[Mach3]

You are not buying just a headphone, you are paying 9K for art.
I'm not expecting it to sound any good either like my L5000, to me it more of a fashion statement piece.
Sounds terrible for their price, I enjoy my ES-R10 a lot more, even prefer my $300 Sony XM4 over them and that's saying a lot.

 

[ozz007]

You are not buying just a headphone, you are paying 9K for art.
I'm not expecting it to sound any good either like my L5000, to me it more of a fashion statement piece.
Sounds terrible for their price, I enjoy my ES-R10 a lot more, even prefer my $300 Sony XM4 over them and that's saying a lot.

Wait, you heard them already?
Any impressions?

 

[Mach3]

Wait, you heard them already?
Any impressions?

Nope I think you misunderstood my comment. I meant don't be paying 9K expecting it to sound good as like my L5000. Wasn't an improvement over the L3000, which was much more enjoyable.

 

[ozz007]

Nope I think you misunderstood my comment. I meant don't be paying 9K expecting it to sound good as like my L5000. Wasn't an improvement over the L3000, which was much more enjoyable.

Ah I see yes I miss understood.
But I see your point.
They can't sound 9000 times better than my ath3000anv

 

[paradoxper]

Ah I see yes I miss understood.
But I see your point.
They can't sound 9000 times better than my ath3000anv

They can sound 9000 times worse.

 

[Mach3]

Ah I see yes I miss understood.
But I see your point.
They can't sound 9000 times better than my ath3000anv

Sound wise and release price L3000 2.4K (Art, Fashion, Boombastic sound in a good way) > W3000 (Art & vocal bliss) 1.3K > L5000 (For show, fashion statement) 4.0k.
I reckon AT product manager catch up with Hifiman product manager for coffee and they exchanged ideas resulting in the 9K price tag hahah

 

[nycdoi]

let me refinance my farm....

 

[RADI0HEAD]

Sounds like a good deal.

 

[Mach3]

let me refinance my farm....

You'll need to sale all your livestock if you want to get the matching MC.

 

[Mach3]

Don't want to knock on this product but I can't see how someone would pick 9k over 7-8k Sony R10

 

[Legato2057]

Don't want to knock on this product but I can't see how someone would pick 9k over 7-8k Sony R10

The people that can afford to drop $9k on these can probably afford the Sony R10. It’s not an EITHER/OR question. It’s a YES/AND.

 

[camilletcrisp]

Beautiful cups but the headband and ear pads kinda suck

 

[number1sixerfan]

I reckon AT product manager catch up with Hifiman product manager for coffee and they exchanged ideas resulting in the 9K price tag hahah

Lol! But I will say, I will be surprised if its performance isn't really at a very high level. That hefty of price tag without coming very close to the exact top tier or within it would be a bit of a risk. Obviously it could simply be a continuance of how the market is trending, but from a company such as AT, I would be surprised.

But I do share some of the same sentiment and healthy skepticism as others despite that, as I've voiced in my own thread.

 

[SteveM324]

The $9K price tag doesn't scare me away but the artwork doesn't do it for me. Maybe it's just me but the artwork looks like something my daughter would've liked when she was 6-7 yrs old (she's 28 now) while watching Sailor Moon videos many years ago. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so if you love it, go for it!

 

[padam]

Lol! But I will say, I will be surprised if its performance isn't really at a very high level. That hefty of price tag without coming very close to the exact top tier or within it would be a bit of a risk. Obviously it could simply be a continuance of how the market is trending, but from a company such as AT, I would be surprised.

But I do share some of the same sentiment and healthy skepticism as others despite that, as I've voiced in my own thread.

If it is the best ATH ever, they could make a lot more of them. But at this level, it's more about having "a sound" that you won't get anywhere else.
When it is limited to such low quantities, very few will even hear one. Even those who buy these will use them lightly to keep its value, so I don't see the risk.

(By the way, I think Audio-Technica could use some kind of protection film on the lacquer, it is beautiful in real life, but also very fragile and easily damaged by cleaning.)