Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT (KOKUTAN)

Short about high-resolution audio: The move to Hi-Res audio. Although many listeners think that high-resolution audio was introduced in 1982 along with the compact disc, CD audio (standardized at 44.1 kHz/16-bit) has never been able to fully reproduce the original recorded sound due to the limited storage space of compact discs. . The advent and subsequent popularity of MP3s has only made that problem worse. Because MP3 files are compressed, audio data is lost, which significantly reduces audio quality. But thanks to lossless audio file formats, faster Internet speeds and increasingly cheaper storage space (which is also becoming increasingly compact), the industry can now design audio equipment that can reproduce true Hi-Res audio, i.e. 96 kHz/24-bit audio or better. The Hi-Res Audio logo confirms that a product meets high-resolution audio standards. According to these standards, headphone drivers must be able to reproduce frequencies up to at least 40 kHz. Audio-Technica has been making audiophile headphones since 1972 and is therefore well placed to offer audio solutions that meet Hi-Res requirements and can fully reproduce the extensive sonic characteristics of this format.

The ATH-AWKT over-ear wooden headphones feature housings made from the rare Japanese hardwood Kokutan (striped ebony). Long used for woodwind instruments and pianos, this dense wood with the handsome black and brown stripes suppresses unwanted resonance to deliver clear, natural sound reproduction. The half-gloss finish, applied by hand, brings out the natural beauty of the wood's grain – a beauty that will only deepen with age.

The headphones are equipped with exclusive 53 mm drivers with highly efficient German Permendur magnetic circuitry that deliver exceptionally accurate audio with a wide sound field. Each driver's lightweight, durable titanium flange and 6N-OFC (high-purity, oxygen-free copper) voice coil ensure precise diaphragm movement and signal transfer. Our exclusive DADS (Double Air Damping System), which divides the housing structure into two separate acoustic chambers, provides 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 the smooth, durable sheep skin 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.

About High-Resolution Audio

In Brief: 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.