Audio-Technica launches flagship ATH-AWX7000 wooden headphones

Audio-Technica has announced the ATH-AWX7000, a flagship pair of closed-back dynamic headphones that combines a premium wooden housing with the company’s latest headphone technology.

The housings use Kiso cypress, a Japanese wood traditionally associated with shrines and temples, and are finished with Echizen lacquer. Audio-Technica says the finish is designed to bring out the wood grain, which will darken over time. The frame uses magnesium, the sliders are aluminium, and deerskin covers the headband and earpads.

The ATH-AWX7000 introduces a newly developed Hybrid Matrix Diaphragm, or HMD, alongside the company’s HXDT driver-moulding process. The 58mm drivers are intended to deliver a warm, detailed presentation with strong bass and a broad sense of space. The construction is closed-back, positioning the model as a more isolated alternative to the open designs that dominate many audiophile ranges.

The headphones ship with two detachable eight-braid cables: a 2.5-metre balanced cable with a four-pin Neutrik connector and a three-metre unbalanced cable with a 6.3mm plug. A compact carrying case is included, and the cables use Audio-Technica’s A2DC connectors.

Audio-Technica says the ATH-AWX7000 is manufactured in Tokyo, Japan. It is now available in the United States at a suggested retail price of $3,799. The company’s press release does not give a UK price or a wider European release date, so British buyers should treat import and regional availability as open questions rather than assume a direct conversion.

Our opinion

The ATH-AWX7000 is plainly aimed at listeners who want their flagship headphones to feel like an object as well as a piece of audio equipment. Kiso cypress, Echizen lacquer and a Tokyo-made build give it a much more deliberate identity than a spec-sheet refresh. The $3,799 price also makes the decision unusually simple: this is a luxury statement product, not a sensible upgrade for anyone merely seeking excellent closed-back sound.