Audio Technica ATH-W5000 headphones
Aug 7, 2010 at 10:32 PM Post #91 of 304

The W5000 are my favorite headphones for female vocals. 
 
I tend to listen to more folk/indie music (Hope Sandoval, Tara Jane O'Neil, Marissa Nadler, etc.) and these headphones have a certain almost magical quality I personally find difficult to qualify or quantify.
 
As much as I've been enjoying the W1000x, I still find I love the W5000 more.
 
Aug 7, 2010 at 10:44 PM Post #93 of 304
They are very intimate headphones for female singers. I have never heard the combination of effortless resolution, detail retrieval, pureness of tone and timbre along with a voluminous sound stage plus imaging accuracy in any pair of high end headphones until I bought the ATH-W5000 Raffinato cold without auditioning them beforehand.
 
$700.00 USD is a lot of money for headphones even among geeks within our niche community. However, I truly believe they are worth their price be heavily discounted or full retail MSRP.
 
I hardly listen to my Grado SR-60i headphones anymore because they sound lifeless compared to my Audio Technica headphones.
 
I plan on purchasing a new Lenovo Ideapad Y560D-06462KU notebook PC and I plan on using my Grado SR-60i cans with the included 3D eyeglasses for watching videos and movies on the go. Also, my Resolution Audio Opus 21 full stack has a USB 2.0 type B port so that I can connect my laptop or netbook and listen to reference quality sound at home.
 
I am a lucky guy, but boy did I work very hard to scrimp up enough savings for my belongings. It took me almost seven years to build my home audio system.
 
Aug 7, 2010 at 10:58 PM Post #94 of 304
I owned a pair of Grado RS-1 headphones as well as AKG K 701 cans too.
 
The ATH-W5000 still sounds superior to both of them within the context of my home audio system especially when it comes to reproducing female vocals. Right now, I am listening to Michael Buble's newest CD entitled Crazy Love. I have heard this album at least a dozen times already. The Raffinato is able to capture the sweeping power of Buble's vocal range while extracting every last minutiae of detail. It is a convincing reproduction of his Crazy Love live tour. So, the ATH-W5000s do an excellent job with male vocals, but they simply shine with female vocals.
 
Another positive attribute of these headphones is that they can track the dynamic scale of instruments and vocals effortlessly. The closest headphones that can do this are the Grado PS-1000s and to a lesser degree the RS-1s. However, they sound peaky in the treble region within the context of my home system.
 
I just want to be helpful before you spend your hard earned money.
 
Aug 7, 2010 at 11:04 PM Post #95 of 304


Quote:
I just want to be helpful before you spend your hard earned money.


I would strongly recommend you give them a listen BEFORE you buy them. They are very treble centric and sorely lacking in the bass / sub bass department and I for one was not a fan.
 

 
Aug 24, 2010 at 5:55 PM Post #97 of 304


Quote:
Quite frankly I was going to consider a D7000 a candidate but keep thinking that the sound signature is more for heavy rock and metal type music.
 
I hear that the W5000 is not as bass heavy but has great imaging and bass is more tight and not as fat and boomy as the Denon. I assume the W5000 is Probably more like my Grado GS1000i.
 
How is the sound stage of the W5000, the Grado GS1000i sound stage is wide almost like out of a headroom experience and not having a headphone.
 

 
They are not bass heavy as per quantity but quality is very good. It comes down to preference. I prefer very well controlled bass instead of not controlled "brumming" . W5000 have one of the best low frequency responses out of phones I've tried. Also what I found synergy is really important. If you pair them witrh thin, fast source - f.e some newer Merdians or Monrio it is not going to be good and you will be disappointed. Find good source and amp and you're done. I do not feel I need anything more from headphones. You may get more highs ( SONY) or more lows ( Denon) or more soundstage ( Grado GS1000) or more isolation ( Beyerdynamik DT770) or more linear response ( AKG1000) but as a package this is it for me. Are they neutral ? hell, no but I simply love what I hear. Waiting for new AT flagship whenever it will be presented.
Soundstage is smaller as they're closed cans but they rival some open designs in the soundstage department.
 
Aug 24, 2010 at 8:14 PM Post #98 of 304

 
Quote:
 
They are not bass heavy as per quantity but quality is very good. It comes down to preference. I prefer very well controlled bass instead of not controlled "brumming" . W5000 have one of the best low frequency responses out of phones I've tried. Also what I found synergy is really important. If you pair them witrh thin, fast source - f.e some newer Merdians or Monrio it is not going to be good and you will be disappointed. Find good source and amp and you're done. I do not feel I need anything more from headphones. You may get more highs ( SONY) or more lows ( Denon) or more soundstage ( Grado GS1000) or more isolation ( Beyerdynamik DT770) or more linear response ( AKG1000) but as a package this is it for me. Are they neutral ? hell, no but I simply love what I hear. Waiting for new AT flagship whenever it will be presented.
Soundstage is smaller as they're closed cans but they rival some open designs in the soundstage department.


X2. Exactly!
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 6:27 AM Post #99 of 304
I'm tossing up between purchasing the W5000 or the D7000. I will not have an opportunity to audition either one. I appreciate that these phones have very different presentations but I'm primarily interested in choosing the one that most convincingly reproduces small group acoustic jazz. 
 
I am a little concerned over the descriptions of the W5000's lack of bass presence. I'm not a bass-head but I would hope that the W5000 doesn't under represent  acoustic (and sometimes electric bass) in the overall mix. On the other hand, it seems that the D7000 might render bass with too much heft for it to be regarded as having a balanced presentation overall. I also wonder whether the D7000 would portray bass with the level of textural detail that the W5000 supposedly does.
 
The timbre of piano, bass, drums and cymbals is also an important consideration for me. I understand that the W5000 is supposed to do this very well. From what I've been reading, the W5000 might be the more detailed (albeit slightly) of the two phones, with a more airy presentation and spacious soundstage overall. If so, that would probably have me leaning towards the W5000 as my preferred choice.
 
 
  
 
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 10:08 PM Post #100 of 304


Quote:
I'm tossing up between purchasing the W5000 or the D7000. I will not have an opportunity to audition either one. I appreciate that these phones have very different presentations but I'm primarily interested in choosing the one that most convincingly reproduces small group acoustic jazz. 
 
I am a little concerned over the descriptions of the W5000's lack of bass presence. I'm not a bass-head but I would hope that the W5000 doesn't under represent  acoustic (and sometimes electric bass) in the overall mix. On the other hand, it seems that the D7000 might render bass with too much heft for it to be regarded as having a balanced presentation overall. I also wonder whether the D7000 would portray bass with the level of textural detail that the W5000 supposedly does.
 
The timbre of piano, bass, drums and cymbals is also an important consideration for me. I understand that the W5000 is supposed to do this very well. From what I've been reading, the W5000 might be the more detailed (albeit slightly) of the two phones, with a more airy presentation and spacious soundstage overall. If so, that would probably have me leaning towards the W5000 as my preferred choice.
 
 
  
 



If this graph doesn't scare you off the W5000s, I don't know what will:
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=123&graphID[]=283&graphID[]=863
 
And sadly they sound just like the graph describes them (W5000s). Some really like them...I suggest that you give them both a try first though.
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 10:23 PM Post #101 of 304
^ Thanks. I know that frequency graphs tell part of the story but I'm embarrassed to admit that they're quite meaningless to me. Although I suspect that the RS1i might not shape up too well in this regard either, yet it has a legion of loyal fans - yourself included by the looks of it.
 
I take it that apart from being familiar with the W5000's frequency response, you've heard it as well. How did it sound to your ears? I'm presuming that you weren't impressed. 
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 10:45 PM Post #102 of 304


Quote:
^ Thanks. I know that frequency graphs tell part of the story but I'm embarrassed to admit that they're quite meaningless to me. Although I suspect that the RS1i might not shape up too well in this regard either, yet it has a legion of loyal fans - yourself included by the looks of it.
 
I take it that apart from being familiar with the W5000's frequency response, you've heard it as well. How did it sound to your ears? I'm presuming that you weren't impressed. 


Actually the RS1s hold up quite well...especially next to the W5000's. Along with the Bose QC15s, the W5000s have among the worst frequency response charts I've ever seen (especially for a "flagship" product):
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=123&graphID[]=1743&graphID[]=293
 
 
Oct 23, 2010 at 2:13 AM Post #104 of 304


Quote:
If this graph doesn't scare you off the W5000s, I don't know what will:
 
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=123&graphID[]=283&graphID[]=863
 
And sadly they sound just like the graph describes them (W5000s). Some really like them...I suggest that you give them both a try first though.


It really depends on your music taste and pairing equipment. And we all know that graphs are not playing music. On some of the tube amp designs like EAR or even Berning amps you'll see solutions that are very very bad for the circuit but some just love those products no matter what measured parameters are. To my ears I would say W5000 is the only headphone that let me submerge in music. I've owned or auditioned most of the cans except top Stax , Qualia, T1 . I just cannot explain that but I cannot hear anything wrong with W5000 in my setup and they convey all the emotions in music. Guess I'm the fan boy
atsmile.gif
. Mind that my source is heavy modded Raysonic with NOS tubes that contributes a lot in my setup.
You can find my impressions here:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/493687/ath-w5000-polished-version-again-and-56k-warning
 
And just to remind everybody - headphone world is not the only one - I've acquired new speakers and I have to admit it's been long time since I've had my headphones on my head.
 
Oct 23, 2010 at 11:30 AM Post #105 of 304

 
Quote:
It really depends on your music taste and pairing equipment. And we all know that graphs are not playing music. On some of the tube amp designs like EAR or even Berning amps you'll see solutions that are very very bad for the circuit but some just love those products no matter what measured parameters are. To my ears I would say W5000 is the only headphone that let me submerge in music. I've owned or auditioned most of the cans except top Stax , Qualia, T1 . I just cannot explain that but I cannot hear anything wrong with W5000 in my setup and they convey all the emotions in music. Guess I'm the fan boy
atsmile.gif
. Mind that my source is heavy modded Raysonic with NOS tubes that contributes a lot in my setup.
You can find my impressions here:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/493687/ath-w5000-polished-version-again-and-56k-warning
 
And just to remind everybody - headphone world is not the only one - I've acquired new speakers and I have to admit it's been long time since I've had my headphones on my head.



I do realize that the graphs only convey balance or lack thereof (like on the treble tipped W5000s and missing bass sub 60Hz), micro details, sound stage, tonal accuracy and timbre are not on the graphs. But when it comes to frequency response, the Headroom graph pretty much nails what I hear.
 

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