Yamaha Corporation of America’s AV Division announced today a new line of on- & over-ear headphones that they call their PRO series. Straddling the markets for pro audio, musician, and consumer – the new PRO series is clearly targeted at a more serious listener who appreciates higher fidelity…but with a contemporary, high styling. Featuring what the company calls a “racing inspired” look – the PRO series has a design style more similar to BEATS, SOUL by Ludacris, or SOL Republic, as opposed to previous more utilitarian designs.
But, there is a twist…
Yamaha’s new PRO headphone series includes three new “premium” models: the PRO300, PRO400, and PRO500. The first thing you notice is a sleek, glossy, design with relatively intense color schemes and a dramatic overall look. Echoing the new, more fashion-conscious design ethic of other popular brands – at first I thought that Yamaha had “sold out” to the popular booming-bass urban listener bunch. But, according to the materials provided by the company, looks can be deceiving.
Yamaha is a company with a rich musical heritage. Over their history, musical excellence, natural and balanced sound quality were designed into just about everything they made. To this day, their musical instrument division is by far the largest…setting the tone for a commitment to an honest and accurate sound reproduction.
We’re not warped…
So while this new line may look similar to other brands, the company makes it clear that there is no over-accentuated frequency range to “warp the overall sound quality.” Yes, they have intended their design to reflect the “power, elegance and performance of racing motorcycles,” but while doing so Yamaha has remained committed to “delivering natural sound that is balanced yet vivid.”
“Most headphones currently available fall into one of two camps,” stated Yamaha senior vice president Tom Sumner in a prepared statement. “They either have unexciting conventional design aesthetics or they are tuned for specific music tastes with exaggerated bass that can warp the overall sound quality. There’s a market for headphones that fuse progressive style with true natural sound.”
Does PRO stand for proprietary?…
Yamaha says that their PRO series headphones incorporate a proprietary driver design featuring the efficient neodymium magnets. The breakdown of features on the new PRO line is as follows:
PRO300 (On-Ear Design with a MSRP of $199.95)
- Lightest, most compact version
- Premium, mobile-optimized drivers that are Yamaha-tuned for accuracy
- Adjustable headband and soft ear cushions
- Flat, 4-foot tangle-resistant cable with inline controls optimized for Apple devices
- Folding design for easy transportation in included soft carrying case
- Gold-plated ¼-inch adapter included
- Available in Ivory White, Piano Black, and Racing Blue finishes
PRO400 (Over-Ear Design with a MSRP of $299.95)
- Over-ear design provides added noise isolation
- More robust sound with larger drivers and ear cups
- Adjustable headband and soft ear cushions
- Yamaha-tuned for sonic accuracy
- Comes with two detachable cables: 4-foot flat, tangle-resistant cable with built-in mic and controls optimized for Apple devices; And, 10-foot flat tangle-resistant cable for home listening
- Like the PRO300 folds for storage in a semi-rigid carrying case
- Gold-plated ¼-inch adapter included
- Available in Ivory White and Piano Black finishes
PRO500 (Over-Ear Design with a MSRP of $399.95)
- Yamaha calls this the flagship model and says it comes with “ultra-premium drivers” and rigid aluminum alloy ear cups for best quality sound
- Yamaha-tuned for sonic accuracy
- Over-ear design for noise isolation
- Adjustable headband and soft ear cups
- Dual input/output ports for maximum connectivity flexibility
- Like the other models, features a foldable design to fit into included semi-rigid carrying case
- Comes with two detachable cables: 4-foot flat, tangle-resistant cable with built-in mic and controls optimized for Apple devices; And, 10-foot flat tangle-resistant cable for home listening
- Gold-plated ¼-inch adapter included
- Available in Piano Black or Racing Blue finishes
Yamaha says that their PRO series of headphones are very rugged and designed for everyday use. The entire PRO series headphones will be available in late September.
For more information on Yamaha headphones, see: http://4wrd.it/PROSERIES_HEADPHONES.
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