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With snow piled up on the curbs and wary tourists slipping and sliding all over 46th street, it’s a perfect day to comb through the inventory at our Manhattan showroom and find some headphones that escaped my review process. Not least among them, but definitely a cheaper model, the ATH-CKS55XBT is a Solid Bass model from Audio Technica that might just be the bluetooth earphone you’ve been looking for – if bass is indeed your thing.
Audio Technica ATH-CKS55XBT Review
The CKS55XBT is a collar design, with corded buds that go in your ears. The earpieces could be considered large, but the silicon tips supplied with the earphones allow for a secure fit, so there’s no need to worry about them falling out.
With a frequency range of 5-24,000 hertz, and with a nominal impedance of 16 ohms, this headphone offers a decent amount of detail in a efficient package that won’t drain your battery. The wireless range on the CKS55XBT is rated at up to 10 meters, or 32 feet. Battery life is given as five hours during continuous playback, or 200 hours on standby.
The performance, then, is much of what I’d expect from an in-ear wireless headphone at this price point. Given the durable build quality, it’s a decent enough model, but the sound will make or break this option.
When it comes to listening at a reasonable volume, the bass is present and pleasant, not overpowering at all. However, as volume increases to the 70% mark or higher, bass tends to bleed into the mids and as a result the headphones become a throbbing mess of low-frequency noise. This may not be a deal breaker, though; I found the bass great for hip hop and rock tracks, but I also found myself lowering the volume a bit on acoustic tracks and instrumental numbers.
If you have ever considered yourself a basshead, suffice to say that this headphone can’t steer you wrong, especially at its nifty $79 pricetag.
If you tend to eschew bass, however, you’re better off with another model.
Interested? Buy yours now here.
