Наушники — Warwick Acoustics Aperio GoldenSound Signature Edition

The Aperio GoldenSound Signature Edition is a complete electrostatic headphone system from Warwick Acoustics, developed with the audio engineer and measurement specialist known as GoldenSound. It was first demonstrated at CanJam SoCal and CanJam Dallas in 2024, officially launched at High End Munich on 15 May 2025, with a list price set at USD 38,000. The headphone and its electronics are assembled in the UK.

Key specs that matter

The headphone is an open-back circumaural design using second-generation Balanced-Drive High Precision Electrostatic Laminate transducers. The energiser runs them at a bias of 1800 V DC, over three times the level used in traditional electrostatic headphones. Frequency response is 10 Hz to 60 kHz. The amplifier is a balanced discrete MOSFET design with single-ended Class A output in dual mono topology, and distortion plus noise is below 0.001 percent. The electronics unit measures about 66 x 413 x 351 mm and weighs about 7.3 kg.

Engineering and use context

Unlike earlier Aperio versions, this edition received a full rework of both the digital and analog signal paths. Its built-in converter section uses two pairs of dual mono 32-bit DACs with balanced outputs, accepting PCM from 16 to 32 bit up to 384 kHz and DSD up to 256 fs, with 64-bit internal processing. Digital inputs cover USB Type B, an RJ45 network port, AES3 on XLR and S/PDIF on RCA. Analog sources connect through balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA, and those signals stay in the analog domain without passing through digital processing, so a turntable chain or an external DAC can be used as is. The tuning was adjusted jointly with GoldenSound as a set of small changes applied to a direct HRTF target. The headphone plugs into the unit through polarized, 4-pin, self-latching connectors, one per channel, and the drive cable is a dual mono, shielded, ultra-low capacitance lead of silver-plated OFHC copper in ultra-fine strands.

Pairing

The system is self-contained, so no separate headphone amplifier is needed or usable. Balanced and unbalanced line outputs with high current capability let the unit also drive active loudspeakers or a stereo amplifier stage, so the same box can run a small speaker system when the headphone is not in use. Any streamer on the home network can use the RJ45 port, while a laptop uses the USB Type B socket, and a CD transport or disc player can use the AES3 or coaxial input. Because the energiser supplies the high bias voltage, the headphone must never be connected to any other amplifier.

Alternatives

The Warwick Acoustics Bravura is a further complete electrostatic system offered by the brand alongside the Aperio.