Yamaha YH–L700A

$499.95 From usa.yamaha.com

Features Bluetooth/wired headphones, 3D sound, head– tracking, noise–cancelation, 34hrs battery life

SOUND QUALITY

The YH–L700A boasts an impressive 8Hz – 40KHz frequency range that provides deep, rich bass, and crystal clarity on higher frequencies. And — unlike the AirPods Max — they provide a wired mode that lets you listen to lossless and high–res audio as well.

IMMERSIVE AUDIO

No need for Apple headphones to listen to spatial audio, and Yamaha matches the 3D atmospherics of the AirPods in music. Yamaha’s years of experience with surround sound speakers gives it the edge for movies, with a more precise sense of 3D placement for sound effects.

EXTRA FEATURES

The YH–L700A is no slouch either, with Yamaha including its own “3D sound field” and head–tracking features, and noise–cancelation (ANC) too. Along with Apple’s AAC codec for Bluetooth, Yamaha also supports the high– quality AptX — although that’s mainly for Android.

NOISE CANCELATION/BATTERY LIFE

Yamaha’s noise–cancelation isn’t as good, and the YH– L700A does let in more high–frequency sound. Battery life is an impressive 34 hours with ANC on, although the 3D sound feature for films does reduce that quite a bit.

Terrific all–rounders, the YH–L700A headphones combine high–tech features and excellent sound quality at a slightly more competitive price.

EXCELLENT

Great sound quality

Noise–cancelation could be better