Audio-Technica ATH-WP900

[Nostoi]

I've had the chance to audition the WP900 recently. Indeed, it has accentuated bass and treble, with the usual emphasis on the higher mids. It's a real fun headphone, and a very comfortable one, to boot. I was able to compare them directly with the AWTK, the AWAS, and the AP2000TI. Based on my preferences, I was expecting to pick the AWAS or the WP900 over the AWTK; however, I very much preferred the latter.

In any case, I will be returning to the store for a 2nd round with these headphones. My last audition was brief (under an hour), and I wanted to spend more time with all 3.

The AP2000TI was too bright for my tastes. I'll pass on that one.

Very interesting. I have a pair of AP2000TI arriving in the next day or so. I anticipate a hot treble, but that's fine for me. I was going to take the plunge with the AWAS or AWTK, but the comfort looks a bit suspect, especially the non-tilting cups, which I understand also impacts the seal. In any case, did either of the AWAS or AWTK sound like an evolution or refinement of the WP900?

 

[Malevolent]

Very interesting. I have a pair of AP2000TI arriving in the next day or so. I anticipate a hot treble, but that's fine for me. I was going to take the plunge with the AWAS or AWTK, but the comfort looks a bit suspect, especially the non-tilting cups, which I understand also impacts the seal. In any case, did either of the AWAS or AWTK sound like an evolution or refinement of the WP900?

Comfort-wise, the AWKT and the AWAS were both satisfactory in this regard; the new headband feels a lot better on my head than the old "wing" system. However, I very much prefer the traditional headband that's used on the AP2000TI and the WP900. With that said, these 2 headphones are relatively heavy, so expect some discomfort over long periods of use.

On the topic of sound, the AWAS is a refined take on the WP900's consumer-friendly signature. It has pronounced bass and treble regions, and accentuates the upper mids fairly well. Bass impact is slightly tamed, but the treble presentation is sparkling, clear, and a little bright. The AWKT, on the other hand, reins in the highs and the lows for a fairly neutral, but warm signature.

I'll be heading down to my local headphone store on Friday, for a second round with these 3 headphones. I'll have more impressions then. As it stands, I am fairly impressed with the AWKT.

 

[Nostoi]

Comfort-wise, the AWKT and the AWAS were both satisfactory in this regard; the new headband feels a lot better on my head than the old "wing" system. However, I very much prefer the traditional headband that's used on the AP2000TI and the WP900. With that said, these 2 headphones are relatively heavy, so expect some discomfort over long periods of use.

On the topic of sound, the AWAS is a refined take on the WP900's consumer-friendly signature. It has pronounced bass and treble regions, and accentuates the upper mids fairly well. Bass impact is slightly tamed, but the treble presentation is sparkling, clear, and a little bright. The AWKT, on the other hand, reins in the highs and the lows for a fairly neutral, but warm signature.

I'll be heading down to my local headphone store on Friday, for a second round with these 3 headphones. I'll have more impressions then. As it stands, I am fairly impressed with the AWKT.

Thanks, very interesting. Keen to hear more of your impressions when you demo again, especially in terms of separation and detail retrieval. Out of interest, where do you see the AP2000TI fitting into the WP900 signature? Cheers.

 

[Malevolent]

Thanks, very interesting. Keen to hear more of your impressions when you demo again, especially in terms of separation and detail retrieval. Out of interest, where do you see the AP2000TI fitting into the WP900 signature? Cheers.

I didn't have much head time with the AP2000TI. It was very lean and bright, which is, essentially, the opposite of my preferred signature (I like something that's warm and heavy on the bass). To my ears, it is brighter than the WP900; you get a dry and aggressive treble presentation that bordered on sibilance. However, unlike the WP900, the low end is attenuated, so you get relatively flat and even lows.

I'll be sure to try them again, though. A sub-10 minute audition is not often enough to fully judge a headphone's characteristics, IMO.

If there's an IEM that sounds like the AP2000TI (at first glance), it is the Noble Audio Khan.

 

[Dc0323]

This is the only pair of headphones that I own as all of my gear are iems (EE LX, Solaris SE, and the new 64 Audio nio) andni must say, to my ears these sound scary similar to the Solaris SE. but with even better bass extension and better soundstage. My only complaint is that the highs are a bit too bright and thin sounding on some tracks but for 650, these are totally worth it and I actually prefer these over my Solaris SE which costs almost three times as much.

 

[Nostoi]

I didn't have much head time with the AP2000TI. It was very lean and bright, which is, essentially, the opposite of my preferred signature (I like something that's warm and heavy on the bass). To my ears, it is brighter than the WP900; you get a dry and aggressive treble presentation that bordered on sibilance. However, unlike the WP900, the low end is attenuated, so you get relatively flat and even lows.

I'll be sure to try them again, though. A sub-10 minute audition is not often enough to fully judge a headphone's characteristics, IMO.

If there's an IEM that sounds like the AP2000TI (at first glance), it is the Noble Audio Khan.

I ended up receiving my pair of AP2000TI today. For me, the treble is about perfect. I wouldn't want any more smoothness personally. I find the brightness about the same as WP900. Definitely not sibilant to my ears. I find the AP2000TI considerably more mid-centred than the WP900, though not ZMF levels of mid focus. They are definitely the "mature" counterpart of the WP900. Comfort and build are top notch.

I am still very curious to demo the AWAS and AWKT. If you have time to let me know more about how these two models compare to the WP900 in terms of sound signature and technical ability, I'd be most grateful.

 

[Nostoi]

This is the only pair of headphones that I own as all of my gear are iems (EE LX, Solaris SE, and the new 64 Audio nio) andni must say, to my ears these sound scary similar to the Solaris SE. but with even better bass extension and better soundstage. My only complaint is that the highs are a bit too bright and thin sounding on some tracks but for 650, these are totally worth it and I actually prefer these over my Solaris SE which costs almost three times as much.

Good to know. They're on my list as IEM counterparts to the WP900 (also considering the Campfire Ara and some of the JVC woodies). The FiR Audio M4 were also suggested to me. How's the detail retrieval and separation on the Solaris compared to the WP900?

 

[Dc0323]

Good to know. They're on my list as IEM counterparts to the WP900 (also considering the Campfire Ara and some of the JVC woodies). The FiR Audio M4 were also suggested to me. How's the detail retrieval and separation on the Solaris compared to the WP900?

To my ears, the WP900 edges out the Solaris ever so slightly in terms of separation and detail retrieval but they are pretty darn close. But I think a lot of that has to do with the thin sparking highs on the WP900. Overall coherency, instrument placement and sound stage is better on the WP900 probably due to the single driver and the angled placement of the driver. I don’t have a lot of experience with headphones, but I really enjoy these.

 

[Malevolent]

I ended up receiving my pair of AP2000TI today. For me, the treble is about perfect. I wouldn't want any more smoothness personally. I find the brightness about the same as WP900. Definitely not sibilant to my ears. I find the AP2000TI considerably more mid-centred than the WP900, though not ZMF levels of mid focus. They are definitely the "mature" counterpart of the WP900. Comfort and build are top notch.

I am still very curious to demo the AWAS and AWKT. If you have time to let me know more about how these two models compare to the WP900 in terms of sound signature and technical ability, I'd be most grateful.

I had a lengthy session comparing some heavy hitters in the closed-back space today. I included the AWAS, AWKT, and the WP900 in this 'shootout', of sorts.

In comparison with the WP900, the AWAS has a less pronounced "v". Bass has impact and slam, with good texture; however, it is not as prominent as the presentation of the lows on the WP900. I also found the treble on the WP900 to be coarser in texture. On the other hand, highs on the AWAS are clear, with great clarity. The midrange is a little scooped, but they aren't as recessed as the mids on the WP900. As a result, vocals sound a bit more forward - songs with female vocals are especially pleasant to listen to. The AWAS is great for Dance music, and some Pop and Rock, especially if your collection consists of a sizeable percentage of female-driven tracks.

With the AWKT, you're getting a generally balanced sound, with a slight focus on the upper mid-range and treble sections. Unlike the highs on the WP900 and the AWAS, the AWKT has a smoother treble presentation; they remain clear with a lot of micro-detail. Moreover, they are less prone to harsh peaks than the other 2 headphones. Bass is linear, with great extension into the sub-bass region. You'll get punchy lows, just very little of it. However, vocals are comparatively more distinct, with a slight tinge of lushness and body that are lacking in the AWAS, and especially the WP900. Essentially, the AWKT has a very natural sound, and fares well with myriad genres of music. However, it suffers a little with bass-heavy genres, such as EDM, as the relatively anemic bass region struggles to create a thumping bassline.

Imaging and staging on the AWKT and AWAS are rather similar; they both fare pretty well in this regard. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the WP900 has the smallest soundstage of the 3. The AWAS has a noticeably larger stage in 3 dimensions. The AWKT has an analogous soundstage to the AWAS, but it is a touch deeper. In all honesty, the WP900 sounds compressed in comparison to its brethren.

If you are interested in comfort, both the AWKT and AWAS felt somewhat cozy and snug on my ears. However, as I wasn't listening to each headphone for an extended period of time (I kept switching between all 3), I cannot tell if your ears will suffer from episodes of discomfort. However, the weight of the AWAS and AWKT are discernable; both weigh approximately 400g, so you'll definitely notice the bulk after long listening sessions.

One other interesting thing to note - the pads are very shallow. My ears were about a centimeter away from touching the grills. Interesting, if not weird, design choice.

 

[Nostoi]

I had a lengthy session comparing some heavy hitters in the closed-back space today. I included the AWAS, AWKT, and the WP900 in this 'shootout', of sorts.

In comparison with the WP900, the AWAS has a less pronounced "v". Bass has impact and slam, with good texture; however, it is not as prominent as the presentation of the lows on the WP900. I also found the treble on the WP900 to be coarser in texture. On the other hand, highs on the AWAS are clear, with great clarity. The midrange is a little scooped, but they aren't as recessed as the mids on the WP900. As a result, vocals sound a bit more forward - songs with female vocals are especially pleasant to listen to. The AWAS is great for Dance music, and some Pop and Rock, especially if your collection consists of a sizeable percentage of female-driven tracks.

With the AWKT, you're getting a generally balanced sound, with a slight focus on the upper mid-range and treble sections. Unlike the highs on the WP900 and the AWAS, the AWKT has a smoother treble presentation; they remain clear with a lot of micro-detail. Moreover, they are less prone to harsh peaks than the other 2 headphones. Bass is linear, with great extension into the sub-bass region. You'll get punchy lows, just very little of it. However, vocals are comparatively more distinct, with a slight tinge of lushness and body that are lacking in the AWAS, and especially the WP900. Essentially, the AWKT has a very natural sound, and fares well with myriad genres of music. However, it suffers a little with bass-heavy genres, such as EDM, as the relatively anemic bass region struggles to create a thumping bassline.

Imaging and staging on the AWKT and AWAS are rather similar; they both fare pretty well in this regard. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the WP900 has the smallest soundstage of the 3. The AWAS has a noticeably larger stage in 3 dimensions. The AWKT has an analogous soundstage to the AWAS, but it is a touch deeper. In all honesty, the WP900 sounds compressed in comparison to its brethren.

If you are interested in comfort, both the AWKT and AWAS felt somewhat cozy and snug on my ears. However, as I wasn't listening to each headphone for an extended period of time (I kept switching between all 3), I cannot tell if your ears will suffer from episodes of discomfort. However, the weight of the AWAS and AWKT are discernable; both weigh approximately 400g, so you'll definitely notice the bulk after long listening sessions.

One other interesting thing to note - the pads are very shallow. My ears were about a centimeter away from touching the grills. Interesting, if not weird, design choice.

Sir, you have nailed it with your shootout, thank you. By the way, there is a parallel discussion on these headphones taking place at the AP2000Ti thread here. A lot of overlapping points.

Which model are you leaning toward? As I mentioned on the other thread - and maybe here, too - I have the ZMF Eikon and wouldn't want to duplicate that sound signature with either the AWKT or the AWAS. Probably I would lean toward the AWAS, as I'd like to retain the slam of the WP900 and the slight v of the AP2000Ti but have more technical prowess. A little scoopage of the mids suits me. Did you by chance have the chance to compare the top end of the AWAS with the AP2000Ti? I like brightness - the DT990 600 ohm is my jam, so don't mind a little sibilant. Thanks again.

 

[Malevolent]

Sir, you have nailed it with your shootout, thank you. By the way, there is a parallel discussion on these headphones taking place at the AP2000Ti thread here. A lot of overlapping points.

Which model are you leaning toward? As I mentioned on the other thread - and maybe here, too - I have the ZMF Eikon and wouldn't want to duplicate that sound signature with either the AWKT or the AWAS. Probably I would lean toward the AWAS, as I'd like to retain the slam of the WP900 and the slight v of the AP2000Ti but have more technical prowess. A little scoopage of the mids suits me. Did you by chance have the chance to compare the top end of the AWAS with the AP2000Ti? I like brightness - the DT990 600 ohm is my jam, so don't mind a little sibilant. Thanks again.

To complement my list of headphones that are heavily skewed towards excessive coloration (heavy on the bass, "V" shaped), I was looking for a relatively neutral headphone to round out the collection. I didn't just want neutral, I wanted something that is also warm-sounding, with great bass texture. Hence, I was leaning toward the AWKT throughout the audition; it checked a lot of boxes, save one - the quantity of its mid-bass. It felt a little too lean in that department.

If I didn't already have a bunch of "fun" headphones, I'd take the AWAS. It's easily the more engaging of the 2, with a signature that can be best described as an audiophile's take on the consumer-friendly "v-shaped" sound. If that's what you are looking for, the AWAS will be a good addition to your arsenal of headphones.

My apologies, I forgot to test the AP2000TI. I got carried away by the admittedly intense audition session; this headphone completely slipped my mind!

 

[Nostoi]

To complement my list of headphones that are heavily skewed towards excessive coloration (heavy on the bass, "V" shaped), I was looking for a relatively neutral headphone to round out the collection. I didn't just want neutral, I wanted something that is also warm-sounding, with great bass texture. Hence, I was leaning toward the AWKT throughout the audition; it checked a lot of boxes, save one - the quantity of its mid-bass. It felt a little too lean in that department.

If I didn't already have a bunch of "fun" headphones, I'd take the AWAS. It's easily the more engaging of the 2, with a signature that can be best described as an audiophile's take on the consumer-friendly "v-shaped" sound. If that's what you are looking for, the AWAS will be a good addition to your arsenal of headphones.

My apologies, I forgot to test the AP2000TI. I got carried away by the admittedly intense audition session; this headphone completely slipped my mind!

My thanks again for this. I wish I could trial these myself. Sadly, they're not on Amazon EU, meaning a 30 day "trial period" isn't readily available.

I'd encourage you, if you have the chance, to give the AP2000Ti another go. I have had more of a chance to listen to them and find them immensely satisfying. Exceptionally musical but also detailed and balanced. They're indeed a bit v-shaped, though probably more u-shaped; they pair really with classic rock and metal, I find.

I will definitely keep them, it's just a question if I want to trade in my ZMF for either the AWAS or AWKT to complete my ATH collection. It's a slight shame the AWAS downgrades to synthetic leather. The materials on the AP2000Ti are top notch, really exudes quality.

 

[Senni]

They are my new favourite Portables. Balanced Cable improves the Soundquality. Excellent Match with the KANN Cube!

 

[Malevolent]

My thanks again for this. I wish I could trial these myself. Sadly, they're not on Amazon EU, meaning a 30 day "trial period" isn't readily available.

I'd encourage you, if you have the chance, to give the AP2000Ti another go. I have had more of a chance to listen to them and find them immensely satisfying. Exceptionally musical but also detailed and balanced. They're indeed a bit v-shaped, though probably more u-shaped; they pair really with classic rock and metal, I find.

I will definitely keep them, it's just a question if I want to trade in my ZMF for either the AWAS or AWKT to complete my ATH collection. It's a slight shame the AWAS downgrades to synthetic leather. The materials on the AP2000Ti are top notch, really exudes quality.

Yeah, it was a missed opportunity. At first blush, they sounded a little too lean and bright for my tastes. Nevertheless, as I've said, a short audition is not nearly enough, so I will be returning to the store to have another go at the AP2000TI. They are certainly eye-catching, though; together with the WP900, they are arguably the best-looking Audio-Tehnica headphones on the contemporary market.

Between the AWAS and the AWKT, the former loses the (real?) leather in 2 areas - the pads and the headband. Certainly, the AWKT gives off a more refined feel; the choice of wood accentuates this slightly, too, IMO.

 

[Dc0323]

If anyone needs a hard case option for the WP900, the geekria case on Amazon fits it perfectly!