Well yes they are worth it because unlike phones, headphones don't get outdated with time since the ability to tune headphones are very similar to 10 years ago
Yep! My last pair of studio headphones (Sennheiser) lasted me 14 years before I blew one of the drivers. I've taken the opportunity to order a pair of M50x's as a change of pace.
I think I sold my old pair to get drug money back when I was an addict. They were the white ones tho so I’m lowkey happy because now I can get a better color
One of my classmates in audio school told me about these 6 years ago and I thank him ever since! Very comfortable and durable. The multiple cables you get and locking feature is really cool. Unfortunately mine took some water damage but i dont mind investing in another one! Thanks again for video.
Comfortable? You kidding? They're known for being hells spawn, most uncomfortable headphone ever. Want to listen to music for a few minutes or hour? Enjoy the pain
I've had a pair for the past 4 to 5 years now. Long story short, these are one of the best purchases I've made. My one gripe though is the padding. It is comfortable, don't get me wrong, but I have gone through 3 sets of ear pads now. That said, I'd definitely reccomend these to anybody that wants to get their hands on quality audio for a price that doesn't break the bank.
I love my M50x headphones, but I actually found that the M40x has a somewhat more accurate representation. The M50's add an ever-so-slight bump in the lower frequency range, which is why I tend to use my them more for music and media consumption and for podcast monitoring (thanks to its excellent isolation), while I switch to a pair of RØDE NTH-100's for editing, thanks to its even flatter frequency response. I did swap out the earpads on my M50's for the Brainwavz sheepskin angled pads, so that could have an effect on the frequency coloration.
I have a pair of these and absolutely love them. I preach the gospel to any of my friends in the market to step up their audio game. They sound amazing for casual listening as well as when I'm working on music production, mixing and mastering. I can hear way more detail in these headphones than my Yamaha HS8 studio monitors as a matter of fact, headphones just let you get right up on the detail without any impacts from the room and the bass is way tighter and clearer instead of dealing with room nodes that make the bass from speakers boomy in some places and silent in others
wow really neutral headphone for metal?is it really good? i never buy a neutral headphone, so i am kinda afraid to buy them that i wouldnt enjoy the bass in those with rock music
@@MostlyLost they also have the cable. Theres no reason not to upgrade from my research except that the cable may not stay in as well, not sure yet. My pair broke last night after seven years and wants to upgrade but stay the same
@@MostlyLost So if you use the BT version with the cable, would it have the same sound quality as the ATH-M50x? I'm trying to figure out which version I want. The option for wireless BT would be nice, but I don't want to compromise on the sound for music production
As for durability, I had them for the past 6 years as well. Went through 3 phones, mil trainings, gym session at time, many travels, they've been dropped on the floor a couple of time and they never let me down (even the original cables are top notch). The faux leather cushion need to be replaced after about 2 years, but at a price of 10$. As far as durability goes, it is incredible!
Personally I like the MDR-7506 headphones, but have used both. The Sony pair are lighter and have a flatter, accurate response at least for bass. I understand wanting a swivel (partly why I bought the M50x pair too) but the light weight (like, wear them for 12 hours of production where studio monitors aren't an option) and accurate bass to judge levels were excellent with the Sony for days of 12 hours live. So excellent that the key members of the crew each had independently bought the 7606s over the M50x pair without employer mandate, they were just audio oriented guys who brought them to work. However, MD5xs definitely get the edge for isolation.
Great video. I have nothing to add: I have 3 pairs, first pair bought in 2014. These headphones are absolutely unbeatable at the price point. I don't think you'll get a flatter (which means more real) sound below 250. And they are now on sale for 120.
The bass is actually overemphasized, and the highs are a bit uneven. You'll probably find better sounding and flatter cans under 250, and this is coming from someone who owns them. They are a bit tuned to please the friendly consumer, hense their popularity and why they made a Bluetooth version of it.
@@greennin Its not, feel free to search up the actual charts and reviews from audiophiles like metal57, Z reviews and DNS. Many flatter headphones exist under 250, and the m50xbt isnt flat, and thats a fact.
@@Xavi997 Dude, it's a joke....watch the movie The Big Lebowski. I'm fine with what you said. Maybe I reached a bit high with 250, but for 120/140 they are an incredible deal. And I do disagree that they are for the casual user. Just because all the non-professionals started buying them now doesn't make them suddenly bad. And there is some level of subjectivity in which headphones we like. I don't care too much about reviews from self-proclaimed audiophiles, I'm a musicphile, lol, I've made, played and listened to music my entire life. I'm not stuck up about these things. I know what I like and what I don't, it's all good.
@@greennin Fair enough man, all good. I still enjoy them for EDM and Hip/Hop. Just wish the original pads were comfier, i had to buy 3rd party pads from amazon which basically solved the discomfort problem.
On point review. Still have my pair I bought in 2019. Of course you eventually have to change the ear covers and get a band to put around the top arch, but quality representation, none the less. Every time I didn't trust these headphones when mixing a track right after I bought 'em, that mix came out bad in the car.
I actually use these to reference a lot of IEMs... Sometimes i get lost in all the sound signatures. Super accurate and represents highs mids and lows very well. Tight but hefty responses throughout the frequency range. Have owned them for over 6 years. Always recommended.
They're still among the best headphones ever made..... period. I run mine along with the likes of the 6xx (which some consider the best headphone under name the price) and....I can hear differences with songs I've heard a million times if I'm paying attention. But nobody else I ask to compare them blind can. The fact a closed back like this can be had full retail for under $200, on sale for $100 and used for $50 is insane and a testament to how amazing they are. They're in so many studios for a reason and if I was forced to have only one thing to listen to music to for all types of music, all types of devices, amped, unamped, all environments....it's the M50 and it's not really close. I'd probably flirt with picking my UE 900s just because of portability and cool factor....but end of the day I'd pick the M50
Broooo even with video games. I just now decided to start using headphones for gaming. I already had a pair of the m50x's to mix my music, & I tried them on my Xbox & these things are amazing. I did want to compare them to gaming headphones. I already tried them against the hyperx cloud & there was no comparison. I have a pair of wireless razer headphones coming tomorrow & I'm already expecting them to not hold a candle to the m50x's after today. If not I'm sending both back & buying a boom mic for the m50x's & use em as gaming headphones
I got some after my d770 pro 80s crapped out. Listened to them a few times and shipped them back within 24 hours. No soundstage, highs too bright, muddy. Opted for the HD 58X, day and night difference. If you're cool with open back, the 58x, and 560S will destroy these. So much detail and soundstage compared to M50.
I bought one of these a few months ago, and they are great. Fantastic sound, comfortable, cables are well made, the design I like, replacement cushions are easy to get if need be, quality construction... did I mention the sound... yes they are great. Oh yes the noise isolation is very good too, not as good as quality ANC of course.
AKG K92 here, 1/5 the price and hoping someday to get this ATH M50x as an upgrade... They sound bad out of the box, turning the SmartEQ (sound-card) solve all issues and they sound amazing for the price, superior to my Logitech G231 version by far.
I've been using my M50x for the last 6 years as well, I even replaced the ear cups once to make sure they last as long as possible. Recently my headband broke, so I've decided I was going to try something new and updated. I ordered Beyerdynamics DT 700 pro as a replacement, altough I didn't test them yet, I can confirm ATH-M50x is still a very good option for that low of a price.
@@ddmareo been using them for the last week, more refined sound, wayyyyy more comfortable on longer sessions and most of all they're much more "closed" than the m50x... you can't hear a thing with these on your ears I should also mention the build quality is better on the DT700. Overall no regrets upgrading to the Beyerdynamics 😎
@@itsmurfyyy ive seen the price, way out of my budget. I want to switch from IEM to headphone, and I want to buy ATH M50X as my first. Is m50x good in terms of sound?
I absolutely love mine…I used a pair of white 50s for the last 5 years and they still maintained that quality sound…the cosmetic wear is the only thing moving me to purchase an identical pair
I just want to say that I really appreciate the short answer. I still watched the rest of the video, but it was really nice to see that you don't care too much about watch time. New subscriber :)
I got the iron man color schemed m50x's and I really liked using them but something was lacking for me so I upgraded to the akg k7xx and have been using those ever since. soundstage is super important for me, and I like feeling immersed in the music and games I play and open back headphones I found just help all that feel more natural. Now I've upgraded to the HD800s... which is super expensive, but totally amazing. Def recommend using headphones w/ an Amp/Dac rather than just plugging it into your computer. The soundcard on most mobos are pretty mediocre or average at best and a separate amp/dac really helps give life to your sound.
ive had mine since movenber 2014, been hit by a car whjlie wearing em, ate shit on dirtjumps many times and having them fly a couple of feet away. barely have a scratch on them and there really comfortable and dont need an amp on almost all things unless that audio source is very low power. the cups while shed the fake leather but its honestly makes them more comfortable, but the cups become really shallow and wont be too good for 4+ hour use anymore. dont regret getting these for a second, sound quality is best described as clear and true to life. just a perfect balance of clarity and ''fun'' base.
Bought mine just over a year ago for my little home studio set-up but I find them so good that I use them all the time as my go-to headphones - whether listening to podcasts or music in general. Your favourite albums come to life with subtle nuances and things appearing in the soundscapes you never knew existed! they may not be the best in the world but for the price, they're the best you can buy for ANY purpose IMO. Unless you crave brain- numbing bass. In which case buy some of those rapper ones...
I gifted my battered HD 280 PROs to my dad and grabbed some of these a couple of years ago. They are solid headphones. I use them for everything. DJ/Live. Production. They are my go to and go anywhere headphones. This winter I'll probably get a pair of "never leaves the studio" HD 600s as a compromise between monitors and headphones when I'm mixing.
Outstanding review my friend! Appreciate the work you put into it. I think you just helped me determine my next pair of video editing/gaming headphones
Ive been using the ATH-M50s for a long long time. I had the M50s before the M50X, then had to get a new pair after loosing my original ones. Solid headphones! I have never owned any other studio grade headphones before, but im heavily considering buying a pair of open back headphones for mixing and using the M50X for tracking.
@@ImIvanCalderon do you like the DT 990 Pro? Ive been looking at a couple different open back headphones and torn between the Shure SRH1840, AKG K712, and the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro. I know it's quite a price jump from those to the DT 990, but just curious on what ur opinion is on them?
I love my 990s. If you do go with them just watch out for which version you get though. There is an 80 ohm and a 250 ohm version and if you go for the 250 ohm you will need a headphone amp.
@@Lokkodog I wouldn't say the bass is "loud", but solid and present. I consider it a safe choice for those looking for quality sound with good bass reserve when you need it. I don't know the 40s, though.
My M50X's headband and earpads have virtually disintegrated. I just ordered a pair of replacement earpads and a headband cover to hopefully revive these great headphones.
I actually just bought these. I bought these for live monitoring while filming. I’ll use them while gaming and editing too. So far I’m liking it and was just checking reviews to see if I made a mistake or if it was still a good buy today. They’re cheaper than alternatives. I wish money grew on trees. 😅
I bought a pair of original M50s 14 or 15 years ago and I just broke them. So I swiped my kids M50Xs for today. They do sound a bit different. The soundstage is completely different, definitely feels much more enclosed. The high mids might be slightly cut and there's less low treble but there's a noticeable boost in audible high treble and mid to high bass. They also fit differently with different ear pads which likely is responsible for the differences. I honestly do not think I like them as much.
Yes, they are 100% worth it because every professional music studio in the world uses them. They're the gold standard for recording, mixing and mastering music.
they just announced ath-m50x2 second generation with longer batery freaking 50h...., new codecs, improved mic, multi device connection and much more, cant wait
They are great. No fatique either. Only thing I would improve is the soundstage. Its pretty narrow compared to say the Senns offerings. I know techno guys who make their tracks solely with these and get EP releases. nice vid.
My friend decided to gift me a pair because ive had only 10 dollar headphones over the past years, i wanted to ask if they’re good for daily use and just listening to music in general. Im nervous cause ive never had a pair more than 10 dollars but im excited as well. This video was very helpful thank you!
Im still using my M50 (non X version) but ive changed the ear cups to some that are more comfortable for longer use without changing the original sound.
I haven't had that great of experience with the ATH-M50x I actually just got some new ones couldn't stand the leather ear stuff just not good quality. Got my brand new Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro! Love these things they are way better and sooo much comfier!!
I had always despised the ultra-bassy listening experience most consumer headphones offered and had all but given up on headphones for music editing and general listening, reverting to a set of $15 KZ-ATE HiFi's from 2015 (still great if you can find them LOl) but those were a bit lackluster at both ends of the sound spectrum.... Something I didn't even realize until I got the M50x's.
Hello, is there a difference between ATH-M50x & the BT version in terms of the sound quality? My primary use is for mixing and mastering but would also like to use it for listening to casual music on the phone and ipad.
From my experience wired quality has always been better than bluetooth. The cool thing about the BT versions is that they also come with a cable so you’d have the best of both worlds.
@@ImIvanCalderon Hi Ivan, so if you use the BT version with the cable would it have the same sound quality as the ATH-M50x? I'm trying to figure out which version I want. I'd like the option for wireless BT, but I don't want to compromise on the sound for music production
@@John-ye2pm No, they don't sound the same over the cable, not even close if you want cans for mixing. I guess because they put electronics inside the volume available for the drivers is smaller. Possible also that they use different drivers with higher efficiency to keep battery life long. So no, the frequency response in wired mode is not the same as M50X.
I love mine too! I have them since 2017. I replaced the faux leather ear pads with velvet ones. The faux leather were comfy but they made me sweat so much 😅.
I've bought a pair of these recently... What can I say... At first it was a question of colour... Yeah, you've heard me... It seems that 2021 limited edition comes in a sort of orange - which they call "lantern glow" and this is a customers' choice! Don't get me wrong: I love metalic orange but still..., I had mixed feelings and I've finally picked the classic black... Yeah, I know... tough choice! I'm kidding! It seems you pay more just for the custom colour and nothing else, so... Black is black and I adore their stylish 'dark side'! Apart from this issue, the moment of truth - THE SOUND! I got used to the Creative soundstage - bass rich and exquisite surround - the sxfi style. I am a Sony tech fan as well and I've been listening to Sony speakers all of my life! But I've come across some Audio Technica microphones and in order to test them, I was searching for a monitoring headset - and these ATH-M50X came naturally to my mind... I've watched your review and lots of others, but after your review I've made up my mind, went out there and bought myself a pair of these.... and hey - it turned to be a win-win choice! I know these were kind of ancient - but I am beginning to get the point here... once you test them - you want more - more and more listening - and you just can't get enough of it! They turned out to be my favourite over some BOSE Quiet Comfort 35 II - which it was dramatically unexpected! Interesting fact: it appears you don't need "noise cancelling" with these... they own a particular sealing from the environment... In a wireless era - I found cables still rule! But they definitely made me curious - and I strongly intend to buy the Audio Technica ATH -M50XBT2 version - just for the fun of it! maybe I'll pick up the "latern glow" this time! Remember - they are magically good! I use them for monitoring, mixing and voice over processing but they keep up just fine with listening...
Some people absolutely hate these headphones because of the sound stage for music. Can you recommend them for anything other than monitors for doing video editing or music production?
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x - 38 Ohms or Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO - 32 Ohms ? For listening to music on a smartphone, which ones do you think are better and which ones are more resistant to breakage in the long term? Will 38 Ohms for a smartphone sound better or worse than 32 Ohms in general?
My only complaint is the earcups and the top band crap out easily Maybe it was my batch, but the fake leather immediately cracked and disintegrate within 1 year of use The headphones themselves, no complaints They are the best in their price point
If only the OEM ear pads were normally available in stock at AT store, not that you have to hunt for them. And yeah aftermarket pads suck sound wise. My default cans are moded 58X and stock 6XX with newer pads (2021). Also have set of Beyer DT-880-600 - bright like a..., good for checking if mixes are clean.
I have a 50x pair coming in the mail. I bought them because on Amazon in the comparison chart they mention the lower cost headphones in the Audio Technica line, like 30x, are studio only, but starting with the 50x and up they also list them for personal listening. Did I make a mistake, because you mention they have a very flat frequency response. So does that mean commercial music will sound flat, have no dynamic range etc? Audio Technica doesn't mention that in the Amazon description. Did I make a big mistake buying these? Is there a small device that would correct the flatness, or would that sound fake? I plan to use them for leisure, listen on my old Sony Walkman, also various songwriting drafts on my little Tascam hand-held digital recorder, and on my old desktop that doesn't have Blue Tooth. Will those applications work? I read in consumer comments they will, but wonder about accuracy of general public user comments. Thanks for a great video!
I understand the confusion, basically the idea is that different pairs of headphones/earbuds/speakers tend to embellish their sound by adding more lows to give very boomy bass or adding more highs to make it sound more crisp. A flatter frequency response in headphones does minimal embellishing so what you hear is more close to how the producer of any given song intended it to sound like. It will have the amount of dynamic range the song was intended to have when it was made in the studio. It will not sound squashed or bad
yep same for me.. ath m50x accompany me for 6 straight years .. the only issue i had was the head cable jack got rusty and the leather worn out overtime..
Yes I have a pair of m50x’s and I recently bought a pair of the Sennheiser 599 headphones 🎧 and I thought they would be better because of the open back and things I like better about the 599’s is they are lightweight and comfortable and I like how the music sounds like you are listening to music in the room with you and not forced into your head but I don’t get enough of the highs and mids so that makes me have trust issues with them when the mix has to be right so until I come across something better the M50x’s are still my go to’s for critical listening and it’s strange that I came across this video because I just did a shoot out between the headphones 🎧 last night and I hoped the 599’s would be an upgrade but you can never have too many headphones right?
My favorite open back are Sennheiser HD 650, NOTHING I know beats that amazing sound. Second best one, and very impressive, are my closed back AKG K371, which I use more. M50X are still nice and powerful, but can't hold a candle too the AKG k371. These just sound so natural in every way, open, clear, and satisfying
How do you charge your M50xBT? It said in intruction manual that we should use device not more than 5 volts.. in my case I have the old iPhone charging adapter which is cube in shape and have only 5 volts while the iPad adapter is 5.1 volts and the 12 watts version has 5.2 volts.. I just wondering if those little 0.2 more difference can damage the device as it state in the manual?
It shouldn't damage them. They likely have an in-built regulating chip that limits the power intake as well as overcharge protection. I'm not certain of this, but I would expect it from something in this price range
Got a blue and copper ATH M50X limited edition 6 yrs ago... never looked back.... I've tried many headphones since then but seriously I keep going back to my old m50x pair.. did change the earpads thrice...... changing those were tricky since a bad earpad changed the colour of the sound >....Thnaks for the vid..
Hi Ivan, currently i have the ATHM40X and I want to give a gift to myself ....and I am thinking about the ATHM50 x would be a good try, I test it in a Guitar Center store in Houston and they sound with more BASS than the ATHM40X but still sound like flat , I like the flat concept because you can hear the music as it was recorded. but at the same time i would like try other brand but when i have done a ATHM40X vs other brand mines still are rated better than others even though others are more expensive so at the end i do not want to buy something that are not better from my actual headphone. so with the ATHM50X would be sure i will upgrade for a beter headphone mu biudget is around 100-$150 Dlls, Thanks
I've had an issue with the with stopper that goes into the grove that stops the headphones from swiveling too far out they just straight broke on me, had to grab a new headband off ebay and do some soldering
Great video as always! They have great design, all the info needed and also I love how you care about every detail! I use the SHP-5000H from Stagg, they are great for me as I live in Guatemala and the gear here is so expensive, so you need to buy what's best and is not that expensive. I love the review and I'm thinking of buying a pair as your review has been helpful. :) Thanks again!
I am just looking for better headphones to listen to music. I currently have sony dynamic stereo headphones mdr-v6 for digital. Someone recently suggested these