So the headphones arrived from Japan yesterday. I have to say that they are gorgeous. I thought the W1000X were beautiful when I unboxed them, but the W5000 takes the crown.
I've only listened to them around 8-10 hours - mainly on Beethoven strings/symphonies - so these are initial impressions
Sound
I spend at least 9 hours each day with headphones on working/studying, often more. Prior to the arrival of the W5000, the headtime with my current headphones were divided like so:
W1000X (50%)
T1 (30%)
HD650 (20%)
I found the sound of the W5000 to my liking as soon as I put them on. The upgrade on the detail retrieval was noticeable from the W1000X and the HD650. Around the same level with the T1.
The soundstage compared to the W1000X is different - I haven't totally figured out what exactly. More space is all I can say at this stage.
I have not found the bass lacking for my tastes and my music. I did briefly play some rolling stones albums (1968-1972 period), and I do note slightly less emphasis on the bass notes. It is definitely present, defined, with the rest of the instruments. The drums and guitar sounds are again very detailed. Nevertheless I can understand others left wanting more on the bass front.
Fit
The headband dimensions seem slightly different to the W1000X. Initially I felt the latter fitting my head better. I use the stock W1000X earpads which I don't find as bad as other W1000X owners - I had hifiman's velours for a while but found them itchy and are also dust magnets.
At first my ears rested on top of the earpad hole, but have since fit my ears inside, and now it feels supremely comfortable. The leather earpads are soft and provide a greater seal and grip. The W1000X pleathers will be replaced with W5000 pads.
The 3D wing design on my old AD700X did not fit me well at all, but I found those on the W1000X and W5000 very much to my liking due to the increased rigidity. I've left the headband as it is.
Volume
I feel like the W5000 is more sensitive on the volume wheel than the W1000X. It seems to get loud quickly. The better seal may have something to do with this. With all my headphones I tend not go beyond 10:00 on the volume wheel. With the lower impedance ATs, I normally had them between 8-9:30. Currently I have W5000 at 8.
Negatives
Everything below the headphones seems like an after-thought and is disappointing.
- The headphone cord picks up noise much more than the other headphones I own. Don't think this should be the case in their flagship model.
- I've never been a fan of the headphone cord lining of the AT phones I've owned. Plasticky and does not straighten out well. Looks and feels cheap.
- I wish the headphone jack had the black ebony wood accent similar to the W1000X's cherry wood jack. The silver metal looks out of place from the overall design.
Otherwise, I'm a happy owner enjoying the music from these cans