Messed up impression: What I think about the AD1000PRM and W5000

[Ra97oR]

Not sure where to post this, so its going to general hardware.

Note: This is not an everyday review that you see, if you hate this style, fine, so be it.

Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-AD1000PRM, Audio Technica ATH-W5000

Amp: HA5000 reproduction version

Source: Asus Xonar Essence ST modded

^ Not excately a high-end system, but I haven't gotten any needs for upgrading.


Both headphones are stellar performers; to me there is actually no clear winner here, only differences in preference. Although I will be keeping both, they accompany each other very well. I will instinctively reach for one or the other at different times, where one might shine the most.


Audio Technica ATH-AD1000PRM - Concentrated Audio Ecstasy?



This pair of headphones is pretty much under the radar as it is a limited edition Audio Technica where it is not actually a “Flagship” product and mostly only seen sold in Japan.

Now, I have this pair of headphones for nearly two years and tried many phones but none does makes my feet tap as easily as they can. To describe them, I am just gonna call them, concentrated audio ecstasy, where it easy get my heartbeats raised and seriously messed up foot tapping. It is extremely fun and exciting to listen to, but does actually wears me out. Most the time, I just call “that is enough fun for today, I need to catch up my breath” around 1.5 hours of music listening on it.

Audio Technica ATH-W5000 - Smooth Flowing Aural Bliss?



As the current flagship headphone that Audio Technica produces, they have quite some honor to defend themselves. Well, I think they are doing pretty well.

Surely, I only got this a few days ago. But at the time I bought my AD1000PRM, I was deciding W5000 or the PRM. So I am quite familiar with its sounds and know what to expect. I described them as smooth flowing aural bliss, because the way music sound through it, is never very forceful, it just flows out naturally. It’s a relaxing phone, where it does reproduce the recordings effortlessly. Where I only found STAX setups (mainly O2MK2 with SRM-007t) and LCD2 is rivalling in that respect. Compared to the AD1000PRM, it doesn’t pumps the music into your ears, but simply flows into your brain. Even though it sounds so perfect on paper, it have never gotten me into a feet tapping frenzy. But to sit back, relax and slowly enjoy the ride.



Having typed all that, they both have a very different job to do and they are doing a great job currently. I hope someone out there actually understood a single word I written down here.

[majestic12]

Interesting read -my impressions of both are fairly similar. Have you had the chance to listen to the W1000X as well? At least to my tastes, I find them to be the best sounding headphones currently offered by Audio Technica. The W5000s are surprisingly inoffensive cans though and probably pair/contrast well with the PRMs you're using.

[Ra97oR]

While I did love how the W1000X sounded, I found it lacking the air that the PRM or W5000 have. It just sounded somewhat closed to me. However A2000X didn't, that pair sound pretty awesome. If you have time, you should give it a try.

[majestic12]

One of the benefits of living in Japan -I've got to audition almost the entire AT line of headphones. A2000X? -I was expecting more from them, but they are quite nice. I enjoy my AD1000s, although they have more sibilance/less refinement than the PRMs you're using. While the AD2000s use to be my favorite AT cans, the W1000Xes just blew me away. For closed cans, they have a good amount of airiness to them, but definitely a lot more closed than open ones like the AD1000s, HD800s, K701s, etc. What kind of music do you think goes best with the W5000s?

[Ra97oR]

The PRM and the AD2000 sounds extremely similar, if not identical when both are amped correctly. I have heard the whole line of Audio Technica and pretty much all current production headphones, if not all. (except the Ultrasone Edition 10)

I generally prefer slower music on the W5000, but strings and piano sound beautiful on them with great texture. While that you are in Japan try out the Victor DX1000 and STAX 404LE with SRM-727. They are great sounding to me too. 007 Mk2 with SRM-007t is very smooth sounding, somewhat W5000 like, but even more refined.

[majestic12]

Definitely worth checking into -Of course, listening to Stax setups (especially Omegas) will make me want to buy them, and the Mrs. probably wouldn't be too happy with me then. Then I'd probably have no headphones (I could probably hide my CK10s from her at least) and no computer, as they'd be thrown out of the window into the street as soon as she finds out how much they cost. Congrats by the way on picking up the W5000s -

I saw your review posted on head-fi as well by the way. There seem to be a decent amount of members who surf both forums.