I got my new purchase a couple of hours ago...
http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/a0a8895f03d70c11/index.html
PRICE: Varies; $12.07 currently from nothingbutsoftware.com. MSRP is $14.95
GOAL: AT claiming to redefine value for the budget sets. CLR for the natural sound crowd and COR for those who want more bass and thump. Both come with tips, a cord wrap case, a wide choice of colors and a 2 year warranty for minimal price.
BUILD: Budget build but still good. The CLR have thinner color matched tips. The housings are strong plastic with nice reliefs coming out. The Y-joint is similar to that found on the CKS77(triangular) but thinner and more flexible. Y - cord with no cord slider. The cable is similar to the SHE3580 but more supple and should behave better. The small right angle plug is nearly the same as the one on the CKN series. The sound tube has the white filter mesh with the two dots again like the CKN 50 model.
ACCESSORIES: Manual/warranty paper insert, ~2.25 inch circular Yo-Yo style cord wrap/case combo , S/M/L translucent tips in matching colors for the CLR. For the COR it would seem the more standard thicker black tips come those to befit their bassier nature. The case as mentioned being essentially a Yo-Yo opens wider(3/4") to swallow the cord and phones up then you squeeze it closed to about 1/4" space. It doesn't fully close.
FIT: The CLR-100 have a more angled sound tube than the likes of the CKN70 and being plastic are lighter. The tips are softer and more pliable making them more comfy. For me the loop support isn't really doing much and this design is lighter, easier to fit, and more comfy than their big brother. The stocks tips sound fine also. I haven't tried any others but it was quick to see the CKN needed to ditch the stock tips. No such need here AFAIC.
SOUND: AT's new house sound and not far off the CKN series sound. As it should be, the COR is more the CKS sound and the CLR standing for clear would translate to the CKN/CKM more balanced sound yet still having a punchy bass that is not lacking in amount.
Basically comparing it to the CKN 70, it would seem the CLR100 with it's two dots and 25,000Hz treble rating is something like the CKN50 in sound signature. The CKN70 is a bit more open and has more/brighter treble but not by much. Good punch, good balance, the treble comes off smoother than the CKN70 with a tiny bit more roll off(25,000 vs. 26,000). More forward/up front sounding than the CKN70 but still good depth and immersion factor. Bass is tight like the CKN and even out of the blister pack they handle fast paced music well with little bass bloat. The new better AT mids are still here though not quite as clear as the CKN. A general impression for now as they are 30 minutes old. We'll see how they end up with hours and maybe some tip changes.
VALUE: For my $12+ I got the CLR shipped to my house in a couple of days, I got a wide color choice, a useful set of tips(that balance sound), and a clever little case, and the 2 year warranty. For their intended use, straight out of a player/phone(in my case a Sony S639), the CLR100 make the CKN sound like it is overpriced. Of course the CKN is better built and fancier and they do sound better but not that much better. Though I have not heard them, it does sound like they would stack up well sound-wise with the CKN50.
A really good value. A good job by AT. Also an inexpensive way to sample the current AT sound!
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