Great headphone, worth the money
Like all headphones, this one too has a distinct sound, ie. it is not neutral. I find the W5000 to be the right balance between warm and neutral. The soundstage is very large, and all the details are present. I find that when listening to vocals, especially female vocals, or listening to a concerto, the solo instrument/vocals tend to stand out, making it harder to hear the details. It sounds very natural, but is a matter of preference. Additionally, the bass is not as pronounced as on other headphones--it is there, and very tight, but not overwhelming. I like it better than the Denon D2000, which is too cold and analytical. Compared to other ATH offerings such as the A900 and the ES7, it has a much wider soundstage, but the flavor of sound is pretty much the same. Basically, you are just getting more of the benefits of those headphones--more details, more soundstage, etc. I have used this with an Onkyo receiver hooked up to a Sony DVD player, and it sounds very good. It also works well with my Cowon D2, and also very well with my Sansa Clip, believe it or not. Basically, it has very low impedance, so I can listen to it at a fairly loud volume with my Clip volume set at 3/4 of max. Overall, a great headphone that gives you great enjoyment, even if you don't spend the extra thousand to buy an amplifier and DAC.
Review at Head-fi : http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/review-audio-technica-ath-w5000-raffinato-158031/
