Audio-Technica M50x Professional Studio Headphones for studio recording, creators, DJs, gaming, podcasts and everyday listening – Black
Features:
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Critically Acclaimed Sonic PerformancePraised by top audio engineers and pro audio reviewers. | Clear Sound for Studio, Live, DJ and Personal UseExceptional clarity throughout an extended frequency range, with deep, accurate bass response. | Offers Excellent Sound IsolationCircumaural design contours around the ears for excellent sound isolation in loud environments. |
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For in the Studio and on the Road90° swiveling earcups for easy, one-ear monitoring, and collapsible for space-saving portability. | Comfortable Fit for Hours of UseProfessional-grade earpad and headband material delivers more durability and comfort. | AccessoriesDetachable 1.2 m – 3.0 m (3.9′ – 9.8′) coiled cable and detachable 1.2 m (3.9′) straight cable. |
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| ATH-M20x | ATH-M30x | ATH-M40x | ATH-M50xGM | ATH-M70x | |
| Application | Tracking, mixing | Tracking, mixing | Mixing, tracking, DJ | Mixing, tracking, DJ, personal listening | Mixing, tracking, FOH, DJ, mastering, personal listening |
| Driver Size | 40 mm | 40 mm | 40 mm | 45 mm | 45 mm |
| Sensitivity | 96 dB | 95.5 dB | 98 dB | 98 dB | 97 dB |
| Maximum Input Power | 700 mW | 1300 mW | 1600 mW | 1600 mW | 2000 mW |
| Impedance (Ohms) | 47W | 47W | 35W | 38W | 35W |
| Weight (HP w/o Cable) | 6.7 oz. | 7.8 oz. | 8.5 oz. | 10 oz. | 9.9 oz. |
| Frequency Response | 15-20,000 Hz | 15-20,000 Hz | 15-24,000 Hz | 15-28,000 Hz | 5 – 40,000 Hz |
| Earcup Swivel | 15° Both Directions | 15° Both Directions | 15° In / 90° Out | 90° Both Directions | 90° Both Directions |
| Collapsible | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cable | 3.0 m (9.8′), straight, left-side exit | 3.0 m (9.8′), straight, left-side exit | Detachable 1.2 m – 3.0 m (3.9′ – 9.8′) coiled cable and detachable 3.0 m (9.8′) straight cable | Detachable 1.2 m – 3.0 m (3.9′ – 9.8′) coiled cable and detachable 1.2 m (3.9′) straight cable | Detachable 1.2 m – 3.0 m (3.9′ – 9.8′) coiled cable, detachable 3.0 m (9.8′) straight cable and detachable 1.2 m (3.9′) straight cable |
| Weight: | 285 g |
| Dimensions: | 28.96 x 25.4 x 10.41 cm; 285 Grams |
| Model: | AUD ATHM50X |
| Colour: | Black |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium ion batteries required. |
| Colour: | Black |
| Origin: | Taiwan |
Class. Very comfortable for most heads (mine’s on the large size – no problem, comfort and cups cover my ears fully). They isolate sound brilliantly. Very little, if anything, except the music gets in and almost nothing, if anything, gets out to others in the vicinity. They aren’t noise cancelling ‘phones.
The sound out of the box is a little stiff as expected with quality equipment but you can tell straightaway they’re very good indeed. I always run new stuff in for a time depending on the speaker. I have run these in (using different sounding music with CD on repeat for about 24 hours) and they are sounding very sweet indeed. They’ll take any musical style you like with neutrality and precision and absolutely true to the sound source. Which is to say they put out what you put in. If you put poor sound in, poor sound is what you’ll get out, But that’s as per for decent equipment. The level of detail retrieval is such that I’m sometimes hearing stuff unheard before (yes, ok, but I’m not exaggerating and I’ve been listening to music for over, well a very long time).
They are very solid, real heft. When, if, they do bite the dust over years to come, I’d be looking no further than these ‘phones again, absolutely without question.
I’ve been using these for a while now for music, videos and voice calls and they are great. The sound is good and they are easy to use.
Making tweaks via the app can be a bit fiddly and I tend to find that you have to try to connect 2-3 times before the headset connects to the app. You can make a lot of audio changes in the app so it is a good function.
The clamping force is fairly tight and they can get a bit hot after long usage.
If you want to spend any more money, get an expensive set of open back headphones. These have incredible clarity and detail especially when used in a professional setting. I can hear each individual sound in a level of detail
I couldn’t capture before.
I literally just took this out the box to try on and amount of pressure from the headband onto the crown of my head was way too much. I think it’s a piece of plastic that is not malleable in anyway. So there is no way of taking the pressure off your head. I need to have the headphones on the smallest setting because any extension leads the ear parts to low on my ear. Such a shame as they seem to be so popular with everyone.
Had these for 8 years, 4 of which was heavy use as a PC headset. Unfortunately consistent water damage from wearing with a freshly showed head eventually softened the plastic enough that it snapped off at the ear cuff joint. Immediately went to buy another one. 🙂
These are classed as ‘studio’ headphones, but ignore that too, they make music sound wonderful. I would state that you need to download the app and configure it to your needs, specifically it has an equaliser and I’d recommend setting it to the ‘V’ preset which makes it sound more like most other headphones.
The mic works great and without requiring an extension lead it makes them much easier to use and one less thing to use, but the lack of proximity to the mouth seems to not have any effect.
Great for music and gaming.
by far the absolute best headphones i’ve ever owned,I would absolutely recommend these to anyone looking for a great pair of headphones.I can honestly say that I couldn’t find a single fault with them.
Very well balanced and wide sound. The multiple cables make them good for at your desk or on the go. Ideal for whatever audio tasks you need them for.
– Sound Quality: For the price these have a really nice sound. The default flat EQ is perfect for music production and audio monitoring as it gives accurate but high quality sound. However when listening to music, watching films or gaming I switch over to my custom EQ (slight low end and upper mid range increase) which brightens up the sound slightly. I really appreciate the mobile app that these come with as it allows you to customise the EQ to your liking, as well as other customisation features. The app itself is well designed too.
– Build Quality – These feel really well made and are extremely comfortable to wear. I’ve worn them for 5 hours straight and didn’t notice any discomfort, it’s worth mentioning that I wear glasses too. The buttons are simple to use once you get used to which buttons are where. The folding feature is nice too. I’ve not tried the audio cable yet but that also feels high quality, as does the leather carry bag the headphones come with.
– Battery Life: Lasts forever on a single charge and charges very quickly.
– Bluetooth Connection: Works as it should. Easy to connect, has very good range and doesn’t randomly cut out. Also with the low latency mode active I can’t see any latency whatsoever, making them perfect for gaming and films.
I tried coming up with some cons about these headphones but honestly couldn’t think of anything. Really happy with them.
Headphones:
Seemingly reasonably durable plastic housing.
Comfortable, over-the-ear fit, which unlike other headphones (V-Moda M100, for example) are comfy even during longer listening periods. Suitable for studio use for that reason.
Choice of cables, though limited to only two, provides options at least.
Locking function to the cable in the headphone cable port itself is a nice touch – prevents accidental disconnection.
Sound quality is good enough for studio use – comes across as reasonably well balanced, especially when compared to cheaper high-street-level alternatives: bass is not muddy or overbearing (in fact, it’s a little on the tame side, perhaps); mids are clear and somewhat distinct; highs could do with some tuning perhaps – a little over-responsive maybe (personal experience only, though, ofc).
Overall – happy with these headphones as they allow for prolonged studio use without the fatigue that can (and has) creep(ed) in with other brands.
Excellent for standard music/podcast consumption, of course, and a decent piece of kit for the Home Studio Producer/Mixer etc.
Recommended.
I bought these due to some glaring review recommendations praising the battery life and sound. I’ve been using them for about 2 months pretty much daily and this is what I’ve observed:
Wireless Sound: 4/5 (compared to wired, compared to other wireless headphones it might be better but honestly I don’t care about that)
Wired Sound: 4.5/5 (great closed-back headphones, very neutral and flat)
Connectivity: 3/5 (I’ve been having tons of issues with having 2 devices connected. I get this weird transparent ambient sound turning itself on and off sporadically so I have to turn it off from the app. This happens multiple times a week. I’ve had to pair it again multiple times with a mobile device and laptop due to connectivity issues with both)
Sound isolation: 1.5/5 (A surprisingly bad passive sound isolation. Not a problem for me though. I got them because I don’t like active noise cancellation and am okay as I can’t really hear much when I listen to music or am on a call)
Microphone: 3/5 (I expected more. Colleagues report quite distant and muffled sound on video calls)
Comfort: 4.5/5 (They fit me well, can get a bit hot but that’s true with all over-ear headphones. I have large ears and do not have issues with ears touching the driver)
Battery: 6/5 (This is the one part I cannot flaw. It’s absolutely stunning. I forget how often I charge them, once every several weeks. This is with many many meetings every single day)
Build quality: 4.5/5 (Plastic but robust. Do not look like they’ll fall apart)
If I haven’t had the connectivity issues it easily could have been a 5/5. Audiotechnica’s Android App and firmware are quite buggy. As expected, they know how to make great-sounding headphones but the software part is new to them and it really shows. Even though those are v2. I would recommend only to power users as normal people would be more frustrated having to reset and pair again once every couple of weeks.
Sound is good but the clamp pressure is too tight – I had to return them for this reason.
Use them in my studio for audio production . So near to the same results my KRK monitors. Having moved into a housing estate , these do the job for late nite work
I’ve owned both the original and these Mk2 versions, both sound epic. Very balanced sound across the frequency range, you truly here things you wouldn’t on average headphones. I plan on being buried with mine I love them that much.
There’s a reason why these are the industry standard for sound production. The sound is terrific, but I recommend watching Youtube videos on it before buying to see if this is for you. I was not used to the treble at first as I prefer a more punchy bass sound with a slight dip in the mids. The flat sound profile with these headphones just makes it perfect at the studio, and to get the build and sound quality at this price, was very nice. It works well without a preamp.
Weren’t bought for me. Bought for my son last year. Good quality. Still working fine. He loves them.
Theses have to be the cleanest clear sounds cans I own but they lack in bass for me personally but for balanced tone they’re good for 32 ohm drivers and the cable system is amazing and being able to buy accessories do these headphones is an added bonus
This is my second pair of M50X’s and yet again they’re amazing headphones! By far the best value headphones I’ve ever used or owned and sound better than any other headphones I’ve tried!
I haven’t used these for standard music listening, target they are used for DAW editing.
They pick up the smallest of sounds and do not distort at loudest volumes.
The sound and bass are nice and neutral.
They offer excellent value as monitors.
Guitar practice so not to wake up the whole stree
yum yum noise
litterally the best headphones ive worn. the cable is massive the ear cups are comfy for long listening and are perfect for any and every one of your listening needs
Audio technica always have the best headphones will never switch brand.
Nothing to dislike so far. Comfy to wear for long periods. Nice representation of sound
Outstanding clarity. Impressive sound stage. A little plasticky but a cool retro look and very robust. I have worn them for as long as 2 hours with no comfort issues. Compare favourably with my sons Bose Soundlinks.
Great value for money. you can definitely produce decent mixes on these, they are not as light as some higher priced headphones or as transparent but then i could not afford 250 and then some for home recording. The isolation is pretty decent but as they are closed backs they can get hot if worn for long periods. I have songs on my youtube channel which were mixed on these and others which were mixed on cheaper phones and there is a big difference when played back through different speaker systems. If you are on a budget these will do a very good job.
These headphones cost a bit more than I was intending to pay but as soon as i got them and plugged them into my home recording gear I realised they were totally worth every penny.
A game changer. They picked up details I hadn’t heard before. Superb headphones that
cover low, low bass to highest highs.
Audio Technica, in my opinion , produce some of the highest quality audio gear you can get, and they always price it mid range… so its fantastic value.
Build quality is awesome. Just like the ATH-M50 s that have served me well for .. must be 8 +years
Bluetooth is reliable, good range, and connects instantly.
Sound quality .. just as good as ATH-M50..
Battery life is awesome. Seem to last for days and days and days… They seem to have perfected things like autmatically going into low power modes, and awaking for power save.
I frequently fall asleep listening to music.. I wake in the morning and they are still “battery high”.
i think i went through 5 other pairs of bluetooth headphones before i got myself a pair, and none of the rest were in the same league.
Thoroughly recommended
I use them both to mix and produce with the cable, or to listen to music via bluetooth while walking. The sound is great, the pairing is quick, battery life is very long. They don’t cancel almost any noise, so if that is something that interests you, you will not get it with these. The box and the small bag to carry them are of very good quality as well as the cable. Would definitely recommend these to musicians who want just one pair of headphones both to work and enjoy music.
I bought these so I could play my keys late at night. I have entry level speakers – Mackie CR3’s. I never questioned them until I put these headphones on. You can hear so much more – the lows are deep and I could hear the reverb that I couldn’t hear through my speakers. Probably the best headphones I’ve ever bought. At 104 some might consider it expensive – but keep in mind people are paying 160 for regular AirPods. If you’re serious about music – and want to hear a little more detail – these are for you. In the box came with 3 wires with a single 1/4 jack adaptor. They fit into the headphone with a twist/lock so there’s no risk of it being pulled out.
I bought the M50xBT2’s because I already have a decent condenser boom mic and wanted to move away from gaming headsets with questionable sonic performance. These headphones do not disappoint.
They blow my old HS50 wireless gaming headset out of the water in terms of sound quality and battery life. Contrary to what some well-known HiFi reviewers have said about this product, they also sound even better when hardwired with the supplied 3.5mm jack.
I now use them wired when at my work station, if I need to get up and move around I can just unplug the jack on the headphone end, push a button to power them on, and connect automatically via Bluetooth.
Regarding ease of Bluetooth connection setup and connection reliability, Audio Technica did a great job here, and I have not had a single connection issue. If I disconnect them from my PC’s Bluetooth, I get a popup on my android phone asking if I want to connect them there which makes switching between devices very straightforward.
These headphones do not have noise cancellation (which degrades sound quality and reduces battery life anyway), so I gave them full marks in that field. It does not seem fair to mark down these excellent headphones for not having something that would reduce their performance.
Battery life is around 65 hours on a single charge. I would buy these again in a heartbeat, highly reccommended.
I was looking for some headphones to help me produce my YouTube videos and make my audio awesome against music tracks in the background to ensure that things aren’t too loud etc and that I can EQ my voice to sound as good as possible. I’ve got some nice speakers, some Steelseries Arctis 9 Wireless and some great Sony wireless XM3 but as great as these are, I know they are bass boosted, and ultimately I needed something flatter that would accurately reflect the music and sounds I was hearing.
After loads of Youtube research and reviews on these vs DT 770, DT 990 and those old school Sony’s (forgot the model name) I settled on these.
So far so good – loving the sound – as a non audiophile I’m no expert but they sound ‘clear’ and ‘flat’ as much as I can interpret so the bass isn’t overpowering and I’m loving listening to music with these on.
Comes with 3 cables which is a huge plus, and the cables are detachable, so I’m gonna keep one by my PC, one with my laptop and the other can be for a spare. Oh and it comes with an adapter for using with other interfaces outside of just the 2.5mm jack.
I’ve bedded them in playing loads of fairly loud pink noise and recommended too.
If you don’t want to spend a fortune but want great sound, this seems to be a bargain to me 🙂
I looked for headphones with a solid build (because I keep breaking them). They do appear to be solid and well made. Also they look professional. Like the storage bag and set of alternative leads.
Some reviews say they lack bass. Used on my pc… Yes I felt they lacked base. But on my stereo system no prob. I suppose it depends on what you are used to or whether you are a professional to really now.
They are however clear without distortion hum or rattling. They appear reasonable comfortable to wear but I suspect not the best. Been older I remember these type off headphones been like a vice on your head. They also fit well over the ears keeping the music in and the outside world out.
I’m reviewing them as new so no idea yet how they will last. Absolutely no faults or damage when delivered and packaged by the manufacturer in a nice box. If you are receiving ones with damaged ear cushions etc… Send them back. Mine have no cosmetic faults.
These were replacing my old AKG K702 phones, in which an internal lead within one of the speakers had finally broken one more time than I cared to fix it.
In comparison these are smaller and tighter on the head, which takes some getting used to. They are comfortable enough, but the earlobes (mine are normal size!) need to be arranged within the cups unless you don’t mind your earlobes being squashed a little.
Where it wins out over the AKG is (a) these come with a couple of spare leads – different plugs, straight or curly leads – and (b) they fold in on themselves to make them more portable. That’s not an issue for me, but it may be for you. I only use them at home, so my environment is not loud enough to test how good they are at sound isolation, but the close tight fit suggests they’d be very good.
I couldn’t say whether these sound any better or indeed any different from the AKG. They are at least as good, and seem well-built, so I’m confident at the moment about them lasting.
If you produce music, then look no further, these are the cans for you. I had the MK1 and they were fantastic.
Noise cancellation is top notch, nice bass levels. Only thing I’d say about them is, they seem a little lower in top end. Other than that, perfection for production, trust me.
I wear these for hours at a time mixing my own music at home.
They are so comfortable I often forget I’m wearing them.
I can detect glitches and flaws in my recordings on these headphones that my excellent Yamaha monitors don’t pick up.
The detail is brilliant.
I’m not into Hip Hop but the bass on rock/jazz rock/punk/fusion and metal is lush.
Classical and acoustic sounds are crystal clear.
I also take them on long train journeys to enjoy my favourite artists. They are versatile enough for detailed monitoring in your studio – or for just enjoying your favourite bands/sounds and musicians wherever you are.
Beautifully packaged, chunky and solid. Good price.
Superb product.
Had these for 6 years now and used them for home studio use, gaming & also DJ work in loud nightclubs and bars and honestly can’t fault them too much. Sound is great, bass is nice and not overpowering. Noise cancellation could be better but they’re not advertised as having amazing cancellation so I’ll let them off, they do the job. Only complaint I have as such is the fact my earpads/headband worn away, granted after sweaty gigs for 5 years I’m not surprised, cheap earpads off Amazon work wonders haha! Still going strong, highly recommend them.
First of all, I’d class myself as a bit of an audiophile. I have headphones that cost >1000, so I’m coming at this review with a realistic approach.
For good DJing headphones you need the following:
1. Good durable build quality
2. Decent bass
3. Average sound quality
These headphones are well made and seem durable. They are hinged, so can be manipulated during mixes and pack away relatively small. They also come in a faux-leather bag for carrying. It comes with 2 cable types – straight and coiled. The coiled cable is what you need if you dj, so you’re not tripping over it.
The bass has reasonable attack and decay, meaning it’s sufficient for beat matching. It’s not the cleanest or fastest bass I’ve heard, but it doesn’t need to be.
The audio quality is fine for DJing. They have a V-shaped sound signature, which is perfect for electronic music. Soundstage is pretty non-existent, but it’s not needed.
In summary. If you’re looking for dj headphones, or for headphones where you’re not needing high fidelity quality, these are hard to beat. If you’re buying these expecting them to unlock the next level of sound quality, your better going for something like the Fidelio x2HR
I have 5 stars as it was a gift and recipient is still really pleased with it, I tried convert him to wireless headphones but he wanted wired, it looked really nice, I think looks much better then on picture, in use for a month and everything is ok for now
I have ranged through headphone like it’s an obsession the past three years. Beyerdynamic 770, Logi G Pro X, Razer Blackshark, Hyper X
Why?
Looking for sound that is meant to be heard as it was created. All of the above were good but with one flaw
They weren’t these cans.
I play Tarkov, anyone who does knows it’s one of the most sound important games out there. These headphones (burned in for 15 hours) give me the sound direct as the game produces it, footsteps that I didn’t hear before I do now. Movement yep I hear that too.
These are fantastic for the price, at first they will feel a bit muddy but honestly give it time they’ll adjust and you’ll notice a great difference across the soundstage
Comfortable, stylish and no leakage of sound, they sit snug over the ears but not snug that it causes pressure or makes it uncomfortable. I wear specs for vdu use and they do not nip the spectacle arms at all.
These represent a great set of cans for the price.
Music performance is great also, I now notice the subtle backing mix on some tracks, that were missed on other headphones.
I’d recommend these without hesitation. This is my own review I’m not affiliated or paid for this review, any questions? Happy to assist.
To put simply, these are the best headphones I’ve ever owned. The sound quality is great with rich lows and mids. Higher frequencies can be a little weak but nothing a little manual control of EQ can’t fix.
They look great and have a robust plastic casing compared to dome other brands that feel like they’d break if you dropped them once.
I personally haven’t bought many pairs of headphones and was reluctant to spent a lot on a pair, but this pair of headphones are worth every penny.
The sound quality is the best I have heard, and if you are already using airpods or any gaming headset there is a noticeable difference in sound quality.
If you don’t mind the lack of a mic or have a separate microphone this pair a headphones are really great for gaming. My main problem with getting a pair of headphones instead of a gaming headset is the surrounding sound is generally not good in headphones for gaming. but. I found this pair was easily on par with expensive gaming headsets for surround sound. Overall great headphones, would recommend
The bass is just right along with the clear sounds.
Comfortable to wear but I tend to only have them on for an hour or so.
Blocks out a lot of noise but on quiet or gaps you can hear a bit but these work well and are not noise cancelling headphones.
Real review no pressure sales or marketing to promote my feedback.
I bought these headphones with some trepidation as the left driver in my Oppo PM-3s failed. I have owned a wide range of headphones over the years, some very expensive. I like a wide range of music from 1950’s and 60’s pop, plus Queen and Feedback – a German heavy Christian Rock group, though Folk, a lot of Jazz, Military and Brass, and a lesser amount of classical, organ and synthesiser music. I plugged them into my hi-fi and left them playing a shuffle of my favourite music for eight hours.
At first, I had wondered if these Audio Technica ATH-MH50x headphones would live up to the neutral sound of my much loved Oppo PM-3s, given that some reviews had mentioned a warm sound, given the wide range of music I listen to, I didn’t want an additional bass flavour.
Unless you really want a heavy bass flavour to your music, don’t hesitate, buy them, plug them in to some favourite music, ideally wait a few hours, and then listen. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I know what headphones I’ll buy for my upstairs system – another pair!
I have a background in music technology and degree in commercial music. I have tried many pairs of headphones over the last ten years during my career and we even did a full shootout test at university (which included these AT-MX50s as well as some 600+ Shure headphones); the Audio Technica headphones were the overall favourite by a long way. I’ve used these for 8+ years now with no major issues. After very heavy, daily use in a studio (and now more for gaming), the headband is just about starting to wear, and I have replaced the ear pads once during their lifetime. You can pick these up for about 15-20 for a pair so no major cost over their lifetime. I will probably buy a new pair in the next couple of years just because of the headband (which can’t be replaced), but the current pair will be used as a secondary set for any musicians coming into the studio. For gaming they will give you a flat, but accurate EQ curve which makes the gaming experience very enjoyable. Those of you who like VERY base heavy music/EQ curves probably won’t like them as they don’t emphasise the low-end like some modern headphones. I recently purchased a SteelSeries Arcticis 7 wireless headset for gaming, but I ended up sending them back and reverting back to the ATs as the sound quality was a significant downgrade (by a long long way; they weren’t even close). The only other thing to mention is they do a good job of keeping out unwanted noise and headphone bleed (crucial for recording situations), but they are not as “noise-cancelling” as a dedicated pair of noise cancelling headphones. This is not a major concern for me, and I’ve warn them on flights to cancel out background noise which was sufficient. In my professional opinion, I am still yet to find a better sounding pair of headphones than the MX-50s, and will be buying another pair when my current one finally dies! Don’t fall for paying ridiculous money for hyped headphones like Bose or Beats, when you can buy these which are far better in terms of sound quality and will last a long time. If you really need the wireless aspect, then AT do another version of these called ATH-M50XBT which are the bluetooth version. Just bear in mind you will lose a lot of quality over wireless, but you can also plug them in for when you need the high quality, and use them wireless when walking/flying/listening to music etc.
Looking at some of the reviews of this headphone & I wonder whether the people who wrote the poor reviews had blocked ears. Seriously if you’re looking for a headphone purely for high quality audio at good price, the Audio Technica phones will not be beaten. I own headphones that cost 4x what these cost & the audio is better on the Audio Technicas. Sure you can get more comfortable headphones but in terms of outright value for money these are the best.
Bought these as a treat to myself and for my home studio got the ath m50x bt2 model so I can use them with my phone aswell. These headphones are very balanced and comming to these from Sony wh-1000xm3 it’s night and day with clarity. The bass is punchy but not drowning the kids are well represented and the highs sparkle these are very well balanced headphones. Overall I can recommend these highly for their true to the content sound and durability
Build: They are out together very well, but wouldn’t want to drop these, kind of like dropping a plastic water bottle.
Comfort: It’s good (7/10) for the first hour, until it’s not (unwearable). The pads give you ear pain but all you have do is take them of for 1 min max and you can wear these for another hour. And you have to repeat tis cycle sadly
Sound: I’m the casual listener. A bit of video editing, but 90% of the time a casual listener. I’m not an audiophile, just a casual listener. And yes, I did mention that I’m a casual listener 3 times because you are probably one too. If you’re not, you’re probably looking for some studio monitoring headphones. Yes. Just, Yes. You don’t even need good sounding headphones for monitoring, only something you can monitor with. These do not leak at 50% volume, a bit at over 50% though but still, Yes, buy these if your looking for monitoring headphones under 150. Casual listening, still yes. They sounded boring af the first week I had them. I was trying to listen to music with these but they were way to boring. After about maximum 2 week, they made me dance. I could finnaly hear BASS. The best way I can describe them is natural sounding with a good bass boost. Great. Not Amazing as the YouTube reviews but, Great. Yes for both Casual listening and Monitoring. I’m not music producer, but maybe this headphone is not for music producers. The Bass on this headphone is boosted not neutral. People say the Sony MDR-7506’s are better for mixing soooo, buy them, I don’t have them but if other people say it’s good for that thing, it’s good for that thing.
These headphones are great for studio use, they produce a good sound and I love the fact that the cable can be removed. It’s the second pair I have had, the first ones were broken by my wife unfortunately but I have now forgiven her.
I’ve now tried loads of akg cans to replace my og k240s from the 90s and they have all been a let down even the ones that are priced significantly higher than these , these are not as good looking or quite as comfortable but still worth that trade off for the sound quality- I play bass and home studio recording / mixing / mastering these do not break up at all and faithfully reproduce the sound 5 star’s reccomend
I’ve just taken these on location for the first time, and I think I prefer them to my Sennheiser HD26s. The bass response seems to extend lower (and therefore the overall sound seems less ‘nasal’) and the stereo imaging seems very accurate / precise. They offer high output levels, and are a bit bright / harsh for long periods of listening, but overall I’m very pleased.
After using lower end Senhieser (perfectly good for the price) headphones for years with my home recording studio, I decided to upgrade to these after a friend’s recommendation. I’m very impressed, they have a very balanced response, a very tight bottom end and a clear top end. A small but nice feature is the addition of a coiled and straight headphone cable, and a nice storage bag
The earcups are exfoliating rapidly after light use. the outer layer skins easily on the earcups and headband! Shame on you Audio Technica!
The sound is ok but the treble is quite sparkly and harsh. The bass is quite punchy. Basically no mids and it becomes quite hard to listen too if you use them for gaming. Even though they didn’t sound that Amazing,I could tell what direction sound came from quite well. I wouldn’t recommend for anything as they aren’t that comfortable either and music listen isn’t anything special.
Five stars is right. I bought these phones for myself and then bought them again as a gift. They are comfortable, substantial and the sound quality is excellent. So glad I did my research and found the best headphones I’ve ever owned.
I love these.
When I first got them I was looking for a PC gaming headset and I tried about 10 ranging from cheap to much more expensive. These were better, but you realise, when reading around, that audio is a very personal thing, and what you prefer and what you actually hear depends on you.
These do what closed back, monitor headphones should do, I believe, ie. they have a pretty flat frequency response and a very narrow sound stage, ie. they sound like they have very little ‘EQ applied’ and everything sounds ‘very close’ to you.
I would say they perhaps differ to other studio monitors in that the frequency response is somewhat pronounced in the high frequency and has impressive low frequency, but it is pretty flat.
Some like this (like me) and some don’t. Some find the treble harsh and the bass boomy. I don’t.
I listen to others and find wider sound stages make sounds indistinct and washed out. Maybe you’d be fine with those. Maybe you’d even do better with open-backed.
I listen to others and find those with less treble and bass sound like they have confusing mid-range overload.
I’m no expert audiophile so my terminology might be imprecise. Hopefully you get what I mean.
All I can tell you is I keep trying other headphones – even those that are supposedly ‘upgrades’ – over the years and keep coming back to these.
I would advise anyone to try several sets, because you might settle for something that doesn’t actually suit you otherwise.
People that say these are trash are simply not suited. They are good phones, but sure, *you* might not get on with them.
I would say to anyone to try them, though, if you are trying to work out what you might like.
I love this headphones! The first one I received was a bit static-y but I think it was just a malfunctioning product so I exchanged for another one and I am NOT disappointed! My favourite headphones ever~ I use it for voice recording and for media use~ The quality for the price is amazinggg! Go for it! You will surely love it 🙂
It’s true to sound so not much bass and noise cancellation is alright but not completely cancelled.
Great sound quality overall.
Mid and highs sound very good. Deep bass is fine. Upper bass is a little bit on the boomy side, but not by much.
Responds very well to equalization.
Great accessories and cables selection included in packaging.
Overall comfortable. Clamping force a bit on the high side, but it’s starting to get better after a few weeks of use.
I don’t usually write reviews for stuff, but these are an exception. I have owned these headphones for 2 years now, they have been used for 10hrs+ a day and only now am I replacing them. These headphones didn’t fail on me, I sat on them and the plastic has bent in such a way that the cups no longer sit flush on my head.
The sound quality on these is truly unmatched for the money and I can honestly recommend these to anyone.
Pros:
– Very accurate sound reproduction
– No “fuzzy bass” as you would find on lesser products
– Comfortable
– Excellent Quality of cable
Cons:
– Plastic build material buckles if you sit on it……. unsurprisingly.
– The ear pads didn’t last as long as expected, the pads themselves lasted about 1,5 years before they needed replacing, that said, they were VERY easy to replace.
Overall I give these headphones 10/10 and would happily purchase again if I was looking at the same price point. Good Job lads.
My old pair of these gave up the ghost after 10 years of heavy use. I was toying with the idea of moving over to Beyerdynamic to try a new brand but I know that the Audio Technica ATH-M50s are great sounding and last a long time. I use these for music production and mixing and they are very good for this purpose. I’ve tried various headphones over the years and these are the best I’ve used. They come with two different cables to suit your preference (coiled or straight).
I’m not one to buy expensive or premium products and it was quite the feat to spend 90 for a pair of headphones back in 2016 when I was a paperboy making 5 a day.
I have used them truly and to their limits in the past 5 years. They have never let me down and definitely one of my best purchases. As Henry Royce said, “The quality remains long after the price is forgotten.”. This is indeed correct.
The headphones were well-received back then and still are to this day. They are not flat and instead, the bass is slightly more pronounced but you probably already know that from the reviews.
I am here to say that the only failure in 5 years was the cushions which I replaced with a 2 pair off the store starting with E and ending on bay. Not much more to add. Buy these if you want quality headphones. That’s it.
They’re very good. For the money, they’re even better.
They have a sound and are not surgically transparent. The bass is a little more than studio neutral, and that’s OK as long as you either like more bass or else can compensate for it.
They’re well made, come well appointed and with a little bag and certainly punch above their weight/cost.
I’d recommend them and if you look around you’ll see that dozens/hundreds/thousands of people recommend them too. Are there better out there? Yes, but for more money. I perhaps could’ve spent my days looking for better but to me they’ve been a safe bet. They’re good. Sometimes great and that’s all I need.
Read this for a completely unbiased and brutally honest explanation about why you might love or hate these headphones. (TL;DR, bad for listening to music, excellent for creating music/mixing)
I’ll discuss common complaints and praises.
If all you are going to do is listen to music, these headphones won’t make everything sound as great as you are hoping. This isn’t entirely the headphones’ fault. Most music (especially on streaming services) are specifically designed to sound best on mono devices (low quality speakers and cheap headphones) because that is the majority of their consumers. To do this, they have to take a small loss when it comes to headphones like these. So if you’re expecting everything to sound super “wide” and clear, you will be disappointed. Secondly, you’ll notice that everything is pretty quiet, and you’ll be severely disappointed, thinking that it actually sounds worse. This is intentional. Our monkey brains are hardwired to think “louder sounds better”. If you take two identical sounds, but make one louder, you will instantly like the louder one more. That’s just a fact. These headphones attempt to reduce this effect in order to force you to appreciate sound design and dynamics instead of volume. This is GREAT for musicians and mixing engineers, because if you can nail those two things, then it will sound INFINITELY better on your average headphones/speakers. This also has the added side effect of preventing hearing damage/fatigue (Poggers!).
Now let’s discuss the “flat response” thing. Oh boy. Basically the concept is that the headphones are not boosted in any way, as opposed to other brands which might boost the bass to make it sound better. TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, these headphones do not have any frequencies boosted. That does not mean that they haven’t REDUCED some frequencies. Honestly, I don’t know for certain, but I can tell you (and others will agree) that it feels like the mid frequencies (somewhere between the sound of a snare drum and your average vocals) is quieter than the rest of the spectrum. By definition, this is NOT a flat response (it’s more like a very wide v shape). Again, this effect is doubled, as musicians and mixing engineers sometimes cut these frequencies as well, so that low quality speakers don’t sound so harsh. I don’t understand why the decision was made to do this, as nobody benefits from this. That’s definitely the headphones’ fault. Bad.
Now, I will tell you that music or sounds SPECIFICALLY designed for headphones and surround sound speakers sounds PHENOMENALLY good with these. 7.1 surround sound is… perfect. But if the sound was originally mono and you’re trying to force it into surround sound, it’s not gonna be great. If you’re a sound engineer for a film intended to be played in cinemas, for example, this is a fantastic choice for a low price. I give these a chef’s kiss out of 10.
Last complaint is noise cancellation/leaking. Basically they’re about as good as your average headphones at blocking out EXTERNAL SOUNDS COMING IN (IE: traffic/other people in the room). They’re not terrible, but not great either. They also leak quite a lot. If you’re listening to something next to me on full volume I will be able to hear it too. Neither of these things matter if you’re using them for their intended purpose, or if you’re alone in your home/studio. Not ideal to use outside in public, but you do you I guess.
Now time for some praise! In the right scenario, these are great. I use these at home when I want to make music, do some mixing or if I’m watching a film/playing a video game and want to truly immerse myself. The headphones paint a vivid 3D space for every individual sound to sit in, and sounds like you are in a room full of speakers working together to create depth, rather than sitting in between two speakers that are trying to create the illusion of depth. They also sit nicely on my (admittedly smaller than average) head and ears and feel super comfy and snug (if you have a larger head, I can see how it can start to hurt after a while but I’ve had zero problems personally). They also just FEEL professional. The weight, materials and even the box it comes in will inflate your ego, and somehow make them inherently fun to use. The bass quality is pretty good (it’s actually the lower mid frequencies that supply the punch, but you know how it is, you gotta get those keywords in).
In conclusion, if you’re a music producer making songs in your bedroom and either can’t afford to use a studio, or you’re making a rough draft before you make your way over to the studio, and you already have another low quality pair of headphones that you use to stream other people’s songs, these are 100% ideal for you. These are the ones you want to buy on a budget. If you’re a consumer wanting some high quality headphones to enhance your experience while listening to your favorite songs, these will be disappointing.
Final words: please remember that people who advertise or review ANY products on YouTube or whatever HAVE PROBABLY BEEN PAID TO DO SO, and probably don’t know what they’re talking about, or are just straight up lying so that they get paid. Consider the source of your information before deciding.
Before ordering I had checked several sites regarding sound quality, build quality and value for money. 95% of reviews were good to excellent with the occasional ‘Do not buy these’ thrown in for good measure. I bought them and they arrived today – bought to use for mixing and mastering in my home studio I must admit that they are better than I was expecting. The sound quality across the range of frequencies is superb and I am definitely hearing things I didn’t hear with my previous sennheiser headphones. The build quality is also excellent with a very good solid fit over the ears. How long they last is still unknown until I have owned them for much, much longer but initial thoughts are fantastic value for money.
I received these and they were amazing straight out of the box.
They are nowhere near as bass-oriented as some reviewers would lead you to believe, although if you are a bass-head these phones will handle whatever level of bass that you put into them, within reason.
The mids and highs are superbly detailed and balanced.
These are all-purpose headphones that you could happily use for both hi-fi listening and studio mixing.
The build quality is superb as well, and they don’t pinch my ears at all, as the M40’s still do after almost an entire year of use.
Some folks say that these have a V-shaped reference and that they are accentuated on the high and low ends, but I hear none of that. All I hear is a superbly detailed, balanced and well-rounded set of headphones that are easily capable of reproducing any genre of music you care to put through them with great musicality and finesse.
I didn’t think that they would be able to outshine the M40’s, and even if they did that the difference would be marginal at best.
I was wrong – these are an awesome set of headphones.
Highly recommended!
The performance in all frequencies is excellent, with a superbly detailed bass and (for ‘phones) imagery. They are comfortable, of a very high build quality and easily worth every penny of their price.
I have tried much higher priced ‘phones – as well as horrendous “fashion” ‘phones – and these from AT are unsurpassed in performance.
Lucky enough to own a high quality audio system, I take my time in summing up performances of equipment and do not jump to eulogize without a long evaluation.
Knew prior to purchase, these were ‘Bass light’ from reviews. Pity , at this price they make up for it in every other Department. 4 Stars overall due to non standard size to Headphone to cable ‘twist lock’ connection,making upgrading cable impossible or in the event of cable damage, replacement from Audio Technica ONLY. Minor Cribs…great, highly recommend a listen, anyways.
Love these headphones, bought them to write and record through on Logic Pro X when it’s not convenient to use monitors. Mixed my first song on them and it’s the most consistent balanced mix when tested across multiple speaker types prior to releasing. Absolutely no issues with comfort either after hours of wear in one sitting. They do block out a fair amount of room sound too which is a bonus.
Only small niggle I did note was Mac Book pro headphone socket is on right hand side of the laptop and cable attaches to the left can of the headphones so the short cable runs diagonally across the front of the keyboard. Great news though as Audio Technica include 3 different cables with one long enough to go around the back of the laptop.
After a month of almost daily use used for music making I would definitely recommend for the money (109).
Great headphones that give true sound. I realise many want some unbalanced mean bass but that is not how the music was produced. It was made to be listened maybe danced to and not send people deaf. I have none a number of DJ’s and musicians including some rather famous ones. And on occasions heard their original mix, and these headphones are not hyped or over-rated they actually produce the music more how it was made and produced. Whether classical, rock, rap, house, trance, dance or whatever. If you want mega bass that sounds nothing like what the producers and musicians never meant their music to be look elsewhere, not these lack bass just not that unbalanced over bass sound. But if you want some headphones to listen with that reproduce the music or film as originally intended buy these.
I am no expert in whats a great pair of headphones and what isn’t , but i have had a part of these headphones for two and a half years now , they have given brilliant sound to my ears and are very comfortable to have on for hours . after over two years of use nothing on the headphones has broken or come apart , I’ve only used the smaller of the three leads that it comes with and that has been faultless , other headphones i have bought have fallen apart with constant use or the leads going faulty causing on side to stop working or crackle . I can’t fault these headphones for the sound they give to an average person or the build quality. well worth the money i paid for them , i’d never go back to paying for a cheaper pair after buying these .