Headphones — Yamaha YH-E700B

The Yamaha YH-E700B is a closed wireless headphone worn over the ear, with Advanced ANC. Bluetooth streaming is joined by a wired line input, so the same set covers phone calls, portable listening and a wired connection when needed.

Key specs that matter

The 40 mm drivers are dynamic types, and Yamaha lists a frequency range of 8 Hz to 20 kHz. The Bluetooth 5.2 link handles the A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP Bluetooth profiles as well as the SBC, AAC and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codecs, with a maximum range of 10 m without interference. A full charge takes about 3.5 hours and gives up to 32 hours of continuous playback. The headphone weighs 335 g, and the earcups both fold and swivel for storage in the supplied case. The wired line input sits on one side only and uses a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack.

Engineering and use context

The driver diaphragm is a two-layer bonded film made of different materials, chosen for a balance of rigidity and flexibility. Yamaha controls the airflow from the back of the driver to limit interference between low and high frequencies, and shapes the baffles so the left and right sides match. Elliptical earpads and a headband tuned for lateral pressure keep the housing compact. A built-in microphone feeds the Listening Optimizer, which measures the in-ear signal in real time and compensates for ear shape and how the headphone sits, using the same idea as the YPAO system in Yamaha AV receivers. Listening Care Advanced uses external microphones and adjusts frequency balance according to programme level and background noise so playback stays full-range at lower volume. The noise cancelling lowers outside noise, which also allows lower playback levels, and an ambient sound mode lets surrounding sounds through. Two microphones with Qualcomm cVc handle calls, and one button calls up Siri or Google Assistant.

Pairing

The Yamaha Headphone Control app for iOS and Android sets EQ and switches the listening modes. In the box come a carrying case, a 20 cm USB type A to C charging cable, a mini jack audio cable and a flight adapter, so the headphone can plug into an in-flight entertainment socket or a home amplifier headphone jack without extra parts. Yamaha sells HEP-70 replacement earpads for this model.

Alternatives

Within the Yamaha headphone range, the YH-E700A is the other closed over-ear Bluetooth model built with noise cancelling.