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A Japanese Hi-Fi Great Just Dropped a Supreme Pair of Audiophile Headphones

They’re positioned as more affordable versions of the brand’s flagship $5,000 cans.

Close-up of a black headphone ear cup showing a textured, perforated outer surface, metal screws, and a mesh-covered speaker grille with part of the Yamaha logo visible.Yamaha

By Tucker Bowe

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Yamaha continues to be one of the premium names in home theater systems and stereo receivers. That said, the venerable Japanese audio maker is no stranger to audiophile-grade headphones, either, with its current flagship model, the YH-5000SE, going for nearly $5,000.

While not quite to that level, Yamaha has introduced two new pairs of high-end wired headphones — one open-back, one closed-back — each of which is handcrafted in the same Japanese facility that the brand uses to manufacture its grand pianos and audio components.

According to the brand, these new headphones have been designed to “deliver extraordinary sound and comfort.”

Meet Yamaha’s new cans

Black over-ear headphones with perforated ear cushions, a padded headband, and a metal frame connecting the ear cups. The ear cups have a mesh design with visible speaker components.
The Yamaha YH-4000 is essentially an affordable alternative to the brand’s 2022-released flagship cans, which cost $5K.
Yamaha

The open-backs

The Yamaha YH-4000 are open-ear wired headphones, and the higher-end of the brand’s two new models.

The most interesting thing about the YH-4000 is that it features orthodynamic drivers — a type of planar magnetic driver that Yamaha develops — which it claims draw direct engineering and design inspiration from the brand’s flagship YH-5000SE.

According to the brand, these ultra-thin planar magnetic diaphragms deliver a fast, precise and rich sound, while the PET mesh filters regulate internal pressure to enhance the midrange and add a bit of bass.

Effectively, if you can’t afford the flagship YH-5000SE, the Yamaha YH-4000 is a substantially more affordable alternative.

Black over-ear headphones with padded ear cups featuring a dark red inner mesh, a double headband design with a thin metal band above a thicker padded band, and adjustable hinges connecting the ear cups to the headband.
Yamaha YH-C3000 closed-back headphones will be available in October 2025.
Yamaha

The closed-backs

The Yamaha YH-C3000 are the second of the brand’s new wired headphones. They’re slightly more affordable and have a closed-back design.

Because of the headphones’ different acoustic structures, Yamaha equipped the YH-C3000 with the brand’s new armodynamic drivers. These drivers have a three-layer diaphragm featuring Zylon, a high-performance material that Yamaha also uses in its flagship hi-fi speakers.

According to the brand, this three-layer construction “strikes a balance between lightness, rigidity and internal damping, delivering smooth, high-resolution sound with a fast response and minimal distortion.”

Additionally, the headphones have a beech wood housing, which the brand claims is similar to the beech wood used in its grand pianos.

Two black over-ear headphones are shown side by side. The left headphone features an open-back design with visible mesh and structural elements, along with a padded, perforated ear cushion. The right headphone has a closed-back design with a smooth, glossy outer ear cup and cushioned leather ear pads. Both headphones have adjustable headbands with a metal band on top and padded inner bands for comfort. The Yamaha logo is visible on both ear cups.
Yamaha’s two new audiophile cans, the YH-4000 (left) and YH-C3000 (right).
Yamaha

Price and availability

The higher-end of the two models, the open-back YH-4000, will cost $2,500 — effectively half the price of the brand’s flagship YH-5000SE — and is expected to be available in January 2026.

The closed-back YH-C3000 will cost $1,700 and will be available next month, in October 2025.

About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.

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