Audio Technica ATH-W3000 ANV Headphones - Number: 1697

Looking Classy

For the uninitiated, Audio Technica is a major Japanese brand and audio product manufacturer. Their proficiency in the field is made evident by the fact that the Grammy Awards use audio products manufactured by them for their events. They celebrated their 50th anniversary about a year ago and commemorated the event with the launch of a new range of headphones, of which the flagship from the line-up is the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV that we have for scrutiny today.

Design and Hardware

When it comes to giving the ATH-W3000ANV a premium feel, Audio Technica seems to have spared no expense. Each pair of headphones has its own unique serial number and there are only 2000 such products worldwide. The headphones we tried were also delivered in a sturdy, hard case with a clasp. It must however be noted that the actual retail packaging does not include it. The hard case can be purchased for an additional S$168 outlay.

Drawing on their history and legacy spanning across their half century of operations, Audio Technica has chosen Hokkaido Asada cherry hardwood finished with traditional Echizen lacquer for the construction of the ear-cups. The wood is known to have a warm tone with a sharp, piquant attack and we are definitely looking forward to seeing how it sounds when presented with our usual test suite.

The ATH-W3000ANV has a typical Audio Technica design. Noticeable by its absence, the headphones do not sport a headband. Instead, it is replaced with individual left/right pads for head-rests which adjust according to the size of your head. Ear cushions are made from Spanish lambskin.

On the whole, we were quite impressed with the aesthetics of these Audio Technica headphones. The dark brown and chocolate color scheme compliments the cherry hardwood gorgeously and the bare-bone, skeletal support structure makes sure that the lacquered ear-cups are the prime attraction.

If you are worried that the ATH-W3000ANV would be all style and no substance, your fears should be allayed by the fact that the headphones are equipped with 53mm drivers and have a frequency response of 5Hz to 42,000Hz. Both numbers befit this headphone’s billing as a premium product. Impedance for the headphones is 40 Ohms and you can hook up the cans via the gold plated 6.35mm jack. It must also be noted that the drivers utilize permendur magnets as opposed to the new-age neodymium magnets, further serving as a representative of Audio Technica’s history.

In addition, the product also comes with noise isolation (also sometimes referred to as 'passive noise canceling technology').

Comfort and Fit

Seeing that there is no headband to speak of, adjustment options are different on the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV. By right the swivel of the ear-cups and the 'floating' head-pads should respond to the shape of your head to provide a comfortable fit. Unfortunately in practice, that was not the case. We found that the head-pads rested too lightly without adequate support on the top of the head, thus making the ear-cups clamp tightly. If you are used to traditional headbands, it will likely take a few hours for you to get used to the head-pad design which initially felt like tongs were gripping our head.

The choice for Spanish lambskin cannot be faulted. The cushioning for the ear-cups is immaculately soft and supple. Strangely enough, even though the headphones have 53mm drivers, we found the ear-cups to be small and shallow. In fact we even felt a pinch or two during our testing which was quite unexpected. Seeing that the headphones are intended for a dedicated listening experience, these faults with fit and comfort detract from the otherwise excellent design of the product.

Sound Quality

Seeing that the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV is a premium pair of headphones, we will obviously be holding it up to the highest standards to see if it meets the mark. As per our usual testing procedures we have our suite of MP3 tracks coupled with CD lossless tracks to see whether the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV can justify its S$1688 price tag. Although we tried the headphones with a variety of tracks, we will only be presenting the findings for the mentioned set for the sake of direct comparison and continuity with other similar products.

MP3 Testing

Diving straight into our results, we started off our testing process with Adele’s Melt My Heart To Stone. The headphones delivered bright audio with adequate warmth. Good clarity for the highs coupled with the melody of the track being well represented meant that the ATH-W3000ANV was off to an excellent start. However a bit more warmth to the rendering would have resulted in us classifying the performance on this track as truly exceptional.

We moved on to Sail On Soothsayer by Buckethead. The instrumental track is one of the hardest to replicate with the correct mix due to the high, chiming lead guitars and mid-range, distortion heavy rhythm track. However the ATH-W3000ANV navigates this tricky composition with ease. The naturally sharp attack properties of the cherry wood used in the ear-cups helps to enhance the bite of the guitar solos and melodies. Just a smidgen more definition for the distortion guitar would once again have pushed the already high score for this track even higher.

In order to test out the bass performance of the ATH-W3000ANV we had a listen to Elements Of Life by Tiesto. The headphones gave a nuanced and detailed performance with a decent soundstage. But the bright characteristics of the headphones do not naturally lend themselves to the reproduction of this track and take away slightly from the groove of the song. A bit more definition for the opening sequence of the track would have helped it out  better.

We rounded off our MP3 testing segment with a live rendition of Hotel California by The Eagles. Being a closed back headphone, the ATH-W3000ANV’s soundstage could not deliver the atmosphere and ambience of the live track as well as the open back Beyerdynamic T90 for example. That being said, we could find no fault with the directionality of sound. The previously mentioned brightness and sharp attack once again helped to reproduce the acoustic guitar work in its splendor. Great transient response was also evidenced by the adroit handling of the alternate percussions found on the song.

CD Lossless Testing

Our CD Lossless testing suite is designed to see how well an audio product can handle reproducing horns, string and orchestra arrangements. It also allows us to test how the product copes with volume swells and more strenuous melodies.

First on the list is the theme from Cutthroat Island. The Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV handles the track with aplomb. The melody of the piece is well represented and the brightness of tone for the product helps the details shine through. It must also be stated that the emotion of the song is well represented.

Moving on to Fanfare For Louis, we experienced no "blooming" of noise which is sometimes heard with lesser quality audio products. Once again the melody is rendered well and the horns have their distinct timbre preserved and intact. However, it must be mentioned that some of the warmth for the track was missing and results in the headphones not scoring as high as they could have.

Our last track for the CD Lossless testing is a new introduction in the form of Dance Of The Knights No:13 from Romeo & Juliet by Russian composer Prokofiev. Once again while the overall melody and the mix were done justice, we found that the bass notes lacked impact. Additionally the string melodies also lacked character and robustness.

Is It Worth the Cost?

When it comes to high-end headphones, the product has to deliver on design, features, comfort and performance. It goes without saying that the same criteria are what we will be judging the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV on. The question then arises does the headphone do enough to justify its S$1688 cost?

With regards to design, Audio Technica delivers on the promise of a premium feel even if you discount the hard case which is sold separately. The fact that there are only 2000 units of the ATH-W3000ANV worldwide adds tremendously to the exclusivity of the product. Audio Technica has also stated that there will be no other production run for this model. Usage of Hokkaido Asada cherry hardwood finished with Echizen lacquer make these headphones a reflection of the legacy and tradition of Audio Technica. They also ensure that the design of the product is sufficiently high-end.

Though the design is excellent in terms of aesthetics, it falters when it comes to comfort. We found the fit to be 'clampy' and also experienced pinching due to the small, shallow size of the ear-cups. It is a shame because the Spanish lambskin cushioning is supple and soft. Seeing that high-end headphones are intended to be used for extended durations, the inadequate comfort quotient is a bit off-putting.

The ATH-W3000ANV also features noise isolation. While it is an admirable effort on Audio Technica’s part to increase the value proposition of the product, we find it kind of redundant. If you can afford headphones which cost close to S$2000 we assume you also have a quiet, comfortable listening room set up to use them in. That being said, the 'passive noise canceling' feature would come in a tad handy if you intend to use the headphones on flights. However since the product is pretty sizable, has a 6.35mm connector and a 40 Ohm impedance, we don’t think pairing it up with portable music players for your commute is a smart idea - even if it means carrying your own headphone amplifier.

Performance is an area where the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV impresses. The natural bright and sharp characteristics of the cherry hardwood used for the construction of the ear-cups color the audio reproduction. This helps the headphones perform admirably on tracks such as Hotel California and Sail On Soothsayer as detailed in our previous page. Excellent transient response and attention to detail does justice to the subtle nuances of the tracks. However we found that the warmth levels were slightly below optimal.

If you ask us, the performance aspects of the ATH-W3000ANV alone do not justify the S$1688 that Audio Technica is asking you to fork out. For close to half that price, you can procure a set of the Beyerdynamic T90 which actually outperforms this product (in our opinion). It is our suspicion that a good portion of the asking price is paid for the right to own the product thanks to its exclusivity and high grade construction. Owners of the Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV can proudly claim their headphones to be one out of the only 2000 produced units. But if you are an audiophile without deep pockets, perhaps you should give a chance to the rest of the contenders in this field first.

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