Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 are dynamic headphones with a closed design, and the casings of their drivers are made of ebony wood. This provides the headphones with excellent sound characteristics, as wood has good anti-resonance properties. In addition, such cases give the Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 a very sophisticated appearance, which many potential buyers will also certainly appreciate.
The Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 headphones are equipped with 53mm drivers that were designed specifically for use in the Audio-Technica ATH-W5000. The speakers have a neodymium-based magnetic system made using Permendur technology, which ensures their high efficiency. The voice coil in the drivers is wound with highly purified oxygen-free copper wire (8N-OFC), which ensures the most complete use of the energy supplied from the amplifier. The speaker frame is made of light magnesium alloy and has high rigidity with minimal weight. To obtain deep bass, the headphones use a system of double air damping of the emitters, thereby achieving the necessary mobility of their diffusers.
The headphones sit comfortably on your head thanks to the patented 3D Wing Support headband design, as well as soft ear pads made of genuine leather. The connecting cable fits into both ear cups, thereby equalizing the load on the head and maximizing the quality of stereo sound. The cable has a highly purified oxygen-free copper conductor (6N), is 3 meters long and is highly flexible. The headphones are equipped with a gold-plated jack with a diameter of 6.3 mm. Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 have very high sound quality and are recommended for the most demanding audiophiles in terms of sound quality. Thanks to their high sensitivity, these headphones can be used with portable equipment, but this model will be able to achieve its full potential when connected to a specialized high-class amplifier.
Among the huge variety of headphones produced by the Japanese company Audio-Technica, the ATH-W5000 model occupies a special place. The top status (only the open model ATH-ADX5000 is located higher in the hierarchy) emphasizes the use of a rare type of wood for making cups, and a luxurious plastic suitcase, lined with velor on the inside, for storing treasures. But the main thing is that this model concentrates all the company’s many years of experience in designing high-quality 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, antiquity, summer bliss, raffinato… From Italian – sophisticated, refined. One can only guess about the true reasons why the Japanese from Audio-Technica remembered Italy when working on a 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 very real suitcase with a real lock and handle in which to store your headphones. The inside of the suitcase is lined with something soft and trimmed with red velor – a real bed for displaying jewelry.
Audio-Technica ATH-W5000, of course, cannot be called a work of jewelry art, but the materials used for their manufacture are, in a certain sense, precious. The earcups are made of polished ebony, the headband is made of magnesium alloy, and the soft ear pads 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 arches allows you to firmly fix the headphones on your head and comfortably listen to music for hours.
The ATH-W5000 Raffinato headphones are one of the largest in Audio-Technica’s product line, which means they can be used in the home with stationary electronic components. And it’s unlikely that anyone would think of using such beauty on the subway or bus. In this regard, the manufacturer did not need to coordinate the operation of the headphones with low-power amplification stages of mass-produced portable equipment, and the company’s engineers could fully concentrate on sound quality. Although, judging by the nominal resistance of the headphones, which is only 40 Ohms, they would not pose any problem for a decent smartphone. But we decided not to test such an exotic option for using them, especially since the manufacturer protects against such experiments by not even including an adapter for a 3.5 mm minijack in the headset kit.
This model uses the largest dynamic drivers in the company’s range – the diameter of their membranes is an impressive 53 mm (only the very recent open model ATH-ADX5000 is larger – 58 mm). The speakers are installed in the cups at a slight angle, which optimizes the emission of sound waves. The dynamics of the sound is facilitated by a highly efficient magnetic head system made of a precision alloy of cobalt and iron permendur (permeability – “permeability”; durable – “durable”), which is distinguished by its 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. Connection to the amplifier uses a non-detachable, double-sided oxygen-free copper cable. The use of special plastic in its design eliminates the possibility of tangling, which is very important when the cable is about three meters long. The cable ends with a gold-plated jack plug with a diameter of 6.3 mm.
During testing, Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 headphones were connected to an external DAC combined with a specialized TEAC UD-503 headphone amplifier, which, in turn, received a digital stream via USB from a laptop. The presentation of musical material immediately pleasantly surprises you with its large-scale sound picture, filled with clearly designed and meaningful 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 going quite deep – the bass in their interpretation is fast and elastic. The three-dimensional scene is distinguished by depth separation and clear positioning of sound sources. The headphones are equally good at both symphonic works performed by the BSO and energetic rock compositions, presented with the necessary drive and rhythm. In this sense, the headphones demonstrated enviable genre versatility – jazz, chamber music groups, modern electronics – nothing will put them in a dead end.
Characteristics Audio-Technica ATH-W5000
Type Closed, dynamic
Frequency range 5 Hz – 45 kHz
Emitter 53 mm
Magnetic system neodymium
Voice coil OFC8N wire, Permendur design
Maximum input power 2000 mW
Sensitivity 102 dB/mW
Impedance 40 Ohm
Weight 340 g (without wire )
Cable 3 meters, OFC6N + Hi-OFC, four-wire, parallel
6.3 mm connector, gold-plated
Optional storage case, cable pouch
