Audio-Technica M50x Professional Monitor Headphones Black

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.

Whenever I decide to purchase electronics I always do extensive research into which product would be best for my needs and within my price budget. I review all customer reviews on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, blog and tech website reviews etc. and where possible, will go to stores in person to try/test things out. I always look at the negative reviews and see if I can spot common themes or problems, I go to the highly positive reviews and try and identify which are genuine. Finally, I go through all the 2, 3 and 4 star reviews as these seem to the be the most informative and have specific reasons as to why they didn't get a 1 or 5 star review. My budget for some over-ear headphones was about £250. I wanted something with a good, reliable build quality and also decent sound. I'm no audio expert but I know what sounds good and what doesn't (they are my ears afterall!). I looked at the B&W headphones (fantastic styling/quality - but overpriced for what you get), Beats (again, you're paying for a name...) and various other 'top end' headphones within or around the £250 mark. As stated earlier, after extensive research I settled for the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X and wow I'm so glad I did. I paid £124 for them and I thought that because of the low price I'd be settling for lower sound quality than some of the higher priced headphones. But I was wrong. And all the positive reviews praising the sound quality were correct and justifiable. Although built with plastic (I'd have maybe preferred them to feel a little more durable - but it means they are light and good to travel with), they feel good to hold, they are comfortable and can be worn for long periods of time. The packaging was professional and to a high standard, very nicely packaged internally also. The three cables supplied with the headphones are extremely useful. They can be swapped depending on what you need. The box does indeed come with the following: Carry bag 1.2m-3m coiled cable 3m straight cable 1.2m short straight cable Gold plated 6.3mm adapter I can sit in my lounge 3 metres away from my TV and watch films with high sound quality without waking up my other half (which was one reason I wanted them!). The PS3 Blu-ray sound on my TV is pretty bad, it's often very difficult to hear dialogue. When your other half is in bed and you turn the volume up to hear people talk, it's not great when something explodes and wakes everybody in the house up! With these headphones the sound is perfectly balanced when using it with the PS3. No mow volume adjustments needed constantly. I've played all sorts of music through them and the sound is crisp and clear. Great bass also. I've been able to hear fine details in some songs that I've not been able to notice in other in-ear headphones. I've also taken them outside with me and travelled around the underground in London etc. and they do a good job of blocking out background noise (without isolating you completely). Overall, I'm extremely happy with the headphones and if you're looking for a decent pair like I was (for any type of use) then these are an absolute bargain. Sometimes it pays to shop around and not settle for what everybody else seems to go for (Beats for example!), and in this case, shopping around has paid off. P.S. I'm writing this review several months after owning them for several months with at least 12 hours usage a week.

An excellent bit of kit. They give a very true high fidelity when playing back music. These cans give a very true representation of the recording to which you're listening. As a former professional touring singer musician for 14 years I love these headphones and they are ideal especially if you're into recording as they are fairly flat in response across all frequencies unlike many cheaper head sets which give fake boosted bass and highs which are of no use for recording as it affects the final output of the recording so a flatter/even response is absolutely essential. They allow you very much to record exactly what you hear and adjust your recording output to that. It's no use using super-boosted bass on headphones only to find there's barely any bass in the final recording. For general/all purpose listening I think for the money these cans take some beating. I've had mine about 5 years now and they've proved to be excellent. The only slight downside is that they are quite a tight fit when wearing them but I'd rather they were that way than slipping which is not ideal especially when recording. Overall I'd say they're excellent cans and excellent value for the money and I'd personally certainly recommend them.

I bought the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x because I wanted headphones that could handle my eclectic music taste—from Beethoven to Beyoncé—and these did not disappoint. The sound is so clear, I can hear every note, every beat, every breath. It's like my music has been upgraded to surround sound. The comfort level is off the charts. I can wear them for hours without any discomfort, which is great because I tend to get lost in my music. The build quality is solid, and they fold up nicely for storage. Plus, they come with three detachable cables, so I can choose the one that fits my needs. The isolation is impressive. I can block out the world and immerse myself in my music. It's like having my own personal concert, wherever I go. If you're looking for headphones that deliver exceptional sound quality, comfort, and durability, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is the way to go. They're worth every penny.

Moving away from the flash, glamour and almost childish nature of gaming headsets, I decided to invest in something that strips away the RGB and places emphasis on pure sound. No DAC required, detachable cables, swivels and folds, all purpose. Needless to say I am impressed with the ATH-M50X and you should be too. (You can stop reading here if you're lazy and wanted a quick opinion :P) Sound: starting off with the main reason you would get studio monitors, the amazing sound signature. From what I have watched and read on the internet, the M50Xs are close to neutral but the M40X are more neutral with its sound signature; there is a touch more bass with the M50X. As someone who came from a line of gaming headsets, which always overdoes the bass leading to a loss in the mids and highs and also "surround sound", this was a nice change. Switching back to stereo, but not to mention a relatively flat sound signature, was very liberating. Listening to music I had always listened to, I never knew how much of the finer details I was missing. When it comes to editing, I can hear exactly what I have recorded as it is not washed out by software controlled surround sound. Gaming is nothing to write home about, though I am still adjusting to stereo gaming again, but nonetheless it's still great if you just want to game. Just to be clear, . All in all the M50X has a solid sound signature that it is great for everything you want to hear. Quality: The body is mostly plastic except for the adjustable headband which is made of metal and each step is nice and sturdy, the headband and earcups are plush but the covering is what I will describe as leather (well it is, probably synthetic) and the entire unit does not creak like cheap headphones. The pivot points for the 180 degrees of swivel also don't feel like you could break it the moment you touch it. Even though the body is mostly made of plastic, these studio monitors feel like quality, like the company cares about their product and the customer experience (in this case they do). Comfort: Now, this is one of the main categories that prevented me from giving this a full 5 stars. Starting with the good points, the headband and also the earcups are plush and your ears 'cup' inside quite nicely which is a huge plus in my books. These are lighter in weight and has a comfortable clamping force on my head, compared to my gaming headset which always fell off of my head if I looked up. HOWEVER, the downside is that these are monitors are really closed off so eventually it does get warm for your ears, not to mention it does get uncomfortable to wear for long periods (2 hours +), so I suggest at least 5-10 minute breaks to recover your ears from discomfort; not a major negative. Other: I instantly like the features of this headset: 180 swivel and fold up earcups for portability. It comes with a leather carrying bag and 3 cables which you can choose depending what you are doing (at home, on the go etc.). This cable is detachable to prevent damage if you take these everywhere you go and should you kill one of the cables you can replace them. The cables has a proprietary locking mechanism so you don't accidentally rip it out when you stray too far from the device. The 2nd negative for these monitors here IS the proprietary cable which means that you cannot use your own personalised 3.5mm headphone jacks, you have to get the official cable which kind of sucks but again it's not major negative. Conclusion: these studio monitors are some of the best for those who wants to step into the pro-sumer market for their sound needs, you cannot go wrong if you pick up the ATH-M50X, and by extension the rest of the ATH-M series. If those 2 bad points that I have mentioned are resolved, then this would have a 5 star rating from me.

Actually bought 2 pairs of these for my sons in white. Great sounding headphones!. Liked them so much bought a pair for meself. Wanted a pair that were not too clinical and flat, last thing i wanted was to come home after a hard day and start an analytical listening session. Went through a lot of pairs before these ranging from Senny RS165 blutooth, Senny HD650's, a pair of Sony MDR1 and another Sony blutooth , Audio Technica MSR 7 which were good but occasionaly peaked the higher frequencies too much for me at my age 40+. All these fell short apart from the Sennheiser HD650's. Now the reasons why i kept these and sold the HD650's. Let me start by saying for me the M50x are an excellent set of cans that hold the frequencies with integrity. Tops never peaked and sounded harsh, mids were separated and slightly pronounced and never sounded muffled once, and the lows are tight and controlled but ever so slightly pronounced for a more warm sounding experience exactly what i was wanting. A run of Yanni Rainmaker and Estas Tonne The Song of the Golden Dragon shone on these with a good soundstage but not greatly expansive, one was able to distinguish the instruments and the vocal from the senorita in the Rainmaker was nothing short of sublime and epic journey to the heavens and back. A few further tracks of Coldplay, George Benson, Randy Crawford, Qawalli Folk Music. Clannad Irish Folk, and finally some classic hip hop from the likes of Cool Herk, Afrika Bambata, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash etc and modern hip hop likes of Mobb Deep, CNN, Fat Joe, Big Pun etc let me say these cans brought a smile to the face which hurt! A set of cans that did an excellent job at lots of different genres. Very rarely do you come across a pair that can handle the above genres with authority, never once sounding uncontrolled or overwhelmed. I tried the headphones with my Nexus 6P through a quality HP amp and 32 bit DAC that i used with my Senny HD650's that were power hungry. the M50x sound was further enhanced and now the smile had turned to a grin with a few audible affirming compliments, totally sublime and these were testing the waters of my HD650's which were more than twice the price of these. However let me state for the record these M50x are stupendously good for the person who wants to disappear into the audio and doesn't want a totally flat response as monitors can provide, however after much consideration on the point of diminishing returns and the power hungry 'open back' HD650's i went with the M50x as they were also easier to drive and did not need a lengthy set up when you wanted a quick portable listen, but these are 'NOT' as good as the reference standard HD650's which are definitely a couple of notches above the M50x's. The reason the HD650's were better for me were 1) The comfort level of the velour pads. 2)The open back design also let your ears breath. The tops mids and bottoms never lost integrity once 'no matter how hard they were pushed' 3) You could hear the breath intake of vocalists and individual strike of the music instruments on the HD650's especially when listening to Estes Tonne the legendary guitarist. That's not to say these expressions were not noticeable on the M50x but their was a great soundstage on the HD650 which the M50x could not compete with, bear in mind the HD650s cost over twice the price of the M50x. Now youll be wondering why did i sell the HD650's, the choice was one of diminishing returns of how much one has to pay for the little improvement in sound in the world of hi-fi audio and the fact that i have kids that constantly disturb me and the HD650's being OB design became unsuitable. I may have possible kept them had it not have also been the set up procedure of the DAC and headphone amp being anchored to the listening room. This was one of the more difficult decisions i have ever made on a set of cans so ill finish by saying where the Audio Technica's were like Satin the Sennheiser HD650's were like silk. The choice is yours!

Now I'm not going to go into the detail of the headphone quality, or any of that. Mainly, because I believe that I could not do the headphones justice with my efforts. There are qualified people you can research for that bit. I'm going to focus on what I believe is truly the point in reviewing it from the customer's side, which is the difference between the M50x's (these) and the M50's (the older model). The main difference between the 2 is the ability to change the cable used, dependent on the headphone usage. The m50's do not have detachable or changeable cables, they only have one, which I believe is either coiled cable or a 3m cable. Whilst they are monitor/stereo headphones, this is still a hindrance to a large sum of people. Because of the amazing value and brilliance of the M50's (Well done to Audio Technica), these headphones have caught the eye of not only studio-working musicians, or editors/producers, but also of any of the public who enjoy great, natural and realistic sounding headphones at an affordable price (which for a mid-range market, attracts a lot of people). This however meant that using them anywhere else apart from indoors in their own set up was an ongoing war against the lump of coil or 3 metres of cable that came with it, hence either inconveniencing casual wearers for the majority of the time, or restricting them to indoor usage. When I got the M50's, I ended up using them everyday e.g. going to school, music studies, band practicing. After a few months, I found myself consciously thinking about how bulky the coil cable is. However, the coil cable has got it's uses. And for a musician, those uses were and are very real. The annoying confliction. The M50x's come with 3 interchangeable cables. a coiled cable, a 3m cable, and a 1.2m cable. What the M50x's have done, has basically alleviated me of every possible problem I could think of with these headphones, and you can imagine that when I head of these from a friend, I bought them nearly instantly. I am truly grateful to Audio Technica for fixing a seemingly negligible irk of mine, but has nevertheless been a minor complaint. This is not the only thing they have changed, though. There are very subtle but existing design changes from the original M50's that have also, in my opinion, improved the headphones. The feel of the leather on the earcups, the size of the earcups vs the size of the ear space has decreased, meaning the earcups are more compact without the downside of having a smaller amount of ear space, the M50x's are also slightly lighter and more flexible. Apart from the differences, the quality of the headphones are incomparable to those anywhere near it's price, 10/10 would recommend either the M50's or the M50x's (because I know that now the M50's are cheaper).

The best headphones around in this price bracket. Let me start this review by saying i am not an Audiophile and i will try to reduce technical language to make this review understandable to everyone. The ATH-M50X is the newer version of the famous ATH-50s which developed a good reputation but the problem was they were a little unfriendly for users wanting "Everyday plug and play" headphones. The M50x keeps the great sound and has tweaked it a small amount to add more bass. It also comes with 3 detachable cables, allowing the user to choose between studio style cables and shorter phone style cables made for portability. This makes it more user friendly than the previous models fixed long cable. The headset is light and comfortable in my opinion but usage will vary and others have disagreed online. The sound quality is the main reason you will buy these of course and i have to say it’s the best i have heard for this price point. The clarity is amazing and you can clearly separate instruments and pick up on small details you would never notice with cheap headphones. For my personal taste the bass is lacking a little but this can of course be fixed with equalizers or a bass booster app. Don't get me wrong the bass is not poor and its better than the old 50s its just not overpowering like some people may want. This is of course done by design, by having high bass you often get a less clear muddy sound so a more neutral bass helps with the pin point clarity the headphones have. Build quality is a mixed bag with decent metal parts next to fairly sturdy but plastic parts. The cups make a loud clicking noise when flipping them which is audible every time you put on or remove the headphones. I have reached out to Audio Technica for comment on the issue and build quality and will update my review if they respond, but from my online research this appears to be a common problem. Overall I would recommend the ATH-M50X for its superb sound reconstruction and clarity, anyone used to cheaper headphones will be amazed at the difference. If the price is a little high for you could wait as every few months there is a sale usually about £25 off maybe a little more. If you do buy these remember all headphones have a “Burn In” time where over the course of about 50 hours play time the sound quality will improve marginally (Check Audio Technica website for more information). I hope you can now make an informed decision on whether to buy these headphones and if you found this review helpful please mark it so :)