Condition: great with some imperfections please see pics, considering its age，this
unit definitely can be considered superb
Released May 21, 1996
■ Price 38,000 yen
■ Model Sealed dynamic type
■ Vibration plate 53 mm Super high-class OFC8N Bobbin wound voice coil
■ Impedance 48 Ω
■ Reproduction frequency band 5-30,000 Hz
■ Allowable input 2,000mW
■ Sensitivity 100 dB / mW
■ Code 3.5 m Silk 100% PCOCC stereo mini-plug / 6.3mm adapter included
■ Weight 370g (excluding cord)
■ Remarks Hida Takayama's solid cherry tree wood is used for the housing
■ End of sale 1998-99
*Discontinued
Made in 1996, limited to 3000 units only
a rare find in very good condition from 27 years ago.
Warm luscious euphonic sound
Great for female vocals and string instruments. energetic for bass heavy tracks too.
The piano expressed by W10VTG pays great attention to open movements and atmospheric scenes. The crisp feeling when hitting metal is full of neutral and untainted colors. The left and right sound fields are wider than the open headphone HD650. The transparency is better than the Boss K701 and at the same level as the new K701. The mid-frequency energy is transferred to the high frequency, making the high frequency extension very good. The first generation W series headphones are as transparent and extended as the W1000. The mid-frequency sounds are slightly hollow and not as thick as headphones such as HD650. The low frequency pays attention to transients and speed, with more volume than W1000 but less than W10LTD, which gives people a very positive feeling. The weak notes when playing fast are clearer than the W10LTD. When it comes to classical music, the W10VTG is no worse than any European headphones. Nowadays, the new non-limited edition W1000 and W5000 pursue extreme meticulousness and are not as powerful as W10VTG. This shows that not necessarily the more expensive and newer the headphones are, the better. The right ones are the best. I think it would be ridiculous to judge the sound of Audio-Technica after listening to W1000 and W5000. As early as the W10VTG in 1996, Audio-Technica explained what it means to have a neutral, balanced, yet delicate sound.
In terms of violin performance, the W10VTG's tone is brighter than the W10LTD and L3000, and a little darker than the W1000. It interprets the beautiful tone of the violin with a neutral sound. No added oil or vinegar. It is the first generation of W series wood-shell headphones that are worth listening to, with R10 as the challenge target.
It was warm, full, exciting, unnatural, but natural, compared to any other metallic sterile bright headphones. It has the magic touch of mids and the romantic sound of euphoria.
Sound:
W10VTG is a warmish sounding headphone with a traditional “AT” midrange.
My pair sounds punchy and upfront. Not bright. But warm and intimate in your face with perfect detail and full-bodied midrange and lots a bass. Not overwhelming bass, but punchy and pounding bass. These headphones are not fast. More of slow decay. Its also not natural sounding. But at the same time, nowhere close to being metallic and sterile. In this matter, its the most natural type of headphone you can get. Mid-range boost for the female vocals. Treble reduces for the spikes. The bass is controlled and the image is not the absolute accuracy.
The highlight is a smooth non-harsh midrange. That gives a sense of an intimate sense of presence and soul to the headphone. This can also be described as a Full-bodied sound.
The headphones are readily available to drive from everything, such as a phone to a laptop. It does not need an amplifier. If you do use one, it can sound perfectly loud.
In conclusion, these are not neutral headphones. The absolute opposite. Moreover, that is exactly what to expect. They are not detail-oriented, boring, lackluster monitor sounding $4000 headphones. They are a romantic specialist headphone that does its job on a selected genre of music.
Let’s call it “Audio Technica coloration.”