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ALTERNATIVES
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REVIEWS
Scored using Headphones Methodology v1.0
Headphones Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Yamaha YH 5000SE Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£4,840Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Yamaha YH 5000SE Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

Yamaha YH 5000SE
5.4/10

Overall score

Score
5.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 91% of models
Score components

80%

5.3

Technical score

20%

5.7

User score

â–¼Worse than 91% of headphones
4.1

Value for money

Value for money
4.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components

70%

5.4

Overall score

30%

1.0

Price

â–¼Worse than 99%
5.3

Technical score

Technical score
5.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 84% of models
Score components

52%

5.9

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

6.3

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

4.9

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 84%
5.7

User score

User score
5.7/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
Score components

70%

6.4

User ratings

30%

4.1

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
â–¼Worse than 98%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Yamaha YH 5000SE

Technical score
Technical score
5.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 84% of models
Score components:

52%

5.9

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

6.3

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

4.9

Calls & Controls

5.3
User score
User score
5.7/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
Score components

70%

6.4

User ratings

30%

4.1

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
5.7
Popularity
Popularity
4.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 66% of models
Popularity:
Yamaha YH 5000SE has a popularity score of 4.1 points, which is lower than that of 65.2% of products in this category.
4.1
Value for money
Value for money
4.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components:

70%

5.4

Overall score

30%

1.0

Price

4.1
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
planar
Driver size
50 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 50 mm, larger driver size than 86.3% of headphones and equal to 8.2% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
5 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 5 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 86.3% of headphones and equal to 10.8% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
Show more
Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Yamaha
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
320 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 320 g, heavier than 84.9% of headphones and equal to 1.4% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

Yamaha YH 5000SE vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 10 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (50 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    50 mm vs 40 mm
  • 13 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (5 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    5 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 50,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (70,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    70,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 0.25 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.05 % vs 0.3 %
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • 16 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (60 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    60 mm vs 44 mm
  • 0.8 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (2 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    2 m vs 1.2 m
  • 16 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (60 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    60 mm vs 44 mm
  • 0.8 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (2 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    2 m vs 1.2 m
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 4.38 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (64.4 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    64.38 mm vs 60 mm
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 10 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (50 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    50 mm vs 40 mm
  • 13 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (5 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    5 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 50,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (70,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    70,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 0.25 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.05 % vs 0.3 %
  • 10x higher input power handling
    This pair of headphones has a higher max input power than the average pair of headphones (1,000 mW vs 100 mW). The average headphones handle max input power of 100 mW.
    1,000 mW vs 100 mW
  • 18 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (128 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    128 dB vs 110 dB
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • 6 newer release date
    This pair of headphones was released more recently than the average pair of headphones (2022 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    December 2022
    2022 vs 2016
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 46.8% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (320 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    320 g vs 218 g
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 4 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 53.78x more expensive
    Yamaha YH 5000SE is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£4,840 vs £90).
    £4,840 vs £90
  • 78.9% worse value for money
    Yamaha YH 5000SE has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (4.06 vs 7.3).
    4.06 vs 7.27
  • 40.3% lower user score
    User score
    5.7/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Yamaha YH 5000SE
    the average pair of headphones
    Yamaha YH 5000SE has a lower user score than the average pair of headphones (5.7 vs 8).
    5.7 vs 8
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 53.78x more expensive
    Yamaha YH 5000SE is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£4,840 vs £90).
    £4,840 vs £90
  • 78.9% worse value for money
    Yamaha YH 5000SE has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (4.06 vs 7.3).
    4.06 vs 7.27
  • 40.3% lower user score
    User score
    5.7/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Yamaha YH 5000SE
    the average pair of headphones
    Yamaha YH 5000SE has a lower user score than the average pair of headphones (5.7 vs 8).
    5.7 vs 8
  • 44.3% less popular
    Yamaha YH 5000SE is less popular than the average pair of headphones (4.07 vs 5.9).
    4.07 vs 5.87
  • 46.8% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (320 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    320 g vs 218 g
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 4 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 5 dB SPL lower sound pressure level
    This pair of headphones has a lower sound pressure level than the average pair of headphones (98 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL). The average headphones reach a sound pressure level of 103 dB SPL.
    98 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

9.0
GREQ Reviews
≈ estimated
16/01/2026
Long-term listening · comparisons with other headphones
Verdict
Yamaha YH-5000SE has a polarising sound, but its huge soundstage and effortless detail may change your view.
6.0
Passion for Sound
≈ estimated
12/01/2025
Hands-on review · tuning, pads and comparisons
Verdict
Yamaha YH-5000SE is not a bad headphone, but this reviewer finds rivals at a similar or lower price sound better.
5.0
Reviews By WaveTheory
≈ estimated
02/12/2023
Hands-on review · sound, build and EQ tests
Verdict
Yamaha YH-5000SE has polarizing mid-range tuning that does not suit this reviewer, though its technical ability is top-tier.
9.5
MajorHiFi
≈ estimated
25/02/2023
Hands-on review · sound, separation and value tests
Verdict
Yamaha YH-5000SE sounds like the highest-end headphone the reviewer has heard, and is worth its price.
Not graded
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Not graded yet

Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: November 2026 · How we calculate this

What customers like about Yamaha YH 5000SE

  • Exceptionally lightweight at 320g, offering world-class comfort for long listening sessions.
  • Outstanding detail retrieval and transparency, particularly in the treble region.
  • Unique 'Orthodynamic' planar drivers provide fast transient response and lifelike realism.
  • Comes with a premium accessory package, including a dedicated aluminum stand and multiple high-quality cables/pads.
  • Deep, immersive soundstage with precise imaging and spatial layering.
  • Relatively easy to drive compared to other flagship planar magnetic headphones.

What customers don't like about Yamaha YH 5000SE

  • Extremely polarizing 'V-shaped' or 'jagged' tonal response that deviates significantly from industry standards.
  • Significant harmonic distortion reported at high volume levels (above 90-114 dB SPL).
  • Unconventional midrange tuning can make vocals sound distant or hollow to some listeners.
  • Extremely high price point makes it a difficult value proposition compared to more versatile competitors.
  • Very open design offers almost zero isolation from external noise.
  • Sensitive to system noise and requires high-quality upstream equipment to avoid 'grit' in the treble.

Verdict

The Yamaha YH-5000SE is a flagship open-back headphone featuring redesigned 50mm Orthodynamic (planar magnetic) drivers that utilise a circular, thin-film diaphragm with concentric corrugation for high-speed response. Technical specifications include a remarkably wide frequency response of 5 Hz – 70 kHz, a low impedance of 34 Ω, and a sensitivity of 98 dB/mW, making it relatively easy to drive despite its high-end pedigree. Its primary characteristics include a lightweight 320g magnesium alloy body and a Japanese-made 'Dutch weave' stainless steel filter that regulates internal air pressure for a more realistic, lifelike soundstage. Main pros include exceptional comfort for long listening sessions, outstanding detail retrieval, and a transparent, natural midrange that excels at reproducing instrumental nuances. However, some users have noted cons such as a polarizing tonal balance with specific frequency peaks, limited soundstage width compared to some rivals, and a build aesthetic that may feel less premium than its high flagship price suggests.

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