Interesting choice in going with a silver cable for the AWKT’s. I would’ve stayed with an all copper cable just to add more body to their sound. The AWKT’s are already pleasantly detailed. I guess a silver cable would enhance those qualities more as you’re finding out.
Just got my silver cable from gloryrain. The effect on the awkt is quite interesting. I kind of miss the euphoric vocal peaks but in return the vocals are just so pristine now. Its a interesting give and take
Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT Announcement Thread
Anyone listening to the AWKT on the street? If yes, in what box/case do you transport it?
Anyone compared the Focal Stellia with the AWKT?
SilverEars
Headphoneus Supremus
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Stellia is much better.
I just came back from demoing the Stellia and AWKT. I find the stellia to be ok and quite safe/consumer tuned and not worth MSRP. Maybe if it was 1k instead of 3k it might be slightly easier to rec. IMO just get Denon 9200 if you want a nice bassy endgame.(also as a disclaimer I daily AWKT so I'm biased towards its soundsig)
How to describe the stellia without making it sound bad....
Its sounds very closed headphone like with thick rich bass that bleeds into the mids giving it is unique very grounded mids with bass sheen. You dont need to worry about sibilance while still getting sparkle as there is a nice pina rise while dieing eairly to ensure that the vocals dont have excess air added and potential sibilance making female vocals extremely forward. Perfect for movie nights where you dont care about the the finer details.
AWKT is quite the opposite. It bosts soundstage, imaging and microdetail on a neutural bright with boosted air for soaring vocals. The downside would be everything sounds thinish and fits were its imagaing form with no bleed. Also the the bass is very song dependent unlike the stellia which always sounds bassy.
Perchance @Malevolent can give a more balanced comparison?
Thanks, I use the Awkt daily and I am very happy with it. Just wondered how the Stellia sounds.
It's been some time since I've pitted the Stellia against the ATH-AWKT; I've auditioned them separately on many occasions in the last couple of months, however.
Your assessment is rather accurate, IMO. The Stellia has a signature that I'd best describe as an inoffensive, consumer-friendly sound that has been dialed to 11. It is a top-notch, genre-neutral headphone that plays well with (almost) every track that is thrown its way. I have played a variety of EDM tracks, J-Pop, 80s Pop, 80s Rock, some Hip-Hop (where did they come from?), and even some Classical - the Stellia managed a good account of themselves at each and every juncture. With a luscious, rounded tone, the Stellia blends a generally pleasant signature with good, if not great, technical capabilities.
With that being said, if I have to be perfectly honest, I didn't find the Stellia particularly engaging. The lower registers retain good definition, punch and slam; however, they aren't remarkable, in the grand scheme of things. There are many headphones with a bass section that are more majestic and appealing in control, presentation, and quality - good examples include the MDR-Z1R, the AH-D9200, the Vérité Closed, and the Gjallarhorn GH50. Bass is the one facet of a headphone's sound that captivates my attention the easiest; sadly, the Stellia disappoints in this regard, if only because it doesn't differentiate itself by way of top-shelf excellence. Mind you, it isn't bad, it just doesn't eclipse its contemporaries.
This same story plays out across the Stellia's entire composition. I didn't find the Focal a world-beater in any individual component; rather, as a whole, it is a great headphone, albeit a master of none. Hence, for anyone seeking a stellar (no pun intended) all-rounder, place the Stellia on your "To Consider" list; it is worthy of a thorough audition - it certainly deserves that. If it was only priced below $2,000, it'd be better regarded in my book.
On the other hand, the ATH-AWKT presents a wholly different sound. Diverting from the lush warmth of the Stellia, the Audio-Technica flagship is leaner and brighter, with a bass presentation that can be described as a little anemic. However, it exudes quality throughout - the layering and articulation of its bass notes are quite splendid, indeed. Sadly, it's also bass light, so anyone seeking a potent low-end response would have to look elsewhere for their fix. Nevertheless, where the Stellia failed to project its innate strengths against its competitors, here, the ATH-AWKT proudly displays its supreme resolving capabilities; micro-detail and nuances are reproduced at the finest levels. Staging on the Audio-Technica is also 1 or 2 rungs above the Stellia; it is both wider and deeper, with precise imaging, to boot.
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Do you tune your Awkt to the Harman curve or do you leave it like it is? Me personally, after listening to the Harman curve I tune every headphone to that.
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Steve160k
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Seven months on, and not one further post? These are a TOTL headphone, and i'm surprised they have been left by the wayside....
Still loving mine and indeed they're overlooked. They're not tuned for the average listener is my sense of why attention is low. No mid bass hump, too revealing, in a sense too unforgiving. They will reveal flaws in your system and source but with the right setup, they're outstanding.
To my mind, they represent the apotheosis of Japanese tuning - very linear, very refined, and work best for classically "audiophile" material (probably not suited for Misfits bootlegs).
Im still dailying them. Besides the need to swap out the cable for a silver one to make the imaging even tighter i would say this is best for high intensity electronic music.
Like what nostoi said this headphones are very revealing but in the opposite sense as with other headphones that lift the details up this headphone lets you peer into the abyss of microdetails as they were recorded.
Do note that this isnt flat as it is more A shape with a slightly warm mostly linier bass strong transition from lower mids to upper mids as well as smooth treble that extendes well past 20khz. Its actually also a pretty forgiving headphone in that it doesnt feel like earrape on badly recorded non de-S music. Thats mostly on solid state amplification.
On tube ampification on the other hand, it pulls the dynamics up alot and also makes badly mastered noisy music hard to listen to but it greatly benifits well done machinegun psystyle and speedcore type music.
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I totally agree that silver cable is the way to go. You would think it would be too much of a good thing but I think it plays to their strength.
I'd also agree it's forgiving on certain types of music but where it's not forgiving is on gear - can be driven easily enough, but really needs to be fed high quality source.
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Pinkfloyd0
New Head-Fier
Hello,
are there people who compared this headphone with it's older brother, the ATH w5000 soundwise. I saw the w5000 being mentioned in the beginning of this thread, but after no more. It would be interesting to learn about similarities / differences!
are there people who compared this headphone with it's older brother, the ATH w5000 soundwise. I saw the w5000 being mentioned in the beginning of this thread, but after no more. It would be interesting to learn about similarities / differences!
I would say the AWKT is doing its own thing(mildly warm thin precise and very detailed without sounding harsh due to 6k dip and mid forward) and the true successor of the W5000 is the AWAS I feel with similar rich warmess and tasteful levels of brightness without being overly detailed so you can just relex and enjoy the music. Maybe @protoss can chime in since he as pretty much every wood AT or you can check out his master of WOOD thread
Pinkfloyd0
New Head-Fier
Thanks for your reaction! And thanks for the link to the master of wood thread!
I am curious as to what @protoss can share!
I just read his thread with interest.
I am curious as to what @protoss can share!
I just read his thread with interest.
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