MEE audio Atlas Sky IML Graphics On-Ear Headphones with Headset Functionality

I've been using MEElectronics' A151 Balanced Armature in-ear headphones for years. I loved the natural sounding vocals in those, and the silent braided cable, but I decided it was time to try something new, so I went back to MEElectronics to see what they had available. After reading reviews and looking at prices I settled on the Atlas headphones. I've been using them for 3 days, and here are my thoughts so far:Aesthetics: I was a bit worried to get these, because I read the product description boasting of the design printing technology. I don't really care what they look like, I want them to have quality sound and construction, and be comfortable and affordable. I don't want to get suckered into the trend for expensive headphones that look cool. That said, they do look good. I went with Carbon, but maybe I should have gone with Diamond? For whatever it's worth, you will probably like the design.Construction: These are lightweight plastic, so it may seem cheap, but it's a good quality plastic. The A151 seem cheap and flimsy and are still going strong after several years. These seem to be better build quality than those, so I am not concerned. The cable is flat and maybe a little on the long side, but that's better than too short. It's detachable and can be replaced if necessary. The volume slider works well, but doesn't have a very long travel distance, so you have to be a little careful using it because you can easily slide it too far up or down. The play/pause button is easy to find and push, and has a nice travel distance. It also works every time on my Nexus 4, which is nice because many in-line controls don't work very well with Android. No Skip/Previous controls for Android. I believe double and triple button presses should work for that functionality on iOS.Comfort: For short-ish periods of time (1-2 hours) these feel great. The pads are soft and the product is lightweight. After about 90 minutes of continuous use, I had to start adjusting them to make them more comfortable, as I would feel pressure on the tops of my ears. I've never used on-ear headphones for long periods of time, and I would imagine this discomfort is normal. The in-ear monitors would also become somewhat uncomfortable during long listening sessions, so I'm used to making adjustments.Noise isolation: These do not isolate all that well. At low volumes, you can still hear much of what is going on around you. At work, this is actually a plus, as sometimes I would be startled by people trying to get my attention when using the IEMs. But if you are trying to block out airplane noise or something, it won't work very well. They also leak a bit of sound, so neighbors will hear what you hear in close quarters - again bad for airplanes.Sound quality: I've been listening to music for years with the neutral, natural sounding A151. Those have terrific mids and very good sounding vocals, at the expense of some of the bass and treble. These are the opposite. The bass is very good, amplified but not overpowering, and tight, not muddy. At the high end, symbols actually sound like real symbols. I'm very impressed. However, the mids aren't quite so stellar. Vocals seem a bit distant on many tracks. I've adjusted the EQ to bring out the mids, and that has helped, but compared to the A151, the vocals are just a bit disappointing. For a lot of music, these headphones make the music seem alive and fun. But if you listen to a lot of acoustic music with a heavy emphasis on vocals, you should probably look for something else. -- Update: After using these for about 10 days, the mid-range sounds better to me than it did at first. It's still not as "forward" as I became used to with the IEMs, but I kinda like it. I'm not sure if the headphones became better with use, or if I've just gotten more used to the sound that they produce. End Update --Overall: I bought these from Amazon at $55. If I'd paid $100 I probably would have been a bit disappointed. They may be the best on-ear headphones at that price, but I think I would rather spend $200 or more for something that I really like, than spend $100 on something that's just good value. At $55, these were almost an impulse purchase, and I am happy with them. If you need to block out noise, avoid leaking sound, and desire a neutral sound signature and strong, detailed mids, I would look elsewhere. A good place to start would be the MEElectronics A151 which are still for sale at around $50. If you want an on-ear headphone that has good sound, comfort and styling at a good price, these are a great buy.

TL;DR Design is nice. Clear, balanced sound hits above price point. Build quality on par. Isolation is poor.I was invited to review MEElectronic's Atlas headphones, their new fashion forward on-ear headphones. I was amazed by the sound coming out of these headphones, even out of the box. Apparently, so did my family and coworker (more on this later). After 50 hours of burn-in (playing music at medium volume for several days and nights), a slight increase in bass was noticed. I played the Atlas through my iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5th gen, Kindle Fire HDX and my old laptop (Dell Latitude D630). I mostly played Pandora and mp3 music with 192kps and streaming shows/movies through Amazon instant videos.Design and Build:I opted for the Orion design because of its cool circuit-board like styling. It was either this or the Carbon Fiber style because it was the most subtle; I was not ready to make a loud statement. There was a layer of grooves and a layer of printed design. MEElec calls it In-Mold Labeling and it looks really nice. The headphones is mostly plastic with a flat metal band for support. It folds up to be compact for travel, and the hinge has some metal reinforcement for durability. The detachable cable is flat with one side black and the other side grey. It terminates to an L-shaped plug. The microphone housing has a single button for play/pause/next song/last song/call/hangup and a volume slider that works for both Apple iDevice and Android. I noticed the 3.5mm plug detaches from the left ear cup without much effort unlike my other headphones (UE6000 and V-Moda M-80). I attached the MEElec cable to my M-80 and it was very secure; M-80 cable in the Atlas was not as secure. I asked about this at the head-fi.org forum and they say theirs are secure. So mine might be a "one-off". I would say the build quality is on par with the $100 price point because it is not all plastic and the plastic they do use is sturdy. The V-Moda, at double the price is over-built with a full metal band and some plastic on the cups.Comfort:The band has a light clamping force and coupled with the breathable, perforated pleather ear pad make the Atlas a comfortable headphone to wear. It helps that the headphone itself is lightweight. I can wear these for many hours without any signs of discomfort.Sound and Isolation:I very much enjoy the sound on the Atlas. It is very balanced with good extension in the treble. The bass is present but it not the emphasis of the sound signature. The sound has nice impact; very clear and enjoyable. Comparing with my other headphones, the V-Moda M-80 sounds darker with a lot of bass and treble does not extend as well. The UE6000, an over-ear headphone has a similar sound but smooth (Noise Cancelling mode OFF). Maybe a little too smooth and sounds dull compared to the Atlas' energy. MEElec really nailed it in the sound department on the Atlas.I listen to a range of music from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rebelution, Bruno Mars, Bob Marley, Oasis, and mostly current pop hits. The Atlas sounded great with these. I use "Wobblin' Dubstep" channel on Songza for burn in and while listening, the sub bass was lacking a little. Dubstep and electronic might not work well.Isolation is the Achilles' heel of these headphones. Not only will you hear everything around you, people around you will hear what you are listening to. When listening to moderate levels, my brother-in-law who was sitting beside me has to comment. At work, my coworker sitting 10 feet away also told me he could hear it. When I create a seal using my hands on the ear pads, I can still hear the music. It seems to be leaking through the back of the ear cup housing. When I do the same thing to the V-Moda M-80, the sound is greatly reduced. The M-80 even has small bass vents on the back.These will not work when traveling by plane. The bus, train/subway, or even the library might not work too (if you're considerate; if not, then by all means, go ahead). At home? What good is a fashionable headphone when not in public?Conclusion:The design is very good. I look forward to future implementation of the IML technology. The sound on these is one of the best I have heard. I prefer a balanced sound, so a basshead will be disappointed. The lack of isolation knocks off one star as it limits the use in public of these beautiful headphones (if you're considerate). It might just be mine but the cable takes little effort to disconnect from the headphone.

It looks great! It's nice and sleek with a glossy finish without looking cheap.It's pretty good for comfort as well, I usually don't go for the smaller eared headphones, but this feels nice. It can get a little sweaty sometimes though...As for the actual function of the headphones... Sound quality is pretty good. Higher than average qualityBUT the major flaw! - it seems like everyone else can hear your music due to a lot of leakage. This doesn't bother me that much, coz i don't listen to music that loud, but i can see why it would bother a lot of people. If this is a big thing for you, don't get it. otherwise - its fine!For £50 i'd expect that they could focus on less leakage, which would in turn make quality better as well...

Wow, very impressed with these headphones. I like some was a little sceptical that these headphones would live up to expectations.However I was gladly mistaken!.Both my older sons have a well known brand of headphones, and the MEElectronics Atlas Diamond IML Graphics On-Ear Headphones compete with these on the same level. The build quality is very good and they fold down for travelling. The Sound quality is excellent, very crisp and adequate levels of base. I found them very comfortable to wear and like the look of them. They are also a fraction of the price of more familiar brands. You can't go wrong.Very happy with my purchase and would buy this brand again

I love these headphones, mainly because no one else has them that I have seen to date. The quality is great, the cable is non tangle and the bass is meaty enough for me. They don't block out the surrounding sound as much as I would like, but its a minor problem. I would recommend these completely.

Sent back a pair of £60 AKGs and replaced with these. Best decision ever. Articulate, good bass, punchy mids. Buy them!

Great gift, many thanks!