W5000 - Soon to be overshadowed by jpak's L3000

[postjack]

Got a package from Israel today:

Its hard to capture the beauty of the wood with my limited photography skills, but they really are gorgeous to look at.

First impressions: yeeeeeouch! Man that is a loud upper midrange. \ Which is a shame because a) that is where a lot of my favorite vocals are, and obviously my preference for Grados shows I love a silky warm midrange, and because these cans get so much else right. Midbass (bass guitar) is wonderfully textured and natural sounding, drums have amazing snap & crack and are very lifelike. And actually the highest highs are sweet, not overly bright like the upper midrange/lower highs. The AT fitting system is very comfortable on my large head.

I've done brief comparisons with the Melos and the Dynahi, initial impressions prefer the Melos, but I still want to do more listening. Can't say whether or not these are a keeper yet.

[humanflyz]

Yup, that upper-midrange is what bothered me also while I had them.

[deepak]

The AT wing system is something else, so comfortable. I missed that when I sold my A500.

[Dusty Chalk]

What is that "Raffinato"? Is this a special edition of the W5000?

[JBLoudG20]

No that's just the name of the headphone, kinda like your w11 is a Japan. (Assuming it was you I was talking to about the W11, if not, sorry mistaken identity).

[Nanoha]

Audio-Technica ATH-L3000 Connolly

Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 Raffinato

Audio-Technica ATH-W11JPN Japan

Audio-Technica ATH-W2002 Japan

Audio-Technica ATH-W1000 Sovereign

Audio-Technica ATH-EW9 Sovereign

Audio-Technica ATH-W10LTD Limited

Audio-Technica ATH-W11R Limited

Audio-Technica ATH-W10VTG Vintage

[JBLoudG20]

Audio-technica ATH-W100 Red-headed step child

[postjack]

Day 2:

There is definitely something attractive about the W5000 sound. All day at work I was itching to get home and get the cans back on my head, even though the previous night's listening had been fatiguing. So far, I'm listening to Ryan Adams Cold Roses, a very warm, well-recorded acoustic alt-countryish affair. Lots of ballad type numbers, but the performances are intimate. The biggest difference between tonight and last night is I'm not cranking the volume to HP-2 or, even worse, HD650 levels. These cans are much, much more enjoyable at a more moderate volume. I'm not feeling the heat of the upper midrange at all now, really.

This volume issue could be a closed can thing. The only other closed can I've owned was the DT770/80, and my time with them was very brief.

[postjack]

Closed Can Rule #1 - Ain't no sound comin' out the other end, its all going in one direction: your ears. Turn the volume down, boy. come over there and smack yer mouth boy...

[Mr.Shadow]

Jack,

The W5000 are very dynamic and detailed cans.

At low volumes they best a lot of cans.

the resolution and the instrument placement is indeed something which they master !

Have fun Exploring the Audio Technica sound.

Congrats and enjoy your new cans

[postjack]

Every time I go from a Grado or Sennheiser back to the W5000, there are always a few minutes of "what the hell is going on with this can"? Its just so different then anything else I've heard. But after a few minutes my brain settles in and I start tapping my foot and bobbing my head. Its a pratty and definitely exciting can. I can definitely see how someone could really fall for this sound; the only thing left for me to decide is if I'll fall for it.

Again, vinyl sounds better with them then digital, but digital sounds better with them then it does with Sennheisers.

[JBLoudG20]

You have my interest piqued. Bastard.

[Nanoha]

You have my interest piqued. Bastard.

I see that W100 hunting is not going well.

[JBLoudG20]

I have one, kinda. It just arrived in NY from China. I should have it in the next few days. It's the L3000 driver hunt that is not going well.

[Nanoha]

I have one, kinda. It just arrived in NY from China. I should have it in the next few days. It's the L3000 driver hunt that is not going well.

Oh! So it did work. Aye, good luck on L3k driver hunting!

[JBLoudG20]

It did work, I'm just worried about their condition, since he 'replaced the left driver and the cable' We shall see I guess.

[JBLoudG20]

Jack,

Are you keeping these woodies?

[postjack]

Jack,

Are you keeping these woodies?

I don't know yet. It's such a unique sound, really the polar opposite of the HP-2's out and out neutrality. The upper-midrange heat doesn't bother me anymore, it was just initially such a shock to my Grado and Sennheiser pampered ears.

Also, I also haven't really been able to dedicate enough time to them to make a decision, not only because I've been busy lately but also because I got the GS-1k at the same time. So I've got to try to fit in not just test out new headphones time for two different headphones, but also normal listening time with my old headphones. It's a tough life I tells ya.

This probably shouldn't affect my decision, but it also seems like the market is pretty flooded with W5000s for sale right now. I had three different buyers to choose from when I picked mine up, and I've seen even more pop up since then.

Bottom line is I want to spend more time with both the gs-1k and the W5000, as if I end up selling either of them I want to be 100% sure it was the right decision.

[fierce_freak]

Any update on your W5000 impressions?

[postjack]

Any update on your W5000 impressions?

I'm still pretty torn to be honest with you. One minute I think I love them, the next minute I'm thinking of selling them. But usually when I start waffling like this, I end up selling and not regretting.

The arrival of the W11JPN has clarified matters a bit. It is on the whole less fatiguing and much more pleasant to listen to then the W5000, but is nowhere near as resolving. The W11JPN sounds like a very very good headphone, and the W5000 sounds like a flawed audiophile grade headphone. I put on the W5000, and am instantly excited by its sound signature, but by the end of an album I'm already fatigued and don't want to keep listening. On the other hand, I put on the W11JPN and am not immediately impressed with the sound, but after a few songs I am completely seduced and loving it, and I want to listen to music on it all night long.

I just wish there was a phone with the general sound signature of the W11JPN, but with better resolution, detail retrieval, and bass impact. And of course by all that I've read, this is the L3000. But at the current market prices... yikes!

[Iron_Dreamer]

I just wish there was a phone with the general sound signature of the W11JPN, but with better resolution, detail retrieval, and bass impact. And of course by all that I've read, this is the L3000. But at the current market prices... yikes!

Just look at it as W5000 + W11JPN + (a little extra cash) = L3000, at least if you can find a reasonable deal. That's about how it ended up going for me.

[JBLoudG20]

Just look at it as W5000 + W11JPN + (a little extra cash) = L3000, at least if you can find a reasonable deal. That's about how it ended up going for me.

That's a very sensible way to look at it. Time to start your hunt, postjack. The headcase FOTM has you by your balls.

[postjack]

Just look at it as W5000 + W11JPN + (a little extra cash) = L3000, at least if you can find a reasonable deal. That's about how it ended up going for me.

Actually thats not a bad idea, because in the place of (a little extra cash) I could put RS-1 + HD600, since I hardly ever listen to them, again if I could find a good deal.

[deepak]

Proud fotm initiator

[humanflyz]

if you sell all your headphones besides the HP2, you end up not paying THAT much for the L3000s at current market prices. Of course, "THAT" much is very relative lol.