...as is clear from the photos, the W5000 is a sealed design. It sports wooden bodies of striped Ebony cushioned in leather. Not apparent to the eye are the 53mm/2" Neodymium/Permendur-powered, OFC-8N voice coil drive units. They are arranged in a slight angle to optimize directivity*. In the firm's super comfortable tradition, head support is by two padded spring-loaded wings which avoid all contact with the sensitive cranium and cradle the scull laterally without undue pressure. The Magnesium alloy frame floats freely above, the cups have some swivel play to adapt to the head. Unlike the W1000's left-handed cable feed, the Raffinato's is a Y and the 4-core OFC6N+Hi-OFC hybrid wire is sheathed in an elastomer to prevent tangles and terminated in a standard gold-plated ¼" / 6.3mm plug. Sensitivity is a high 102dB/mW into 40 ohms, frequency response is a claimed 5 to 45,000Hz and wear weight without cord is 340g. Conceptual competitors—sealed wooden enclosures—are the Denon AH D5000/7000 models and JVC HP-DX1000. Other sealed top efforts with non-wood chambers include Ultrasone's best. Sealed designs are recommended whenever sound isolation is desired or required. This naturally works both ways. While bystanders won't suffer obnoxious sound leakage, you don't hear them either. You're lost in your own private sound world. In certain outdoor scenarios involving traffic, wild animals or other approaching potential trouble, this could be dangerous. It'd also not be nice to butlers wanting your attention without intruding. Sealed headphones can enjoy an advantage over open-backed challengers in bass power. That particular aspect has made the Denons a top pick with lovers of potent low frequencies. The polar opposite to this proposition were AKG's now discontinued winged K1000 ear speakers. Particularly splayed out to engage the desired acoustical cross feed, their bass power noticeably receded.

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* Sennheiser's marketing department has heavily banged the drum on their angled 56mm jumbo driver for the HD800s but it's fair to say that audio-technica headphones had angled drivers for ages and the Raffinato's driver diameter is only 3mm narrower than the vaunted 800's. This doesn't invalidate the latter's excellence. It simply creates context. About their choice of wood, audio-technica explains that "striped Ebony is a heavy hard wood with ring-like patterns consisting of a hard black layer and a softer lighter layer. The two layers of dissimilar hardness mutually suppress resonance to achieve excellent self damping."

After the necessary break-in of these W5000s plus new Grado PS1000s, Sennheiser HD800s and AKG 702s, expect a grand Cannery Row mosh to learn what separates these various top efforts. One thing ought to be blatant already. Compared to statement speaker pricing, the crème de la crème of cans—slang for headphones—cost peanuts. The true connoisseur (or serial or parallel audio hardware monogamist) should even be able to justify acquiring a number of world-class headphones over time to suit specific moods and enjoy various presentation flavors.

audio-technica website