The price of these closed-back headphones certainly reflects the painstaking use of expensive materials, yet there's something about their American Black Cherry housings that looks inauthentic.
The grain of the wood is so perfect and the varnished finish so lustrous that they look and feel, dare we say it, a bit synthetic.
Pop them on your head, though (the fitting is comfortable but not the most convincing), and there's more obviously nothing unreal about the sound the W1000Xs make.
More affordable alternatives can match the Audio Technica's performance, but they're without exception open-backed, horribly leaky affairs.
As far as closed-back headphones go – the sort you could wear in the same room as other people without giving offence – the W1000Xs are as accomplished as we've heard.
It's good going into Orbital
Something like Orbital's I Wish I Had Duck Feet demonstrates the Audio Technicas perfectly. They're a fast and balanced listen, with plenty of grunt at the bottom of the frequency range without any impact on bass tonality or speed.
Midrange reproduction is deft and detailed, and treble sounds are described with chunky precision. The frequency range hangs together convincingly, stereo focus is good and the W1000Xs manage a deep-breathing dynamic range without causing the wearer any discomfort.
To be honest, as far as the sound they make goes, there's very little the Audio Technicas aren't competent-going-on-accomplished at. Which is as it should be, given the price.
Beyond the price, then, and the less-than-reassuring way they clutch the wearer's head, there's nothing here to frown at. Apart from the way they make lovely natural wood look like Formica.
See all our headphone Best Buys
Follow whathifi.com on Twitter
