Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black, Professional Grade, Critically Acclaimed, with Detachable Cable

Top positive review

Amazing headset for normal humans with normal hearing sensitivity

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2020

First, I am not an audiophile, so this review is for us mere mortals with normal ears. I understand there are super tasters, and probably super listeners. I am not a super listener, and am willing to accept that my ears are "normal". If you are an audiophile, or "super listener" just move on. Please don't buy these and leave a negative review. Leaving a negative review is not useful to the other 95% of humans. Accept that you have an incredible sense level that most of us don't have.

I gave these a 5 star audio quality because a normal person can easily tell the difference between these and a gaming headset, for example. This is an important quality for normal human use. A lot of "high end" headsets are indistinguishable, for normal people, to a headset like these. For listening to music and sound accuracy, these are simply amazing. They are not insane bass headphones. The bass is good, but it's normal good, it is not amplified to ridiculous levels like some headphones. The sound seems neutral and relatively balanced. The sound is much more detailed than any other headset I've used in the past. There are smaller details on a lot of the music that I listen to that I never noticed before. Again, this is from the perspective of a normal human with normal ears, so there is a good chance you will be able to have the same results.

Noise cancellation I gave a 4 star because they do block a ton of sound but are not active noise cancellation. So there is room for improvement but they are still very good. Normal people won't have an issue with this I don't think. One thing to note here is if you have ears that stick out these will be uncomfortable. The pads are comfortable enough, but the foam over the speakers are irritating on the ears. This doesn't bother me because my ears sit close to my head. Your mileage may vary here.

For gaming I gave these a 4 star. It's hard to rate these for gaming, because gaming is not the primary purpose of these headphones. They are a 4 star for me, personally. It honestly depends on what you are looking for in a gaming headset. If you are looking for sound accuracy these are amazing. If you want massive explosion booms with overly loud bass in call of duty, these might not be for you. If you want overly sensitive and loud treble so you can hear footsteps from a mile away, these are not for you. To be clear, these do both of those things, but they do so in a balanced and accurate way. These are not "competitive" level for gaming. However, if you play casually and not competitively, these are an amazing set for gaming. These will produce a more natural sound, which is something the vast majority of gaming headsets do not do. Most gaming headsets focus more on treble for competition. They do not offer a natural sounds. One could argue this headset is closer to how the sound designers intended you to hear their games than a gaming headset, counterintuitively.

Who are these for? These are not for professionals or audiophiles. These are for mortal listeners. If you are a mortal listener, you can easily tell the difference in sound and appreciate what these have to offer. You absolutely cannot say that about a lot of "audiophile" headsets that cost a ton more. This headset is good enough for anyone to appreciate the difference in quality. These are not for people who need a non-balanced sound. I am not criticizing the need for those kinds of headsets at all. They perform their function well. This is not one of those.

To sum this review up, these are incredible headphones for the value if you want a balanced, accurate, sound profile. These are "just buy it" quality for normal humans.

54 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

J. Hill

There are better options at this price point

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2018

I recently needed to replace my pair of over the ear headphones so I began my search for a good pair of headphones in the $150-$200 range. Immediately Senhiser, Beyerdynamic, and Audio‑Technica stood out. I first received a pair of the Audio‑Technica ATH M-50x which had good sound but were very uncomfortable if worn for more than an hour or so. Then I picked up a pair of the Beyerdynamic DT 770. These headphones had amazing sound quality and comfort but the passive sound isolation was mediocre at best. Which is why I ordered a pair of the Beyerdynamic Premium 990 which are open back. I figured that the sound quality and comfort would be similar but the open back quality would allow me to talk with others while I played music. Unfortunately the 990's had worse sound quality than the 770 (a bit harsher sounding and not as clear) and were very uncomfortable even after only a couple of hours. During this time I also ordered a pair of Senhiser HD 599 headphones. While these headphones have a significantly different sound signature than the others I have tried, they were of similar quality. Overall the HD 599's were slightly less comfortable than the 770's but the open back quality was convenient and the sound was quite nice. I would have been satisfied with the HD 599's but they were the only pair of headphones I could not drive with my desktop. They produced terrible static. This did not occur when I used the 599's on other devices or when I used other headphones (even those with similar impedance and SPL) driven by my desktop computer. This prevented me from keeping them. I have attached a breakdown of my thoughts below:

------------Sound Quality------------

Beyerdynamic DT 770 (80 Ohm) - Winner
Highs - Quite good representation, much cleaner than Senhiser
Mids - Quite good representation
Lows - A little closed sounding but overall they are handled well
Overall this is how the music should sound. They perform the most similar to my pair of Martin Logan Motion 15's (bookshelf speakers)

Beyerdynamic Premium 990 (32 Ohm)
Highs - Similar to the 770's but rather harsh sounding
Mids - Nothing special, no major issues
Lows - Not as powerful as the 770's but more spacious. Seemed a bit washed out due to the open back design

Senhiser HD 599 (50 Ohm) - Close 2nd Best
Highs - Not quite as poppy as they should be. They are a bit muted in the sound signature which can make them less fatiguing than other, more analytical, headphones.
Mids - A bit to high level for me, it tended to make punk rock music sound very close and muddied
Lows - A bit boomy but very spacious

Audio Technica ATH M-50x
Highs - Quite good representation, a bit cold though
Mids - Nothing special, no major issues though
Lows - Too over-emphasized

-----------------Comfort---------------

Beyerdynamic DT 770 - Winner
Perfect. I wore these on multiple occasions for more than 7 hours and never noticed any pressure points or discomfort. The headband is larger than average to distribute the pressure. The clamp pressure is also a bit more than average but this was not an issue due to the soft, replaceable, ear pads.

Beyerdynamic Premium 990
I could not wear these for more than a few hours. The headband is made of a much harder material than the 770's and causes a painful pressure point on the top of my head. I believe this is made worse by the lower clamping force since more of the weight is on the top of your head.

Senhiser HD 599
I could wear these for several hours as long as I moved them around every 30-40 minutes. More comfortable than the 990's. Significantly less clamping force than the 770's.

Audio Technica ATH M-50x
These were the least comfortable. I could only stand to wear them for an hour or so before I had to take them off. All of the discomfort came from the top of my head.

----------------Usability---------------

Beyerdynamic DT 770
These come with a permanently attached 10ft cable. That was a lot of cable to get in my pocket every time I got up from my desk. The cable also has more insulation making it much thicker and stiffer than average.

Beyerdynamic DT 990
These come with a permanently attached 10ft cable. That was a lot of cable to get in my pocket every time I got up from my desk. The cable also has more insulation making it much thicker and stiffer than average. The open back design was also a plus for me since I work in a semi-quiet office environment and I could still hold a conversation with someone while listening to music. But I could not hear others quite as well as I could with the HD 599's.

Senhiser HD 599
The interchange-able cables with different lengths worked perfect for home listening as well as on the go. The cable is also thinner and more flexible than the Beyerdynamic cable. The open back design was also a plus for me since I work in a semi-quiet office environment and I could still hold a conversation with someone while listening to music. The only downfall is the issue I had with compatibility between some devices and this pair of headphones where I would hear static or computer noise when driving them with a computer.

Audio Technica ATH M-50x
I really love the long coiled cable that came with these. To me this is the best option since I dont have to lug around a long cable or risk losing extra cables. With that being said, it also came with a ~ 9ft straight cable and 3ft straight cable if the coiled cable is too much for you.

79 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Rich and Jen

What you'd expect from Audio Technica

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024

Verified Purchase

I've owned several products from Audio Technica over the years. I still have two other head phones from them in great working condition. I have a few microphones as well.

First off, I've got a big HEAD, and I don't know what is it, but most headphones the covers for the ears always bother me, or just feels like my ears are getting squeezed. I have gotten the ear pad replacements for each set of head phones I've owned and that usually does the trick for me. I had a pair of Razer headphones some years back I couldn't wear for more then 30 minutes before I had to take them off.

After I swapped the ear covers, things were comfy. I went through a series of games, youtube music videos, and youtube pod casts/etc. The sound was good, although at times felt like I needed more bass here and there.

They can definitely bring the noise when you crank the volume up, I feel like after you hit a certain sweet spot on volume, things start to pop and come out better. I found that listening with them at lower levels I struggled at times hearing voices or certain details. (It could be my 50 year old ears...)

I liked the look and feel of them. You can fold in the ear covers, and stow them without taking up as much space. The head phone was easy to adjust, and get around my huge cranium. It came with several different cables to use to plug into the headset, pc or audio interface. I liked that, and the fact you can unplug the headset and/or change out the cables for more distance or shorter distance.

The older models of headphones I have from Audio Technica, the cable/wire would over time twist a lot, and sometimes became rigid. I had two of them break, and I had to repair them myself. The thing with this one, is you can just swap out the cable, and you're fine.

They feel sturdy, and since I replaced the ear covers already, I'm sure it will last a lot longer. I've noticed with headphones being tight on my head normally I tend to wear or rub over the faux leather padding off the ear phone covers.

All in all, pretty solid, some audiophiles will either love or hate them. I just think at this price point they do the job well, without killing your wallet.

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Tycoon248

The Highest Praise For a Headset Unrivaled in Longevity and Performance

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024

Verified Purchase

Simply Incredible.

There is no other way to describe a headset that has stood up to the use and abuse of BEYOND daily use that I have put it through for the better part of a DECADE. This sound system has been through all of college with me, its been through street fights, a car crash, and tens of THOUSANDS of hours of listening.

It's seen it all, and to this DAY the audio that pours from it's internals is crisp and enchanting and everything I would yearn for in a top of the line headset if I had the audacity to even consider purchasing a new one... but I wouldn't because this headset just keeps on surviving... but "surviving" is the wrong word, because the only dip in quality I have even noticed was when the headphone wire was damaged and that was easily fixed with a delve into the dusty packaging from day one. Replaced the cable and back to the musical bliss that has defined nearly a third of my lifespan.

Truly remarkable. Five stars and beyond!

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Hayden Gibbs

Good quality, bad comfort

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2024

Verified Purchase

Just like the mx40’s I had previously, they have great sound quality. But the ear cups are not very comfortable. This could be more of a personal preference though as I like a softer feel.

One person found this helpful

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Gary

High-quality headphones, but not much bass.

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024

Verified Purchase

I saw these recommended and gave them a try. Super fast shipping and I could tell they were high-quality headphones. I listened to them and they are super clear with plenty of highs and mids. However, they lack the bass that I was looking for. I tried them on a few different audio sources and had the same results...very little, to no bass. However, customer service was amazing in helping me return them!

If you're looking for headphones for spoken audio, classical music, or simply enjoy more highs and mids, these are the headphones for you...and they are very comfortable with nice noise canceling.

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James Beck

Almost Perfect

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024

Verified Purchase

I use these headphones for almost all listening. They have nearly perfect sound quality, a great value for the price. That's not to say that you can't hear the difference between these and the golden-ear price point at $3,500. You can or, at least, I can. Unless that difference is worth an extra $3,350 to you, you likely won't be disappointed with these.

The headphones come with three cords for different purposes. I use all three for different devices. I find that very convenient, but some users may consider it overkill.

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Review Man

Big serious headphones, lots of wires

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024

Verified Purchase

Good tight sound with a lot of bass compared to standard issue headphones and probably a bargain at $150 compared to some of the fancier brands out there. They're not the most comfortable though and have big ear pieces that block most outside noise while making your ears sweat and squeezing your head pretty good, which can get fatiguing after a while. The ear pads could also be thicker and I can feel the hard part of the headphones pressing into the back of my neck. Includes a bag and three wires of different length including a medium one that's coiled. These were recommended as best for electric guitar and they're sensitive enough to use with a small battery-powered headphone amp.

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Sebastian

Amazing headphones, really good for everyday work and doing great so far for my budget studio setup

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024

Verified Purchase

After almost 3 years of use I can finally say:

The sound quality is amazing, really amazing sounds, you can really enjoy listening to music and really good for music production. Obviously there's gonna always be a better one and one that fits for specifics, but in general this get the job done, for me they have a great overall quality and enough for most of the things for studio work.
I love that they come with multiple cable options really my last headphones, really know this can change picking headphones because it's my mainly cause of changing previous headphones, and also they have multiple uses so you don't have too much or too little cable for specific work.

The are rally reliable and multipurpose. Again, sure, there are better options out there but it comes with a price tag and if you need a great quality for a fair price I really think you shouldn't look any further. Even other music producers still recommend this and I understand it.

When I first started looking for good headphones I did my research and spend more than a couple hours looking for what was really what I need, if you are looking for quality and on this price range, I actually agree this is the better option for MOST of you.

Also I guess it depends on how much you take care of them, but for me they still like new after almost daily use for this years, everything working perfectly.

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