Yamaha's latest on-ear headphones launch with ANC and 3D Sound Field technology

Yamaha's latest high-end headphones are of the lesser-spotted, yet occasionally super-effective, square form factor, housing 40mm drivers in this case. The OEM has combined this design choice with a host of proprietary technologies underpinning more general premium features such as ANC and 3D sound.

Accordingly, Yamaha has packed its 3D Sound Field feature into the new YH-L700A cans. The company asserts that its in-house head-related transfer function (HRTF) audio technology will "render a 2-channel sound source into a three-dimensional sound space".

It is joined by Yamaha Listening Care in the YH-L700As, which is geared towards boosting frequencies that might otherwise be missed without raising the overall volume. To this end, the headphones have an exceptionally sensitive response range of 8 to 40,000 hertz (Hz).

There is also Listening Optimizer technology going on here, which apparently uses a dedicated interior sensor to evaluate the effect a given user's ear-shape has on seal and "air-leakage" within each cup from one 20-second interval to the next, and modulates playback accordingly.

Yamaha even asserts that the YH-L700A's ANC is "Advanced", thanks to a combination of external and internal mics. Then again, they also have an Ambient Sound mode. In terms of less proprietary specs, the headphones have Hi-Res audio when connected via 3.5mm jack, and Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC and aptX Adaptive support when not.

However, all these potential advantages come with a price, and it is high: US$699 on Yamaha's own US website. However, they will not be released until August 2021.