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- Striped ebony housing provides superb acoustic characteristics
- Ear pads cushioned in leather feature Audio-Technica's ultra-comfortable total ear fitting design
- 53 mm drivers (equipped with neodymium magnet systems) designed exclusively for the W5000
- Driver unit incorporates a Permendur magnetic circuit with exceptional magnetic characteristics
- High-quality 8N-OFC (oxygen free copper) voice coils for ultra-efficient signal transfer
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ATH-W5000 Raffinato is one of the most detailed headphones, and their soundstage is really wide and three-dimensional. There are great reverberations (because of closed wooden cups), which are especially good for acoustic music and female vocals. Three words, which are most associated with their sound: airy, clear and detailied. ATH-W5000 has upward shift in tonal balance. They don't really lack of low frequinces, but they aren't bassy, especially in comparison with Denon AH-D7000 or Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro. The quality of Raffinato's lower frequinces is very good, but there may be lack of quantity. So, ATH-W5000 is definitely poor solution (considiring their 1000$ price) for metal and other heavy music. You should buy Denon AH-D7000 for it, or pay 500$ more and buy Ultrasone Edition 9. But for classical music, jazz and other kinds of acoustic music, ATH-W5000 is by far the best solution from all non-electrostatic serial headphones (from all dynamic headphones, excluding Sony MDR-R10, Sony Qualia 010 and ATH-L3000).
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Like all headphones, this one too has a distinct sound, ie. it is not neutral. I find the W5000 to be the right balance between warm and neutral. The soundstage is very large, and all the details are present. I find that when listening to vocals, especially female vocals, or listening to a concerto, the solo instrument/vocals tend to stand out, making it harder to hear the details. It sounds very natural, but is a matter of preference. Additionally, the bass is not as pronounced as on other headphones--it is there, and very tight, but not overwhelming. I like it better than the Denon D2000, which is too cold and analytical. Compared to other ATH offerings such as the A900 and the ES7, it has a much wider soundstage, but the flavor of sound is pretty much the same. Basically, you are just getting more of the benefits of those headphones--more details, more soundstage, etc. I have used this with an Onkyo receiver hooked up to a Sony DVD player, and it sounds very good. It also works well with my Cowon D2, and also very well with my Sansa Clip, believe it or not. Basically, it has very low impedance, so I can listen to it at a fairly loud volume with my Clip volume set at 3/4 of max. Overall, a great headphone that gives you great enjoyment, even if you don't spend the extra thousand to buy an amplifier and DAC.
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I have had these for just a few days now, and I have to say they are beautiful. They are the perfect closed compliment to my open AD2000, and I really can't wait to get my RA5000 amplifier back from servicing but they sound quite good out of my hybrid HiFiMAN EF5 as well. I highly recommend these for their clear as a bell "Audio Technica house sound". If that is your thing, the W5000 is a real treat to listen to. Like my AD2000, I had to stuff some surgical tubing behind the earpads to get the inside of the cup off of my ear physically, no biggie but that design flaw is the only reason these earned less than 5 stars.
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I bought my Audio Technica ATH-W5000 "Raffinato" headphones from J&R Music World several months ago. These are the best headphones that I have ever owned. I am a member at Head-Fi.Org under my real name; I have written a longer review about my headphones. There is a distinct Audio Technica house sound so you have been forewarned. These headphones excel at reproducing classical, opera, female vocals, and acoustic music. They are very stylish and lightweight on my head. The fit and finish are impeccable. If you can afford these headphones and you have heard other Audio Technica headphones, then I would recommend these top of the line headphones. They are truly for collectors of high end audiophones.
Bought this as my first high end earphone. Amazon Marketplace sold me Used-Like New condition which is an accurate description. The packaging is very well done and definitely is reusable many time.
Upon unpacking, I left it burn in for about 3 consecutive days with Beethoven: String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4 & String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 130, with the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133 on Marantz SA-KI Pearl with moderate-high volume on loop. The disc is choosen for its great dynamic range and also is pretty much the kind of music I would be listening to most of the time. Oh boy! Over time, the changes are noticable. The soundstage widens, attacks and decays are as they should be on the viola and violin. In other words, timbre is beautifully presented on this earphone. I would not call it the most accurate earphone on the market but it certainly is one that produces and presents very pleasant sound to the ears.
Tested on another disc My One & Only Thrill and again, this earphone delivers above my expectation. Melody's vocal is not in your face but it is presented in an authentic manner in a reasonably sized soundstage with enough body. The music simply just flows.
As far as comfort goes, I don't have problems with this earphone. It feels that it comes with the right weight to me and I can wear it for a few hours without problems.
Though it has a closed back design, in terms of external sound isolation, it is not the most dead quiet earphone but more than enough for home-office environment. Also, this does not concern me for my application.
Overall, this is a happy purchase. This earphone was released many years ago but it still holds true as one of the reference earphones out there in the market. I can recommend it without any reservation.
