What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Pricey, but they do exactly as the designer intended
Pros
- +
Comfortable
- +
deliver a massive amount of insight into a recording
- +
well-judged sonic balance
Cons
- -
A slight lack of subtlety in the midrange and treble
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
Good headphones, such as these Audio-Technicas, are great value. That's right, we really are saying the £400 ATH-W1000s are great value. Why? If you tend to listen to music alone, you'd have to spend four figures on speakers plus a similar amount on suitable amplification to get similar results. These headphones are comfortable, too.
Audio-Technica's engineers have judged the sonic presentation well. These 'phones are vivid enough to squeeze every last drop of drama from Tchaikovsky's 1812 while having the refinement to keep a rough recording like Grinderman's debut set in check.
Judged by the high standards of the price we'd like slightly richer, better textured highs and a touch more subtlety in the midrange, but these are minor shortcomings. Budget around £300-£400 for a decent headphone amp from the likes of Creek or Graham Slee, ensure you've got a source at least as capable as Rega's Apollo CD player, and you'll end up with a sound that will be hard to better by conventional means.
