ATH-AWAS Headphones

For the housings of the ATH-AWAS over-ear wooden headphones, we’ve selected the rare Asada Zakura (Japanese cherry) wood. Renowned for its use in high-end audio speakers due to its fine acoustic characteristics and durability, the striking red Asada Zakura suppresses unwanted resonance inside the earcups for clear, natural sound reproduction. The half-gloss finish, applied by hand, accentuates the wood’s gentle grain and warm beauty.

The headphones are equipped with exclusive 53 mm drivers with powerful magnetic circuitry, integrated pure-iron yoke, DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating, and 6N-OFC (high-purity, oxygen-free copper) voice coils for exceptional full-range audio reproduction. Our exclusive D.A.D.S. (Double Air Damping System), which divides the housing structure into two separate acoustic chambers, ensures smooth, accurate bass response.

The arms that hold the housings are made from a lightweight, highly rigid magnesium alloy. The arms are angled to provide the best possible fit with excellent earcup seal. The comfortable fit is enhanced by smooth, synthetic leather earpads and headband.

The headphones also feature A2DC (Audio Designed Detachable Coaxial) jacks for secure connection to the two included 3.0 m (9.8') detachable cables. One cable has a 6.3 mm (1/4") gold-plated stereo plug for use with standard audio equipment. The other cable features a 4-pin XLRM balanced connector for use with the latest high-fidelity equipment to achieve better channel separation.

The Move to Hi-Res Audio

While many listeners may believe that high-resolution audio came along with the introduction of the Compact Disc in 1982, constraints on the disc’s storage space always prevented CD audio (standardized at 44.1 kHz/16-bit) from fully and completely reproducing the original recorded sound. The advent and subsequent popularity of MP3s only made this problem more pronounced – the necessary compression of these files causes audio information to be lost, thus greatly reducing the audio quality. But with lossless audio file formats, faster Internet speeds, and storage space increasingly easy to come by (and in ever-smaller packages), the push is on to create audio equipment capable of capturing and reproducing true Hi-Res Audio, generally considered to be 96 kHz/24-bit or better. The Hi-Res Audio logo certifies that a product meets the Hi-Res Audio standards. Per these standards, headphones must have transducer frequency performance to at least 40 kHz. As a producer of these types of audiophile headphones since 1972, Audio-Technica is well-positioned to provide audio solutions that meet the demands of Hi-Res Audio media formats, allowing for the full reproduction of their extended sonic characteristics.

Features

• Asada Zakura (Japanese cherry) housings, hand-finished with half-gloss, suppress unwanted resonance for clear, natural sound reproduction
• Exclusive 53 mm drivers with powerful magnetic circuitry deliver exceptional full-range audio
• Integrated pure-iron yoke improves transient response for accurate audio reproduction
• DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating applied to diaphragms to improve high-frequency response
• 6N-OFC (high-purity, oxygen-free copper) voice coil provides ideal signal transfer
• D.A.D.S. (Double Air Damping System) structure provides deep bass reproduction
• Two detachable 3.0 m (9.8') cables with A2DC (Audio Designed Detachable Coaxial) connectors at the headphones: one with a 6.3 mm (1/4") gold-plated stereo plug, the other with a 4-pin XLRM balanced connector
• Magnesium alloy headphone arm is angled to provide the best possible fit with excellent earcup seal
• Earpads and headband are made from smooth, synthetic leather for long-lasting comfort
• Japanese craftsmanship: all Audio-Technica wooden headphones are hand-assembled in Tokyo

Press and Reviews

Major HiFi

by Gabby Bloch
May 2020

Headfonia

by Matty Graham
Jul. 2020