GOOD DESIGN BEST 100
Red Dot Award
iF Design Award*YH-L700A: GOOD DESIGN BEST 100(2023) Red Dot Award, iF Design Award(2022)
Two flagship wireless models born from the idea of True Sound.
YH-L700A, YH-E700A
Honest
The YH-L700A makes use of 3D Sound Field technology for enjoying sound field effects together with video imagery, while the YH-E700A sports a classic appearance and is designed for listening to music. Born from the idea of creating True Sound experiences, these two models are the flagships of Yamaha's series of wireless headphones.
Tactile
The functional placement and difference in size of the resin button on the side of the housing and the leather panel at the bottom allow intuitive operation with just the touch of a finger. The authentic texture of the material against the skin inspires a sense of confidence in the functionality of the product and offers the user the joy of using a high-end device.
Elegance
The concept of True Sound is also represented through the form of the changing surface of the housing. Yamaha is known for meticulous attention to the finest minutiae of sound—even treating complete silence as sound—and its finely detailed take on sound creation is expressed in the shadows of the gently vanishing ridgelines and undulating surfaces of this product.
Harmony
The simple, distinctive rectangular silhouette is the inevitable result of eliminating dead space while working to satisfy internal structural requirements and make the product easy to use. The carrying case follows the shape of the housing, hinting at what lies inside even before it is opened.
Pride
The circular silhouette of the housing conforms to the shape of the driver inside, and is perfectly suited for headphones. To provide a high level of satisfaction to users who have a special regard for the products they own, a great deal of attention was paid to the color, material, and finish of the design.
Masafumi Futo
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory
Yoshinobu Terazaki
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory
Headphones that embody True Sound.
The YH-L700A and YH-E700A were born from the idea of “True Sound,” meaning the enjoyment of sound as intended by the artists and sound designers. Equipped with unique features such as Listening Care, Advanced ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), and Listening Optimizer, they reproduce sound as imagined by its creators.
In addition to the above features, the YH-L700A supports 3D Sound Field, allowing the wearer to feel the depth of the sound, and making this a model that is particularly suited to video content. There will always be times when they are used while relaxing indoors, so fabric and leather materials were used throughout to create an impression of gently enfolding the user in the manner of a sofa or an item of clothing.
Consider clothing as an example. You choose clothes that you want to wear, but once you put them on, they feel like a part of you without your being aware of their existence. Thus we sought to create headphones that you put on and then forget, just like clothing.
The headband is also a simple design wound with cloth that goes well with AV equipment such as Yamaha sound bars, and blends easily into a space. The notches on the arm, carried over from previous models, are easy for the fingers to hold when picking the product up. As top-of-the-line Yamaha wireless headphones, I think the YH-L700A is a model that you can choose with high expectations and confidence. (Futo)
YH-E700A is the top model in the Listening Headphones series for enjoying music. As headphones equipped with noise cancelling were sweeping through the market, Yamaha began development with the idea of using the feature to offer people a richer experience when they listen to music. For this reason, we consciously took an emotional approach to the shaping as well to hint at the joy of listening to music.
First, we came up with three keywords: "the right way," "empathy," and "individuality." Instead of an eccentric shape, the YH-E700A features a perfect circle that fully covers the entire ear, which anyone can recognize as the proper shape for headphones, and can definitely be called the "right way." Keeping the theories of headphone design in mind, we pursued the form of a product that would inspire empathy in users who are particular about their possessions, and improved the color and finish. The YH-E700A was perfected by endowing it with the "individuality" that came from shaping it to give a visual representation of Yamaha's concept of True Sound.
I have a great deal of interest in portable audio myself, so I was able to work on this project while putting a lot of value on the user's perspective. I think there are many points to consider when choosing headphones, but I hope that this will be a product that will be loved for a long time by those who are looking for a pleasant experience when listening to music. And if it also serves as a reference of those people's "good sound, good sound experience," that would give me great satisfaction. (Terazaki)
