Yamaha YH-L700A

Rich, energetic sound ; Long battery life ; Assured spatial audio and head tracking ; Strong wireless signal

ANC underwhelms ; Bulky fit ; Inelegant button controls ; Expensive

The Yamaha headphones are by turns great, good, and underwhelming. A terrifically assertive and rich audio performance is complemented by an intriguing 3D feature and disappointing ANC. Those with small heads may want to look elsewhere, too.

Great build and great finish from great materials ; Big, punchy and deft sound ; Impressive spatial audio effect

Relatively expensive ; Mediocre noise-cancelling ; Feel big even on quite big heads

The Yamaha YH-L700 will float your boat and rock your world if it’s 3D spatial audio you crave. But a pair of headphones this expensive should be just a sharp with every knife in its rack, and some elements don't cut it quite as well.

Beautifully built and finished, from premium materials ; Convincing and periodically captivating spatial audio effects ; Sound reflects their big and burly look

Unarguably expensive ; Ordinary noise cancellation ; Size rules out many potential owners

Solid design

Expensive

It’s obvious that 3D Sound Field significantly tweaks the audio on every preset. However, all of the filters are very heavy handed, drastically changing the EQ and other parameters to the point that none of them work well across genres. Outdoor live,...

Excellent spatial audio performance ; Great sound quality for music and calls ; Sharp-looking design ; Respectable ANC ; Excellent connectivity

Huge and heavy ; Uneven battery life ; Expensive

If you want spatial audio headphones with more 3D listening modes than the AirPods Max, and for slightly less, then consider splurging on the YH-L700A.