[Arjestin]

Audio-Technica just announced two new sealed over-ear headphones in their lineup, ATH-AWKT and ATH-AWAS. This is the ATH-AWKT:

From Audio-Technica Website:
ATH-AWKT uses the high quality Ebony wood material, which is often used in all instruments for its superior acoustic characteristics. Ebony is a hard wood with different hardness to provide an anti-vibration effect with high-fidelity sound. It is equipped with the φ53mm driver exclusively designed for AWKT, featuring Permendur magnetic circuitry and Double Air Damping System (D.A.D.S) to further expand the subwoofer range. Moreover, it has a stable transmission signal by utilizing high-purity copper wire (6N-OFC+OFC), Audio-Technica exclusive audio design A2DC (Audio Design Detachable Coaxial) connectors and XLR connector for L/R channel separating sound. With the soft lambskin headband and ear pads, the frame and arms are made of lightweight magnesium to make its ultra comfortable fit.

AFAIK, ATH-AWKT is still only available in Japan and the current price is $1,967 USD. It looks like a hybrid between ATH-ADX5000 and ATH-W5000. Can we expect the vocal clarity of ATH-W5000 with the comfort of ATH-ADX5000? I sure hope so.

 

[Arjestin]

Now that the new AW series is available for pre-order worldwide, ATH-W5000 and ATH-W1000z have been officially discontinued (at least in Europe) and stores are liquidating old stock for bargain prices.

AT is known to refresh their lineup from time to time without much audible difference, so I wonder if the drivers were updated or is it just a cosmetic overhaul. Where are the reviews?

 

[JML]

New review of both new AT cans:

https://www.headphone.guru/audio-technica-new-wood-headphone-reviews-the-ath-awkt-and-the-ath-awas/

 

[Infoseeker]

New review of both new AT cans:

https://www.headphone.guru/audio-technica-new-wood-headphone-reviews-the-ath-awkt-and-the-ath-awas/

How I understood that review.

If put in terms of Etymotics. It seems the KT is the er4-SR. And the AS is the warmer er4-XR.

 

[llysender]

Going to get this tomorow. Of all the closed backs I've tried this can just resonated with me. It has the perfect timbre and all the detail I'll ever need.

Just curous if anyone one else has bought or demoed this can.

 

[Infoseeker]

Going to get this tomorow. Of all the closed backs I've tried this can just resonated with me. It has the perfect timbre and all the detail I'll ever need.

Just curous if anyone one else has bought or demoed this can.

AWAS or the AWKT?

 

[llysender]

AWAS or the AWKT?

AWKT, AWAS just sounded too smooth making voices sound autotuned. Mainly getting it as a upgrade to the r70x.

AWKT has just the right timbre to me, strangely AWKT sounds darker but much more detailed than AWAS.

 

[llysender]

Doing my first impressions. Sadly I can only comparing them with the he560v1 from tomorow onwards because my bank is a bitch and will only raise my transaction limit tomorrow.

Being bought at a 10% discount of 2300sgd or 1600usd.

Firstly the box it comes in is too big for its own good. I personally feel like just keeping the display box and throwing away the cardboard and foam shell.

Headband and fit in general is similar to the ADX5000 so no complains there. My only complain is that the clamping force of the cups themselves are abit on the lighter side and would like them abit clampier. Still able to headbang to music thanks to the wider 2 prong headband gripping onto my head nicely. Weight is also very nicely distributed. Doesn't feel like a 400g phone but instead feels no heavier than the msr7 I use for daily commute which is a big plus imo.

On to the sound my source for testing is:
Flac files->hiby player in usb exclusive mode->xduoo xd-05 non plus->awkt

Also compared it to the A2000x, AP2000ti and r70x for abit so those headphones might get mention.R70x was used as the reference headphone since I'm most familar with its sound.

Anyways on to the first song distorted reality form mary skeltier nightmares OST:


This is my acid test for any headphone since it contains a wide frequency spectrum of frequencies that I care about and includes extensive imaging, layering and general directionality, All in all the AWKT did very well for this song saperating the electric sparks from the bass drum the detuned violin and triangle. Front imaging is very impressive with parts of the song sounding like they were infront of me instead of next to my face with the A2000x, AP2000ti and r70x. AP2000ti was dropped from further testing due to its inability to accurately reproduce the bass drum hits having very little reverb and also the the crushed soundstage. The AWKT did tonality of all the instruments very well. Esp for being a bassier headphone it did the bass drum with just enough hit not to overwelm the rest of the song which is very impressive.

The A2000x was also really impressive with this song but I noticed a slight drop in the lower mids when the piano was playing as compared to the r70x which I didnt quite like.

My second song amazing grace from sora no woto ost:


Is to test how well the headphones handle reverb and difuse sounding music. Surprisingly even though the AWKT is a closed back headphone with relatively middling soundstage the brass and strings just fade nicely into the background. The A2000x on the other hand started to show its weakness by cutting out the soundstage before the music fully difuses out creating a cave like effect. Both still sounded really clean and correct as compared to the r70x with the AWKT being able to capture more of the reverb details that even the r70x could not capture.

My third song green light ride from crush 40:


While I personally do not really care for the song I find it very good for testing male vocals. The AWKT interestingly is pretty forward with the vocals. Even more so than the r70x making the supporting instruments pretty dark in comparison. Detail is still on point and captures things like the reving and vocal intonations nicely. Nothing stood out as unnatually sharp and brings out the natural grain of their voice quite nicely. This is where the A2000x got dropped as the vocals were quite recessed and I didn't really care for that.

that was about all the time I had yesterday as the store was closing soon. I also tried the AWKT with Secret boss by camilla, popping trip by garnidelia, Infinite from sonic forces ost and misty revine form etrian odyssey 4 ost. I can say the AWKT has a good amount of bass and lower mids, just nice female vocals and mellow and easy to listen to trebble. Its like the complete opposite of the ADX5000 and both are detail monsters so if you don't like one you might like the other. Also ADX5000 has insane soundstage going for it as well if you are into soundstage.

Thanks for reading through my rambling. Something more coherent coming once I have had the chance to sit and listen to the to the awkt at home.

 

[Arjestin]

Thanks for your listening notes. Looking forward to more comparisons of ATH-AWKT, with ATH-W5000 in particular.

Also, I would suggest against throwing away the cardboard box. If you ever decide to sell the headphone, you may be able to get close to MSRP with all the OEM packaging intact.

 

[Infoseeker]

Seeing as to how he compares ut to many models. He seems an Audio Technica fan/hoarder . Can't see him selling it anytime soon. XD

 

[Kazz123]

Isn't the design is quite a change from the previous generations? Looks like the biggest change they've made to closed headphones in this line even. The cables are removable on these, like the ADX5000!

Also the headband is just a solid one piece, with adjustable size, instead of the one size fits all thing they had before, also same as ADX5000. How does the comfort compare? I guess the closed wood cups are heavier than a metal mesh.

Plus the naming convention is now totally different.

Kind of interested to see how the sound compares to the previous gen W_000z's as well. and how it differs between the two latest ones.

 

[llysender]

I just got my awkt. With reguards to the older gen i could only compare to W1000x and W1000z. W1000x has a W fr with really nice vocals but edm sounds wired on them. W1000z more or less follows ad2kx and is significantly brighter than awkt. AWKT sounds like a souped up r70x which is kind of darkish bassy but still has very nice vocals. Detail retreval wise the AWKT is significantly more detailed than all the other at phones i tested besides adx5k.

With reguards to why everything compared is AT its because Im doing the comparison at the funan audio technica treehouse.

Im not really a audio technica fanboy. Audio technica just made the r70x,a990z and msr7 which im very agreeable with. There is the ad line m line and every sr line besides the orginal msr7 that i dont like.

Currently going home will be a couple of hours more before i can compare with the he560

 

[Kazz123]

I just got my awkt. With reguards to the older gen i could only compare to W1000x and W1000z. W1000x has a W fr with really nice vocals but edm sounds wired on them. W1000z more or less follows ad2kx and is significantly brighter than awkt. AWKT sounds like a souped up r70x which is kind of darkish bassy but still has very nice vocals. Detail retreval wise the AWKT is significantly more detailed than all the other at phones i tested besides adx5k.

With reguards to why everything compared is AT its because Im doing the comparison at the funan audio technica treehouse.

Im not really a audio technica fanboy. Audio technica just made the r70x,a990z and msr7 which im very agreeable with. There is the ad line m line and every sr line besides the orginal msr7 that i dont like.

Currently going home will be a couple of hours more before i can compare with the he560

OK, thank you for the detailed reply, and for the listening notes earilier in the thread! Seems like you're really helping me out with some AT knowledge here haha, also in the R70x thread.

 

[Infoseeker]

I wonder how important the casing material is over the fact they are semi-open design with air ports fir the chambering.

 

[llysender]

I assume the backing material is quite important as the difference between the a2000x and ap2000ti is quite big even though both are using the DADS.

AWKT is stupidly revealing, it even makes the he560v1 sound smooth and I like it. It also has the ability to capture and represent the intonations well in very noisy and brickwalled songs very well. Sub bass is a tad recessed but when the song calls for it can still rattle your head nicely. Its not basshead headphone and is more or less mid focused.

Not my first choice but still does glitch hardcore/psytrance very well.

Edit:
The AWKT is a very effecent headphone and the K5 pro powers it nicely at low gain 11 o clock. Doesnt seem to scale much with power. To be fair it doesnt really need to.