Audio-Technica has been building wooden headphones since the ATH-W10VTG of 1996, but the ATH-WP900SE tries something the company had never done before: solid ash earcups. The choice is no accident. Ash is a classic guitar tonewood, and the three-tone sunburst lacquer on each cup is applied by Japanese guitar maker Fujigen. What Hi-Fi? published its full review on September 17, 2026, and the verdict is that the WP900SE is more than a pretty limited edition.
The WP900SE is a limited-edition version of the existing ATH-WP900 portable closed-back model. It first appeared in Japan, with an official release date of February 20, 2026, and reached the UK and Europe at £599 / €699 from June 11, 2026. US pricing depends on where you look: Gear Patrol listed it at $969 in June 2026, while What Hi-Fi?’s September review quotes $1,199.
More than a paint job
Under the lacquer, the changes go deeper than the looks suggest. The WP900SE gets a newly developed 53mm dynamic driver with a revised voice coil, reworked ventilation behind the driver and a redesigned acoustic port. The driver is also angled towards the ear. According to Audio-Technica, the changes improve linearity, reduce asymmetric diaphragm movement and unwanted resonance, and give bass notes more control. The tuning was done with the attack, texture and sustain of stringed instruments in mind, especially guitar.
- Type: closed-back dynamic
- Driver: 53mm
- Frequency response: 5 – 50,000 Hz
- Impedance: 37 ohms
- Sensitivity: 98dB/mW
- Maximum input power: 1,000mW
- Weight: 235 g (without cable)
- Cables: two detachable 1.2m leads (3.5mm stereo and 4.4mm five-pole balanced), both using A2DC connectors at the headphone end
The box also includes a pouch, a Fujigen cleaning cloth and a handwritten serial-number card. Many buyers will wish for a hard case, though. As What Hi-Fi? points out, a soft pouch offers little protection for delicate lacquered ash housings.
How they sound
With a 37-ohm impedance, the headphones are easy to drive, though they still reward a good source. The reviewer mostly listened through a Chord Mojo and found the sound clean, detailed and nicely weighted. They noted an unusually open presentation for a closed-back design, tight and well-defined bass, and particularly convincing guitars and vocals. Elvis Presley and AC/DC played to the WP900SE’s strengths. Dance music did not: on Madonna’s ‘Danceteria’, the headphones sounded a little too restrained to really take off.
Comfort gets high praise. Memory foam and synthetic leather cover both the headband and the pads, the openings fully surround the ear, and the clamping force is well judged. The weak points are the build around the wood and the lack of noise cancelling. The rest of the headphone is mostly plastic and creaks a little when the cups swivel, which doesn’t fit the price. There is no ANC, so passive isolation only goes so far.
Pros listed by the review include the energetic, detailed sound, the tight bass, the low weight and the ash-and-lacquer finish. Cons include a treble that may be too lively for some ears, a soundstage limited by the closed-back design, and non-wood parts that feel less luxurious than the earcups. For anyone whose playlists lean towards vocals, guitars and acoustic instruments, the WP900SE is a portable wired headphone with real character, and it looks like a small piece of a Fujigen guitar.
