Dan Clark Audio Voce vs Yamaha YH-5000SE

Short answer: the Dan Clark Audio Voce, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #179 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.9/5, at $2,599; the Yamaha YH-5000SE ranks #190, rated 2.7/5, and costs $4,999.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 216 over-ear headphones, and the Dan Clark Audio E3, ranked #1 at $2,299, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.

Why pick the Dan Clark Audio Voce: It uses an 88mm electrostatic driver in an open back design, a rare driver type among current headphones. The catch: A preference score of 56 from crinacle’s measurement puts its tonal balance far from what most listeners prefer.

What the Yamaha YH-5000SE does well: The open back planar magnetic driver has a 34 ohm, 98 dB/mW load that a phone or small dongle can drive. The catch: In oratory1990’s measurement a deep 16.7 dB dip near 2.75 kHz and a presence band 6.9 dB under target push vocals and lead instruments far back, for a preference score of 52 with 3.88 dB of deviation.

Buy the Dan Clark Audio Voce. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Yamaha YH-5000SE and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.

Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

How Dan Clark Audio Voce compares with other leading options:

• Audeze LCD-3 vs Dan Clark Audio Voce
• HEDD Heddphone 2 vs Dan Clark Audio Voce
• Dan Clark Audio Voce vs Focal Stellia
• Dan Clark Audio Voce vs Audeze LCD-4z
• Audeze LCD-4z vs Yamaha YH-5000SE

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The Two Headphones In Full

Dan Clark Audio Voce: $2,599.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: It uses an 88mm electrostatic driver in an open back design, a rare driver type among current headphones. It is rated above the Sennheiser HD 820 and the AKG K872 Pro and rated the same as the more expensive Focal Stellia.

Cons: A preference score of 56 from crinacle’s measurement puts its tonal balance far from what most listeners prefer. As an electrostatic design it needs a dedicated energizer rather than a normal headphone amp, which adds substantially to the system cost. The Audeze LCD-3 earns a higher rating for less money.

Full Dan Clark Audio Voce review and specifications →

Released	2018 (8 years ago)
Back	Open
Built-in Microphone	No
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	4.06 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Electrostatic
Drivers	1 x 88mm electrostatic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Harman Preference Score	56 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ)
Tonal Tilt	-0.48 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.3 dB	0.70
Peak	1,149 Hz	-7.5 dB	1.65
Peak	273 Hz	-1.7 dB	0.18
Peak	2,121 Hz	+5.4 dB	1.37
Peak	8,560 Hz	+5.7 dB	1.81
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+3.7 dB	0.70
Peak	4,724 Hz	-4.6 dB	5.65
Peak	3,207 Hz	+2.8 dB	6.00
Peak	79 Hz	-0.7 dB	2.76
Peak	5,558 Hz	+1.9 dB	6.00

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Dan Clark Audio Voce (crinacle measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Dan Clark Audio Voce vs Focal Stellia
  • Dan Clark Audio Voce vs HEDD Heddphone 2
  • Dan Clark Audio Voce vs Audeze LCD-4z
  • Dan Clark Audio Voce vs Audeze LCD-3

Yamaha YH-5000SE: $4,999.95 Amazon eBay

Pros: The open back planar magnetic driver has a 34 ohm, 98 dB/mW load that a phone or small dongle can drive. Its warm tilt suits listeners who prefer a relaxed, bass-leaning balance over a bright one. At 320 g it is moderate in weight for a planar headphone.

Cons: In oratory1990’s measurement a deep 16.7 dB dip near 2.75 kHz and a presence band 6.9 dB under target push vocals and lead instruments far back, for a preference score of 52 with 3.88 dB of deviation. Sub-bass also sits 6 dB below target, and the open back leaks sound. The Audeze LCD-2 Closed Back rates far higher for much less money.

Full Yamaha YH-5000SE review and specifications →

Released	Dec 2022 (3 years ago)
Back	Open
Built-in Microphone	No
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.88 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Planar magnetic
Drivers	1 x planar magnetic (Orthodynamic)
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	5Hz - 70kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	52 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	34 ohms
Sensitivity	98 dB/mW
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 27 Hz (-5.4 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.90 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.7 lbs (320 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+9.4 dB	0.70
Peak	2,812 Hz	+6.8 dB	1.88
Peak	1,242 Hz	-7.9 dB	2.00
Peak	57 Hz	-8.0 dB	0.46
Peak	3,792 Hz	+2.7 dB	5.86
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-5.1 dB	0.70
Peak	9,174 Hz	+2.0 dB	0.67
Peak	326 Hz	-0.9 dB	2.14
Peak	230 Hz	+0.8 dB	2.83
Peak	4,523 Hz	-2.0 dB	6.00

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Yamaha YH-5000SE (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Yamaha YH-5000SE vs Audeze LCD-4z
  • Yamaha YH-5000SE vs T+A Solitaire PSE