Audio-Technica ATH-WS1100iS Solid Bass Over-Ear Headphones with In-Line Microphone & Control

So, this is my 3 day review of the AT-WS1100is from a complete headphone noob. Up until this point, my highest quality pair of headphones was my stock apple earbuds. But, 99% of my music listening/gaming/movie watching over the last 6 years though have been through a “gaming” headset and I decided I wanted to see what a real set of headphones was like. I’ll go into detail below, but overall my impressions are WHY have I been letting my ears wither away inside those gaming headsets.I am using the headphones paired with a V-MODA BoomPro and using my Realtek ALC1150 onboard audio or my a iPhone 8 with the adapter, no AMP/DAC's here.(iPhone can get louder, but I feel like the onboard has cleaner sound)Some of the songs I listened to over the past few days to compare: Outro - M83, Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen, The Funeral - Band of Horses, Creep - Radiohead, Shelter - Porter Robinson & Madeon, Lucid Dreams - Juice Wrld, Rich and Sad - Post Malone, Take me Home, Country Roads (original) - John Denver, Sea of Voices - Madeon, and bunch of other edm/hip hop/lofi.SoundI really don’t know anything about sound profiles, balance, how bass or treble should sound. But what I will say is these headphones sound miles ahead of anything else I’ve listened to music with. There is bass, but like have others said it’s not over powering. You feel it there, and it's nice.Mainly, the thing I notice the most is that instead of just hearing “sound” now I hear each individual instrument and voice in their own place within the song if that makes sense. Like if I close my eyes and listen, I can say ok so the drums are over there, the guitar is here, the piano is there, etc.. also, each is their own individual sound that makes up a song, instead of it just being one big cluster of sounds. And they are all so clean and... crisp I guess would be the word? For instance now hearing a snare has such a nice “SNAP” to it, like I can feel it almost. I can hear things I never have before, like little inflections in a singers voice, or a slight breathe before a verse, the sound of their lips opening to sing. It’s feels like I’m in the same room as the person signing now instead of just hearing a mush sounds together to make a song. Maybe I’m just trying to harder to listen now, so sorry if I'm not making sense. Sound is hard to describe :).Switching between my old headset and the WS1100is is immediately 100% noticeable. I was worried that I may not be into music enough to appreciate the difference but boy was I wrong. It’s as if I’m listening to the music through some cotton balls in my ears or something now when comparing the headset to the headpones. Overall, coming from someone who is a COMPLETE noob, they sound great listening to music.I also game heavily, and so far all from above applies with game sounds. There is a bit less of a difference here because when playing a game I’m never really focusing on how a sound sounds, more so where it comes from. But when switching between the headphones and the headset, again everything is just so crispy.ComfortI have a pretty large head. I don't wear snapbacks because I'm usually down to the last snap or two. But these don't seem to give me much pain. The first day I felt a little on the top of my head and by the ears after ~3 hours, but the second and third day I didn't notice any discomfort at all. The pads feel very soft and the whole thing is pretty light. Much lighter than my old headset.I was also worried about how hot my ears would get and if i would have to buy different pads. So far, it has been fine, no profuse ear sweating or anything. I'm usually taking them off fairly often to talk to my parents/go to the bathroom or something so getting a little air probably helps.So overall, again I'm a headphone noob but no comfort complaints here.StyleProbably the least important thing to me, but personally I love the way they look. I've always been a fan of brushed aluminum. I was unsure about that brownish purple mixed with the gold, but I really like it. No complaints here either, but it's really all opinion.From here down are some other concerns I had when buying my first pair of headphones. I figured I would throw it here in case anyone making their first purchase finds this post.Sound Leakage and BoomProSo, if you are like me one of the main thing driving you towards these headphones is one of a popular Youtuber's reviews and the fact that these have a 3.5mm jack for the BoomPro. I was very worried that sound would leak into the microphone since I am literally in discord 90% of the time I am online. Well, first thing I did was turn off all windows enhancements on the BoomPro and head into discord and blasted some music louder than I ever listen. I changed the discord sensitivity to pick up my voice when talking, and none of my music leaks through. My friends in the server confirmed it.The sound leak from the headphones is noticeable for sure if you are sitting next to someone when playing at a decent volume. But I highly doubt anyone is going to hear it through a wall or door or anything like that. I originally was looking into the M40x, but not being compatible with the BoomPro without modding steered me away a little. I thought I really wanted closed back for that isolation, but I'm kind of happy I didn't get them. I didn't account for how strange it is to not really hear yourself talk. The WS1100is are semi open, so it's only kind of muffled and it threw me off pretty hard. I don't think I'd love closed back too much for that. Sure I can't use them as loud as I'd want as a car passenger now, but that situation rarely arises for me.AmpThis one I really asked around a lot about. The Youtuber's review said the WS1100is are kind of hard to drive, so that threw me off. You can't run an amp for the headphones and run the BoomPro back to your motherboard because it makes a bunch of buzzing from a ground loop. So I wanted to be sure I didn't need an amp. After some confidence from poking around online I picked them up. As you can see from my description I think they sound great, I could see them being a tiny bit louder on the PC but I don't listen that high anyways. As far as I can tell there is no loss of sound quality or anything. Especially for games.TLDR: Compared to gaming headsets they sound great, feel good, look good. No complaints and totally worth $120.

I hesitate to give any audio device 5 Stars these days because in addition to fast approaching the Big Six-Oh, with its attendant reduction in hearing fidelity, I also have nerve damage in one ear that’s resulted in some hearing loss and permanent tinnitus, so I can’t exactly critique these cans from an “audiophile” perspective - LOL! - but hey, as far as I’m concerned these are a 5 Star product, so let me explain.I’m coming to these from a pair of Philips SHP9500S’; I enjoyed the soundstage from the “open” design, and the sound itself, but found them incredibly uncomfortable to wear. The ear pads are shallow and very dense, there’s no “give” in them; my ears were being pressed against the inside of the cans. I also wear glasses and the pressure on the arms from the cups resulted in a vice-like grip on my head; after wearing them for about 20 minutes I developed a thumping headache.If I adjusted the cans to take the pressure off my ears and glasses they were so loose they felt as if they were flopping around on my head, which is not a good feeling; I briefly considered the “ear cup mod” which many people have had great success with, but couldn’t be bothered in the end.So here I am with the ATH-WE1100iS Solid Bass cans; my initial impression was that in their presentation and finish at least these are superior to the Philips in every way, the whole look and feel of the packaging says that this is a “Premium” product. There’s a large, soft, vinyl drawstring bag in the box, along with two straight cables; a 3ft cable with an inline mic and right angle connector to your equipment, and what looks to be a 9ft cable without a mic, which is the one I’m using.Putting them on confirmed my first impressions; the cups are large and deep, although not as physically large as the Philips, with a dual-layer memory foam construction that doesn’t crush my glasses against the sides of my head, I’ve worn them for hours at a time with absolutely no discomfort.One thing I will say is that these are a “Semi-open” design by virtue of the bass vents on each earpiece, so there is some “leakage” of sound into them and out of them, although it’s not serious like on a fully open design such as the Philips.But these are headphones, so the sound is the most important thing here - right?! - and for me they don’t disappoint. I wouldn’t say I’m a “bass head,” but I do enjoy hearing the bass in my music, and to that end the following were my immediate go-to tracks to see if the “Solid Bass” name tag was more than just marketing BS.JS Bach’s “Toccata & Fugue in D Minor” played by Daniel Chorzempa in 1982; sadly out of print as far as I know.Ray Barbee’s “The Mingle” from “Ray Barbee Meets The Mattson 2"Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” from “Time Out"John Campbell’s “Firin’ Line” from “Howlin' Mercy"The Comsat Angels’ “The Cutting Edge” from “Chasing Shadows"The English Chamber Orchestra’s 1971 recording of Handel’s “Water Music” conducted by Raymond Leppard, also out of print.Goldfrapp’s “Ooh La La” from “Supernature"Iona’s “Wisdom” from “Journey Into the Morn"Pink Floyd’s “Money” from “Dark Side Of The Moon" - of course! – and the pulsing machine ambience and bass line from “Wish You Were Here's" “Welcome to the Machine.”Chris Rea’s “The Road to Hell Part II” from "The Road to Hell"Obviously these aren’t neutral, they’re tuned for bass after all, and I think Audio-Technica have done a terrific job; the bass is there in abundance, but it’s tight and articulate, not a booooming, bloated mess that overwhelms everything else you’re trying to listen to, something that seems to be acceptable in “bass” cans these days.A couple of the above sample tracks stood out immediately, namely Bach’s “Toccata & Fugue” and Brubecks “Take Five;” I’ve heard full-size systems struggle to control the lower frequencies on both of these tracks, with the upright bass on “Take Five” seeming to be a particular challenge to reproduce accurately. Joanne Hogg’s delicate vocals on Iona’s “Wisdom” are clearly separated from the synth bass chords, kick drum, and bass line present throughout the track. And most surprisingly, the lower register strings and wind instruments on Handel’s “Water Music” impart a pleasing “fullness” and “warmth” to the overall sound without feeling “amplified” or forced.Everything I’ve listened to so far has been a joy, including an electronic music genre known as “Dark Ambient,” which is practically built on visceral, growling, deep bass drones and textures, as well as the classic “Berlin School” sound as exemplified by ‘70’s era Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze etc, and the more recent Modular Moog driven albums of Red Shift.Taking the articulate and refined sound, build quality, comfort, and current price of $129.00 together, these cans are an easy 5 Star purchase in my opinion; anyone considering the Philips really should check these out, although not as “open” as the Philips due to the “Semi-open” design, I would say these are sonically superior in every other respect.FYI: I listen via an Origen+ DAC on my desktop, and a Sony NW-A45 DAP when on the go; the Sony drives these cans without any problem, and all music on my desktop and the Sony are stored as FLAC files.

I bought these headphones to replace my soon to be extinct Vmoda M100's. I had absolutely loved my Vmodas, but they were rather uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time due to the design and shallow depth of the earpads (even with XL cushions).I went after these headphones in particular because I remember having good memories on the ATH-M50s but wanted a bit more bass. That's where these WS1100i headphones came into play.These headphones offer ton of room and definitely sit OVER the ear. This makes them pretty comfy even for stock ear cushions. The cushions are stellar in fact. Rigid to hold the driver off from your ear but light and springy to not cause pressure/soreness.Sound Quality:With the included cable, you wont be getting the full performance. In all honesty, it sounded a bit tin-y and weak with the in-line mic one. However, using a straight 3.5mm cable or an amp if you have one, these things are amazing! They seriously feel like you're wearing open back headphones, but you get nice isolation of as expected with a sealed back.Quick note as well.Anyone that is planning to use a mod-mic for gaming. You can use 3rd party mics no problem with the jack on this headset. Sound is pretty good coming directly from a PS4 controller and I was surprised how well 3D soundscapes were coming through. Only gripe is that due to the headphone design you have limited movement of the mic.

I was looking into Audiotechnica 40x and 50x headphones when I stumbled upon these headphones. I had gotten them on sale and I couldn’t be happier with them. They sounds great, performs well in games (COD Warzone) came in a very neat and well made packaging. All-in-all, I’m extremely happy with this product and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for very good headphones that won’t break the bank.

These are powerfull and aggressive and I love them.First of all they are clearly meant to be portable. They are super light and comfortable, they come with only one cable with in-line microphone and a call/play/pause button, the sound is punchy and exciting which is good for noisy environments. However - these are the size of a studio monitoring headphone and are not exactly compact as they don't fold (the cups turn 90° flat and that's it).They are not hard to drive, most phones should power them just fine, but they can handle up to a full watt of power. And oh boy when you feed them power... They will rattle your soul. I'm using them on the go with a Little Bear B4 hybrid tube amp and it just brings the best out of them.So about the sound...These have very crisp, detailed and slightly elevated highs. That actually bothers me a little so I'm using the EQ on the picture. As you can see it's a very minimal tweak so it may not bother you at all, it could be just my ears.The mids are very neutral and theres not mutch to say about them. They are just there and they are accurate. Vocals apear slightly pushed back.The bass... It says Solid Bass on the box, and they deliver if the seal is right. With the stock pads I didn't get that "solid bass". They are not memory foam and the opening is pretty large and they are relatively thin so the result wasn't really worth of a "solid bass" label on the box. So currently I'm using them with a pair of Brainwavz angled pleather (I've tried the flat pleathers but they make the mids a bit muffled). With them these are bass monsters and the sound stage get slightly more airy as a bonus. But the bass is not just muddy booming mess. It's tight, quick and puchy and doesn't colour the mids at all.Sound stage is typical for a good closed back e.g. not very wide but definitely exists. Imaging is absolutely perfect.So overall these are a great headphone if you like aggressive and punchy sound. Great for on the go if the fact that they don't fold is not an issue. They also give you more if you feed them more power and also benefit from tubes so they are fit for audio enthusiasts. And last but not least - they look gorgeous.

I am a big fan of Audio Technica Headphone and like their sound Signature. I own four ATH Headphones/ Earphones. ATH-MSR7, ATH-WS1100is, ATH-CKS1100is, ATH-CKR100iS. Each is good in their own way. ATH WS1100is is a full size over the ear Solid Bass headphone.Build Quality - Excellent. Due to vents on ear cups there is some sound leak.Comfort - Ear cups are big and fit big ear size too. Clamping force is there but not strong. It is OK for me.Sound - Controlled Bass. Hits even low notes. Feeling like subwoofer in your head. The Bass does not bleed into mids and highs. Bass is not like Beats and Sony MDR XB 950BT. It is more like natural Bass. The headphones do have clarity of Highs and Mids which is exceptional for a Bass focused headphones.Good fun loving headphone. Without doubt, go for it if you love bass.

ACTUALIZACIÓN: Cambio mi calificación a 5 estrellas por que amazon me hizo el debido reemplazo de manera rápida, BIEN AMAZON!!.llevo mas de 2 semanas probando los y puedo decir que fue una gran elección, se escuchan muy bien en dispositivos moviles, en algunos si afloja un poco el sonido(Samsung GrandPrime) pero con una buena aplicación de ecualización se puede arreglar,pero esto es mas por el celular que por los audífonos, ya si tienes un amplificador y un buen DAC para reproducir .FLAC notaras aun mas la gran calidad de sonido que tienen estos audífonos.También hay que hacer mención del micrófono integrado que en llamadas es muy bueno, las personas con las que hablo notaron el cambio, diciéndome que me escucho mas claro y sin la necesidad de tener que acercarme el micrófono. El aislamiento de ruido es decente, no muy excesivo, como los suelo usar en la calle y creo que para eso están pensados, el aislamiento es el suficiente para que puedas escuchar tu música y un poco tu alrededor, que claro subiendo el volumen un poco mas ya no escuchas nada de fuera. Son cómodos, se ajustan bien a la cabeza para que puedas saltar y hacer locuras mientras escuchas música, para que no tengas miedo de que puedan salir volando. En general valen cada centavo, no me arrepiento, la mejor elección si lo que quieres gran fidelidad de sonido y unos bajos muy presentes.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Califico estos magníficos audífonos con 3 estrellas por que me lleve una desagradable sorpresa al abrir la caja de Amazon, ya que la caja del producto estaba totalmente dañada de la parte superior(anexo fotos) lo cual es una lastima ya que la caja también es bonita, la caja de cartón que tiene la cinta de Amazon estaba en perfectas condiciones por lo que el daño a la caja del producto no es causa del transportista, si no del proveedor. Lo compre al vendedor Amazon México lo cual me indica que de ahí fue donde los maltrataron. Por el precio de este producto esperaba algo impecable y cuidado pero recibí ese susto, pensé en devolver los inmediatamente, pero le di la oportunidad de ver si estaban bien los audífonos, y afortunadamente el producto viene bien protegido en su caja y el daño NO llego a los audífonos, eso si los revise con lupa y todo, afortunadamente se salvaron de ese maltrato a la caja.Probé los audífonos en un celular moto g5 plus el cual tiene la aplicación AufioFX y se escuchan de maravilla,bajos potentes y presentes sin la necesidad de subir volumen, los agudos son claros, la voz es excepcional no te pierdes de ningún tipo de frecuencia o detalle y con la gran ventaja de unos bajos potentes sin la necesidad de subir mucho el volumen, los mejores audífonos para gente que gusta de bajos muy presentes y exigentes con la claridad del audio a la vez, cubren totalmente las orejas y son hermosos visualmente.(Adjunto fotos de los audífonos)Les pondría 5 estrellas por que el producto realmente lo merece, pero creo que la experiencia del usuario es parte importante, por lo que le doy 3 estrellas por enviar un producto con este rango de precio en esas condiciones...

I cant fault these headsets...1. Crystal clear with any source I've tried2. Awesome Bass, especially when used with amp3. Very comfortable4. Well built/quality product finish...5. VERY affordable for what you get...I can't recommend these enough... honestly, just "quality" all around..FYI: I use with my main PC and my android phone.