Yamaha YH-L700A Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Review: Unique in sound and features!
The Yamaha YH-L700A are flagship over-ear headphones priced at Rs 34,990. They come with advanced Bluetooth codec support. There is a 3D Sound Field mode with head tracking for directional sound and active noise cancellation. Are these the best premium wireless headsets you can buy? Let’s find out in this review.
The Yamaha YH-L700A headphones look great, but are heavy
Yamaha YH-L700A It has a bold and different design. Unlike Sony and JBL, its handset is not sleek and trim, but looks big and premium like Apple AirPods Max. Although it is slightly smaller in size than AirPods Max, its ear cups and padding are quite thick.
Their style is also unique, fabric has been used liberally on the headband and ear cups. Thick foam padding has been done on the ear cups for a good over ear fit, it completely covered my ears and gave me complete isolation from outside noise. Its headband has a metal frame with comfortable padding, it can also be adjusted for a good fit. The ear cups can rotate and can also be tilted for a better fit. Yamaha’s logo is given on the outer parts of both the ear cups.
The padding definitely felt comfortable, but the headset is still quite big and heavy, weighing 330 grams. If you have to listen to music for long periods of time, it will feel quite heavy. The pressing force of both the ear cups also felt a bit too much at times with glasses. Later I got used to it, but even then I had to take a break every 45 minutes or so.
Other products of this kind have both physical and touch control options, but in Yamaha YH-L700A you have been given physical buttons to control everything. On its right side there is a power button, 3D sound button, USB Type C port for charging and playback and volume controls. On the left side there is a button to switch between active noise cancellation and ambient sound modes and a 3.5mm socket is provided for wired connectivity.
The playback and volume control buttons are placed on the side of the right ear cup. It looks good but the buttons do not seem very tactile. The sensing of them is also not as I would like. Even after a few days of use, I often pressed the wrong button. Overall, I would say that its control buttons do not seem very easy to use.
In these you will find Yamaha’s Headphones Controller app which is available on both Android and iOS platforms. With its help, along with controlling the basic functions of the headphones, they can also be customized. After pairing with Bluetooth, the app finds them.
The app also gives you settings for 3D Sound Field mode, Listening Care and Listening Optimizer, Active Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode activation, and Auto Power Off Timer. You can also check the battery level of the headphones, but you are not given the option to change the equalizer settings. Overall, the app controls its functions but it is quite basic for such a high-end headset.
Yamaha YH-L700A has 40mm dynamic drivers. Its frequency response range is 8-40,000Hz. Bluetooth 5, SBC, AAC and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec are supported for connectivity. Voice assistant support is also provided in it. Charging cable, stereo cable, flight adapter and hard carry case are also provided in its package.
Their battery life depends on how you use them. Excessive use of ANC and 3D drains the battery quickly. They are rated to last up to 34 hours with ANC on and 11 hours with 3D sound on along with ANC.
I used 3D sound with ANC on occasionally and they lasted 23 hours on a single charge. This means you can listen to them for an entire day without needing to charge them again.
Yamaha YH-L700A has good sound, but 3D Sound may not be for everyone
Many people turn to high-end over-ear headphones from Sony, Bose, and Apple. However, the Yamaha YH-L700A also offer a great listening experience. These are amazing when it comes to sound quality. ANC and 3D sound worked well but you wouldn’t want to use 3D sound too much.
Features like Listening Care and Listening Optimiser work in the background and provide a better experience. Listening Care helps maintain the volume level and the Listening Optimiser feature customizes the sound based on the sound level entering the ear cups. I did not notice any significant difference in the music when I turned them on or off.
The audio quality gets even better with the help of Qualcomm aptX Adaptive support. With the OnePlus 9 (Review), I got a much better sound experience than the iPhone 13 (Review). Starting with Frankie Sinatra of The Avalanches, I realized how the company has worked for years to deliver a better audio experience.
The sound stage felt spacious and luxurious. Slow sample elements, mid-tempo beats and instruments were all perceptible, and that too without the 3D Sound mode being turned on. Thanks to its large drivers and super tuning, it enhances even a simple stereo signal. It was able to produce good detail with full-size speakers. Its sonic signature is balanced and refined, allowing all frequencies to come out well.
The bass in David Guetta’s Dirty Sexy Money was tight but didn’t feel aggressive. Listening to Onur Ozman’s Only Human was also a very enjoyable experience. I have a similar experience with my Sony WH-1000XM4, which is currently my top choice in high-end headphones.
A special feature of the Yamaha YH-L700A headphones is its 3D sound. This is similar to Apple’s Spatial Audio technology that it uses in AirPods headphones and earphones. Interestingly, when it is switched on, it works for almost any audio content regardless of the app or operating system, and is not limited to a few apps, as is the case with Spatial Audio.
It offered different listening effects but the audio quality dropped. The Audio Room mode was the only one that maintained good sound quality. Head tracking also worked well. It was switching channels accurately with head movement. However, overall, I found the mode a bit gimmicky and only really worth using when watching TV shows or movies.
The active noise cancellation on the Yamaha YH-L700A is pretty good. But it’s not as good as the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Apple AirPods Max. Its silencing effect was pretty good and was well-detected indoors. It didn’t do particularly well outdoors. It relies on a noise-blocking seal and my glasses were creating a gap in it, which made it not work so well.
The ambient sound mode works well but it feels like the sound is coming from a pipe. It does not give the same natural effect as AirPods Max. The headphones are quite good for calling and the connection remains stable. There was no shortage in their quality either. It was able to work well even at a distance of 4 meters from the source device.
Verdict
The premium headphone segment is dominated by some well-known brands. The Yamaha YH-L700A is a breath of fresh air. This is a good-looking over-ear headphone pair. It has good sound quality and some interesting features. Years of expertise in audio products make this product from the company an interesting option at this price point.
Its average active noise cancellation performance brings down the experience a bit. These Yamaha headphones offer detailed, fun sound like the Sony WH-1000XM4. In the price range of Rs 35,000, they are slightly more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM4 and JBL Tour One. Still, if you are looking for a product with top-notch sound quality, then this device is for you.
