Review: Yamaha YH-L500A Headphones

Yamaha has a stellar reputation for many of its audio products, especially those in the home hi-fi category. When it comes to wireless headphones, the company seems to struggle. While generally well-received for their sound quality, there’s often a gotcha or two that keep them from being top picks. These are areas where similarly priced competitors are notably further ahead, like active noise cancellation or where Yamaha’s design gets in the way (like long-term comfort). For a good example of what I’m talking about, check out WIRED’s review of Yamaha’s premium YH-E700B wireless headphones, which earned only 6/10.

Yamaha’s newest wireless cans, the YH-L500A are at the other end of the feature spectrum. The design is basic, and they eschew things like active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode, wear sensors, extended battery life, and a travel-friendly double-folding hinge. You won’t even get a travel case or protective pouch, yet Yamaha still asks $229.95—which doesn’t exactly scream budget or entry-level.

Photograph: Simon Cohen

To be fair, the L500A aren’t entirely bare-bones. At 9.3 ounces, they’re among the lightest over-ear wireless headphones, and they achieve this weight despite having large and very generously padded ear cups. They support Google Fast Pair, Bluetooth Multipoint, and Qualcomm’s high-quality aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec, which are all desirable (but also quite common, even on less-expensive models).

Where the L500A seek to distinguish themselves is with Yamaha’s inclusion of two Sound Field modes: Cinema and Music, which get their own dedicated button. As the names suggest, they’re designed to re-create the real-world immersive experience of going to a movie theater or hearing a live band. In my experience, these kinds of effects can be hit or miss. But given that Yamaha is a pioneer in the field of digital signal processing, our expectations should be reasonably high. As long as you're listening in a reasonably quiet environment, these are some of the most comfortable headphones you can buy. Otherwise, you might want to look elsewhere.

So Comfortable

Photograph: Simon Cohen

With a completely matte-black finish—the only color option—exposed wires, and squarish ear cups held in place by standard two-pronged yokes, the YH-L500A look like workhorse studio monitors. Though light, they’re solidly built. The headband sliders, pivots, and hinges operate smoothly, with no extra play or looseness. The plastic even has the same soft surface as Sony’s WH-1000XM5, giving them a touch of luxe.

The only exception to this high level of build quality is the controls, which give a slightly cheap vibe due to the way they rattle a bit in the housing. Still, they’re (mostly) intuitive, easy to use even with gloved fingers, and offer excellent tactile response.

None of this prepares you for the YH-L500A’s incredible comfort. Those large ear cups swallow up your ears as the plushly padded (and replaceable) ear cushions give your head a big, warm hug. The combination of clamping force, excellent headband padding, and their featherweight mass makes these cans an exceptional choice for long listening sessions, even while wearing glasses. My only note is that those with very small heads may have trouble. If my head were any smaller, the ear cups would sit too low, even at the headband’s shortest setting.

Photograph: Simon Cohen

Part of what gives these cans such a comfy fit is their seal, which also creates substantial passive noise isolation. When walking down busy urban sidewalks, traffic and construction sounds were still quite audible but not annoyingly so. At home it was a similar story, with mildly intrusive sounds kept at bay but louder ones getting through.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it obviates the need for ANC (especially for travel), but it’s not the deal-breaker I expected. What I missed more than the absence of ANC was the lack of a transparency mode. Without one, voices (both yours and others’) were muffled; I had to routinely pull the headphones down to my neck even for quick conversations.

Unfortunately, this means that even though the YH-L500A’s dual built-in mics have decent voice pickup and background noise canceling (especially indoors), using these cans for wireless calls can be exhausting. I quickly tired of not being able to hear my own voice clearly. At home, you can get around this by using the wired analog connection with a desktop USB mic.

Highly Detailed Sound

Headphone Control via Simon Cohen

Headphone Control via Simon Cohen

Equipped with a pair of 40mm dynamic drivers, the YH-L500A deliver precise, highly detailed sound, with excellent clarity. The factory tuning is conservative on bass and a bit too bright in the highs for my liking, though the midrange is just about perfect.

The Yamaha Headphones app gives you five EQ presets to play around with (Energy, Gentle, Vocal, Groove, and Openness), but none gave me the tweaks I was looking for. Thankfully, you can roll your own presets (up to two can be saved) via a five-band equalizer, and you can make your adjustments from neutral, or from any of the factory presets. By decreasing the levels of the highest frequencies, while giving a small boost to the lowest, I found a mix I really enjoyed.

One of the tracks I use to gauge headphone performance is Billie Eilish’s “bad guy”. The first 30 seconds mix ultra-deep lows with whispery vocals—a tough combo to render cleanly. Most decent headphones prevent the punishing bass rhythm from crushing Eilish’s lyrics, but the YH-L500A do far more, letting those vocals exist in their own plane, floating above the beat instead of competing with it. That said, bass heads should take note: This level of precision comes with limits on low frequencies. Even with the lows pushed to their max in the equalizer, the L500A are never going to blitz your ears with bass. These cans are better suited to critical listening, which they reward with impressive detail, than powering your gym sessions.

As I expected, the optional Cinema and Music sound field modes are handled far more expertly than similar effects I’ve heard on other headphones. Music mode employs hints of echo and reverb to simulate a live performance in a concert venue. I was genuinely surprised at its realism. It works on all kinds of music, but it’s particularly effective when used with jazz and orchestral performances, like Dave Brubeck’s classic “Take 5” and John Williams’ iconic “Imperial March” from Star Wars. On both tracks, Music mode creates an airy sense of space, with the musicians located on stage in front of you, possibly 10-12 rows away.

Photograph: Simon Cohen

Cinema mode retains Music mode’s sense of space but ditches the echo and reverb. It has more immediacy and immersiveness. I’m less sold on Cinema as an effect. When watching action movies like Bumblebee or Superman, it didn’t significantly increase my enjoyment of the soundtracks. Perhaps with the addition of head-tracking, Cinema would be more effective. It certainly works wonders when Apple uses it on the AirPods Max to reproduce 5.1 surround sound.

As well executed as these effects are, it’s worth noting that they cancel out any EQ settings you may have applied. For me, this meant an uncomfortable return to the L500A’s high-frequency bias, especially when using Music mode, which could sound screechy at times. After getting a sense of what they could do, I spent the majority of my time with these cans without either effect, and I suspect most folks will do the same.

As much as I enjoyed listening to the YH-L500A using an iPhone 16, I highly recommend these cans for folks with aptX Adaptive-compatible devices. Using Qualcomm’s codec via the Questyle QCC Dongle Pro (a $99 USB-C Bluetooth adapter that adds LDAC and aptX Adaptive to any USB audio device) made a noticeable improvement to both bass and treble. The sound became smoother and more relaxed, and it was particularly helpful when using Music mode.

Yamaha pegs battery life at about 20 hours, with one of the sound field modes engaged. You may get more time if you keep them turned off. 20 hours is at the very low end of what we can expect from today’s wireless headphones, but I don’t consider it a deal-breaker. What I find more problematic is that the headphones need power to operate, and you can’t use them while they’re charging—not even if you connect the charging cord and analog cord simultaneously. Unfortunately, this means that when the internal battery reaches the end of its life, so too will the YH-L500A.

Stiff Competition

Photograph: Simon Cohen

With outstanding comfort, great build quality, and superbly detailed sound, the Yamaha YH-L500A make an excellent choice for wireless critical listening in relatively quiet environments. Their lack of additional features, like ANC and transparency, however, limits their usefulness in other situations, like flying, calling, or even as daily wear cans for walking and commuting. These omissions create a very narrow audience for the L500A: those who are content to pay $230 for what these headphones get right.

If what you seek is a set of wireless headphones that offer more features for a similar price, consider the $250 Sennheiser Accentum Plus. For $20 more than the YH-L500A, they’re loaded with tech, including ANC, transparency, wear sensors, USB Audio, aptX Adaptive, and a 50-hour battery life. Oh, and they come with a zippered travel case.

I think the Accentum Plus sound great, though they don’t deliver as much detail as the L500A. Senneheiser’s clamping pressure is extra strong, making the lightweight Accentum Plus a great companion for more active lifestyles, but they aren’t as cushy or cozy as Yamaha’s cans. If you care about comfort and spend most of your listening time at home, the Yamahas are still worth a listen.