YH-4000 BEHIND THE SCENES
MESSAGE FROM THE ENGINEER AND DESIGNER
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— THE INSPIRATION FOR YH-4000 —
The YH-4000 was designed to deliver an exceptional listening experience. Its deep, punchy lows and robust mids provide remarkable sonic accuracy and ultra-responsive performance from instruments to vocals. The lightweight, comfortable design makes it easy to wear for long periods. With the YH-4000, you can enjoy music as if the artist were performing right in front of you.
YUTA ITO
Acoustic Design
We truly believe that the YH-4000 is a fresh new model that expands the sonic potential of the Orthodynamic® driver. And we made the most of the special characteristics of that driver to create a sound that emphasizes the power and volume of the low range, but also especially the mid-range, reproducing the realism and essential substance of vocals. In addition to the design of the main body, the ear pads and other parts have been crafted to provide an excellent fit that allows you to immerse yourself in music comfortably, even during long listening sessions. Ultimately, we trust that you will be able to experience the passion and intensity of the artist with the YH-4000. Also, we hope that you will enjoy the differences in sound and the individuality of each model, such as using the YH-4000 and YH-5000SE depending on the music you’re listening to.
KAZUKI KASHIWASE
Product Design
The YH-4000 builds upon the established design of the YH-5000SE, while offering a more approachable and familiar impression. In contrast to the distinctive black and yellow exterior coloring of the YH-5000SE, the YH-4000 is finished in a monotone black and silver color scheme that makes the most of the colors of the materials as a whole, resulting in a sophisticated simplicity that blends naturally with any style and a design that ensures you will want to use these headphones for a long time. Our goal is that, with the YH-4000, more people will be able to enjoy their favorite music to their heart's content for long periods of time.
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Yamaha High-End Headphones YH-4000 | MESSAGE FROM THE ENGINEER AND DESIGNER
ALL ABOUT Orthodynamic
— PURSUING TRUE SOUND —
Our first-generation Orthodynamic driver was born in 1976. “Ortho” in Greek has the meaning of “correct” and “straight”. Our first-generation Orthodynamic driver was based on the idea of correctly driving the diaphragm for greater accuracy in reproducing the sound. Our original vision remains unchanged, moving us closer to achieving True Sound.
WHAT IS AN ORTHODYNAMIC DRIVER?
Headphone drivers come in various types, including the most common dynamic driver, which drives a voice coil bonded to a dome-shaped diaphragm, by sending electrical signals in combination with permanent magnets. On the other hand, there are planar magnetic field drivers that use a thin-film diaphragm integrated with a voice coil sandwiched between permanent magnets to deliver drive. Since planar magnetic drivers drive the entire diaphragm, they are more responsive than dynamic drivers and have the advantage of offering excellent high-frequency performance and low distortion. However, due to their structure, advanced technology is required for development and manufacturing. In addition, even among planar magnetic drivers, different manufacturers have different solutions for the diaphragm and voice coil.
Yamaha’s Orthodynamic driver, adopts a true circular shape for the diaphragm, and the coil pattern also has a circular spiral shape. Moreover, with the concentric circular corrugation, the operation of the diaphragm in the piston motion area is smooth, and excellent responsiveness and rich dynamic sound are achieved.
HISTORY OF ORTHODYNAMIC TECHNOLOGY
Many manufacturers tried to develop planar magnetic drivers in the 1970s, but only Yamaha and a few others were successful in launching a product due to their complex structure and the difficulty of manufacturing. Our first Orthodynamic driver was manufactured by photoetching a spiral-shaped voice coil on a thin film of polyester, and the very complex structure of five divided spiral patterns arranged concentrically, alternating their winding directions, made it extremely difficult to develop and manufacture.
We overcame these challenges and released our first-generation Orthodynamic Headphones, the HP-1. The HP-1 was acclaimed for its excellent sound quality, and the simple and practical design by Italian industrial designer Mario Bellini was also very well-received.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE ORTHODYNAMIC DRIVER
When tasked with the project to create a modern flagship headphone, the engineers drew inspiration from the iconic Yamaha models of the 1970s. They became interested in the Orthodynamic driver as they sought out ways to deliver an excellent quality attack that matches modern music sources, including high-resolution sound sources. Although it was extremely difficult to design a diaphragm that could deliver high accuracy, roughly a thousand different prototypes were made before they finally arrived at the current design. They insisted on choosing the best materials and components and came up with the manufacturing method. The engineers worked to perfect the form and structure by repeating many processes of measurement, analysis, and improvement. The new Orthodynamic driver features a larger opening than the previous model to increase the transmittance of sound from the diaphragm. In addition, the resonance frequency is lowered by eliminating the center fixation on the diaphragm to deliver a full expression of low-range frequencies and a tremendously dynamic sound. The engineers also reviewed the damping method and changed the previous felt damping to a micropore damper, making it possible to deliver an agile attack and minimize losses in the mid-to-high range.
Everything we do is aimed at delivering True Sound. Our Orthodynamic driver took over six years to develop, meeting many challenges and overcoming many difficulties. We invite you to experience and be inspired by this new True Sound and the supreme listening enjoyment it brings.
