Sound Impressions
Bass
The low end is weak, thin, and lackluster but plenty clean. This is a deception caused by that damn headband, the headphone sounds great on the low end when you push the earcups inward a bit.
With proper seal comes a fantastic, yummy bass that is noticeably warmer than sets like my Fostex TH600 and Sony Z7. True, it isn’t the cleanest of the trio, but it is the most musical and I don’t find it lacking quality per se.
For the price, I would expect better of course, however, it is still pretty good quality all around. It has a relatively soft bass with a solid center, and relaxed edges, and is very similar to most other higher-end ATH headphones.
If you have used ATH’s W-series or the portable ESW-series, you will know exactly what the tone and texture feel and sound like in the W1000z.
What is being produced by the headphones when you push the cups towards your ears is highly enjoyable, but the second you let go the cups retract to their normal positioning….ugh. Thin, watery, and looseness are terms that I use lightly here.
This headphone has good bass, but it is just out of reach. Naturally, it pains me greatly to be unable to fully experience it without forcing the headband to conform more to the shape of my head. This problem is solved with a rubber band, so I am not sure if I can truly be justified in complaining about it.
About texture and quantity, the low-end experience of the W1000z pales to the cleanliness of the now cheaper Fostex TH600 and boarders on the same level as my Sony Z7.
While not at all liquid or pure like an Audeze or the Fostex’s tend to be, this W1000z is more like the Hifiman type of bass, more of that subwoofer type of a thick bass with a focal point in the center that is solid, but also one that loses firmness around the edges.
There are clear differences between the texture type of this headphone and my Fostex TH600: where the TH600 is very pure and fast on the draw, the W1000z is more relaxed and broad.
Mids
No doubt, this headphone shells out some fantastically well-formed vocals that are prominent, forward, and lush.
Soothing is the only proper term I can think of to accurately explain it, this should not at all surprise you if you are familiar with Audio Technica’s higher-end headphones and what they tend to sound like. If any company is known for excellent midrange and yummy vocals, it is certainly Audio Technica.
There is certainly a touch of coloration and warmth that revolves around the entire midrange of this headphone, almost as if you were always listening to an older, vintage stereo system.
Despite using a tonally clinical amplifier, such as my Pathos Aurium, the W1000z refuses to let go of that memorable deepened huge of sun-dipped coloration and balance, something very akin to an Audeze LCD-3 when used with a Burson amplifier.
Again, this should not be a shock to anyone who knows Audio Technica headphones and what they pipe out, this sounds like “Classic ATH” concerning house sound.
What I am enjoying most inside the midrange is how shapely and well-formed the vocal experience is. Without being overly shouty, the headphone serves up a solid sense of authority.
As most of my readers should be aware, I dislike thin sound signature ala HD800, so naturally my ears are not engaged to the fullest when listening to classical or jazz tracks with a slower to moderate pacing.
Audio Technica has purposely tuned the W1000z in a manner that is befitting of a vocalist’s dream headphones, much like their famed and rare W3000ANV.
ATH-W3000ANV Comparison
While on the subject of the roughly $1400 used W3000ANV, it doesn’t outshine this much cheaper W1000z at all. I would think most people would utterly fail blind A/B comparisons. I think ATH wanted the flavor and striking musicality to be copied and pasted into new, cheaper housing.
The rarity of the older W3000ANV is the cause of the exceptionally high price tag; I didn’t find it to be that much better than my $500 Fostex TH600.
This W1000z follows suit and offers pretty much the same experience as the W3000ANV. Those who aren’t collectors and want a highly engaging midrange and a beautiful-looking closed-back woody are left with only Audio Technica headphones, specifically the older and supremely expensive W3000ANV that sells out almost instantly when a for-sale ad goes live.
Hell, I think it took me about 4 months of daily and furious F5 key page refreshing to ensure I was the first to see a used W3000ANV go up for sale.
Thankfully, ATH did a wonderful job of retaining the W3000ANV’s exceptional musicality and tuning. A problem here is that Sony’s newer-ish Z7 only costs $450 or so these days and is superior in every way.
Fostex’s TH600 now sells for roughly the same price and used sets go for over a hundred dollars less than list prices, so you are essentially paying less than half the price of the ATH W1000z and receiving superior headphones all around in those other two models.
Midrange enthusiasts will cringe at the TH600, but will adore the Z7 from Sony and only be left with one choice out there in the Hifi market if they were specifically on the prowl for a wooden closed back: The ATH W1000z.
Treble
Treble is the W1000z’s downfall, without a doubt. It is fairly reserved and lacking that shimmering appeal the W3000ANV has in abundance. I consider it fairly boring, but plenty clear for the price.
Side by side with my HD700 from Sennheiser, as well as my Fostex TH600, the W1000z’s upper end is noticeably less hissy and cleaner.
Quantity is the problem here, not cleanliness. There just isn’t enough treble to make me happy and I always feel like I want more out of it when I listen to screaming guitar tracks and a few key favorite vocal tracks that I enjoy most.
A shimmering treble would make the ATH-W1000Z a lot more interesting and memorable, but it seems Audio Technica has taken the safe route and harbored a reserve quantity approach to the upper end, I’m not sure I am okay with this.
It lacks engaging qualities and is noticeably less appealing than their portable ESW11JPN in this area. Violins, guitars, and even bullets whizzing by in gaming aren’t nearly as enjoyable as the less clear, but more prominent treble of the Sony 950BT, Focal Spirit line, and even the Fostex TH600. Hell, even the Sony Z7 has more brightness to it that allows a stronger sense of a top end.
This W1000z is also less interesting than the W3000ANV, which to my ears has a fair bit more treble and a potential for a shimmering, glittering, and lustrous treble effect when the track calls for it.
This is noticeable with cymbals and high hats, but especially annoying when someone hits a harmonic note on a guitar. Lacking engaging qualities for sure, but still plenty clean. Those sensitive to treble and want that more relaxed tonality will enjoy these headphones.
Staging
I enjoyed the stage experience on the W1000z more than the TH600 from Fostex, which was annoyingly recessed in the midrange and lacked a good sense of width.
Those flaws are not present in the W1000z, you get a strong sense of width that is very similar to the HD700 from Sennheiser, the older ATH 3000ANV, and similar headphones with more width presence than height.
Depth of field is just acceptable, as I’ve found that some sets from Focal and even the Sony Z7 have noticeably superior realism and stage depth prowess.
With that in mind, the W1000Z retains a better sense of separation and effortlessness. The congested sound might be felt in the other sets I’ve mentioned, but the W1000z is the least closed-in feeling of the bunch that I was able to compare against.
Our Verdict
The W1000z is a headphone for people with a woody fetish, as well as someone who might want a lot more coloration and musicality over the Fostex TH600 and similar headphones.
Right now, I cannot think of a single other closed-back headphone sub $800 that sounds this tasty other than the Focal Classic. But, if Audio Technica wants to stay alive in the Hifi Market, they needs to take a step back and rethink some things.
Right now, the cheaper Sony Z7 sounds superior everywhere but concerning stage width. True it isn’t a woody, but the price cannot reflect such a high tag simply because it is a woody.
I realize that makes little sense, due to Lawton’s cups costing $500-700 a set, but consider the prices of the Sony Z7 and the used TH600 at $375 or so and it becomes hard to justify a price tag of $699 for this W1000z…a headphone with some serious design flaws as well.
Overall, the headphones are in a state of disarray concerning design. Audio Technica just refuses to update its designs to reflect something most people would consider comfortable.
Thankfully, Audio Technica gets musicality and offers a wonderfully yummy and satisfying experience from top to bottom, but that design has to go.
Is it a good headphone? Absolutely. Is it worth that price tag? No. This headphone does not offer $700 quality. That, combined with the idea that it is in serious need of a redesign only makes it that much more painful to know that the headphone sounds so delicious.
Audio Technica ATH-W1000Z Technical Specifications
- Type Closed-back Dynamic
- Driver Diameter 53 mm
- Voice Coil OFC-6N
- Frequency Response 5 – 42,000 Hz
- Maximum Input Power 2,000 mW
- Sensitivity 101 dB/mW
- Impedance 43 ohms
- Weight 320 g
- Cable 3.0 m (dual-sided), 4-core parallel cable/OFC6N + OFC/Elastomer sheath
- Connector 6.3 mm (1/4″) gold-plated plug with a wooden sleeve
