Yamaha Model YH-100 dynamic headset, with 8-foot straight cord.
Price: $95. Warranty: "limited," one year parts and labor.
Manufacturer: Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd., Japan; U.S. distributor: Yamaha International Corp., P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, Calif. 90622. USA.
The appeal of the YHl00 headset is immediate: Its charcoal gray and black earpieces, suede inner headband, and black spring-steel outer bands make it as elegant-looking as headphones can probably ever get. Yet here is an example of form and function blending synergistically. The wide inner headband distributes the almost 12 ounces of weight smoothly and evenly across the head, reducing the headset's apparent bulk. The outer steel bands, adjustable via side-mounted sliders, provide the necessary force for firm contact between your ears and the earpieces, which are mounted with ball-and-socket joints so that they swivel easily and naturally to accommodate the curvature of your head.
The YH-100 employs what Yamaha calls orthodynamic drivers, with an aluminum voice-coil photo etched on a thin polyester diaphragm. The benefits of such a drive system are said to be fast and uniform diaphragm motion for low distortion and good transient reproduction. The ear pads measure 3 inches in diameter-wide enough to cover the ear completely to form an acoustic seal that provides a degree of isolation from ambient sounds. The unit is rated by Yamaha at a highly efficient 98 dB SPL for a 1-milliwatt (-30 dBW) input, yet it is claimed to tolerate as much as 10 watts (+ 10 dBW) of continuous input.
Testing the headphones with a variety of musical material, we were struck first by the depth and power of the bass response. The large ear pads and firm pressure exerted by the steel bands provide enough acoustic coupling to trap bass information, making the beat of a kettledrum or the deepest organ note a startling experience. The Yamaha's ability to reproduce complex musical passages is excellent as well. Massed strings, woodwinds, and brass come through in fine style.
Especially noteworthy is the headset's handling of quick, high-pitched tones; the plucking of a classical guitar and the soft brushings of a cymbal are reproduced with delightful ease.
There is some coloration to the tone of the YH-100, most noticeably in voices. Auditioners described it as warm and mellow, however, and none regarded it as negative. Also, in comparison to open-air designs, there is the usual but decidedly unnatural sensation of the orchestra being inside your head-in our experience a tradeoff necessary for the deep bass response afforded by the unit's quasi-seal. Moreover, the isolation afforded by such headsets broadens their applicability to monitoring functions during live recording sessions.
The YH-100, though hardly lightweight, has been designed for comfort, and we found it one of the least fatiguing of comparably massive designs. Its subjective tone, though a bit colored, is satisfying and rich. If extended frequency response, some acoustic isolation, comfort, and beautiful design are desiderata in your choice of headset, the YH-100 definitely warrants an audition.
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[Preparation supervised by Robert Long, Peter Dobbin, and Edward J. Foster. Laboratory data (unless otherwise noted) supplied by CBS Technology Center or Diversified Science Laboratories.]
(High Fidelity, May 1981)
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