Yamaha YH-4000

Yamaha’s Flagship Planar Technology at a More Accessible Price

The Yamaha YH-4000 brings Yamaha’s flagship audio technology to a more accessible price point. At $2,499, it delivers the same fundamental ORTHODYNAMIC planar magnetic driver technology and a very similar Yamaha house sound found in the $5,000 YH-5000SE. And at 320 grams despite its magnesium construction and planar drivers, it achieves a remarkable balance of premium materials and lightweight comfort. But how does it sound?

I’ve been fortunate to have these headphones on loan from Yamaha for several months now, giving me extended time to understand and appreciate them. This extended listening time allowed me to gradually appreciate their unique tuning, but if you are chasing a neutral headphone, I am afraid this is probably not the headphone for you, that is unless you apply some EQ.

But, in my opinion, that doesn’t mean they sound bad; rather, Yamaha has gone for their ‘house sound’ as they did with the YH-5000 and tuned this headphone to chase some unique soundstage and imaging instead of neutral tonality. Is that a good thing? It depends on what you are looking for. For someone building a headphone collection, having a headphone with flagship engineering, extreme comfort, and a unique sound, make this headphone worthy addition to a premium headphone collection. But I am getting ahead of myself.

But first lets look at the unboxing experience and build quality.

Unboxing and build quality

The YH-4000 arrives in some nice packaging with simple branding:

Opening the box reveals the premium carry case protected with some plastic:

This hard-carrying case is of excellent quality, but it is huge and not the easiest to pack in a suitcase:

Opening the case finally reveals the headphones in all their glory:

What’s included:

• YH-4000 headphones
• Unbalanced cable: 3.5 mm with 6.3 mm screw-on adaptor (2 meters, silver-coated OFC)
• Premium hybrid earpads (pre-installed)
• Headphone carrying case

Documentation:

Front	Manual details

Cable

The cable is high quality with a nice braided design and 6.3mm adapter:

The 6.3mm adapter unscrews to reveal the 3.5mm connector:

But this cable or more specifically, the way it fits into the YH-4000 is a little problematic, as you will see later. I would love to have seen a 4.4mm balanced cable also included in the box, but the cable itself is high quality. You can obviously buy a 4.4mm balanced cable separately from Yamaha.

Extraordinary engineering and build quality

The YH-4000 represents some of the best engineering I’ve encountered in headphones, these photos do not do this headphone justice, you do need to pick it up and feel how balanced it feels in the hand and how lightweight the design is. Every aspect—from the magnesium housing to the two-layer headband to the stepless slider mechanism feels precision-crafted.

The headband suspension system is also very well-designed:

The headband extension mechanism is smooth and stepless, inspiring confidence in long-term durability:

The mechanism is similar on the FiiO FT7, but the execution on the YH-4000 is so much smoother:

The headband padding itself is nice:

The ORTHODYNAMIC planar magnetic driver

The YH-4000 features Yamaha’s ORTHODYNAMIC driver—a planar magnetic design with roots in Yamaha’s acclaimed HP-1 from the 1970s, now reimagined with modern materials and manufacturing techniques.

The driver is visible through the open-back grilles:

The ultra-lightweight thin-film diaphragm features conductive coils on both sides and finely corrugated wave-like patterns across its surfaces. According to Yamaha, being far lighter than conventional dynamic drivers, it responds with remarkable precision to musical transients. Micro-perforation air dampers on both sides control diaphragm movement carefully, preserving natural musical dynamics without distortion.

The generously sized housings provide substantial internal acoustic volume. According to Yamaha, the extremely open-back design optimizes airflow, allowing the thin-film diaphragm to operate under ideal conditions while effectively eliminating unwanted resonance from reflected sound. A newly developed PET mesh filter precisely regulates internal housing pressure, while an arch-shaped protrusion acts as a reflector to enhance sonic accuracy.

Earcups and design

The earpads look and feel premium:

The earcups are beautifully designed and easily serviceable:

One aspect worth noting is how the YH-4000 is designed for easy disassembly and repair. While I didn’t take these headphones apart as they’re on loan from Yamaha, the design clearly accommodates maintenance and part replacement. This serviceability, combined with the exceptional build quality, makes the YH-4000 an ideal high-end headphone for long-term use.

Premium hybrid earpads

The earpads deserve special mention. Developed exclusively for the YH-4000, they combine two materials: high-quality artificial suede on the inner surface and exceptionally flexible PU leather around the outer edge.

This hybrid construction blends the warmth and breathability of suede with the resolution and seal control of leather. Fine perforations across the entire surface contribute to the spacious, open sound. The soft, velvet-like texture and gentle cushioning create a comfortable, enveloping feel that’s ideal for extended listening sessions.

The earpad attachment mechanism is nicely designed with a simple rotating locking system:

When removed, you can see the driver and the sophisticated acoustic design:

The comfort from these earpads is genuinely fantastic, among the best I’ve experienced in any headphone.

But I feel it is the design of the headphone that is the most important factor in its comfort, the lightweight design, the easy and accurate headband adjustment mechanism, and the fact that these earpads are fantatic is the “cherry on top” as far as comfort.

Obviously, Yamaha needed to hold certain features back from the expensive YH-5000, but it is a pity we don’t get a second pair of earpads with the YH-4000, but it might be worthwhile buying a second pair from Yamaha.

Cable connectors: The one quibble

As I mentioned earlier when talking about the provided cable, the dual 3.5mm connectors have one slight issue I have with the overall design; they are extremely recessed:

I tried many cables in my collection—some Meze cables work, but most others don’t fit properly.

The dual 3.5mm connectors position is unique on the outside of the earcups, and I imagine it is outside the main earpad structure to make sure there is maximum airflow around the driver:

Weight comparisons with similar headphones

At exactly 320 grams, the YH-4000 is remarkably light for a planar magnetic headphone of this build quality. The magnesium body provides exceptional rigidity while keeping weight down—a significant engineering achievement that contributes enormously to all-day comfort;

Yamaha YH-4000 (320g)	Yamaha YH-C3000 (334g)
Meze 109 Pro (376g)	Fosi Audio i5 (532g)

The Meze 109 Pro (an open-back dynamic) weighs 376g—56g heavier than the YH-4000. Despite using a lighter dynamic driver, the 109 Pro is heavier than the YH-4000’s planar design, which speaks to Yamaha’s impressive engineering.

The open-back planar YH-4000 (320g) is actually 14g lighter than its closed-back dynamic driver sibling the YH-C3000 (334g). Both are exceptionally light for their respective categories.

The Fosi i5 (another open-back planar) weighs 532g—212g heavier than the YH-4000. The YH-4000’s magnesium construction allows it to achieve flagship performance while remaining remarkably light.

The magnesium housing and precision engineering achieve a perfect balance—substantial enough to feel premium and well-damped, light enough to wear for hours without fatigue. For a planar magnetic headphone with this level of build quality, 320 grams is genuinely impressive.

Subjective Impressions

As I mentioned in the introduction, the YH-4000 is not a neutral headphone. It shares Yamaha’s distinctive house sound—a specific midrange tuning that takes a little getting used to but eventually creates a very interesting layered soundstage with surgical front to back imaging. This is a headphone tuning which tries to bring depth into the music, but at the cost of conventional tonal accuracy, on some tracks vocals can sound ’nasally’ especially if you jump between this headphone and a more neutral tonally reference headphone like the new HEDD D1.

But, if you give these headphones time and let your brain adapt to Yamaha’s presentation, something very nice happens. Your brain adjusts to the midrange, and then recordings I’d heard hundreds of times revealed spatial cues and layering details that are not as clear on other headphones. Yes, this is a coloured sound but in a very pleasing and enjoyable way.

So, I feel this shouldn’t be your only headphone unless you’re willing to switch via EQ it towards a neutral presentation. But I would not apply EQ all the time, only for those times when you want a more neutral presentation, but you should also cherish the Yamaha house sound. I think it is interesting to use that house sound, as a tool when listening to music, as a different lens through which to experience music, this is the beauty of a headphone with a distinctively unique sound.

As you will see in the measurements later, Yamaha’s philosophy with these headphones isn’t about chasing neutral measurements. It’s about creating a specific sonic perspective that emphasizes spatial cues and layering at the expense of conventional tonality.

Once your brain has adapted, they let you hear your music from a different angle, giving you a fresh perspective that can be genuinely illuminating with your music collection.

Bass

The bass on the YH-4000 is excellent, and while conventional in tuning it extends beautifully. Sub-bass extension is superb the planar driver handles the lowest frequencies with authority and control. On Radioheads “The National Anthem,” the opening bass line has proper weight and rumble without any sense of strain.

On Hans Zimmer’s “No Time for Caution,” the organ pedal notes in the climax have proper visceral impact with excellent texture and decay. The planar driver’s ability to handle large transients without compression is evident here.

The bass never bleeds into the midrange, maintaining excellent separation even on bass-heavy tracks. Electronic music benefits from the combination of speed, extension, and control, on Flying Lotus “Coronus, The Terminator,” the complex bass synthesis is rendered with clarity and precision.

Midrange

As I have alluded to a few times already, the Midrange is where things get complicated. The midrange has that distinctive Yamaha character where there is a specific emphasis in the 1–4 kHz region that creates extraordinary soundstage depth and imaging precision but gives voices and instruments an unconventional tonal quality.

On “A Case of You,” Joni Mitchell’s voice is positioned with surgical precision in space, but the timbre is slightly different from how it sounds on neutral references. Not worse, necessarily—just different. Some might say more analytical, others might say less natural.

But, the spatial presentation is remarkable. On “Pyramid Song,” the piano and Thom Yorke’s voice occupy very specific locations in a deep soundstage. Each element is distinctly placed with no overlap or confusion. The string arrangements in the background have clear depth layering.

On “Hallelujah,” Jeff Buckley’s voice has excellent clarity and detail, but again with that slightly unusual tonal character. What the YH-4000 excels at is revealing every nuance—breath sounds, subtle vibrato, the texture of the voice. But the fundamental tone is tuned for spatial presentation rather than absolute timbral accuracy.

Acoustic guitars on Nick Drake’s “Northern Sky” have excellent detail and decay, but with emphasized harmonics that make them sound more “forward” than on neutral headphones. This can be engaging—it certainly brings out picking details and string resonances—but it’s not neutral.

Where the midrange really shines is in complex layered arrangements. On Sigur Ros’s “Hoppípolla,” the layers of instruments are separated with almost unnatural clarity. You can track individual elements through the mix that would normally blend together. It’s like having X-ray vision into the recording.

Treble

The treble is where the YH-4000 is more conventionally excellent. The treble extension is excellent with nice air and detail in the upper frequencies.

Piano on Bill Evans “Peace Piece” has excellent harmonic complexity. You can hear the overtones and resonances of the instrument extending into the upper frequencies. The decay tails are natural and complete.

Strings on Avro Part’s “Spiegel im Spiegel” have that delicate, airy quality that makes the piece so affecting. The treble contributes to the overall sense of space and openness without ever becoming aggressive.

Sibilance is well-controlled. Even on recordings that can be hot in the treble, the YH-4000 stays composed. The upper treble has excellent extension and air without fatigue—I can listen for hours without any sense of harshness or irritation.

Soundstage and imaging

This is the YH-4000’s party piece where all those midrange tonality compromises pay off. The soundstage width is decent, but mostly I feel this is due to the very open design of the driver rather than tuning, but the depth is the best dimensional presentation I’ve experienced from any headphone without DSP processing. I feel Yamaha have borrowed some clever tuning from their DSP processing techniques and applied that to the tuning to give this headphone that unique soundstage depth and precise imaging.

On orchestral recordings, instruments within the orchestra are beautifully separated and some recording’s even have precise height cues, which I find unusual for a headphone and more typically perceived that way with good speakers.

On Miles Davis’s “Blue in Green,” the trumpet, piano, and bass occupy distinct spatial positions with clear depth relationships. You can visualize exactly where each musician is positioned relative to the others. When the drummer comes in, the cymbals have specific height positioning above the rest of the kit.

This is what the midrange tuning is trading for. If you want this level of spatial presentation, you accept the tonal compromises. But you do need to give it time, I feel most reviewers will jump between headphones and will just find the tonality differences too jarring and never give this unique headphone the time it deserves.

Specifications and Measurements

Item	Value
Headphone Type	Over-Ear
Housing	Open-back
Driver	ORTHODYNAMIC (Planar magnetic)
Driver Materials	Ultra-lightweight thin-film diaphragm
Housing Material	Magnesium
Frequency Response	5 Hz - 70 kHz
Sensitivity (SPL)	97 dB/mW (at 1 kHz)
Impedance	34 Ω (at 1 kHz)
Weight	320 g
Cable	2m silver-coated OFC, 3.5mm (with 6.3mm screw-on adaptor)
Earpads	Hybrid: artificial suede inner, flexible PU leather sides
Included Accessories	Headphone carrying case
Manufacturing	Made in Japan at Kakegawa factory

At 34 Ω and 97 dB/mW sensitivity, the YH-4000 is relatively easy to drive, though as you will see later in the measurement if you plan to use PEQ to bring this headphone closer to Neutral, you will need a more powerful desktop amplifier, something like a Topping DX5 II has the power and PEQ capabilities. But without PEQ portable sources you can get it to decent volume, though it truly shines with quality desktop amplification that provides more headroom for dynamics and precise control.

Note: These measurements were taken with my KB501X soft ear pinna with a 711 clone coupler and are available on Pragmatic Audio.

Frequency response and channel balance

Here’s the frequency response against Harman with EQ areas highlighted:

I have highlighted the 2 areas where PEQ could be used to bring this headphone closer to neutral.

This graph clearly shows the distinctive Yamaha house sound—that characteristic dip in the 2–4 kHz region that creates the extraordinary imaging depth at the expense of conventional tonal accuracy.

The Midrange dip is even more obvious when compensated to diffuse field:

The bass and treble extension are excellent, though the bass is slightly warm (1), but that large 2-4Khz dip is what makes this a uniquely different sounding headphone. The Treble for me was excellent (as I mentioned earlier) but measurements of treble are never accurate and very variable to ones own ears, so your mileage may vary.

Distortion measurements

At normal listening levels, distortion performance is excellent throughout the frequency range:

At typical listening volumes (below 100 dB SPL), the YH-4000 maintains a very low distortion. The planar driver handles transients cleanly across the frequency spectrum.

Looking at distortion as a percentage at normal levels it is minimal:

Total harmonic distortion remains very low across the frequency range, well under audibility thresholds.

However, there’s an important caveat for those who listen at loud volumes and plan to apply significant EQ to the midrange. When pushed beyond 100 dB SPL, the YH-4000 exhibits some distortion:

So if you’re considering EQing that midrange dip, you listen at loud volumes and you listen to high dynamic range tracks, you might have more trouble with distortion:

At normal moderate listening levels, even with EQ applied, the distortion performance remains good enough that the YH-4000 responds well to equalization. Just be mindful of your volume levels if you’re pushing both EQ and SPL simultaneously.

Comparisons

Versus Yamaha YH-5000SE

The frequency response shows that the similar Yamaha house sounds to the YH-5000SE:

Note: This is for illustration purposes only as I did not measure the YH-5000SE on my rig, never use these types of comparisons (measurements from different rigs for EQ).

The YH-4000 delivers essentially the same sonic signature as the more expensive YH-5000SE—that distinctive midrange tuning. The fundamental tuning philosophy and house sound are identical.

• Price: YH-4000 at $2,499 vs YH-5000SE at ~$5,000.
• Included accessories: YH-5000SE includes headphone stand, two cables (unbalanced and 4.4mm balanced), and both leather and suede earpads. YH-4000 includes carrying case, one unbalanced cable, and hybrid earpads.
• Tuning: As the FR comparison shows, the house sound is essentially identical. Both share Yamaha’s distinctive midrange tuning and soundstage presentation.
• Build quality: Both are manufactured in the same Japanese factory to the same exacting standards.
• Weight: Identical at 320g.
• Takeaway: The YH-4000 delivers the same fundamental Yamaha house sound at roughly half the price. The YH-5000SE includes premium accessories like the beautiful headphone stand and additional cables, which may justify the price difference for some buyers.

Versus Yamaha YH-C3000

Since I was loaned both the YH-4000 and the YH-C3000, I thought it might be useful to also do a quick comparison, though one is an open-back and the other is a closed-back. Yamaha have also tuned each one to deliver something unique, but I would say aiming for a different type of unique sound presentation with each headphone:

I highlighted to contrasting Frequency responses of these 2 headphones, the YH-C3000 goes for that ‘soundstage’ dip followed by a peak very typical of hifiman headphones ( and the Sennheiser HD800s ) that also provide a soundstage presentation while the YH-4000 is going in the other direction and I believe this is why to my ears it has more soundstage depth and imaging precision. Though obviously, neither is classically neutral, but both are very unique sounding in their own ways.

• Price: The YH-4000 is significantly more expensive at $2,499 vs ~$1,700 for the YH-C3000.
• Driver technology: YH-4000 uses planar magnetic (ORTHODYNAMIC), YH-C3000 uses dynamic (Armodynamic).
• Acoustic design: YH-4000 is open-back, YH-C3000 is closed-back—fundamentally different use cases.
• Weight: Remarkably, both are very close—320g vs 334g. Both are exceptionally comfortable.
• Isolation: C3000 provides good isolation for noisy environments; YH-4000 provides zero isolation as an open-back.
• Comfort: Both are exceptional for what they are; but the YH-4000’s hybrid earpads are more luxurious and larger.

Versus Meze 109 Pro

I thought this might be an interesting comparison as Meze headphones are exceptionally well built and the 109 Pro is no exception. But while i do love the look of the 109 Pro, there is something about the industrial design of the YH-4000 that is very appealing to me.

Comparing the Frequency responses shows the tradmark Meze warmth (1) but then that very different midrange presentation (2) where the 109 Pro has a more traditional presence region:

• Price: The Meze 109 Pro is significantly more affordable at $799 vs $2,499 for the YH-4000.
• Driver: Both are premium open-backs, but the 109 Pro uses a 50mm dynamic driver vs the YH-4000’s planar magnetic.
• Weight: The 109 Pro weighs 376g vs 320g for the YH-4000—the Yamaha is lighter despite planar technology.
• Build: Both are beautifully crafted with real wood (walnut vs magnesium), but the Yamaha’s engineering is more elaborate.
• Takeaway: The 109 Pro has more universal appeal. The YH-4000 is for those who want something unique and different.

Versus Meze 105 AER

This isn’t really a fair comparison, I had the 105-AER on hand I thought I would take some photos of the 2 designs:

• Price: The 105 AER is obviously much more affordable at $499 vs $2,499 for the YH-4000.
• Tuning: The 105 AER is smoother and more neutral, immediately enjoyable. The YH-4000 requires “brain burn-in” but offers extraordinary spatial presentation.
• Weight: Both are comfortable, with the YH-4000 being lighter at 320g.
• Takeaway: The 105 AER is excellent value for those wanting a conventional, well-balanced open-back. The YH-4000 is for those willing to invest in something unique.

Versus Fosi Audio i5

The Fosi i5 is another planar magnetic open-back with a unique tuning, providing an interesting budget comparison point.

Comparing the Frequency responses shows the Fosi i5 bass is not nearly as clean and linear as the YH-4000’s bass (1) and the lower midrange provides the i5 with a unique midrange (2), but then the major differences are again with the presentation of the 1Khz - 4Khz regions (3):

• Price: The i5 is dramatically more affordable at under $200 vs $2,499 for the YH-4000.
• Build: The YH-4000’s magnesium construction and Japanese craftsmanship are in a different league.
• Weight: The YH-4000 is lighter despite premium materials.
• Tuning: The i5 is more neutral; the YH-4000 has that distinctive Yamaha character.
• Comfort: Both are comfortable, but the YH-4000’s hybrid earpads and precision engineering provide superior long-term comfort.
• Takeaway: The i5 is excellent budget planar performance. The YH-4000 is for those wanting the ultimate in build quality, comfort, and that unique spatial presentation.

Some other comparisons:

• HD600: The legendary neutral reference at ~$400. More neutral tonally, but the YH-4000 has better extension, wider soundstage, and superior build/comfort.
• HD490 Pro: Sennheiser’s modern studio reference at ~$400. More neutral than the YH-4000, but lacks that extraordinary spatial presentation.

FiiO FT7: Premium open-back at ~$699 with some excellent build quality but not at the level of the YH-4000.

Another nicely built headphone is the Aune SR7000 ( though it actually a closed back):

These are all excellent headphones with more neutral tunings and better value. The YH-4000 is for those who want something different and are willing to pay for extraordinary engineering and that unique spatial perspective.

Rating

I have given the YH-4000 a Pragmatic Rating of 4 out of 5. .

The build quality is extraordinary, unquestionably a 5 star. The comfort is among the best I’ve experienced also 5 star. The engineering and materials quality are exceptional. The soundstage and imaging are also amongst the best (and certainly the most unique) I’ve heard from any headphone.

But that midrange tuning, while ultimately rewarding, won’t suit everyone. Without EQ, the tonal accuracy is poor by conventional standards. I feel this is a headphone that does need time to appreciate and its biggest appeal for audiophiles I feel is to be added to a collection, and at $2,499, that a significant investment and less ‘pragmatic’ choice than many of the headphones I compared the YH-4000 to above.

However, if you understand what you’re getting, if you want that extraordinary imaging presentation, and if you appreciate best-in-class engineering and comfort the YH-4000 could easily be a 5 star headphone for you personally.

Is it worth $2,499? If you compare it to the $5,000 YH-5000SE, you’re getting the same fundamental house sound at roughly half the price. If you compare it to more conventional references, the value proposition becomes more debatable. But there’s nothing else quite like it on the market.

Conclusion

The Yamaha YH-4000 is an extraordinary headphone that defies easy categorization. It’s not neutral. It’s won’t be universally appealing and will no doubt split the audio community. For someone used to neutral reference headphones it will require patience and adaptation time. But it’s also one of the most impressive pieces of audio engineering I’ve experienced.

This is a headphone for experienced audiophiles who have heard many neutral references and want to explore something genuinely different. It’s for listeners who appreciate having something different to add to their listening experiences. And it’s for anyone who values comfort and build quality enough to make this their long-term companion.

If you can afford it, if you understand its quirks, and if you’re willing to give it time—the Yamaha YH-4000 is extraordinary.