Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 Audiophile Closed-Back Dynamic Wooden On-Ear Headphones, Black

Bought this as my first high end earphone. Amazon Marketplace sold me Used-Like New condition which is an accurate description. The packaging is very well done and definitely is reusable many time.Upon unpacking, I left it burn in for about 3 consecutive days with  Beethoven: String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4 & String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 130, with the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133  on Marantz SA-KI Pearl with moderate-high volume on loop. The disc is choosen for its great dynamic range and also is pretty much the kind of music I would be listening to most of the time. Oh boy! Over time, the changes are noticable. The soundstage widens, attacks and decays are as they should be on the viola and violin. In other words, timbre is beautifully presented on this earphone. I would not call it the most accurate earphone on the market but it certainly is one that produces and presents very pleasant sound to the ears.Tested on another disc  My One & Only Thrill  and again, this earphone delivers above my expectation. Melody's vocal is not in your face but it is presented in an authentic manner in a reasonably sized soundstage with enough body. The music simply just flows.As far as comfort goes, I don't have problems with this earphone. It feels that it comes with the right weight to me and I can wear it for a few hours without problems.Though it has a closed back design, in terms of external sound isolation, it is not the most dead quiet earphone but more than enough for home-office environment. Also, this does not concern me for my application.Overall, this is a happy purchase. This earphone was released many years ago but it still holds true as one of the reference earphones out there in the market. I can recommend it without any reservation.

Well, I normally do not return things, as I over analyze and buy what I decided on, but these ATH-W5000 headphones are being returned as they are a poor design and extremely uncomfortable. I feel the sound of these, at best, is a 3 on a 5 scale, so I could not justify the extreme overpricing of these headphones. Add in the discomfort of the thin padding, which make my ears hurt, and these headphones became an easy return as I would rate the comfort at the lowest 1 out of 5 Stars. Therefore, I would rate the ATH-W5000 as a 2 out of 5 Stars, and not worth the pricing. At $249.00, I find the Monoprice M1060 and M1060C to be much better in sound and comfort. At $349.00 I find the HiFiMan Sundara to be far superior in sound and comfort. At about $150.00, I find the HiFiMan HE400i and HE400s to both be far superior in sound and comfort. At about $650.00, I find the HiFiMan Ananda to be far superior in sound and comfort. At $799.00, I find the Audeze LCD-2 Classic to be far superior in sound and comfort, but heavier.Verdict: There are a lot better out there, and far cheaper and more comfortable, than the ATH-W5000.Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars and not recommended.

Great sound, soundstage; but, quickly uncomfortable to wear. This reviewer has normal to slightly smaller ears - but, shallow pads (really disappointing) cause the inner baffle plate to actually touch / press against ears; and split headband style - while tolerable on the lighter weight AT R70x open backs - requires constant fiddling for good fit, comfort. After wearing for an hour, then removing, ears still hurt 30 min later. Sadly using less frequently than would otherwise given sound. Buying after market earpads to try to provide some space and comfort.

I bought this just wondering how wood ones taste... The sound quality is pretty good comparing to price, especially female voice, I actually feels w5000 goes better with ACG musics... anyway. For a closed headphone, sound block works also very well. One thing annoys me is my ear hurts if wearing it for a long time because it has being bent away because of the design of the headphone.

I would have rated stars if they didn't creak slighly when I move my jaw left/right. The magnesium alloy connection point to the cups, I think, was the source of the creak. I loved them, and wish I could have kept them, but for the price I needed something that didn't creak.

Received my order today from amazon of the ath w5000. First impression is that they are the most beautiful headphone I have ever seen. Plugged them in my ipod classic plus amp and they sound open and airy revealing with amazing details. However I thought audio technica should have included a jack for idevices.I own over thirty headphones to date and these rank amongst the very best.Audio technica produce some of the best headphones in the world and these are a testimony to their legacy.

I bought these headphones, but didn't get a chance to listen to them. Why? Because they wouldn't seal on my ears.I don't have an odd-shaped head; these headphones are just designed poorly. They did something odd where the angle of the cup is determined by how far you spread the headphones open.Thankfully Amazon took them back no problem. I can't recommend these to anyone, especially when there are better headphones available for less these days.

When I listen to an Audio Technica I do not want to stop listening as I become more involved with the music. I have the Sennheiser 600, Grado RS1 and I prefer this headphone over them. I also have the Audio Technica ATHESW9A for portable/travel listening. Both sound great without a headphone amp. They say the Audio Technica headphones have their "house sound". For some people this "house sound" is what attract people to buy them. Highly recommended.

Der Klang des Kopfhörers eignet sich hervorragend für das Hören von klassischer Musik. Man sollte hochwertigeAudiogeräte (Kopfhörerverstärker) verwenden, um in den vollen Hörgenuss zu kommen. Zur Hochform läuft einKopfhörer erst nach einiger Zeit der Nutzung auf. Das gilt es zu beachten.Auch der Sitz ist sehr gut, er scheint auf alle Köpfe zu passen.Bei dem Preis atmet man erst einmal durch, wird aber dann entschädigt.D.K.