Audio-Technica ATH-WS77 SOLID BASS Portable Headphones (Japan Import)

dhaval070

New Head-Fier
Pros: Good choice for bass heads.
Cons: Ridiculously tight headband, Mids not great, poor quality cup cushions.
I purchased this for around $105 after my old cheap sennheiser HD202 cable broke. I used to HD202 for years and enjoyed listening to it.
 
Sound quality:   When I first listened to this my immediate expression was OK out of the box.  Even after burn in, I felt that sweetness and clarity was not up to the mark compared to my HD202.  WS77 has more base and that's it. It is tighter and controlled more than other bassy headphones.  Bass is emphaised and stretched towards lower mids that is a problem. Its kind a loose which ruins experience a bit. I could never realise importance of mids if I had not used hd202 before. I am no longer a basshead. hd202 has right amount of base and perfectly tuned all frequencies.
 
Build: They are strong and wires are also of good quality and gives feel of long lasting piece of headphones if one does not abuse it too much. 
 
Comfort: Not suitable for extended wear. Earpads are nothing to praise about. Ears start getting hurt and get hot just in half an hour and have to put these off. Real culprit is overly stiff headband which kinda crushes ears to skull. I stretched it overnight for long but it never got loose. I really wanted to return these but seller refused to accept. One day left cup fell apart when I stretched and that's the end of story.

pro1137

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Very controlled bass, excellent pads, soundstage, stylish, 90 degree jack
Cons: Cables are a bit thin, feels slightly flimsy
The WS77 is a bassy headphone that does practically everything well.

Before I begin, big thanks to Audio-Technica for the review sample!
 
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Build - The WS77 honestly feels a bit flimsy to the touch. I don't personally think that reflects on the durability though. Most of the build is plastic, but the adjusting frame and the back of the ear cups are aluminum. The back of the cups are also made of aluminum. The aluminum has a circular pattern which gives it a cool effect when light hits it. Reminds me of the volume knob on many amps that I've come across.
 
Comfort - The pads on these headphones are excellent. Some of the best that I've used. Many headphones that I've used at this price normally have some stiffer and more 'generic' pleather, like the kind used on the M50's pads. These, however, are much, much softer, smoother, and ultimately just more comfortable. While there is a good amount of clamping force, the softness and plushness of the pads make the clamp an insignificant factor.  
 
Bass - the bass is the main selling point in these headphones, but when it comes to the sound, it's not the only thing that you get. The bass is warm, very controlled, and has some added impact. Many bass-oriented headphones that I've come across have far too much impact and annoy me, but that's not the case with the WS77. The bass is very well refined. I would say that these have the best bass that I've heard from a bass-oriented headphone under $200. Truly amazing. 
 
Mids - The mids are warm and oh so sweet. For a basshead headphone, the mids are some of the best that I've heard. Vocals sound right where they should, to my ears. No significant recession.
 
Treble - The treble is very smooth, but detailed. While it is a bit laid back, the details just pour out of everything I throw at these headphones. Normally I'm not too big a fan of darker treble, but it's just done so well with the WS77.

Soundstage - I am VERY impressed with the amount of space that these headphones have. Normally this amount of space is reserved for headphones with larger cups and/or open-backed headphones. Depth is rivaled by headphones like Audio Technica's own A700x, and almost as much as my trusty DT770 Pro. Width is slightly above average. 

I find these headphones to work well with basically all music, but my preferred genres to use it with are electronic, rock, and metal.

Overall - I highly recommend these headphones to anyone looking for a versatile, bassy headphone. Incredible headphones. 

 
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TheGame21x

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Well Defined Bass, Fashionable, Great Balance, Good Comfort for a Supra-Aural Can
Cons: Slight Hollowness in the Mids, Might be a Touch Dark for Some,
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Introduction

First off, I’d like to thank the folks at Audio-Technica for the sample of the WS77 for review.
 
Yes, I’ve been on something of a roll recently with Audio-Technica headphones. First the WS55, then the Pro700MK2 and now the next entry into the Solid Bass portable headphone line, the WS77, which slots in between the WS55 and WS99 as the mid-range option in their lineup. Having heard the WS55 and finding it good but unrefined, can the WS77 outshine its sibling and offer a more compelling option to those looking for a portable headphone? Read on to find out.
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Accessories: None to speak of.
 
Design and Build Quality: The lightweight plastic construction is more robust than that of the lower end WS55 in part due to the aluminum faceplates on the earcups and feels fairly sturdy, but I’d probably still baby them a bit more than many other headphones I’ve used. The dual entry cable feels about as good as the WS55’s and they fold flat but don’t completely fold up like the M50 and Pro700MK2 but isn’t nearly as large as those two either.
 
Comfort: The WS77 is a supra-aural (on ear) headphone with rather soft and cushy pads both on the earcups and headband and doesn’t clamp as hard as some other supra-aural cans I’ve used. The result is a very tolerable fit (on- ear cans usually annoy me) and one that I can enjoy for longer periods without too much discomfort.
 
Isolation: These isolate well for a supra-aural can and sound leakage is minimal.
 
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Sound Quality

Burn In: These were burned in for upwards of 50 hours prior to review, after which the bass seemed a bit tighter and the highs and upper mids were a little less prominent.
 
As Audio-Technica’s mid-range entry into its “Solid Bass” line, the WS77 is expectedly improved over the cheaper WS55 but to a surprisingly significant degree. The low end, while still quite powerful and robust, isn’t nearly as mid-bass happy or as bloated as the WS55. Extension is good, rolling off gently after about 60 – 70Hz or so. There’s a nice degree of texture to the bass that I didn’t find in the WS55 as well but it doesn’t have the same level of detail as the Pro700MK2.
 
Moving up, the midrange sounds slightly recessed but only slightly and not as much so as the WS55. Thanks to the newfound tightness in the low end, it doesn’t smear the midrange presentation. Truth be told, I actually find the midrange quite enjoyable and its clarity and detail is quite good. It doesn’t have the same kind of upper-mid sibilance I heard from the WS55 and presents vocals better because of it. I must note that there’s a bit of hollowness in the mids that I can’t seem to shake but it wasn’t a significant issue.
 
The treble presentation is somewhat forward and sparkly but not “bright”. It generally remains smooth and fairly airy without unpleasant peaks or grain. There is a bit of roll off at the top end but the WS77 carries enough treble energy and detail to avoid sounding totally “dark”.
 
The presentation is fairly spacious for a portable closed headphone and rarely sounds muffled or excessively closed in. The sound is nicely layered and imaging is pretty good overall. Tonally, I’d say the sound is a tad warm and sweet with nice, emphasized but well controlled bass that plays especially well with Jazz, Electronic and Hip-Hop but is versatile enough to sound pretty good with just about everything.
 
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Conclusion

It’s pretty obvious at this point that I think these are significantly better than the lower end WS55. The sound signature is better balanced, more detailed and better all-around for a wider range of music than the lower end model. But, is the WS77 worth the going rates of about $120 up from sites like Amazon and other authorized retailers (side note: be careful when buying these from just anywhere since a large number of Audio-Technica headphones have been counterfeited and these might be as well)? As far as I’m concerned, yes. I think these are a very good choice for a stylish and great sounding pair of portable headphones as the WS77 strikes a very good balance between the bass-driven, consumer-oriented sound many casual users crave and the kind of high fidelity audiophiles desire. Because of this balance, the WS77 should appeal to a wide range of listeners, perhaps even those who don’t care for emphasized bass.
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audi0lurker
audi0lurker
I got a pair of these in january and agree with the points you brought up in your review. I thoroughly enjoy these headphones but my biggest gripe with them is the "recessed mids". I do at times feel that the mids are lurking quietly somewhere in the back ground. The solid bass is true to its name however, you proably will not notice it as soon as you throw them on. These headphones can HANDLE a lot of bass and deliver it very clearly. If I am trying to listen to a sub-bass track like Haunted by Digital Mystikz, I will turn the bass equalizer on my DAC up and then use an equalizer on my computer to boost the 50-80 hz rage a bit more. These cans are able to pump out the nuances of sub bass tones without sounding muddy. Its as if the bass is isolated from the rest of the system

inkms

New Head-Fier
Pros: Great sound, specially the bass, and it can be used with mobile phones and still get a great sound
Cons: After some hours it can turn to be uncomfortable, the earpads are a bit too small for over-ear headphones . Non-detachable cable
After reading lots of reviews I decided to buy this headphones. Everyone said they had a great sound quality, and they were right. I have tried some high quality headphones such as Bose Quietcomfort 15, and Audiio-Technica's sound quality is better.
I'm a bass-guitar player and due to that I really want headphones with a good bass quality, but still with a good quality in the rest of the spectre. In that this headphones work perfectly.
For thier value this are between the best headphones avlaible. Also they have a good passive noise blocking. You can "feel" some one is speaking, so you can pay attention to it or simply ignore it and keep listening to music
 
When it comes to the design you can tell by the photos they are very pretty. They are made of plastic with leather (or pleather, I'm not sure) on the headband and the ear pads. This earpads don't look like they can be easily replaced, but there's no need to.
 
The comfort of this headphones is OK. They hold your head strongly, and that is good for me, you can be sure they won't fall. When you put them you can feel that fitting your ears inside the pads can be a bit tricky, as they are too small for being over the ear headphones. They are the minimum size for headphones of this kind. 
Once you put you ears inside properly they will be very comfortable for some hours, but after 4 hours or more it will start to be painful. I guess that if you have big hears it will be worse.
 
An other special thing of this headphones is that they are clasified as portable by Audio-Technica. This traduces not only to having those small earpads as it also means they have a small power consumption. This means they can't only be plugged to computers, as studio headphones, they can also be plugged to the mobile phone with nearly no loss of sound quality (I haven't been able to hear the difference). A bad thing about them is that even though they are classified as portable, they don't have any kind of case.
 
At last the cable is non-detachable, which means that when it breaks (it's usually the first thing to break), you will have perfect but useless headphones. Also the cable doesn't look very strong, it's a normal quality. The good thing about it is that it is an "L" shaped cable, which usually lasts longer.
 
To sum up, overall great headphones with not that great comfort and cable.

DisCHORDDubstep

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Bass, Speed, Soundstage, Looks, Build, Cable Strain Relief
Cons: Accessories (Or Lack Thereof), May be Uncomfortable for Some, Slightly Recessed Mids, Cable
See The Whole Review With Pictures Here: http://db-headphones.blogspot.com ... Oh and ignore the sliders for the audio quality, value etc. I can't edit the slider scoring on mobile.


Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Audio Technica in any way (other than how I'm using their product). I was not paid for this review. These are 100% my opinions on this pair of headphones... If you haven't stopped reading yet from boredom, then congratulations. You don't have a short attention span.

So what I got here is the ATH-WS77 from Audio Technica. As part of their "Solid Bass" series, I wasn't expecting much in the way of refinement... I am happy to say my expectations were completely shattered. These are a very mature bass can.



Packaging

First off, the packaging... Superb. The front of the outer cardboard cover is white, shows you the brand "Audio Technica" and a picture of the WS77's. The sides are a copper color, and has an eye catching gleam. It reminds me of candy paint, but with a matte appearance rather than gloss. The back of the box is white again, features another picture of the WS77, specs, and says "Feel Closer to Your Music". Slide off the outer cover, and you have the box, which has the words "Solid Bass" emblazoned on the front in gold. The box has see-through plastic, and you can see the gorgeous circular aluminum sides these cans have. On the back, we have the specs again, and it points out the "Double Air Chamber System" and "Direct Driver Mounting". It states: "Internal double chamber design enhances air damping effect to provide defined, punchy bass" and "Mounting the high rigidity aluminum housing directly on the driver eliminates undesired vibrations. This contributes to high quality sound reproduction."

Sound good so far huh? Because it also says above that "Comprehensive system provides 'Overwhelming bass sound’".

Oh boy...overwhelming bass sound? No idea what to expect from the sound anymore.




Build and Design

Before the moment of truth when I describe the sound, I must say... The build is excellent. Feels solid, just like its namesake "Solid Bass". It is mainly high quality metals. Under the plastic headband frame, there is a sub-frame of steel that is of a decent thickness. The aluminum on the sides of the cans has a premium look and feel. The plastic arms connecting the cups to the headband, though thin, actually feel extremely sturdy. They don’t bend at all if I push on it, and don't move around. Also, no creaking noises moving them around on your head. Very tightly put together with no loose parts. The headband has a decent amount of padding, but the ear pads are somewhat troublesome... I found it to be very uncomfortable and couldn't wear them for more than 15 minutes before I had to take them off because my ears felt like pieces of cauliflower. My ears stick out more than most peoples do, and a section of my ear goes inside the pads and gets shoved up against the plastic driver cover. This has since then lessened since the pads broke in and flattened a little. They may not be as thick as they were when I got them, but now the pads are wider and stop my ears from completely touching the plastic. I’m sure most won't have this problem, as most ears don’t stick out as far as mine. There are a few replacement pads online if you have this problem too and can't tough it out until the pads flatten somewhat. Also, no accessories? Seriously? Not even a carrying pouch? Would have been a nice touch since this is marketed as a portable.

My only other gripe is the cable. It is double sided, has some memory to it, and it isn't the modern flat tangle free type cable that I would have liked. It is of decent thickness, and the strain relief is fantastic. The cable feels like it will last, but it just doesn't finish off the solid build quite right.





Sound

The first thing I noticed when I placed it on my head other than the plastic touching my ears was DAT BASS! Extended well past 50 Hz, very fast and punchy, and with above average texture. While not dark sounding, they are not bright either. They are somewhat v-shaped in response, and as such I hear a slightly hollow midrange with a little bass bleed, and some sibilance, but it isn't a deal breaker. They are still neutral enough for audiophiles like myself however, and are less bassy than a lot of other portables commonly used by Head-Fi’ers, including the V-Moda M100, so I don’t see it being a problem. In fact, when my sister put them on she noticed they had less bass than her skull candy IEM's (UGHH I told her not to buy them and to get something else... She didn't listen) and had fuller vocals.

The soundstage is above average, with fantastic positional cues. They surpass the UE6000 in this regard. The sound placement is almost as good as my AKG K240's, but not quite. These have more accurate vertical cues, but lack the width and depth of the K240. To be expected, as the K240 is semi open.

These handled all genres I threw at them decently, including orchestra due to it having an above average soundstage and positional cues, but excelled at electronic. The combination of speed, texture, and extension makes them better in my opinion for electronic than cans like the Logitech UE6000, and the B&W P5. It keeps up with the fast volley of bass notes laid out in "Onvang" by Spag Heddy, which is very impressive, and gives the bass synths on "Outnumbered" by Rekoil and Devour plenty of weight, and stops the quick synths, drums, and cymbals from being muddled. It does admirably when things get complicated in recordings. When listening to "Oye Como Va" by Santana, the percussion has a timbre that is more in line with what real percussion sounds like than the UE6000. It lags behind the K240 in this regard however.



Amping
These are very easy cans to drive, only needing about 20/30 volume on my Lumia 925 to reach listening levels. Additional amping widened the soundstage, and improved detail somewhat, so they do scale up if you feed them more power.








Summary

At around 120$ (Amazon pricing), these offer an impressive bang for your buck if you like a little more low end to your music and want it to look good. These really hit it home with electronic, and will not disappoint sonically. The cable and lack of accessories may disappoint some, but the sound makes up for it.
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