Yamaha RH5Ma Stereo Monitor Headphones

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The Yamaha RH5Ma stereo monitor headphones are the closest you're going to get to putting studio monitors next to your ears.

The Yamaha RH5Ma headphones are the indisputable choice in headphones for the professionals of today. Yamaha RH5Ma monitor headphones are recognized by sound experts as superior monitoring headphones capable of producing extraordinarily accurate sound reproduction. RH5MA headphones are particularly proficient in the difficult low to mid-low frequencies and can flawlessly replicate even the most precise mix.

Understanding the ear is an instrument critically trained to demand perfection in sound reproduction, musicians know that high-quality headphones are a vital component of any music system. Yamaha's complete headphone line utilizes current technology, ergonomics, and sound quality for musical applications ranging from economy to professional level. From music creation to music reproduction, Yamaha audio equipment has been recognized as the industry standard for more than 30 years. Respected professionals depend on Yamaha to help them achieve award-winning sound. Whether you are listening to music on-the-go or in the studio creating the next big hit, demand perfection. Yamaha does.

- Sensitivity: 98 dB/ 1 mW
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Frequency response: 20 Hz -20 kHz
- Warranty: One year limited warranty

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 714-522-9011
Web: https://usa.yamaha.com/support

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (57 ratings)
Submitted April 22, 2007 by a customer from gmail.com

"Magnificent Midrange...great phones!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Again, I must say these are a great value for the price.

Sound
This is a review I wrote for a forum, and am copying and pasting here: After about 20 hours of playing now they've really come into their own. At first the bass was a bit boomy and the overall sound would get a bit "congested" when there was a lot going on in a song, but it's really evened out now. The bass is right there and upfront (and there's a quite a bit of it) and they do a great job of reproducing the elongated decay of say a loosely tuned kick drum. You really feel the oomph, but it never steps on the mids or interferes with the mix. The headphones greatest strength in comparison to any I've previous owned is their extremely rich and detailed midrange. It's not hollow or artificial sounding in any way, and lyrics that in some tracks are hard to make out have become easier as the vocals seem to move forward in the mix a bit. Guitars benefit from this as well, and subtleties not apparent in other phones are making themselves heard for the first time for me. The highs are warm although they don't extend super far. The timbre of the highs is nice but it would be nice if they had a bit higher of a frequency response as that would no doubt lend a bit more "air" to their sound. They're not dull sounding, just milder or "smoother" I'd say. The bass response as I mentioned is ridiculous. I'm listening to some techno at the moment and these cans have no problem hitting read more the artificial subharmonic kick drum tones. They're not farting out or boomy either - the bass is massive but not overwhelming. That's a problem I've had with other bass heavy cans and speakers - usually that much bass muddies everything up. I think some of the reason that doesn't happen here is the fact that the earcups don't cover your ears but instead sit on them. That brings me to my last point. For me the design of the ear cups is perfect. I would call it a closed heaphone, although there are 3 small slits on the back of each earcup to act as ports. Extremely minimal sound leakage though. The best part about the design - at least for me - is that the earcups are supra-aural instead of circumaural. They sit on your ear instead of over it - so there's minimal sweat build up. I've also had the problem with every pair of circumaural phones causing rashes where the phone meets skin under the ear, so this design is a welcome relief. I've got a huge head (circumference wise), and these phones do fit me, although if my head were any bigger I'd have returned them as i have to have them maximally extended for it to be comfortable. Overall comfort I'd rate 7/10. They don't get uncomfortable until wearing them for a couple hours, but then I suppose that applies to most phones. All in all, with their strong midrange and extremely articulate separation of bass/mids/highs I'd say these would make a great monitoring pair of phones. Their main downsides are their highs aren't as extended as I'd like, the fact that the really present midrange brings out the worst of some bad recordings (and sibilance is a bit more pronounced with some singers, although that can be minimized by a slight EQ cut at 8 khz), and the integrated cable. I became interested in these cans when I heard that they had the best midrange of any can in the $50-200 range from an audiophile headphone review site, and I must say I don't think they were lying. $50 very well spent!

Features
The included 1/8" to 1/4" adapter was nice. The 8' cord is plenty long. Knocked off one star because of the integrated cable.

Ease of Use
They're headphones...er, how hard can they be? They've got a nice low impedance and are easy to get good volume out of MP3 players, so you can keep your volume on your player lower and conserve batteries.

Quality
They feel really sturdy for their size. Given their price, I've got to give them a 10.

Value
Great value for the money. Best phones I've heard in this price range.

Manufacturer Support
I've emailed them a few times with questions about other products and they've always responded promptly. Haven't had any other dealings with them.

The Wow Factor
Kind of bland looking. But sound trumps aesthetics when it comes to headphones, and these phones sound magnificent!

Musical Background:
Guitar player for many years now.

Musical Style:
Metal, Progressive, Classical
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