Yamaha HPH-200WH Headphones

I consider myself a super cheapo when it comes to products, and headphones are no different. I have been using head-fi for a about a year to see what hidden gems I could find at an affordable price. I had been using the JVC HA-S500s for quite some time, but I noticed these Yamahas had gained some recognition. I decided to give them a try, and do not disappoint at all! The sound production of these cans is great. Clear and sparkly treble, a nice soundstage, an airy sound that keeps microdetails intact, and a nice low end with clean sounding bass. This is a neutral sounding headphone, and that is what I love about this set. I'd recommend burning them in for roughly 100 hours, which will tame the bass a bit and add some sparkle to the treble. The build quality seems just fine to me. It has a leather band on the top of it where it rests on your head, and the pads are velours so they are very comfortable to wear. These headphones are pretty much the best of both worlds because you get an awesome sound that is also comfortable to wear. The only negative thing about these headphones is that they are openback, so others will be able to hear them. I tested the volume I listen at by taking them off and letting music play while walking around; I heard faint noise, but I couldn't make out what was playing. As long as you aren't in a library, you should be fine with this set. Overall, this set great for the price.I thoroughly enjoy this set, and I'd definitely recommend this set for the price!

From the moment I got the headphones, it took about 15 minutes until the right can started buzzing and crackling. From then on it's just getting worse. It is triggered by the bass. I love the headphones for their clear sound and now theur are simply useless.

I bought the Yamaha HPH-200 out of curiosity. They received rave reviews from some who have tried them, including some prominent reviewers, among them the popular Zeos Pantera (Z Reviews on YouTube). But I was particularly intrigued because of persistent comparisons to Grados. It was called a “Japanese Grado” by one reviewer, and even a “Grado killer” by another. As a Grado owner myself, after extensive listening, the comparisons are nonsense. The HPH-200 sounds nothing like a Grado. They may be an open-backed like a Grado, with an ear cup design that is a Grado clone, but that is where the similarities end. Even under the best of conditions, the respective sound signatures of this Yamaha and Grados could not be more different: Grado (all models): -Diamond-like clarity, mid-high emphasis -Tight, clean bass -“Up close” forward mid-range -Crisp, sharp treble; bright, airy -Direct, intense Yamaha HPH-200: -Warm/balanced, plush, emphasis to low and mid -Robust bass, boomy -Recessed treble, dark -Relaxed, veiled, not analytical The Yamahas are veiled, muffled, muddy and dark. For open headphones, surprisingly not airy. EQ remedies the sound of many headphones, but there is a limit to what EQ can do in this case. Frequency response graphs sometimes do not always reveal what headphones really sound like, but in this case, they do. The HPH-200 has somewhat of a “V” shaped sound, but the most accurate description of this headphone’s graph is “tilde” shaped (like this: ~). It is a colored balance that is neither neutral nor flat. Bass boost occurs from approximately 50hz to 300hz, peaking at around 110hz. This is not extreme “bass cannon” bass, but bass is the most prominent element, bleeding into the midrange, resulting in a darker sound. Treble is problematic. There is a sharp "off the cliff" drop from around 2khz to 6khz, and then a peak at 8khz, then another drop off. The treble recedes where Grados (and models of AKG, Audio Technica, Shure, and Beyerdynamic) are strong. This Yamaha’s highs are along the lines of the darker/warm “veiled” Sennheisers, but even muddier. A lot of detail is lost in a muddy soup. For a discerning listener who demands clarity across the spectrum (an unfortunately difficult thing to find these days), I doubt the HPH-200s will make your cut. Grado fans should stay away for sure. The soundstage is nothing special. Do the HPH-200s offer anything for less discerning, more casual music listeners who just need a "decent" set of cans to crank while commuting to work? Not really. The HPH-200s do aim to be such an all-around “Goldilocks” headphone with a somewhat generic warm/balanced sound. In a market dominated by the darker Sennheisers and bass cannons like Beats. The signature is a popular formula out there: bass-y ( most people consider “fun”), with “relaxed” “non-fatiguing” highs. If this is your kind of sound, then you might find value in the HPH-200s that I do not. Problem is, there are many better warm/balanced options under $150. They include many models of the highly popular Sennheiser HD series, which are the standard for warm/balanced. Open headphones like the Philips SHP9500, Koss PortaPro, Takstar HI-2050, Pioneer SE-A1000, and closed headphones including the Audio-Technica M40x and M50x, Monoprice 8323, Takstar Pro 80, Creative Aurvana Live 1 and 2, NVX XPT100, Shure SRH750DJ, Shure SRH840etc. all dabble in variations of a similar signature, with varying degrees of success. But this Yamaha fails to deliver a superior version of warm/balanced. The Yamahas even sound cheaper than cheaper headphones. Audio-Technica ATH-M30s---cheap, warm/neutral, and not detailed enough for my purposes---are superior to the Yahama across the spectrum. Even a pair of Panasonic RP-HT21 lightweight portables that I bought for $5 blow away these Yahamas for detail and general sound quality. At $150 or less, there are many all-around excellent options including Grados, Audio-Technica's AD series. Be willing to go above $150, and there are AKGs and Beyerdynamics. If you are still not dissuaded, there are practical matters to consider. Efficiency. With impedance of moderate 48 ohms, the HPH-200 can be driven from smaller sources. It may be better amped, but even amped or played through larger sound systems, they don’t impress. They are not good at low volume. Design, build, comfort. These are open headphones, so they are not good for outdoor use or noisy environments, if you require isolation or privacy. They are lightweight, look good, but the build quality is on the cheap side. The headband is okay, comfortable, once adjusted, but I found the clamp too loose. The cups turn inward in one direction, but they are not collapsable or foldable. The ear cups are smallish and on-ear. The pads are non-removable, and not moddable. My set had jagged edges along the cloth lining inside. The cable is double entry and non-detachable, ending in an L-shaped 3.5mm jack. There is an extension cable with a ¼ inch adapter, which is somewhat awkward coming out of L-shaped plug (it leaves a weird kink in the middle of the line, if you use it). I really wanted to like the Yamaha HPH-200s but once I put them on, my enthusiasm became as muted as the sound coming out of the headphones. They are not "Grado killers". Be aware that there are two models of the Yamaha HPH-200. The black model (HPH-200 BL) sells for around $125---far too high a price for the quality that I hear on these. If you are willing to spend that much, there is a whole world of superior audiophile/"midfi" headphones that are considerably better, and you should not settle for anything less. If you want to take a chance, the white model (HPH-200 WH) sells for less than $60. That is closer to what I think the HPH-200s are worth. Even that is rich.

I've had pairs of Yamaha headphones before that were great monitor cans for editing and that had a nice flat response. These OTOH, do not. They definitely color the sound in an odd way for Yamaha...too much bass and not as clear as I would expect. This tends to muddy the sound for me. They're comfortable to wear however. I guess I'm gonna have to go back to my old ones.

These headphones have a wonderful, airy and open soundstage with a full frequency response without exaggerated bass typical of many modern cans. I used these for monitoring phones in a home studio and I can just as easily spend an evening listening to my favorite music on the stereo. From the most delicate, quiet notes to outrageous blast beats, these headphones faithfully reproduce everything fed to them. Instruments stand apart, not lost in a muddied mass like so most low-end and even upper-level headphones. The "sweet spot" is very wide, allowing the wearer to position the phones on their ears as they want without losing the best sound. The open earpiece design is not as fatiguing as closed on- or over-ear 'phones for long term listening. The cushioning is comfortable and not confining, and the pads breath well. They are most ideal for use in a quiet room. They are also useful when used in situations where you need to be aware of your surroundings, you can hear what is going on around you. Note this is a two-way street, people can easily hear what you are listening to, and these headphones will fill a quiet room with music if listened to at very high levels. Others in that room might object, so fair warning. As seems to be the trend with many headphones these days, the attached cord is configured more to be used with portable music players than fixed stereo equipment. At only 1.2m in length, it's ideal for use with iPods and the like on the go, so Yamaha have supplied a 2m extension cord and a 1/4" adapter for stationary use. The right-angle plug on the headphones mating to a straight jack on the extension make for a point where snags and tangles occur. Also, the cord is molded thermoplastic, unlike the tangle-free rubber compound of my beloved Yahama RH-5Ms, and this won't allow the cord to drape gracefully. It took some doing to uncoil the cords from the the packaging and get them to stop curling up. The cords are somewhat stiff, albeit of decent quality. The somewhat high impedance of 48 ohms might not allow some players/sources/headphone amps to play at high enough volumes for some, especially some portables. I haven't had that issues with studio or hi-fi gear, however. Yamaha have outdid themselves with these headphones. The sound is equal to or better than headphones costing two or three times or more. They are far more portable than most high end headphones, the earpieces fold flat, but the frame itself doesn't fold or collapse. Regardless of the styles of music you listen to, these 'phones will play it near perfectly and do so with tremendous value. My main gripe is with the cordset, and that's mainly due to my applications.

These headphones are truly a hidden gem. I've owned many pairs of headphones over the years, including Sennheiser, AKG, Grado, Klipsch, and even Incase. So far, I believe these to be my favorite pair in my history of headphones. Note I say favorite, not "the best" -- as that's quite a bit subjective. As a whole, I like the styling of these, they're not big and clunky, these don't look obnoxious to wear while walking down the street with. Their sound is only what I can call perfection for my particular ears. (Perfection for what I paid for them, of course. We're talking expectations here.) The sound is MOSTLY neutral, not favoring forced booming bass or "shimmering" highs. Rather than going for a completely neutral tonal curve, these push just slightly into the brighter side. While the midrange is full and healthy creating excellently present and clear vocals in songs, the highs are just a little more pushed forward than most monitors I've tried -- which is exactly the way I like it. The bass has decent punch to it for kick basses and such while keeping nice and clear for longer bass lines. I would closely compare these to the Grado SR-60, where the Yamaha's are little brighter on the high end. I can wear these for a few hours on end before I feel like taking them off for a few minutes. They don't become uncomfortable, I just wear glasses with rather thick arms, and the pressure of my ears against the arms can be felt after some time. While on the go, I use these with devices such as the Nexus 5, Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita. All of those devices can drive these headphones more than loud enough for my average listening volumes --- averaging out at around 75% volume for most listening situations. I would have liked to have seen a little less plastic for the price, but they sound like the price so that's what really matters. Get these, seriously, You won't be disappointed.

Unfortunately within three months the right channel has quit and I have returned the headphones to Yamaha. Very disappointed as I have always bought Yamaha products and found them to be of good quality for the price. Have not heard back yet but hopefully they will be replaced.

At first I was wary of purchasing open-back headphones because I prefer music that emphasizes heavy bass lines. Most of the open-back headphones in my price range don't emphasize the low-end frequencies, meaning that they provide a "balanced" or "neutral" sound. I am very happy with my AKG K 450 Premium Foldable Headphone closed-back headphones, but I've read so much about the amazing soundstage that open-back headphones provide that I had to try a pair. What initially drew me to the HPH-200 was the design. The cups resemble the Grado Prestige Series SR80i Stereo Headphone line but I prefer the headband on the Yamahas. With only 3 Amazon reviews and no real reviews online (headfi.org has a small thread discussing whether the Yamahas are a rebrand of another design) I took a chance on these, and I do not regret it at all. With a 48ohm rating, I don't think you'll need a headphone amp to make the most of the HPH-200, but I am using the Fiio E17 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier . In my limited listening as of this review, I've found that the HPH-200 provides amazing separation between the lows, mids and highs. The low frequencies are tight and pronounced while the mids and highs remain forward and well-defined. As with most open-back headphones, the HPH-200 does leak sound, meaning that in a quiet environment others might be able to hear your music, and you will be able to hear sounds around you as well. A few things I don't like (that have nothing to do with sound reproduction): -No storage bag or case -Does not collapse completely for transport (cups do rotate 90 degrees so you can lay them flat) -Double-sided cord (I prefer single) -The velour ear pads may not be comfortable for everyone Since most headphones require a few hours to "break in" I have high hopes for the HPH-200.