Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is a fairly more user-friendly version of the previous headphones that were once designed for only music professionals in the past. Audio Technica Headphones were once only commonly used for professionals in the music industry, but today are getting more popular. Although they’re not on the same level as Bose, they’re making their way up the charts – and for great reason. 

With being so popular in the industry, their price reflects it. So if you’re the common, everyday music listener, you may be wondering if the price tag is worth it. Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to go over in our Audio-Technica ATH-M50X review.

Pros and Cons 

When it comes to doing a complete Audio-Technica ATH-M50X review, we think it’s important to start off with the pros and cons before jumping right into the review.

Pros	Cons
Remarkable Sound Performance	Not as much emphasis on bass
Easily transportable	External noise isolation system is lacking
Elegant design
Comfortable

Review in More Detail 

We tried out the Audio Technica ATH-M50X headphones in different settings and situations to truly test out if it holds up to the headphone test. Here are our findings below…

Sound Quality

When it comes to the sound quality of these Audio Technica ATH-M50X headphones, they’re more neutral in terms of sound so they’re suitable for just about anyone. The bass has been put forward, which is not ideal for us personally but is common in most Audio Technica headsets. So if you’re a fan of any other Audio Technica headphones, you wouldn’t notice any issues. 

We noticed that classical music, in particular, sounded extra good with the high frequencies and also the mids and highs being well represented as well. 

The headphones also offer a punchy sound which allows for great precision and overall good positioning of virtual sources. The distortion isn’t great, but we tested it with a variety of different music genres including hip-hop and more pop-style music, and didn’t notice a considerable defect in terms of sound reproduction.

Noise Cancelling 

These Audio Technica ATH-M50X headphones are not designed with a noise reduction system in them. They do have ample pressure on the ear cups to help you feel a little isolated from everything else going on in the outside world, but they’re not proper noise-canceling headphones. 

With them not being noise canceling, it also means that the people around you may hear your music as well if you’re listening to it rather loud. This is something to be aware of if you’re planning on wearing them in crowded places.

The Build 

We always appreciate the build and style of Audio Technica headphones. The materials used make the headphones pretty sturdy and durable. That being said, we don’t think that this is the most durable headphones Audio Technica has ever built. It’s definitely not a premium headset in our opinion and although it does have padding, it could use a little bit more when it comes to the ear cups. We also found that these pads were a little more firm than we would have preferred as well. 

You will not find any notable material being used like leather or high-quality finishes, but instead sturdy hinges that are practical and well-designed. 

Design

In terms of the design of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones, the design was not meant to be anything flashy, but instead elegant and quite simple. If people are looking for an out of this world, flamboyant headset, this isn’t going to be what you’re searching for. If you’re looking for something fairly simple and neutral (available in colors black or blue), this may be more up your alley. 

Features

The features are some of the most important aspects of our Audio Technica ATH-M50X review as they are what really make or break any headset. Since they are designed for studio use and for professional DJs, there are certain features that are included that you wouldn’t necessarily find for the everyday audio listener. 

There are three cables included with the headphones as well as a ¼ adapter which you just have to screw on to your audio interface or higher-end piece of equipment to attach. The headphones feature a 45mm diameter transducer which allows you to have an efficient output when mixing different tracks and creating music. With its large transducer and neodymium magnets, the headphones can reproduce a wide frequency response of 15HZ to 28 Hz. 

It has a sensitivity of 99dB and practically has everything you need for successful audio recordings in the studio. 

Comfort

As you know, we love when headphones have extra padding and are comfortable for hours on end. Especially if you’re working in the studio and wanting to listen to different tracks, comfort is key and there’s nothing worse than a lot of pressure on your ears or the top of your head. So that’s why we were very disappointed when it came to the padding and the overall level of comfort with these Audio Technica headphones. 

They’re not that ventilated which may have you overheat when wearing for long periods of time as well. If you’re looking for shorter periods such as a quick commute or watching a Netflix show or two, you won’t notice any discomfort, but if you’re wearing them for hours upon hours on end, they may start to create some discomfort for your head and body. 

Comparing to Similar Headphones 

It’s not always easy to find an exact match for headphones to compare a model too. When it comes to Audio-Technica ATH-M50X review, we thought that the Beyerdynamic DT 990 was a close match and something that would be useful to compare it to. 

When starting off comparing the two headphones in terms of sound quality, the Audio Technica ATH-M50X has excellent quality with a bass that’s a little bit high. The mids are neutral and the highs are a little raised. The sound quality is good, don’t get us wrong, but we think that the Beyerdynamic sound quality is just a little bit more clearer and precise than the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X sound. 

In terms of design, headphones are made from high-quality matte plastic. It features strong hinges and ear cups that rotate. The Beyerdynamic headphones feature more metal that reinforces the headset a little bit more and in that department, we think takes the lead as well. 

In terms of privacy or noise-canceling headphones, neither one is noise canceling, but the Audio-Technica headphones do offer you a little more privacy with the fact that the others around you won’t necessarily hear what you’re listening to unless you’re blasting music. With the Beyerdynamic headphones, it’s kinda hard to hide what you’re listening to with the open plan style of the headphones. So if you’re looking for a little more isolation or privacy, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones would be more your style. 

Overall Thoughts

If you’re looking for professional, studio-worthy headphones Audio-Technica ATH-M50X may be something that you’re interested in getting for yourself. We hope that our Audio Technica review gave you more insight into the quality, design, sound quality, and the pros and cons when it comes to these headphones by Audio Technica. 

As mentioned comparing it to the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro headphones, the Beyerdynamic headphones out preformed the Audio Technica headphones in various categories except for a couple. Both are great headphones, but if you’re looking for something in the studio and don’t mind the open plan style, the Beyerdynamic headphones may be more your style. 

We invite you to read our full Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro Review here. 

Overall though, this headphone isn’t a bad option and in our opinion, you can’t really go too wrong with a pair of Audio Technica headphones. 

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