Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise canceling home/studio-style over-ear model provides good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its closed design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The headphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on. You can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music, and the audio cable can be detached to get it out of the way when the headphones are being used for noise reduction only. The headphones have medium sensitivity when powered with or without the noise cancelation feature turned on and when unpowered, so they can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and all but the lowest-powered portable audio devices. The YH-E700A has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include Detachable audio cable. Earcups fold and swivel to flat for ease of carrying and storage. Yamaha Headphone Controller app download for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features and software updates. Has pairing memory for up to 8 devices. Has volume, music player transport, call connect/disconnect, noise cancelling control, power on/off and voice assistant control on the right earcup. Has ANC /Ambient sound on/off button on left earcup. Has power on/off, Bluetooth pairing, battery level voice announcements. Has defeatable loudness feature that the manufacturer claims maintains an even tonal balance even at low volume levels. Has a defeatable automatic sound adjustment feature that the manufacturer claims adjust the sound of the headphone to optimize it regardless of the users ear shape and how the headphones fit over the ears. Supports Apple Siri and Google Assistant digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth devices that have those features and that, if needed, have the appropriate apps installed. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. Free Yamaha Headphone Controller App download for Apple and Android mobile devices can be used to enable/disable the loudness and fit optimizer features, cycle between noise cancelling on and off and ambient sound monitoring, adjust or turn off the auto power-off timer, and update the headphone's firmware. This model comes with Detachable 49-inch long standard audio cable, USB-A to USB-C charging cable, carrying case.
Sound quality: We found the YH-E700A delivers sound quality that falls in the good range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound and excellent active noise reduction. With the noise cancelling mode engaged and the Yamaha Headphone Controller app Listening Care and Listening Optimizer set to On (as received state of the headphone) the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) goes deep but has exaggerated impact but is very prominent, boomy, and has a "boingy" character, and can overwhelm the midrange. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even, but is somewhat grainy, hazy, a bit congested (think sonic traffic jam) and dark and has a noticeable plastic resonance (something like what you would hear if you talked into a semi-rigid plastic cup). The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is fairly extended, but is slightly prominent and sizzly. While the sound has a decent sense of liveliness, it is closed (sound-wise it's obvious you have something plugging your ears) and this model does a so-so job of recovering room ambience. Warm character. The overall sound can be summarized as very bassy, noticeably plasticy, and a bit dark. The Listening Care setting in the app has a noticeable effect on the sound (disabling it reduces the bass a bit) and the Listening Optimizer setting has little effect on the sound, if any. Faint rushing sound can be heard in quiet environments when there is no audio program to drown it out. When cord connected to AC powered devices this model may produce a more noticeable hissing and slight humming sound when it is powered on whether or not the noise cancelling feature is engaged. Noise Canceling: Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. A faint rushing sound can be heard in very quiet environments when there is no audio program material to mask it.
Comfort: We found that these headphones produce a sense of moderate pressure around the ears. As typical of over-ear models the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use. Users with larger heads might find that the headband does not have enough adjustment range to allow the earcups rest properly over the ears and/or that the headband presses uncomfortably on the top of the head. Users with larger ears might find that the over-the-ear fit of the ear pads feel cramped, or that the ear pads sit on, rather than around their ears; in that case the less-than-ideal fit around the ears might interfere with the earpad seal and reduce the noise reduction capabilities of the headphone. Some users may find that when they lean far forward the headphones feel unstable and shift forward. When wearing this model while walking the muffled vibrations from each foot step can be heard slightly through the headphones regardless of whether the headphones are in noise cancelling mode. When the audio cord is used the sound of it rubbing on clothing may be faintly heard through the earphones.
