Yamaha Headphone Problems: 4 Common Issues (Solved)

Are you having problems with your Yamaha headphones?

Yamaha headphones might sound suitable for pro-audio use, but here are four of the common problems you may encounter with their cans.

1. Yamaha Headphones Are Uncomfortable to Use

As Yamaha focused its headphone design on over-ear headphones for studio usage, comfort is one of the biggest concerns. 

If you’re mixing audio late at night, there’s a good chance you can’t mix your tracks with your studio monitors unless you have a dedicated sound treatment that won’t disturb your neighbors or roommates if you run a home studio. 

That’s why comfort is an essential factor when choosing a pair of headphones. 

For the most part, Yamaha headphones have a certain amount of heft due to the bulky drivers it employs to drive different frequencies. They’re much more potent than what you get from in-ear or even on-ear headphones. 

As head shapes differ from one another, you need to make sure the headphones you choose will be comfortable. 

Different factors contribute to the amount of comfort. 

Tight Headphone Bands:

As head shapes differ, what might be right for one person might be a bit tight for you. In this case, it would feel like your headphones are clamping your head.

And if your headphones are too tight, this could lead to compression headaches. 

If your Yamaha headphones are too tight, you can fix this by stretching them not to clamp your head:

• Look for a rigid object, such as a box or stack of books, ideally, a bit wider than your head.
• Stretch your headphones gently by pulling the right and left ear cups away and put the headphones on your chosen object.
• Let your headphones stretch over the object for 24 – 48 hours.
• If the headphones still clamp your head, repeat the process. You might want to try a broader object to stretch the headphones on.

Remember not to overdo the stretching, as your headphones still need a little clamping force to prevent them from falling off your head.

Headphones are Hurting Ears:

While Yamaha headphones are over-ears, expect them to sit comfortably on top of your ears. 

It’s not always that the earcup will snuggly fit on top of your ears, which presses your ears instead.  

As people have different head and ear shapes, headphones will sit differently per person. 

Remember that headphone reviews are done based on the reviewer’s perspective, so some headphones would have a different fit on the ears when others use them. 

While headphones are designed based on the average ear size and head size, it’s not all the time that a headphone will have a good fit, particularly for adults.

That’s why it’s better to personally fit headphones before buying them to get a good fit. 

But sometimes, that can be impractical for some people, especially when the nearest retailer can be hours away. 

A good option would be to look into third-party earpads for your Yamaha headphones so that you can get choices in case of the earpads press on your ears too much. 

Another thing you can do is try adjusting the headphones for a better fit. Many of the Yamaha headphones have adjustable earcups, where minor adjustments can do a lot for comfort. 

Try also tilting your headphones a little to get a good fit. You will need to find that sweet spot that matches the profile of your head and ears.

Headphones Hurting Top of the Head:

Did you know that your headphones should have the right amount of force when it clings on your head?

Too much force can hurt your head, but too little pressure can also make your head sore since your headphones will be resting with their weight pulling down. 

The lack of headphone padding causes this issue. Some headphones have little to no padding at all, which can be uncomfortable and cause an uncomforting fit.

The best solution for this would be to upgrade or add padding to the headband of your headphones.

You can find a lot of third-party padding that you can add to your headphones so that they can have the right fit. 

Ears Feel too Warm with Over-Ear Headphones:

Some headphones tend to make your ears warm, often rooted by poor breathability on the fabric used for the earcups or padding. 

If you think the material used for the headband padding or earcups of your Yamaha headphones doesn’t have enough ventilation, try looking for replacements made of velour.

Velour is known for its breathability and is durable too. 

2. Headphone Cables Keep on Breaking

As Yamaha headphones are designed for studio use, these headphones would rely on a wired connection to use. 

They don’t offer wireless connectivity to reduce latency during playback, especially for sound design or music scoring headphones. 

That is why you need to care for your cable so that it can last longer. The last thing you want is to have a broken connection in the middle of a mixing session.

If your cables keep on breaking, the first thing to consider is how you coil your cable.

There’s a proper way to coil your cables for storage:

• Get your cable and create an overhand loop. 
• Flip and make an underhand loop. 
• Repeat these steps in the same order until you reach the end of the cable. 
• Once you reach the end, secure with hook and loop cable fasteners. 

The nice thing about this technique is that it will unfurl neat and untangled when you unfasten the cable. 

You can also use this for other cables you use, such as charging cords or HDMI cables. 

Here are other things to consider in cable maintenance for your Yamaha headphones:

• Have a dedicated case for your headphones so that it absorbs any pressure on the cable. 
• Don’t dangle the cables, as these put pressure on the wires, especially when bent at an angle. 
• Make sure the cable doesn’t get tangled, as untangling may also put pressure on the wires. 
• When unplugging, pull on the plug and not the cable. 
• Do not leave headphones plugged. 

3. The Ear Cups of my Headphones are Flaking

Flaking is an issue that’s bound to happen with any headphone that uses faux leather for the earpads or headband. 

Flaking is a result of regular wearing. If you use your headphones regularly, the ear cups will deteriorate over time.

Factors contributing to this kind of deterioration include humid environments and sweat that come in contact with your headphones:

• While these are unavoidable, you can do something about it so that the earpads don’t wear out too fast.
• Wipe your headphones before and after use to remove any sweat and moisture that may accumulate.
• Make sure you have adequate storage for your headphones to reduce exposure to humid environments. Put silica gel desiccant to absorb any moisture that may accumulate.

4. My Over-ear Headphones Sound Muffled or Distorted

You may encounter occasional muffling with your Yamaha headphones, which can happen with any other headphone brand. 

Either the volume would be weak, or in some cases, some frequencies might not be understandable. 

These can be easily fixed, but you need to know where the problem is. 

Damaged Headphone Wires:

As headphone wires are one of the weak points of any headphone, they can also cause muffling. 

Earlier in this article, we pointed out that you need to care for your cables, including coiling them to prevent damage. 

But if there’s damage on your cable, here are some things to try:

If there are any exposed wires, you should seal them with Sugru. Sugru is a mouldable glue that’s used for covering silicone rubber.

Sugru is also durable, which makes it a good choice for sealing any exposed wires. It’s relatively a fast solution to use, as you only need 30 minutes to mold and set it and a day to let it cure.

If you’re using Sugru to seal cables, make sure that wires from other conductors don’t touch each other. Only connect wires that are on the same path, and the connection must remain parallel.

If there are too many damaged points, it’s best to get replacement cables. 

Overpowered and Blown Speakers:

Headphones have a voice coil that works up to a certain volume level before it starts breaking.

If you like cranking the volume to hear things clearly, the voice coil will wear out eventually.

While many of the modern headphones in the market today offer active noise cancellation, unfortunately, the headphones of Yamaha don’t provide it since they make passive headphones. 

And when the voice coil breaks, it is likely broken for good unless you can find a replacement. 

The best way to prevent this damage is to work in less noisy environments so that you don’t have to increase the volume all the way. 

You may also like to explore our article about How Durable Are Yamaha Headphones?

Poor Connection Between the Headphones and Audio Source:

Like broken cables, muffling also happens when your headphones and your audio source aren’t securely connected. 

Possibly, the plug and jack don’t have a good connection, resulting in muffled sounds. You can try cleaning the jack using a contact cleaner.

You can use an interdental toothbrush moistened with 70 percent alcohol to clean the insides if you need a quick fix. 

Let the jack dry for an hour before reconnecting. 

General Pros and Cons of Yamaha Headphones:

Good Alternative to more Expensive Studio Headphones:

If you’re looking to buy a good pair of studio headphones without breaking the bank, Yamaha offers suitable alternatives for studio work with their headphones. 

If you can’t afford the HS8 or HS5 speakers from Yamaha, their headphones are an excellent way to try getting close to that sound profile. 

Yamaha Headphones have Better Noise Rejection:

As the headphones of Yamaha are closed-back and over-ear headphones, you can expect good passive noise cancellation. 

For the most part, you don’t have to worry about environmental noise if you need to work remotely or track in a noisy environment. 

Disadvantages of Yamaha Headphones:

• They can be bulky to use for long periods, although your mileage may vary.
• Their sound profile is relatively flat, which can be disappointing for some consumers wanting more bass.  
• They don’t have many options compared to other brands.

Final Thoughts:

For the most part, the problems with Yamaha headphones are shared with other over-ear headphones in the market. 

There’s no reason to fret, as these are easily fixed. 

And while the sound profile of Yamaha headphones isn’t for everyone, these are a good starting point for those who want to hear the little nuances in the playback. 

Sources:

How to Stop Headphones From Hurting Your Ears

Why Do Your Headphones Sound Muffled? (Solved)

Here’s the Right Way to Wrap Cords and Cables