Audio Technica W5000 headphones - contender?

Let me add that the W5000 may appeal to some listeners that use low volume levels. The focus on the upper range can enhance perceived clarity & detail at low levels. There will be very little perceived bass response, however.

Low level listeners might be best served by headphones with a "U" shaped frequency response. That's almost exactly what all Grados (especially with stock bowl pads) do, though they do roll-off sharply in the very low bass region (not a big issue for most music). Unfortunately the Grado supraaural pads are not nearly as comfortable as any good circumaural design.

For moderate-loud levels, and louder, I preferred the likes of HD650 and the AT L3000. However, I eventually gave up on high end headphones and now do all listening on speakers - in this range of listening volumes, I do believe that headphones can be much more damaging to hearing than speakers. At the least, I feel there is a BIG difference in ear fatigue between the two.

I do not like them. For some reason, AT changed the pad diameter and headband apparatus with this model. Previous W and L series headphones (W2002, W10vtg, W11jpn, L3000) all fit me like a glove. As a result, the W5000 will not provide a good acoustic seal around the top of the pads, for most normal-sized heads. You can take measures to improve this, but until you take drastic measures they will sound SCREAMING bright. By "drastic measures" I mean getting them to clamp down against your head with significant force.

See headroom's measurements on these cans - that will tell the story. Compare with other popular headphones, most of which have a slight DOWNWARD trend in their response, to avoid hammering your ears with treble.

My last complaint - the metal headband is resonant. Sometimes you can even hear it ringing faintly if you instantaneously pause the music during a loud passage.

That's all too bad, because other than the above, they seem to use very high quality drivers and have good build quality.

If you want good closed wooden headphones for a good price, look at the JVC HP-DX1000. They'll be too bass-heavy for some, but very musical and won't assault your ears. I do think the Sennheiser HD650 (or HD600 if you think the former sound a bit too dark) have the most natural sound than either, for less money, but they are open-back.