also used to pair the headphones to devices, with the left earcup housing a lone ANC button that lets you switch ANC on, off, or to ambient mode. Speaking of ANC, it works great! There isn’t much to say about this really, since it cuts sound very well by default, particularly with just a little bit of music or audio playing, and also features an ambient mode which nicely allows outside sound to come in when you need to be aware of your surroundings, but don’t want to completely take the headphones off. The most noteworthy thing in regards to ANC with these headphones is that switching it on and off doesn’t overtly effect the audio quality in any way. I have ANC headphones which either sound noticeably worst when ANC is turned on or when it is turned off. However, with these headphones, any audio quality differences are negligible. There may be a slightly lessened bass response when ANC is on, but this very well may be a placebo as well, since I doubt I could tell the difference if you didn’t tell me which was which. Really, the ANC is fantastic, and Yamaha’s claims that their ANC technology leaves your music pure and untouched is as verified as I can make it with my discerning ears. If there is one part of this package that falters, it is in the associated Yamaha headphone app, which is bare-bones to say the least. It lets you toggle the listening care and listening optimizer on/off, as well as cycle the noise cancellation settings, and set an auto-power off timer. However, that is pretty much it. You can check the battery percentage and also update the firmware through the app, however in the latter case, every time I tried to see if it needed a firmware update I got a “Could not check for update” error, with no explanation. I don’t believe the headphones need a firmware update, but as a whole the app really is non-essential, with almost all of its features being adjustable on the headphones themselves. Likewise, there is no EQ adjustments, so if you like to tinker with the sound profile, you can’t do it with these headphones. However, as we will get to in the next section, the sound quality you get by default is amazing as is. Finally, a quick note on the listening care and listening optimizer settings. I toggled these on and off in the app, and honestly didn’t notice a huge difference with them on or off. This being said, I would leave them on, as the listening optimizer is supposed to work by taking measurements every 20 seconds with microphones, to optimize the sound to your head shape and listening position. While it is hard to do direct comparisons to how it works, all I can say is the sound is genuinely amazing with it on, so I see no reason to doubt their claims otherwise. Likewise, the listening care feature didn’t change much when I toggled it, but with it on I definitely didn’t feel much listening fatigue, and even at lower volumes, the sound quality really is great. You’ll be tempted to crank these up at times to bask in the full audio spectrum, but you really are getting a great experience at lower listening levels. I frequently used the volume at 50-65% and that was more than loud enough for me. SOUND QUALITY AND BATTERY LIFE The last piece of the puzzle, but also the most important, is how these sound, and in a word, they are stunning. I had high expectations from the Yamaha brand name, but I have learned over many years of headphone investment that brand name isn’t everything, and to temper your expectations, particularly with wireless closed-back headphones. I am proud to say the sound quality on these took those biases and threw them out the window. As a closed-back pair of cans, they sound surprisingly open and wide. I wouldn’t say they defy physics, as they certainly still sound tighter to your head than open-back headphones, but for being closed-back, the soundstage still feels nicely spacious. With these large, closed-back cups, comes some real benefits however, namely imaging and detail. Again, I am not an audiophile so I will try to describe these as best I can, but they sound very precise. I get great instrument separation when I am listening to instrumental music, and defined vocals when they are present. I actually tried these with gaming, and I was seriously impressed. They did a fantastic job of placing objects correctly, and really pulled me into the soundscape of the games. One of my favorite tests is to use the barber shop binaural audio demo on YouTube (check it out if you haven’t) with all new headphones I get, to see how well it places me in the 3D sounds

“Oh man!” That’s exactly what came out of my mouth the first time I hit play on my cell phone music streaming app. I didn’t even know that song had that low bass note rumbling underneath the guitar riff. It was immediately blown away by the full ranged, rich, fat, sound of my Yamaha E700A headphones. I’ll start at the beginning. The packaging is very nice. Solid, sleek, stylish, the type of thing I expect from a high-end piece of technology these days. The aesthetics are cool, but I like to see past the graphics and notice the built in protection and attention to detail that you get from a company that is proud of their product. The hard case is going to protect these headphones well as they get beat up in backpacks, suitcases, and the pockets of airplane seats. The phones fit nicely in the hard case and it keeps the chords physically separated from the phones, so they don’t scratch anything. Everything screams quality and durability from the first time you lay your hands on these headphones. Pretty much everything you need is in the hard case. There is a single aux cable, an adaptor for a device that has separate audio and mic jacks, and a usb-c charging cable. The only thing not supplied is a power brick if you want to plug directly into a wall socket to charge. The charging cable is short…it’s clearly designed for use with a laptop, so be prepared to get a longer cable if you want more range of motion. The manual is online, but there is a barcode to scan from your smart phone that will take you there. A simple google search will also land you where you need to be if you are on a computer. Pairing was super easy. With the unit off, you simply hold the power button down until you hear is say “pairing”. Look for the Yamaha E700A on your device and hook it up. I’ve connected to several devices just to test things out. Computers, TV’s, Smartphones, Tablets, etc., all connected seamlessly. I haven’t had single crackle or static sound on any device I’ve used. Excellent connectivity. Now to the fun part. The sound! WOW! There headphones are incredible. I wasn’t joking with my opening line of this review. As soon as I hit play on my phone my eyes widened as I was taken back by the incredible sound. I’m a music guy. I have a music degree. I play a ton of different instrument. I’ve played in studios. I’ve even been featured on a couple of CD’s put out by friends. I know what good music sounds like. Obviously, these headphones don’t make a crappy recording sound great, but assuming you have a good recording to start with, you will LOVE the clarity and depth of sound that you get from these bad boys. Every bit of the range…low to high…is clearly present but so well balanced. I was stunned at the out of box quality. A few minor tweaks to my EQ settings made things even better. I really can’t say enough good things about the audio quality of these headphones. I wanted these specifically for music and travel, but they also work very well for everyday headphones. Like a lot of folks in 2020, I’m working mostly from home. I spend all day on video calls. These headphones are super comfortable. I’ve had them on for 2 hours already this morning and I forget they are there. They cover my entire ear, so nothing feels like it is being smashed. The mic is excellent. I generally don’t like to use headphones because I don’t like not being able to hear myself when I’m talking to other people. When I do use them, I generally use active mic headphones so that my own voice is mixed into the headphones. These do not work as active mic headphones, but if you turn on the ambient sound feature (lets outside sound in through the mic), you can hear yourself just enough to make it work. It’s not quite the same as having a USB powered, corded headset with an active boom mic, but that’s not what these are designed to do, so it’s cool. Just know what you are getting. The noise cancelling is very good. It blocks out pretty much all the sounds going on around you. I can just barely hear my keyboard clicks as I type this and I’m not even listening to anything now. If you turn on ambient sound, it’s easy to keep tabs on what’s going on around you. I can hear the kids or the wife talk to me with no trouble, and since it lets my own voice in, I don’t end up shouting my responses to them. This is also a great feature when out walking the dog. I can hear traffic coming from behind me as long as I’m not blasting music louder than I really should be. :=) I will say that they are big. That doesn’t bother me a bit because I have a big melon anyway. They fit very comfortably for me. They are a bit heavy as well, but that’s understandable to me considering the hardware it takes to produce such an amazing sound in such a small package. They are well balanced, so the weight is evenly distributed. You won’t even notice it once it’s on your head. I will say that my 16-year-old daughter, who is tiny, does not like these headphones. She swims in them. They are just too big and heavy for her small frame. Take care when purchasing. Consider who is using them and make sure they can support a bulky set of headphones. I highly recommend these headphones if you have a high-end budget to work with. They are not cheap, but you are definitely getting some pretty amazing engineering and quality. While this isn’t always the case, in this instance, I do believe you are getting what you pay for.

If I was asked to sum up this review in one word, it would be "Stunning!" The very first indication of a quality product always begins with the way it is packaged. The Yamaha YH-E700A ANC headphones screamed quality. As I was opening the box, it was as though I was opening a treasure chest. The box was so sturdy, well-formed, professional. The moment I opened it up and discovered the leather-like case inside, I knew I was in possession of a something exquisite. The headphones are crafted from ultra-high quality materials, and put together like a work of art. Much like a the hand-crafter Rolls Royce, or Mercedes Maybach. The way they feel in the hand, the placement of the buttons, the way in which the individual earpieces swivel...it is the visual equivalent of fine poetry.The headband and earpieces are softly padded, and feel comfortably on the head and ears. After several hours of wearing them, there was no discomfort. The ear cups fit well over the ears with the perfect amount of pressure. You can be as active as you like without worrying if these will stay in place...they will. The control buttons are well-placed and easy to access. The folks at Yamaha were obviously very concerned with the overall elegance, appearance and attitude of these headphones. But enough about the perfection in design, and let me get to the performance. As with any headphone, the most important aspect of their overall value is in how they sound. After giving them a full charge, it was time to test them out. I paired them with my iPhone and tested them using the Spotify app to try out several genres of music, all the way from classical to heavy metal. Now, I have had the privilege of experiencing the sound of many high-end headphones, and have been quite frankly blown away by one or two, including the $3,000 Focal Stellia headphones. I have to admit, these Yamaha headphones will go toe-to-toe with any of them. The sounds I experienced were at times intense and dramatic. The bass was rich and vibrant, as were the mids and highs. These headphones performed far superior to even my wildest expectations. They are truly one of the very best pair of headphones I have ever had the privilege of owning. I am not going to spend time going over all the technical specs. To some they might be important. Besides, with a click or two of you mouse, you can read all the specs you want. But as I started off, the true test comes with the performance. And this set of headphones performed! In the end, I do not listen to music with these, I EXPERIENCE music! PROS: Design, materials, and construction are all top notch Sound is crazy superior and vibrant, bringing music and voice to life! Easy pairing with my phones. Fit and comfort of wear, even after hours of use. CONS: Because these are a headphone designed for the audiophile, there are a few more buttons than you will find on most other headphones. As a result, the learning curve is a bit long as you figure out exactly where all the controls are, and how to use them. And that is the only shortcoming I encountered, and that really isn't even a shortcoming. I absolutely, whole-heartedly and sincerely recommend the Yamaha YH-E700A ANC wireless headphones to anyone wishing to experience a whole new level of listening pleasure. They will change the way you experience music.

These are simply the best sounding, most comfortable, and most thoughtfully designed true wireless earphones I’ve ever experienced. Care and though is clearly evident in every aspect of this product from the understated design to the helpful feature set, all of which is excellently implemented. Pros: - Outstanding design and execution - Very comfortable for long listening sessions - Beautifully smooth and rich sound without the need for high volume levels - Bass is strong without being overpowering - Excellent battery life (Yamaha claims up to 35 hours even with noise cancelling engaged and my experience suggests this is reasonable) - Excellent noise cancellation and an “ambient sound” mode that actually works - Optional 3.5mm connector - High quality travel case Cons: - The travel case is a little on the large side for packing in a small briefcase - The microphone for phone calls is usable but not ideal From the moment you open this package the quality and thoughtfulness are instantly apparent. The construction is of very high quality and the adjustable connectors that join the padded strap to each earpiece appear very durable. The highly readable L + R labelling on the inside of the ear cups is genius and makes it easy to instantly orient the headset when you pick it up. Controls are simple: power, noise cancellation mode, volume, and play/pause/answer buttons. The device provides spoken feedback to confirm actions such as changing the noise cancellation mode so there’s no confusion as to what the outcome of a particular button press. But it’s the sound quality where these headphones really shine. I’ve tried these with music and TV/movie audio and they sound fantastic. Sound is incredibly smooth and rich while also being free of over-amplified bass or harsh treble. These phones support Aptx and other high quality bluethooth codecs, so the source quality is already reasonable, but the digital signal processing is simply outstanding in several ways: 1. The DSP is tuned to naturally compensate for the frequency response of the human ear, elevating certain frequencies that could otherwise require higher overall volume to be clearly audible. This allows one to hear the full frequency range of the content to which one is listening without the need for excessive volume. Yamaha calls this “listening care” and it works really well. 2. The DSP does a fantastic job with both noise cancellation and ambient sound modes without compromising playback quality. 3. At least to my ears, there are very few discernable processing artifacts, something which is seldom true with headphones that need to reconstruct audio from the relatively low fidelity Bluetooth affords and something especially rare when noise cancellation is involved. These headphones are a great showcase for Yamaha’s audio prowess (and restraint) and are easy to recommend to anybody looking for great general purpose wireless headphones.

The Yamaha YH-E700A is very a robust headset in construction and audio output. It is well packaged and comes with a very nice storage case. The headphones are solid and well built, albeit making it a little on the heavier side. The ear cups are well cushioned and generously sized for comfort and completely envelopes your ear. The headband could use a little more cushion support. And if I were to nitpick, the headband is more squared off than I would like, but that is just personal preference. Plus they do accommodate my larger head. Yamaha is the tuning forks brand and these live up to their symbols. The audio clarity is superb, it’s not just that it is clear but it blends it and makes it mellow and balanced, from classical, to jazz, to pop music. It has enough of a bottom end to fill in the bass, although not boomy, it still adds depth. It is nice that it has one button to toggle through the ANC, ambient noise, and off. ANC is good, not total silence, but markedly quieter than without ANC. These are a very nice well rounded set of headphones. They are also great for taking and making calls, the sound is real clear. Blue tooth connectivity is as simple as can be. I could use these for hours, due to the oversized cushion ear pieces. Talking about for hours, I only need to charge them about once a week! Yours and my usage will vary, but they do have a long battery life!

The unboxing of this was just short of amazing. It has minimal packaging and easily recycled. For me Yamaha has never let me down for great sound outputs. I am glad these over the ear headphones do not disappoint! The packaging comes with a nice hard carrying case and wires to charge the headphones as well as a 3.5mm wires, and an adapter to use this on an airplane. There is a sheet or quick start page when you first open it. The other docs are warranty info. No manuals here, you have to scan the QR code to get to that page. Also there is no clear info if there was a dedicated app in either the Google Play or Apple Store. You have to read the manual to get that title to properly search for the compatible app. The overall quality is pretty top notch and runs on the larger side of things. Maybe its a combo of the 35hr battery and drivers but they are large for my head. The cushions are comfortable and firm, and I like that. However using them the first day I had my ears hurt a bit because I do wear glasses and the cushions do not play well when you are using them for a couple of hours. However the sound is super pleasant to listen to, especially with the ANC turned on. The sound is clear ad the bass is there and not over powering the vocals. In listening to different platforms, not just music listening, I was able to listen to the minor sound details that come through pretty clear in these Bluetooth headphones. My only negatives are that the headphones only fold slightly, more so just fold flatly lol. They are not compact by any means. Also I didn’t like the build quality of some of the components, for example the head band is not leather and I can see this part degrading through years of use age. And finally searching for the App became a chore than anything. I was not sure if the headphones needed a firmware update or if there were any equalizers to adjust the listening pleasure. Spoiler alert, there is not. What there is, is an easy access to the manual with some settings but you can perform them on the headset itself. Calls can be held on this and the usage of the optional cords are a great touch because you can still use the ANC function. These are my new go to headphones when I want to just veg out and think. The entire kit here I totally recommend at this price. It is a well made headset that sounds fantastic in clarity and the bass is there to remind you it is there and not going anywhere.

I am an audophile, so when I get new headphones, I get pretty excited about them. My old noise canceling Sony's broke recently so I was happy to get these headphones to replace them. Let's go over the Pros and Cons of these headphones. PROS: - Pretty lightweight and comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. Comfort is key with headphones behind sound. These Yamaha headphones are comfortable enough to wear for hours on end with little ear fatigue. The only thing is I wish the headband were just a tiny bit wider, but it's not a big deal. - Bluetooth 5.0. Wow, I was very impressed with the distance you can be from the source without losing connectivity. I walked downstairs, all the way into my garage (encased in concrete) and my phone was upstairs in the bedroom and I STILL had flawless signal. No clipping, no artifacts, no signal loss, just flawless. - Response rate: The fact that these bad boys can process signals at 8hz is mighty impressive. This is something you would only find in quality studio monitor headphones. And then it can process up to 40khz, which same thing, only in quality headphones you will find such a wide array of frequency responses. This develops a very nice crisp, deep, clear sound for any content you listen to, e.g games, music, videos, podcasts. You get the whole wide array of frequencies needed to listen to audio at the highest quality. - It comes with a case! This is very nice! Some quality headphones just give you a box and nothing else. But Yamaha was nice enough to not only provide a solid carrying case, but also a flight adapter (can't wait to try this POST COVID!) Nothing bugs me more than using nice headphones on a plane but not having an adapter so you get horrible audio quality and only out of one ear. - ANC: The ANC on this headset is impressive. It has a couple of modes which you can change at the press of a button to allow ambient sound in, or to completely cancel out noise. You will feel like you are in your own little world with it completely on. The ambient ANC allows sound to pass through (not loudly) but just enough to be aware of your surroundings. I believe it uses the microphones on the headset to accomplish this which is very neat. CONS: - A little on the pricey side, but for what you get, I think it is justified. These will last for years and years with good care, and are very well built and sturdy. - The Yamaha app leaves more to be desired, would be nice if it had a EQ function, only can control ANC and the listening care on it. All in all, these are killer headphones and the best I have ever used. They are comfortable, have amazing sound quality, futuristic features, an incredible frequency band, aptX support, and over 3.5mm offers even higher quality streaming. If you need a good pair of wireless noise-cancel headphones, do yourself a favor and pick these up, because Yamaha hit the mark on this product. These are going to be my daily headphones from now on.

These are easily hands-down the very best set of headphones I have ever heard. Bass is deep and crisp. Highs are crisp and tonally perfect. They charge pretty quickly using a USB C connector and include a set of airplane adapters and a cord for places that Bluetooth will not work. Easy connection and they just work. Only had them on continuously for about 8 hours with several times of shorter duration and still have not had to recharge. The only two items I could put in the wish list are a storage case that does not require you to look at the diagram to insert them and an adjustable grip with less tension on my large head. The top to bottom adjustment is great but side to side relies on the spring in the headband and after while you begin to notice the pressure on your ears. The noise cancelling works great on the highway, but can't comment on an airplane since I am not travelling right now. So I will sum up with saying that 7 or 8 stars on a scale of 1 to 5 is where I would put this set. Buy them!

These are the best headphones I have ever worn in my life in terms of both quality and features, and I have owned dozens of top quality headphones from BOSE, Sony, JVC, and my prior favorite, Denon. The active noise cancellation is my favorite feature. When I have these on and not listening to any source, the sound of my typing is complete muted. None of the soft, ambient sound makes it way through these headphones. It's like being in the studio when you're doing a hearing test! As far as audio performance goes, again hands down the best I have ever heard. I used a YouTube source video for testing headphones that generates tones from 20hz to 20,000hz (although YouTube doesn't handle anything above 15,000hz, so I can only vouch for up to that level). The sound was crystal clear throughout the spectrum, no buzzing, no muddiness, just absolute perfect reproduction and separation. I then did several Zoom and Skype calls while walking around my house. Sound quality was clear throughout, and others on the call verified that my voice was crystal clear. I used these for an entire 10 hour day and into the evening and even after all this time, the headphones report a strong battery. Yes, these are expensive, but if you want the best headphones made, this is what you want. Comfort, Quality, Ease of Use, Features; this is the Total Package.

These Yamaha headphones are definitely a competitor in the noise-cancelling headphone market. There are a handful of other headphones out there that don't even compare to Yamaha for the same exact cost. The biggest feature that most other headphones don't even have is the bluetooth 5 with aptX drivers for HD Streaming.The sound quality it excellent at all ranges. The only con is that headphone size. They are slightly larger than others out there. They fold like typical headphones but the ear cup size is massive. However, you're most likely looking at these headphones for an unmatched sound experience, not a session in the gym.

At $350, these Yamaha YH-E700As have a lot to live up to in the increasingly crowded segment of premium wireless ANC headphones. From the start, the packaging was quite nice and bold. After unboxing, you are presented with the headphones, a bean shaped leather(synthetic?) hard case, an airplane adapter, a 3.5mm stereo mini jack plug and a USB A to USB C cable. The headphones themselves are a mix of the standard leather(synthetic?) and plastic that is seen in most of its competitors. They are quite light and the nicely padded ear cups are large enough to just fit my entire ear within. But it's the plastic that really bugs me with these. For some reason, they feel very cheap and hollow. It's disappointing but in the end, it's the sound quality that really matters. There are several actual buttons including power/pairing, volume/skip forward and reverse, ANC on/off and a button for initiating Siri or Google Assistant. There is also a 3.5 external input to make them wired. Yamaha states that the battery lasts up to 35 hours but I'm not sure if that's with ANC on or off. After a 3.5 hour full charge up, I connected them to the Yamaha Headphones iOS app which was quite easy. These headphones use Bluetooth 5 and are equipped with SBC, AAC and the AptX Adaptive codecs. I really wish they had included the AptX HD codec but no such luck. Once connected to the app, you have very few options to adjust the headphones sound. You can toggle the Listening Care, Listening Optimizer and Noise Cancelling options on or off. That's it for sound adjustments. There is no custom equalizer built in. Tucked away is also a firmware checker, an Auto Power-Off Timer and Instruction manual link but that sums up the app. In app v. 1.5.2, the firmware checker didn't work and I kept getting an error message. Hopefully and update to the app with fix that. These headphones tout some nice sound adjustment features I just mentioned. The Listening Care function will automatically adjust the sound to the volume you are listening to. Apparently it adjusts the equalizer/frequency to give a rich, full sound at low volumes and clear, distortion free sound at high volumes. Personally, I felt there was still a little bass distortion when the volume was set a little higher. The Listening Optimizer function adjusts the sound based on the fit/seal of the ear cups to help give you the best sound regardless. I assume this worked but it's really not something you really notice. They are ANC headphones and I did find that the noise cancelling was quite effective. It's certainly on par with its competitors but I didn't feel it was any more superior to them. Plus, just like its competitors, these also have ambient sound mode that allows you to hear your surroundings when activated. I've been listening to various genres of music with these Yamaha YH-E700As for about a week now. My overall impressions are sadly, just "ok." That being said, they are quite comfortable and light. They are quite powerful in the lower end and I felt the rumbling bass when it hit hard. But when the volume was up, I did notice a little distortion. They seem quite warm in tone and have very good spatial separation between instruments but again, were a little muddy when the volume was up higher. All in all, they seem like they provide a great listening experience but in the end, I'm just a bit disappointed. They are quite expensive and I was hoping that they possessed a sound quality that helped them stand out. Unfortunately, I feel like they don't and all the competitors at that price point sound as good or even better. Also, the build materials felt cheap to me which was also a negative. Don't get me wrong. If you are new to wireless ANC headphones, these are a solid pair and you will probably be very happy with them. But I own several pairs of wireless ANC headphones and ultimately, to me, these are a bit forgetabe.