Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Audio Technica has hit some home runs with their headphones, as well as some misses. The original ATH-M50, the newer ATH-M50x, the ATH-M40x, and the first generation of the ATH-PRO700 SV DJ headphones were all amazing examples, many of which I still own and regularly use. The only 2 "misses" (in my opinion) were the ATH-MSR7's due to their insane clamping force, and the second generation ATH-PRO 700 Mk2 headphones, also for the same basic reason. It's a shame too, because I thought the MSR7's had a beautiful, detailed sound, and the 700 Mk2's were absolutely amazing for bass. Since there are not too many reviews of these new WS1100 headphones out there, I took a (slight) chance and ordered them, hoping they would capture everything I love about Audio Technica headphones, without any, or too many, negatives. The good news? These are definitely another home run for Audio Technica. Starting with the packaging, there are certainly plenty of diagrams, exploded views of speaker/speaker housings, and lots of good reading about the specifics of this headset. The headphones are snugly placed in a cloth-covered holder of sorts, and in the box you'll also find the standard warranty/information paperwork, a carrying pouch, and 1 cable. The cable seems well made, and terminates in standard headphone jacks on each end (L-shaped plug on the end going into your media player), meaning if you really don't like it, it will be extremely easy to swap out. There is a single button remote/mic on the cable, and it too seems very well made. As for the carrying pouch, if you're familiar with the ones that come with ATH-M50x models, it's very similar, just slightly larger. The size increase is necessary because these headphones only fold flat, they do not actually collapse. The build quality on the WS1100is is very, very nice. The actual ear cups housing the speakers are made out of aluminum, and have a really cool sort of machined finish. There are vents surrounding the middle AT logo (which I also believe is aluminum), and there are also vents located on the underside of each ear cup. Metal is also present in the headband sliders, which are solid and lock nicely into place. All of the plastic that is used feels durable and well made- my M50's and M50x's are primarily all plastic, and they have held up over the years remarkably well. The padding used on the ear cups is pretty ridiculous, and I mean that in the best way possible. Audio Technica claims to have used a soft outer padding, with a harder inner padding. Whatever the deal is, they are super soft, and very roomy. The headband is also nicely padded, and doesn't wrinkle in the middle like my M50's do when I'm wearing them. Basically, I expect these headphones to last a very long time, due to how well they're put together. Now onto comfort, the only area I have ever been able to fault certain AT models. I was worried that this set would see the return of the headache inducing MSR7 clamp, something that was so severe (to me), that I ended up returning them. From the first time I put these on, to now, many days and hours later, I can happily say that the clamping force on these is very mild. It's hard for me to wear a pair, and then quickly throw on another, and try to remember which set clamps more. That being said, these feel pretty much like the ATH-M50x's in terms of how they grip your head. However, because of the insane amount of padding on the earpads, these are immediately more comfortable, and also much easier to wear for long periods of time. I suppose if you thought they clamped too tight you could try stretching them out, but I really don't think it's necessary. I have a really large noggin (size 7 3/4 to 8 in fitted caps), and these feel great to wear. I have had headphones that I tried to ignore the brutal discomfort *cough* PRO700mk2 *cough* but in the end I realized, if something is painful to wear, it sadly doesn't matter how good it sounds. Thankfully, these are comfortable in pretty much every aspect: ear pads are soft, large openings, headband is padded, and the pressure holding them on is minimal. Sound quality...where to begin? While I waited on my pair to arrive, I must've scoured the internet for every forum post, blog review, youtube video, basically any information I could get on these headphones. Reading and watching everything left me with mixed ideas of just how these were going to sound. I guess I'll come right out and say what everyone wants to know: these are not the most insane, over the top, bass monster headphones I have ever heard. For example, I think the VModa Crossfade LP (not the M100) ARE insane and over the top, but they also sound like (to my ears) listening to everything underwater. The Sony MDR-1a's have the ability to be over the top with the bass, but seem just a little bit muddy and sloppy. They also cost more than these, so keep that in mind. Having owned the MDR-1a's for about half a year now, I always loved the "Wow" factor of the bass, but kept returning to my M50x's for the detail and clarity. That's were the WS1100is come in. Take the overall sound of the M50, considerably widen the soundstage, make the bass hit cleaner and harder, pump up some of the sub bass, and (what I thought was most surprising) add in some of the awesome detail from the MSR7. What I'm trying to say is, these cans sound really, really good, and I think putting a giant "SOLID BASS" logo on the box might actually turn some people away who would otherwise really like the sound. That's not totally to say that the bass on these can't approach godlike quality or quantity- the 53mm drivers are extremely easy to power, and they do pound with authority. If I had to rate the overall sensation of how hard they actually "hit", like with a tight kick drum, I'd give them a 10 out of 10. The all encompassing sensation of sub bass, that fills the ear cups and pushes against your eardrums, is literally one teensy, tiny, notch below the MDR-1a. Remember though, these are cheaper, and none of the other frequencies suffer for the bass hitting like 2 12's in the trunk. If the song has a generous helping of sub bass, or just bass in general, these will blast it out, yet you'll still be able to hear everything else in MSR7-style quality. Playing something that doesn't have very much bass, like older Modest Mouse or Grateful Dead recordings? Don't worry, it will sound amazing on these headphones, without any added crazy bass. These headphones I think are audiophile headphones disguised as bass head cans... I primarily listen to hip hop, everything from early 90's west coast underground like Freestyle Fellowship, to modern "popular" rappers like A$AP Rocky and SchoolBoy Q. Hip hop and rap sounds brilliant on the headphones (as well as bass centric electronic music), but so does metal, rock, and even more mellow stuff like Johnny Cash. Hell, I recently bought that Dion track "The Wanderer", and it sounds fantastic on these. The bass is present, powerful, but never interferes with the rest of the sound (something I think happens a lot on my MDR-1a's). Mids let vocals and guitars shine in a way that really reminds me of the MSR7, something I wasn't expecting with these headphones. The highs are nicely defined, and aren't so over-emphasized that they start sounding harsh or shrill. I always thought the soundstage of the M50 was decent, but these definitely sound more spacious and open, probably due to all of the vents on the ear cups. These are the perfect headphones to find a really good record, or even a lossless audio file on your computer, and just zone out hearing all of the details in the music. Like I mentioned earlier, the marketing of these solely on their bass capabilities might be selling them short. They are easily the most comfortable closed back headphones I own. Best soundstage, too. Heck, the overall blend of lows/mids/highs along with the general sense of extreme detail and clarity pretty much make me want to use these, nothing else, and just forget about the rest. Still, a couple cautions to those who have stuck with me through this long review (or perhaps skipped to the end); these are not totally closed back, meaning you can hear things a little bit better than you would with perhaps a set of ATH-M50s. Will this affect performance in an airplane? I haven't had the chance to try, but my guess is yes. Do I still love them enough to want to travel with them? Yes. Also, if bass, and bass alone is what you seek, even if it means potentially sacrificing clarity or the other frequencies, then you may want to keep looking. From personal experience, the VModa Crossfade LP's and LP2's both have skull shaking bass (with the LP2's being just a bit clearer). Still, I plugged my LP2's into my Xbox controller the other day, and was amazed at how congested and dark everything sounded- I had been switching between my MDR-1a's and M50x's when I played for the majority of this year, and both units are brighter and less "underwater"-ish as the VModas. The MDR-1a's also have the ability to pummel you with bass, but they typically cost more than the WS1100is, and I personally don't think they match the detail of even the M50's. In the end, maybe instead of just "Solid Bass", these should be marketed as "Generally Great at Everything". Ok, that probably isn't what marketing would come up with, but you get the idea. To sum everything up, these are a ridiculously comfortable set of closed back headphones, that excel in playing pretty much whatever you throw at them. Oh, and the bass somehow has this magical ability to pound your eardrums when needed, and yet keep it calm enough to enjoy more vocal/acoustic themed music like old Johnny Cash recordings I mentioned earlier. Seriously, if you're debating about ordering these, DO IT. You will be happy you did.