Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z

Equipment used for this review:
- Chord Mojo (DAC)
- Schiit Lyr 3 on low gain w/ Electro-Harmonix 6SN7 Gold tube and Tung-Sol 6SN7
- Note that every other headphone cited in this review is one I've owned and used extensively.

I've owned and heard lots of headphones in my life, including the lower end Audio Technica ATH-A900X which is better than the W1000Z. The W1000Z is one of the least authentic headphones I've heard aside from all the ones with super exaggerated V-shaped frequency response. Not only that, but it is very thin sounding, has a horrible ringing somewhere over 12 KHz that ruins the entire sound signature and makes it sound extra harsh, highly inconsistent treble that manages to be harsh and perhaps recessed in some ranges, it lacks bass extension and sub-bass response... based on all of this, I consider the W1000Z easily bested by the far less expensive ATH-A900X, and other much less costly headphones such as the Fostex T50RP MKIII, Beyerdynamic DT 880, Sennheiser HD 598 Cs for starters (the latter two I've only used with inferior equipment, no Lyr 3 or Chord Mojo).


This particular Audio Technica lineup is known for having wonky colorations. Of all of their wooden headphones, the W1000Z is the only one I've used thus far, but it is certainly full of "wonky colorations" and horrible overall treble quality, as well as an expected lack of bass extension and sub-bass response. The W1000Z is made in Japan and looks beautiful, but like every other Audio Technica headphone in this lineup, the build quality is not great, subpar for the price even, and the 3D wing design is just silly and not ideal.

The wood is gorgeous, the plastic is mediocre, the pads are mere pleather (why not real leather or a vegan counterpart of equal quality on a $700 MSRP headphone?), the cable is not removable, and the 3D wing design means essentially all of the headphone's weight will rest on your ears. Luckily it's a lightweight headphone so it's not uncomfortable, but it is still an inferior design. The W1000Z takes on an interesting design with angled drivers. The non-removable cable is just nonsense especially for a closed headphone (you'd think a manufacturer would consider that a user would take a closed headphone out of the house, therefore a removable cable is even more convenient than otherwise, not to mention my W1000Z didn't come with a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter). Physically, the W1000Z is disappointing despite its attractive looks. Much less costly Beyerdynamic headphones such as the DT 880 are more sturdy with better ear pad material too.

With the physical elements out of the way, let's take a closer look at the sound quality of the W1000Z. The overall sound signature is weird: weak sub-bass, some mid-bass emphasis for warmth, relatively forward mids (though mid bass presence is always there), perhaps the most inconsistent treble I have ever heard that is very harsh above 12 KHz (not due to being too forward, just due to an awful ringing and poor quality in general), overall it sounds thin and fake. Doesn't have much in the way of dynamics and energy, it's meant to be a more relaxed listen I think but the ringing above 12 KHz that causes extreme harshness throws that out the window.

The W1000Z is thinner and less authentic than the Sennheiser HD 598 Cs on inferior gear, Beyerdynamic DT 880 on inferior gear, AKG K7xx on inferior gear, some old used Stax electret I used to have, and obviously it thus sounds really thin and fake compared to my Sennheiser HD 6XX and even more so my ZMF Blackwood.

Yet the W1000Z is remarkably good at detail retrieval, even better than my ZMF Blackwood in this regard overall. It doesn't sound overly enclosed barring that horrible ringing in the treble, and imaging is weak. The W1000Z somehow pulls off some magic with guitars and they sound super clear (and forward) but still pretty thin, since everything on the W1000Z sounds very thin except perhaps the mid-bass oddly enough.


Bass:
Not terrible, but lacks extension. Extremely weak and soft when approaching 30 Hz and going below, and it can't go far below. Much less costly headphones like the Fostex T50RP MKIII, Beyerdynamic DT 880, AKG K7xx all have deeper bass extension (the latter two I've only used with an inferior DAC and highly inferior amplifier, the Maverick Audio Tubemagic D1).

The W1000Z has some mid bass emphasis to give it a warmer sound. Not much slam though.

Mids:
Thin with nasally female vocals that get shouty and harsh as you approach higher frequencies, so not all female vocalists will be affected by the shoutyness but many will. The mids are also clear and detailed, but I can't get over the thinness. Vocals are a bit more forward than the rest. Overall they are highly unconvincing and disappointing as a whole, the W1000Z has some of the worst vocals I've heard in a while. Listen to Rihanna's "Sledgehammer" with this, you'll be tempted to remove the headphone immediately and never listen to it again.

Acoustic guitars (and thus lutes I guess) sound very forward and detailed, but still a bit on the thin side. These are by far the best sounding instruments with the W1000Z, the vast majority of them really lack authenticity due to them sounding too thin. I thought this would handle wind instruments, piano, violins and other string instruments, but nope, they all sound too thin and not convincing. As far as mids go, I am most disappointed with vocals though.

Treble:
The source of most of this headphone's problems. I've mentioned the horrible ringing that I notice over 11-12 KHz, I've never heard anything so bad in that regard. It ruins the entire sound signature when listening to music that constantly reaches up beyond 12 KHz. The treble sounds super inconsistent to me with some noticeable dips, making it sound incredibly unrealistic, hollow, and thin. At the same time it has obvious colorations to make it sound even more fake. The lower treble has some decent qualities to it I think, but it is honestly hard to tell due to its inconsistencies. Cymbals sound so incredibly thin and fake.

Sound Stage/Imaging
Surprisingly weak imaging, and more complex music shows how the W1000Z really lacks layers as it totally loses coherence and sounds start to blend together. Not good at all especially for the price. This might be the absolute worst $400ish headphones I have ever heard. The sound stage is quite forward overall, doesn't have much in the sense of defined width or depth as expected for a closed headphone. Overall the sound stage isn't bad at all for a closed headphone but imaging is subpar.


Conclusion
I really wonder what Audio Technica was trying to do with this headphone, as it is tuned to sound artificially colored. The W1000Z is decent for guitar solos I suppose, and bad for everything else to my ears so it has no purpose in my collection. From a physical design standpoint to the actual sound quality, the W1000Z is 99% disappointment to me. This disappointment took me by surprise, I knew to expect some colorations but this is something else.

Naturally, Audio Technica fans may try to fault my other gear for this, but there's nothing wrong on that front. The Chord Mojo is an excellent DAC, the Lyr 3 is a good amp without any particularly bad qualities (and neutral enough for it to not be a particularly bad match for any headphone) and I use it on low gain. The W1000Z is efficient with its 101 dB/mW sensitivity and 43 Ohm impedance, easy for most amps.

Judging by the detail retrieval of the W1000Z which is surprisingly good, it shows that it's not that far from being a good headphone, but it needs a LOT of tuning. I really expected more out of this, something clearly better than the ATH-A900X which impressed me for the price (though the Sennheiser HD 598 Cs beats that handily now). The ATH-A900X doesn't have the horrible treble ringing and thinness that the W1000Z has.

Now that I’m finally finished with the fire academy I can begin getting back on track with all these reviews I’m beyond behind on. So, what better one to start than with than a product that’s all too well known and received over the years? I am of course referring to the Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z. I was given these, along with a few other models, a while ago and simply asked to listen to them and see what I thought. So now I’m finally able to share my thoughts.


A little about me
I would like to say that first and foremost I am NOT an “audiophile” but rather an audio enthusiast. I listen to music to enjoy it. Do I prefer a lossless source? Yes, of course. But I can still be very happy streaming from Pandora or even my YouTube “My Mix” playlist. I also prefer equipment that sounds the best to me personally regardless of what frequency response it has or rather or not it's “sonically accurate” and I always have and shall continue to encourage others to do the same.
I'm a 26 year old firefighter, for the City of Concord, North Carolina as well as the U.S. Army North Carolina National Guard. The cliché of wanting to do this since I was born couldn't be more present with me. I've worked hard over the last several years to earn this position and now it's time for me to work even harder to keep it.
My interests/hobbies are power lifting, fishing and relaxing to audio products and reviewing them to help other decide on what products would work for them. Few things make me as an audio enthusiast/review feel more accomplished than when someone tells me that I helped them find the type of sound they've always been looking for.
Now, the sound signature I personally favor is a relaxing, warm and sensual sound that just drifts me away in the emotional experience of the music being performed. Yes, accuracy is still important but I will happily sacrifice some of that if I'm presented with a clean, warm sound that can wisp me away into an experience that makes me yearn for more.
My ideal signature are that of respectably forward mids and upper bass range with the bass being controlled but with some slight decay. I like my treble to have nice extension and detail reveal with a smooth roll off up top as to not become harsh in the least. Examples of products that have given me chills and keep giving me the yearning for more feels are the (in no particular order) Bowers & Wilkins P7, Oppo PM-1/2, Empire Ears Hermes VI & Zeus XIV, Audeze LCD-XC, Meze Headphones 99 Classics.

Equipment used at least some point during the review
-Amp.
-Schiit Lyr 2
-w/ matched '68 Amperex Orange Globe 6DJ8 tubes
-D.A.C.
-PS Audio DirectLink III w/ Cullen Stage 4 mod
-Schiit Bifrost 4490
-Sources
-LG V20
-Playing Tidal Hifi, Pandora, YouTube, and various formated music
-Luxury & Precision L3
-Misc. Equipment
-Source cleaner
-iFi Nano iUSB3.0

Disclaimer
I am by no means sponsored by this company or any of its affiliates. They were kind enough to send me a product for an arranged amount of time in exchange for my honest opinion. I am making no monetary compensation for this review.
The following is my take on the product being reviewed. It is to be taken “with a grain of salt” per say and as I always tell people, it is YOUR opinion that matters. So regardless of my take or view on said product, I highly recommend you listen to it yourself and gauge your own opinion.

The Opening Experience
Why I feel so strongly about the initial unboxing experience





So, thus far the experiences of the initial handshake Audio-Technica provides their customers are, how I say, quite disappointing. So when I got to opening the ATH-W1000Z I truthfully didn’t have much hopes but was admittedly thinking that for a product that MSRP’s for $700 (retail prices are around $400 [this will be touched on later]). Well, unfortunately the ATH-W1000Z’s kept with the theme of a rather disappointing unboxing experience.

The box itself is a basic black cardboard with the front and sides being simplistic and only having the branding and model name printed on them with the front having the headphone name Maestoso and model name/number in gold lettering. The back of the box had the specs., features, and a ton of other “look at me” stuff written on it in multiple different languages. This really bogs down the draw of this packaging (to me), for honestly, IMO, it could all have been added to a pamphlet on the inside. Now granted, at the $399 price point I’m seeing it at it’s not uncommon in the very least for companies to put a lot of writing on the boxes to differ it from other similar priced higher consumer priced products. However, this is, from my personal experience, the most disappointing unboxing I’ve ever done in this price point (and quite a bit lower as well).

When you open the top and slide the headphones out, they’re being held on a very cheap plastic spacer thing that is only different from the previously reviewed AD1000X and A550Z models by having a red felt feeling material sprayed on top of it. It looks nicer at least. Then behind the plastic spacing thing is the instructions and warranty information. Yup, that’s it. No case.

This’ll be a short paragraph but my summary of my experience in the unboxing experience has already been said a few times so, moving on.

Construction





Not the best start but there’s still a lot more to be discussed. Now we’ll talk about the overall build quality of the ATH-W1000Z. So starting from the top and going down. The ATH-W1000Z continues that Audio-Technica theme of utilizing the wing support system. What this is is the two “bars” at the top of the headphone on top of the split headband. This is what gives the lineup the wonderful clamping for it has. The downside to this system is the split headband. There is just ZERO support to it so the entire weight of the headphone lies entirely on the ears (or area around the ears to be more precise). I feel if Audio-Technica would just implement a more firmer spring than this issue would go away, but as it is now the headbands are only there for appearance.

Moving down we’ve a completely plastic frame (not taking away from it necessarily for it’s very common in products of this price point) that has almost zero maneuverability to it. As in they may have put a 30 degree swivel, so if you have an odd face of more commonly just want to take it somewhere, in addition to the needing a 3rd party carrying case, you better account on using up a lot of room.

Continuing our journey south, the added real teak wood back I will say adds a beautiful touch to the ATH-W1000Z’s. I’ve zero complaints with the wooden back, it’s professional looking and adds a touch of uniqueness that isn’t showboaty (in fact it’s hardly noticeable). On the other side of the cups we’ve a faux leather material that, to me, appears to be very well stitched together and I don’t forsee any issues in the near future.

Finally we’ve the cable. Any continuing with my disappointment is that this cable, though IS NOT a bad cable, appears to be a cheaply placed cable due to both its appearance and feel. Now, what is not acceptable, especially in today’s market, is that the cable is not removable or replaceable. The biggest reason for a headphone to stop working is a short in the cable. The majority of consumers aren’t aware of this and just assume their perfectly working headphone is well, no longer working. So now they’re out buying another unneeded headphone when all they had to do was replace the cable. Oh wait. In the ATH-W1000Z you’re unable to and will have to send it off to pay a ridiculously expensive repair cost (speaking from experience [not with any of the Audio-Technica products]). So, and this is just my viewpoint on this, because of this I see any company putting a non detachable cable on their products as not keeping the consumer, their customers, in mind and are only thinking about or rather is only interested in themselves. But the cable is terminated in a really nice looking ¼” jack, so that’s a plus.

So overall the construction of the ATH-W1000Z is meh. It’s by no means the best you can get, far from it honestly. But it could most certainly be worse.

Comfort




I often go back and forth as to if the products comfort or its build quality is more important. The construction will make the product last a long time while the comfort will allow the user to want to wear the product for a long time. Thus far the ATH-W1000Z isn’t faring too well but we’re not finished with it yet oh no. By just looking at the headphone you’ll likely notice either the teak wood back of the giant circumaural ear pads first. Now, I’m unaware if those of you are aware but I have larger than normal ears (you can see for yourself on my YouTube channel linked below) so I all but have to have big cups or else I lose out on a lot of time listening to a product merely because they become painful on my ears.

So how do the Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z’s feel? Pretty darn good overall. Of all the Audio-Technica models I’ve reviewed (as of writing this review) this is the only model that I actually enjoyed wearing for it never fatigued me. Now, they still suffer from the shortcomings they self imposed with the wing system and zero support headband, as well as the minimal movement of the drive housing; but the large pads, that are also angled a little bit, matched my head wonderfully. The pads were firm but at the same time offered just the right amount of give which provided great comfort and a tremendously solid seal. The clamping force is also spot on and again, due to the choice of pads selected for this model, the zero support headbands deficiencies were negligible. The only downside I personally experienced is that my ears did tend to get slightly warm after a couple hours listening to them.

To conclude my thoughts on the comfort of the ATH-W1000Z’s is that to me they are wonderfully comfortable solely due to the choice of padding they chose. If it weren’t for that, as with the other models I’ve reviewed prior, I likely would have found the comfort of these mediocre.

Sound



Alright, so we’ve finally made it (or you just scrolled straight here and that’s cool too), my findings and thoughts on how the ATH-W1000Z’s sound. And not to spoil a future review too much, but these were definitely my favorite sounding Audio-Technica product that I’ve ever listened to (as of the time of writing).

The sound for the longest time tricked me. What I mean by this is initially listening to it, and honestly a good ways later, I believed it to be a soft warm headphone but certainly not even close to being dark. The key word I found in that, was soft. The ATH-W1000Z possesses a hard to explain relaxing and calm sound to it that at first gives the impression of being a warm headphone with a soft bass and mid presence (please watch a few videos from this playlist to see what I mean). But upon really spending time listening to them I have discovered that they actually lean more towards the bright side. My last link was to show off its overall sound but now if you listen to two polar opposite songs such as Maxence Cyrin “Where is My Mind” for the treble and “When The Beat Drops” by (I’m honestly not sure who the artist is) you’ll find that the mids and treble is more emphasised than the bass is as a whole. This doesn’t really affect anything but that it took me so long to hone in on its tonality really impressed me personally.

The imaging is also very nice. If you’ll let the W1000’s perform for you then they’ll gladly present you whatever performance of medium you desire. They won't make it seem like you’re in a concert hall for the soundstage is a bit small, or rather very intimate I feel is a better way to describe it, so whatever you’re listening to will become, again IMO, very personal. A downside though that it I guess a side effect of the sound characteristics is that there’s not a lot of separation. Normally this is a negative for me but truthfully it does fit into the overall flow so you will have to take it for what you will. When listening to your average sized performance many of the instruments are difficult to individualize and all blend together, so I found that traditional large classical concerts are really primed for this headphone.

But enough about my generalization of the sound quality. Allow me to discuss the individual characteristics as best I can so that hopefully I can portray what I was talking about above.


Treble

The highs on the ATH-W1000Z is sparkly and very clean. The extension can be a bit harsh at times for its roll off is well into the piercing levels. With that in mind, when you’re listening to music not of that level of treble built in, the highs are honestly very enjoyable. Please bear with me for describing the highs is honestly a bit difficult for though they can great extension, as previously mentioned, it’s still soft and non fatiguing in the least. Detail is retrieved to where I don’t feel like I’m missing anything but at the same time I don’t feel like it fishes for what should be there. It’s forgiving on less than perfect audio formats in other words.

I often describe treble as having an energy transfer. Like when I’m listening to Lindsey Stirling and her violin; she’s exquisite to listen to for she’s so energetic and her music is (usually) very happy and upbeat. The ideal headphone will translate this energy with equal vigor but with the ATH-W1000Z it’s presented in a way that doesn’t reflect that but at the same time doesn’t really leave me feeling disappointed.

I’m not sure if I was able to give a good description as to what I was trying to say but that’s the best I could come up with. Like I said I, for the longest time, thought the W1000Z was a warm headphone until I really listened to their attributes. It’s just a really nice and soft experience.

Mids

My personal favorite area of sound. The mids is where the vocals lie and with that, to me, the soul of the music is. No other range truly portrays emotion like the mids to so if they are not presented cleanly and accurately then you can’t honestly really feel the emotion trying to be portrayed. As with the Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z I really feel like they did a great job on the mid section. Regardless if I’m listening to male or female vocals, both are represented so realistically and intimately that, when I close my eyes, see a private concert that solely for me.

Something that the W1000Z’s really excel in is accoustic music. Oh my goodness, there’s a reason I linked that playlist above because daggon did it sound incredible through these headphones. The reverb of a guitars or cellos strings sounded so very good and did wonders when I got home after shift and just wanted to relax for a little bit. The mids are just slightly off neutral so they’re not so pushed forward as to take away from the full experience you receive but they are enough so that you can really hear the words being spoken clearly and separately from the treble and bass (even with rock music). This song (Linked as an AMV not original music video) “A New Day Has Come" by Céline Dion I think shows this very well.

Bass

Finally we’ll discuss the bass. Again I’ll state that originally I felt these headphones were more warm because of how well the bass translates into the mids. Now it was NEVER even remotely to be considered dark (or bass heavy) but the touch was certainly nice. The upper bass is forward but then quickly decreases into a recessed bass-sub bass (there’s no subbass I’ll just say that). It’s soft and relaxed but possesses just enough punch to enjoy drums and not crave much more. The teak wood also adds a nice reverb that, though is very minor, is a nice touch (I’ve always personally loved this about wooden backs). Check out this video by Mitchell “FINGERS” Cullen, it really sums up what I’m talking about and also has a nice acoustic guitar as well.

Conclusion



To sum up my thoughts on the Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z, they’re headphones that possess so much potential but the shortcomings in other areas really hold it back from being a solid headphone of choice over other similar priced products. I greatly enjoy listening to these and it really pains me that they could be so much better if only they were to be shown a little more TLC. They sound so soft and relaxing and aren’t like other bright headphones I’ve listened to. They are certainly a headphone I will miss listening to.

If ever I can get lucky enough to have someone from Audio-Technica either read this review or watch my YouTube review of it (linked below) allow me to offer just a couple changes that I think would go leaps and bounds for not just the W1000Z but for a great deal many of your products you offer as well.

• Take a little bit more pride in the unboxing experience the customer has. I know that 99% of the mainstream crowd really doesn’t give too big a thought on getting to their new product but I’m sure a many people don’t think about how important offering someone a firm handshake is when they greet people either. But it’s just that small thing you can do (and I’m not saying go crazy to have to raise the cost much) to set yourself apart from those who show a little more pride in their products.
• Make the spring on the split headband A LOT more firmer. As in let the two of them together have the ability to support the weight of the headphone. Right now the only thing they’re good for is messing up hair.
• Make the darned cables detachable. I mean come on. From first hand experience, very little makes me hold resentment towards a brand than when the cable of the product goes out and I have to spend an absurd amount of money to have it replaced by the manufacturer (or a company they lease this right to). I’ll even excuse the minimal headphone movement if you’d just make this small but super important change.

So what are my final thoughts on the Audio-Technica ATH-W1000Z? They call this particular the "Maestoso" which is Latin for "a movement or passage marked to be performed in a majestic manner" and in terms of sound quality and even initial appearance, I think they hit it pretty spot on. This headphone will suite those who want a great headphone to just sit back and relax and enjoy the overall presentation of their music too rather than worry about every, single, minute detail. Is there some shortcomings? Most certainly. But as a unit as a whole I think it's a solid choice and most certainly one that I personally will be missing.

Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

 
 
Audio Technica has a long history of making wood-cupped headphones, both in limited edition and production models. The W2002, their first famous limited edition model, is now a highly sought-after in the second-hand market. Since then there have been a plethora of models, of which a number were owned by a local enthusiast friend of mine. At some point or another I’ve had the chance to audition not only the well-known ESW9, ES10 and W1000, but also the limited edition W11JPN, W10LTD, W10VGT, and ESW10JPN on-ears. 
 
Each model has sounded slightly different, as each had a different wood, and sometimes cup shape. But some aspects have always been consistent about Audio Technica models such as their unique headband system and mid-forward sound signature.
 
The W1000Z is the third in the W1000 series of headphones and Audio Technica’s 10th W-series wood headphones. The first in the 1000 series, the W1000, was quite a dark, albeit somewhat mid-forward sounding pair of headphones. A few years ago, along with the release of new closed, metal-cup headphones, Audio Technica released the (now discontinued) W1000X. With American Black Cherry wood cups, newer and deeper pads, and the lighter arc system from the W5000 flagship, they moved to a more lighter-sounding signature, while keeping the very forward mids of the Audio Technica “house sound”. Paired with one of their tube amps, they can be quite stunning, though I felt they weren’t their best with regular solid-state electronics.
 
Given my good experience of the W3000, it was a pleasant surprise on first audition to find that they had taken much the same sound signature and put it in a production model, if not keeping the ear pads and lighter arcs. The unique design of the W1000X, a combination of the features of previous models going back many years has a number of good and bad points. A light-weight magnesium frame holds the teak wood cups and is shaped to angle the earpads slightly, below which exit a non-detachable OFC-6N cable. For the W1000X Audio Technica has selected the older, flatter style seen on the W5000s, while choosing a slightly squared-off shape of cups and a forward-angled 53mm driver. This is all held together with two metal arcs under which, rather than a regular headband arrangement, sit two spring-loaded pads, one on either size. The arcs are of the older, thicker style of metal, seen on, say, the AD2000X and have something of a circular shape that when stretched best suit people with larger heads, as with average and smaller-sized heads, the cups end up sitting angled, resting under one’s ear, and not forming a good seal. This can be rectified somewhat with some judicious bending at the very sides and top, to form them into a shape that is more a natural oval. Once set up well, the headphones sit lightly and comfortably, making long listening sessions pleasant. 
 
Sound-wise, the W1000Z strikes a nice balance between giving some warmth to the bass without interfering with the mid-range and treble. The overall signature is on the light side, with significant, but not excessive upper-mid and treble emphasis that brings the focus on instruments, combined with a drop-off in the mid-bass/lower mid-range. If you can obtain a good seal, the bass is reasonably punchy, but as a result of the drop-off more distant than in-your-face. It rounds out the rest of the sound signature just enough for acoustic music. The overall effect could be likened to a closed-back pair of AKG K701s, making it well suited to vocals, jazz and classical but not so much to my tastes for pop and rock.  
 
Subsequently, the best equipment pairing was with my ALO Audio Studio Six with a set of warmish Brimar 6K6GTs rolled in. That made, for example, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3, 4 and 5 pleasantly spacious sounding, with the piano and violins easily delineated in the stereo image, giving just the right strength to, say, the pluck of the strings on the cellos. Having been thoroughly spoilt by the treble qualities of electrostatic and planar headphones, it was hard not to notice the imperfections in the treble, which may be a factor of the limitations of a regular dynamic driver, as much as they may be a consequence of the frequency response as well as some ringing in the treble area. Higher piano notes in the above-mentioned SCO recording sounded like they had a slight glare to them, which wasn’t too problematic at a quiet-to-moderate listening level, but still noticeable. 
 
As I graduated towards more modern music, the upper-mid emphasis could make the music sound a bit tinny at times.  The lighter sound signature, combined with the slight tizzy-ness in the treble made even usual standards such as Norah Jones, or even good binaural albums from David Chesky make me wish for a bit more of a bass kick. My overall feeling was that the W1000X would have been the perfect pair of headphones for my late father, who listened exclusively to standard classical works. 
 
For their 50th anniversary, Audio Technica released the limited edition W3000 Anniversary model, with its beautiful Japanese Echizen Hokkaido Asada cherry heartwood cups. Like other Audio Technica wood headphone before them, they had a wonderful ability to present vocals, especially when paired up with a suitable tube amp. I feel like the W1000Z is really a successor to the W3000ANV and the direction those headphones took the Audio Technica woodies.  

First of all, a very Big Thanks to Audio-Technica Singapore for the loan of the demo unit of ATH-W1000Z, The Maestoso!
 
Website:
http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/6664e5258c491bd1/index.html
 

 
 
 
ATH-W1000Z, the Maestoso, is the 11th generation of Audio-Technica's W Series. It shares some similarities with the predecessor, ATH-W1000X, the Grandioso, the 10th generation of Audio-Technica's W Series. Similar 53 mm driver size, similar range of frequency response, similar maximum input power, and also similarly priced. For those who are familiar with Grandioso, Maestoso is not a new headphone with new characteristics, but more of an upgrade or improved version of the Grandioso.
 
I would categorize the Maestoso as a boutique headphone. Like boutique microphones that are sought after for their unique sound signature, the Maestoso also has its own unique, lightly flavored sound signature. Compared to the Grandioso from memory recollection, the Maestoso is more natural sounding with milder sonic flavor, and would probably reach wider audiences while still faithful to the Audio-Technica house sound.
 
As always, it’s pretty much depending on individual preferences, those who enjoy the discontinued Grandioso would probably give the new Maestoso 5 stars rating due to the improvement in sound. But professional audio engineers who expect a headphone with plain vanilla sonic characteristic for mixing and mastering, would probably rate it less. I rate it 4 stars for the sound quality, as I reserve 4.5 to 5 stars for headphones with less flavored sonic signature. But I would give 4.5 stars for the design, the beautiful wooden cup, excellent build, classy looks, and innovative design.  IMHO the Maestoso is more for audiophile and headphone aficionado, who like to own a unique and good quality headphone, and appreciate various flavors of sonic signatures.
 

 
 
I had the Maestoso for more than a month, and had quite a good time with it, long enough to know its sound signature pretty well (not a 15 minutes test on a local headphone shop). A friend of mine once said, first impression matters most (in context of testing audio equipment). I disagree. From years of experience of testing audio equipment, It is really not fair to judge an equipment sound quality base on first impression or short period of audition. Generally I need weeks with hours of listening, mix and match with other equipment, to give a fair judgement of the sound quality of an audio equipment. Sometime we probably impressed at first impression, but after sometime the excitement subside, or probably turn to dislike. It can be the other way around, negative first impression, but after sometime the excitement grows positive. After spending weeks with the Maestoso, I would say, I enjoyed it. The Maestoso is really a beautifully designed headphone, lightweight and comfortable thanks to the 3D wing support mechanism, and most important, it has an enjoyable sound signature!
 
Currawong posted the unboxing video of ATH-W1000Z here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtY8kjBnzpE
 
The build quality of ATH-W1000Z is excellent. The Teak wooden cup is really elegant and very well made. Instead of the American Black Cherry wood used for the ATH-W1000X, the ATH-W1000Z uses Teak wood. Colour wise, it is not as bright & vibrant as the ATH-W1000X Cherry wood, but darker, pretty close to the brown colour of milk chocolate. My old Panasonic GF1 camera tends to produce brighter brown than the brown colour of the W1000Z Teak wooden cup. So I did spend some time on Photoshop to adjust the colour, to make the brown colour matches as close as possible to the real Teak wooden cup, at least on my monitor.
 

 
 
Although size wise ATH-W1000Z has larger ear cups than Beyerdynamic T1, but ATH-W1000Z is lighter in weight, lighter than both T1 and HD800, and only slightly heavier than the ultra-light Shure SRH1540. Ergonomically, it fits my head quite well. The different thickness on some area of the ear pads fits nicely, as well as the 3D wing support mechanism. Headband pressure is comparable to T1 and HD800, but due to the wide area of the ear pads, the headband pressure is distributed to wider area, therefore feels slightly lighter. The leather ear pads of ATH-W1000X feel very nice and quite comfortable for me. But we all have different head size, so comfort wise, YMMV. For smaller size heads, I read that the 3D wings support might not provide an adequate support. I guess a simple elastic strap between the 3D wings might improve the support. Just an idea, to be tested.
 

 
 
The cable is made of 4 cores 6N OFC. 4 cores are better than 3 cores, because the ground wire for the left and right drivers are separated to reduce crosstalk. The cable size and flexibility is good, and not easily tangled. But the 3 meters length is too long for me. I do prefer detachable cable for a headphone at this calibre. From practical reasons that we need different length of cable for different circumstances, and easy replacement when the cable is faulty, to a more advance reasons like to use better cables and to be able to drive it in balance. I hope the next generation of the W series would adopt detachable cable. The headphone jack is the 6.5 mm (1/4") size with wooden barrel, and no adapter to 3.5 mm is included. The Maestoso is actually telling us, don't try to plug me to your smartphone or portable devices, I need proper desktop amplifier. This is quite true. Even though Maestoso is relatively easy to drive, it does require a good quality matching amplifier to shine.
 

 
 
 
Highlights:
Successful upgrade of ATH-W1000X.
Sweet and smooth tonality with some emphasize on clarity.
Sounds best with vocal, jazz, & classical chamber music recordings.
Good quality and matching amplifier is required for best performance. Preferably tube or hybrid amplifier.
 
Pros:
Excellent build with elegant design.
Light weight and comfortable.
 
Cons:
Non-detachable cable.
 
Suggestions for improvement:
Improve bass speed and texture.
Detachable cable.
Removable elastic strap between the 3D wings, to improve support for smaller size head.
 

 
 
 
 
Sound Quality
 
For about a couple of years, I had the Grandioso, ATH-W1000X a few years ago, till I sold it. From memory recollection of the Grandioso, the Maestoso still carries some of the Grandioso sound signature, the refined clarity, forward midrange presentation, and spacious imaging. But Maestoso bass has improved from Grandioso. I sold my Grandioso simply because it doesn't have enough bass to my liking. Maestoso has taken a more balanced approach, and no longer bass shy. Maestoso is still slightly mid-centric, slight emphasize on the midrange area like many of the AT Woodies, but overall tonal balance is more balanced, more linear than the Grandioso. I don't hear any annoying frequency irregularity, overall tonal balance is quite smooth from bass to treble, with only mild emphasized around the midrange area, as expected from the AT wooden series.
 
The ATH-W1000X Grandioso I had a few years ago:

 
 
Bass level though still slightly behind the midrange level, but doesn't sound anaemic. Bass level is slightly less than the new ATH-MSR7 I reviewed recently, but better than the old Grandioso. Pretty close, to the bass level of Beyerdynamic T1, with T1 bass has slightly better speed, texture, and impact, and the Maestoso bass has slightly better bass body. Good bass quality with sufficient bass level to me is a must for good headphone, and Maestoso bass, I would say is sufficient though still slightly less from what I call realistic bass level. Bass quality is pretty good, with sufficient low bass extension. Though I would like to hear better bass texture and speed for a headphone at this price range. I know some people that like Grandioso tonality, and I think Grandioso fans won't be disappointed with the bass tuning of W1000Z, because the increase of the bass level is not drastic, just nice to improve the overall tonal balance.
 
Midrange is silky smooth and sounds very refined. Midrange to lower treble area is mildly emphasized, sounds like wide 3 dB hump at around 300 Hz to 5 kHz area, slightly higher at around 1.5kHz - 3.5kHz. Even though the 1.5kHz - 3.5kHz is slightly emphasized, but vocal is very smooth, with a touch of warmness, and I can safely say that the Maestoso although not immune, but it is not prone to sibilant. Vocal clarity is slightly emphasized without adding sibilant. Excellent! Maestoso also leaves plenty of room to be paired with good tube amplifier for additional warmness. I tested Maestoso with Audio-Technica flagship headphone amplifier, AT-HA5050H that has tube stage, also with my favourite hybrid tube amp, AT-HA22TUBE, vocal sounds wonderful, warm, intimate, yet transparent, without sounding overly warm and muddy. The mild emphasize on midrange gives forward presentation to the vocal, but can still be considered a natural presentation, not too forward. I guess fans of AT woodies will love the lightly flavoured, clear and smooth vocal of the Maestoso.
 
The treble is like the bass, has excellent coherency with the midrange. Silky smooth, detailed & transparent, only slightly behind the midrange level. Treble is well extended and has good transparency. Treble always sounds clear and transparent, and not prone to sibilant. Although it won't hide or smoothen out sibilant, but so far I don't have problem with sibilant. The lower treble is slightly more emphasized than the upper treble, I guess due to the smooth transition from the upper midrange.
 

 
 
I like the imaging on Maestoso, relatively wide and spacious for a closed back headphone. Never sound congested with all the setups that I tried. Instrument separation and localization are good and clear.
 
Perceived detail and clarity are very good, the clarity from the Audio-Technica house sound helps to improve the perceived detail. Maestoso has higher clarity and perceived detail than my Shure SRH1540. Though on some recording, especially female vocal, the clarity can be sometime a bit too emphasized for my taste. That's where the warm tube amplifier plays its role, to tame down the slightly over emphasized clarity. Though overall perceived detail is excellent, but the level of detail is slightly reduced on the bass area. Something to be improved on the next model.
 
I prefer to play smooth and relax type of music on Maestoso. In my opinion, Maestoso is not the best choice for fast pace music with too complex fast passages and energetic bass. Audiophile vocal, relax Jazz tracks, and classical chamber music are what the Maestoso does best. The Maestoso might not be the best all-rounder, but it does really well on what it does best.
 
 
 
 
Amplifier Matching
 
The 43 ohms (101 dB/mW) ATH-W1000Z doesn't require high voltage output amplifier. My normal listening, when measured at 0 dBFS sine wave, only in the range of 0.3-0.5 Vrms, and so far doesn't exceed 0.7 Vrms. Any amplifier with up to 1 Vrms output would be sufficient for ATH-W1000Z, which is practically most amps and players. But, big BUT, the Maestoso does need good quality matching amp to perform well. The 6.5 mm jack is suggesting that Maestoso is to be driven by desktop amplifier, not portable devices.
 
The sound signature of the amplifier is more important for the Maestoso. Warm and full sounding amplifier with tight & good bass is preferable to improve the lower mid and bass area. Combined with the clarity of the Maestoso, they will create an enjoyable mix. But not all warm sounding amplifier is good for Maestoso, it must be the one with good level of detail and tight bass. Bass area of the Maestoso is not very detailed, so mellow sounding amp with loose bass will make it worst. Good quality tube amplifier would be the better choice for Maestoso.
 

 
 
I had the chance to loan and review the pre-production unit of Audio-Technica flagship, AT-HA5050H. AT-HA5050H is one of the best amplifier for the Maestoso. But AT-HA5050H is not yet available on the market. And at around $ 6k it would be out of radar for many audiophiles. Other good and simple setup is my Yulong DA8 headphone output which is natural sounding, detailed, with a touch of warmness.  With Yulong DA8 headphone output, I can hear pretty good bass texture and speed from Maestoso. Connecting the AT-HA22TUBE amplifier to the line output of Yulong DA8 is another good setup that I like. Smoother and more intimate vocal, but bass texture is slightly less compared to Yulong DA8 headphone output. Pretty similar result from ifi micro iDSD + AT-HA22TUBE. Yulong DA8 + Yulong A28 using balanced connection is also works well for Maestoso. The rather dark and warm signature of Yulong A28 matches quite well with Maestoso. The extra clarity tamed down nicely by the Yulong A28. Though the tonality is nice, but the soundstage slightly reduced, not as wide and spacious as other setups.
 

 
 
Beside the above setups, I would highly recommend the ifi stacks for the Maestoso:
ifi micro iDSD >> ifi micro iTube >> ifi micro iCan >> Maestoso
ifi micro iDSD settings: Filter: Bit-Perfect, Power mode: Normal, Line Out: Direct.
ifi micro iTube set as buffer (0 dB).
ifi micro iCan set at 0 dB gain.
 

 
 
Smooth & detailed, warm, organic sounding, good bass, clean and transparent high, and spacious imaging. Music is presented with more energy and very musically engaging. And the bass is so good, tight with good punch, better when compared to other setups I tried. The ifi stacks is simply an awesome setup for Maestoso! Also tried direct from the micro iDSD headphone output, unfortunately micro iDSD headphone output is not good enough for Maestoso, flat and thin sounding, lacking of depth and dynamic. Bypassed the micro iTube, using only iDSD and iCan, pretty good, but tonal density, warmness, and bass not as good as when the whole three ifi micros work together. So all the three micros are essential to get the most from the Maestoso. Highly recommended!
 
All mentioned setups sound enjoyable. The Maestoso is easy to drive, but scales up really well with good and matching amplifier. Smart phones and low power portable devices simply don't do justice to Maestoso. When planning to buy the Maestoso, I strongly advise to plan for a good quality tube / hybrid amplifier as well, if you don't have any. The Maestoso is not a good investment without good quality matching amplifier.
 
 
 
 
Comparisons
 
Honestly, I cannot do fair comparisons for Maestoso, because I don't have other 'boutique' closed back headphones in my collection. Most of my collections are more of the professional audio monitoring headphones.  Probably HE5-LE can be considered as a boutique headphone, but it is an open back. So just for the sake of comparison, I will compare the Maestoso with some of my reference headphones.
 

 
 
Shure SRH1540
SRH1540 is more laidback, while Maestoso is slightly more forward than natural. Different presentation, but both are enjoyable, depending on personal preference. As for my preference, sometime the Maestoso is a bit too forward on some recordings. Maestoso emphasizes more on the upper midrange - treble area, while SRH1540 emphasizes more on the lower midrange - bass area. Maestoso has higher perceived clarity, faster transient, more impactful, with a more lively presentation. Also higher perceived details. SRH1540 sounds warmer, more relax and laid back, with more powerful bass and better low bass extension. Even though SRH1540 is positioned as a professional monitoring headphones, to my ears both SRH1540 and Maestoso are mildly flavored tonally, not yet as linear sounding as Beyerdynamic T1. At least to my ears. So, again depending on personal preferences of sonic flavors, and which headphone match better with the available setup.
 
Both Maestoso and SRH1540 have very good imaging. Maestoso with clearer presentation easily perceived as having clearer and more spacious imaging. I would say the Maestoso is slightly better on imaging, more spacious and clearer instrument separation.
 
As for comfort, the ultra-light SRH1540 with Alcantara ear pads is among the most comfortable closed back headphone I've ever tried. The Maestoso is comfortable, and I have no comfort problem with it. I wore the Maestoso for hours with no comfort issue. But SRH1540 is slightly more comfortable.
 
Beyerdynamic T1
Beyerdynamic T1 is currently my main reference headphone. T1 is open back design, so not an apple to apple comparison with the Maestoso. So I will just compare the tonality and detail, without the soundstage. As a professional headphone, T1 sounds more linear tonally. When paired with a matching amplifier, T1 sounds linear, and I don't hear any peaks and dips on the frequency response. When I reviewed T1 in 2010, I was expecting slightly more bass from T1. But recently, when I tested T1 with AT-HA5050H headphone amplifier, the bass level was perfect. So matching amplifier is the key to get the most from our headphone.
 
Tonally, both Maestoso and T1 sound smooth and refined. As described previously, the Maestoso has wide and shallow midrange hump when compared to T1. Bass level is pretty close, being closed back, the Maestoso has slightly fuller bass body. Treble quality, T1 wins. T1 treble is more linear, airy and transparent. But most probably due to the open back design. So not really a fair comparison. Maestoso treble, as a closed back headphone, is superb. Well extended and transparent. So if the closed back design is taken into consideration, I would say Maestoso treble is comparable to T1.
 
Perceived detail and clarity are the strength of both headphones. Both are very detailed and super clear sounding. And sometime the clarity sounds a bit too emphasized, and I will need to soften the clarity using good quality tube amp. Both Maestoso and T1 love good tube amplifiers.
 
Sennheiser HD800
Similar to T1, HD800 being an open back headphone is not really a compatible comparison for Maestoso. So the comparison is strickly on the tonality and perceived detail, since many know HD800, comparison of the tonality might be useful.
 
Honestly I often annoyed by the HD800 treble peak, so I have much longer head hour with T1 than HD800. I know it can be solved by some modification. But after modification, it is not the original HD800 anymore, and it makes me difficult to do a fair comparison with others for review. In short, HD800 treble is often too hot for me, even when using tube amps. I've a friend who uses HD800 for hours while working at home. We bought the HD800 together, same batch with close serial number. So, we do hear things differently, some people are not that sensitive to the HD800 treble. Or probably I'm too sensitive to hot treble. Either way, I hope readers can gauge from my explanation. I use to cut the 7 kHz peak at foobar around 6 dB to make the treble level sounds acceptable to me (comparable treble level to T1). My foobar equalizer for HD800:
 

 
 
Beside the 7 kHz treble peak, HD800 has more linear, flatter tonal balance in other areas. As mentioned earlier, Maestoso emphasized on different frequency area, which is around 300Hz to 5kHz, a wide hump instead of a peak. HD800, being an open back, sounds more airy and transparent. The Maestoso sounds smoother and more intimate. If I would use equalizer to flatten the tonality (though it is also nice without eq), here is 'roughly' my foobar equalizer for Maestoso (slightly different for different recordings):
 

 
 
Bass level is comparable; Maestoso is a tad fuller, while HD800 bass is tighter, punchier, with better detail and texture. It doesn't mean that Maestoso bass is lacking in texture, but HD800 bass has better texture, and hits harder.
 
HD800 is king of detail. As expected, HD800 level of detail is higher than Maestoso. But higher level of detail it doesn't mean than HD800 is more musical. Sometime the high level of detail combined with the treble peak, might easily causes ears fatigue. Although not as detailed as HD800, Maestoso has good level of detail, sound smoother, and more relaxing.
 
Comparing the two, it is really boils down to individual preference, for more airy and transparent, or smoother and intimate sounding. Both have very different sound signature, and are great in their own way.
 
 
 
 
In summary, ATH-W1000Z, the Maestoso, is a successful upgrade from the previous model, ATH-W1000X, the Grandioso. It has excellent build quality, classy looking headphone that nicely combined the classic look of the wooden housings and modern design of the headband. Very enjoyable sound signature with the right setup. The Maestoso is truly an elegant boutique headphone that is a must have for headphone collectors and aficionados.
 
 
 
 
Disclaimer:
I am not affiliated to Audio-Technica in any way. I often get loan of Audio-Technica products because I have some friends from Audio-Technica Singapore that often generously loan me their products.
 
 
 
 

 
 
Specifications:
Type: Closed-back Dynamic
Driver Diameter: 53 mm
Voice Coil: OFC-6N
Frequency Response: 5 – 42,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power: 2,000 mW
Sensitivity: 101 dB/mW
Impedance: 43 ohms
Weight: 320 g
Cable: 3.0 m (dual-sided), 4-core parallel cable/OFC6N + OFC/Elastomer sheath
Connector: 6.3 mm (1/4") gold-plated plug with wooden sleeve
HOUSING: Teak
 
 
Equipment used in this review:
 
Headphones:
Audio-Technica W1000Z (loan)
Audio-Technica MSR7LTD
Beyerdynamic T1
Sennheiser HD 800
Shure SRH1540
 
DACs & Headphone Amplifiers:
Audio-Technica AT-HA5050H
Audio-Technica AT-HA22TUBE
ifi micro iDSD
ifi micro iTube (loan, thanks to @igndenny)
ifi micro iCan
Yulong DA8
Yulong A28
 
Cables:
AmazonBasics USB 3.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable - 2 meters
Atlas Equator MKIII Integra RCA cable (0.5m)
Better Cables RCA cable - Silver Serpent Anniversary Edition (6 inch)
Pangea Audio - USB cable - PCOCC & 4% silver - 2 Meters
QED Reference Audio Evolution XLR cable (DIY 40 cm cable)
Wireworld Equinox XLR cable (DIY 40 cm cable)
 
Computer & Player:
DIY Desktop PC: Gigabyte GA-H77-D3H-MVP motherboard, Intel i7-3770, 16 GB RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit SP1.
foobar2000 v1.3.3 (ASIO Proxy 0.7.1.2)
 
 
Some recordings used in this review: