Audio Technica ATH W5000 headphone

Among the huge variety of headphones produced by the Japanese company Audio-Technica, the modelATH-W5000occupies a special place. The top status (only the open model ATH-ADX5000 is higher in the hierarchy) is emphasized by the use of rare wood for making cups, and a luxurious plastic suitcase, trimmed with velor on the inside, to store the treasure. But the main thing is that this model concentrates all the company's many years of experience in designing high-end headphones. As a result, their sound is quite capable of competing with the work of very high-class acoustic systems, but in miniature and personally for you.

Italy, ancient antiquities, summer bliss, raffinato... From Italian - refined, refined. One can only guess about the true reasons why the Japanese from Audio-Technica remembered Italy while working on the model with the ATH-W5000 index, but there is no doubt that these headphones are worthy of their own name along with the soulless index. A feeling of sophistication appears as soon as you pick up a completely real suitcase with a real lock and handle, in which you should store your headphones. Inside, the suitcase is lined with something soft and trimmed with red velour - a real bed for laying out jewelry.

Audio-Technica ATH-W5000, of course, can not be called a piece of jewelry, but the materials used to make them are precious in a certain sense. The earcups are made from polished ebony wood, the headband is made of magnesium alloy, and the soft ear cushions are trimmed with genuine leather. The original design of the headband without the usual length adjustment, but with special shock-absorbing pads on a lightweight metal frame made of two thin arcs, allows you to tightly fix the headphones on your head and listen to music comfortably for hours.

The earcups are made from polished ebony wood, the headband is made of magnesium alloy, and the soft ear cushions are trimmed with genuine leather. The original design of the headband without the usual length adjustment, but with special shock-absorbing pads on a lightweight metal frame made of two thin arcs, allows you to tightly fix the headphones on your head and listen to music comfortably for hours.

Headphones ATH-W5000 Raffinato - one of the largest in the production line of Audio-Technica, which implies their use in the home with stationary electronic components. And it is unlikely that anyone would think of using such beauty in the subway or bus. In this regard, the manufacturer did not need to ensure the coordination of the headphones with low-power amplifier stages of mass portable equipment, and the company's engineers could fully concentrate on sound quality. Although, judging by the nominal impedance of the headphones, which is only 40 ohms, they would not become any problem for a decent smartphone. But we decided not to test such an exotic version of their use, especially since the manufacturer protects against such experiments,

The headphones are equally good at both symphonic canvases performed by BSO and energetic rock compositions presented with the necessary drive and rhythm. In this sense, the headphones have demonstrated an enviable genre versatility - jazz, chamber music groups, modern electronics - nothing will put them to a standstill.

This model uses the largest dynamic radiators in the company's nomenclature - the diameter of their membranes is an impressive 53 mm (only the freshest open model ATH-ADX5000 has a larger diameter - 58 mm). The speakers are mounted in cups at a slight angle, which optimizes the emission of sound waves. Dynamism of the sound is facilitated by a highly efficient magnetic head system made of a precision alloy of cobalt and permendur iron (permeability - "permeability"; durable - "durable"), which is characterized by high cost. The voice coils are wound with 8N high purity copper conductors. The dual air damping system and closed acoustic design deliver fast, controlled bass. To connect to the amplifier, a non-detachable double-sided oxygen-free copper cable is used. The use of special plastic in its design eliminates the possibility of entanglement, which is very important with a cable length of about three meters. The cable ends with a gold-plated 6.3 mm jack plug.

During testing, Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 headphones were connected to an external DAC, combined with a specialized headphone amplifierTEAC UD-503, which, in turn, received a digital stream via USB from a laptop. The presentation of musical material immediately pleasantly surprises with a large-scale sound picture filled with clearly designed and full-fledged images. A very detailed and airy upper part of the range is successfully combined with a textured and dynamic bass register.

The closed acoustic design does not prevent the Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 from sinking quite deep - the bass in their interpretation is fast and elastic. The three-dimensional scene is distinguished by the separation in depth and the clear positioning of the sound sources. The headphones are equally good at both symphonic canvases performed by BSO and energetic rock compositions presented with the necessary drive and rhythm. In this sense, the headphones have demonstrated an enviable genre versatility - jazz, chamber music groups, modern electronics - nothing will put them to a standstill.

Passport data:

Type - dynamic on-ear headphones | Name -Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 Raffinato| Dynamic radiators - diffusers with a diameter of 53 mm | Acoustic design - closed | Frequency response, Hz - 5 - 45,000 | Resistance, Ohm - 40 | Sensitivity, dB / mW - 102 | Maximum input power, W - 2 | Construction - Magnesium Alloy Headband, Black Ebony Cups, Genuine Leather Ear Pads | Features - 3.0 meter cable with 6.3 mm plug, hard case for storage and carrying | Weight, kg - 0.34

Conclusion:

By choosing the right partners for the Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 headphones, you will get a personal audio system that can compete on equal terms with a home kit that includes full-fledged speakers, costing several times more. At the same time, the influence of the acoustic features of the room will be excluded, which will eliminate the need to invest effort and money in preparing the room, which may well exceed the cost of equipment. The selfish happiness of an audiophile.