[Review] Audio Technica ATH-M50 X

[MrTomnus]

I have never really been into audio very much, but I've always appreciated good and accurate sound reproduction. I decided I needed a new pair of headphones, as the current set I had just weren't doing justice to the new rig I built. In my opinion, the audio is just as important as the visual, either when playing games or watching videos. Before using these headphones, my daily drivers were a pair of Apple Earpods (Apple's newest headphones) that were bundled with my old iPhone 5. While they weren't terrible (they were certainly leagues better than the awful earphones Apple used to supply with their products), they just weren't doing it for me. Being in my ear all the time, I found they made my ears sore after long periods of use. So I thought an over the ear solution would be a better choice for me.

 

My old Earpods and Apple in ear headphones. I'll only be using these when I'm going somewhere that would be dangerous for the ATH-M50Xs!

 

So, after looking around, I'd heard the Audio Technica ATH-M50s were a great choice for anybody interested in great sounding audio at a great price:performance ratio. But since looking at it, I had received an Amazon gift card, and noticed the M50Xs were now on sale. I decided it would be better to go with the newer verison and I bought them!

 

CONTENTS OF BOX

 

The package arrived the next day and I opened them up. The packaging is very professional looking, which is fitting of the 'phones' use - a tool for audio enthusiasts to hear their music exactly how they want it to be heard. I was quite impressed. On opening the box, the headphones are immediately visible. I had to say I was, again, impressed when I saw them. The box contains only the earcups attached to the headphones, so no felt ones in the box. Three wires are included, a long (3m) 3.5mm jack cable, a shorter 3.5mm jack cable and a long 1/4 inch jack cable. In the box, a carrying pouch for the headphones is also included.

 

DESIGN

 

The ATH M50Xs are one of the most beautiful monitors I have seen. They have a plastic and aluminium construction, making them very subtle looking, sophisticated and also making them light. The plastic is very solid and has a nice smooth texture, which will be able to pick up grease easily, but it is nothing a little bit of cleaning won't fix. The pleather earcups are of a very nice quality and the foam inside is a nice compromise between being squishy and firm. The headband is made of the same material. The earcups are capable of rotating, when worn on the head, 90 degrees clockwise and anticlockwise, and about 90 degrees upwards, which is handy for travelling with them. The drivers themselves can also swivel 180 degrees backwards, vertically. The audio cable is detachable and locks inside with a twist, which ensures it won't get yanked out should you trip on one of the included cords, which is around 3 metres in length. The cable itself is shrouded in a thick, smooth rubber material which won't get caught on anything, and is more flexible than it seems at first sight. It does not add significant weight to the left earcup, where it is inserted. The headband is capable of being extended on either side by about 3.5cm, so it should fit a variety of head sizes. the headband has a satisfying flex and does not feel like it will snap.

 

Seriously, these things are gorgeous.

 

FIT

 

Speaking of the fit of the headphones - I have a pretty average sized head. They are quite comfy, actually! These are the first over the ear headphones I have owned, and grip the side of my head snugly, without feeling like they are clamping to me. My only criticism is that the foam is a little thin on the top - I have felt it digging into my head once or twice. Shuffling them upwards a bit fixed this problem. Sound isolation is pretty much perfect - when no music is playing, it is easy to hear somebody having a conversation. At low volumes, with your attention on the person talking to you, it is still not difficult to hear them. But if you feel like trying to escape everything going on around you, cranking up the volume just over halfway drowns everything out. I can only hear my voice due to the reverberations in my skull (my friend complained at me on a Skype call because I was talking too loudly), and I can only just hear the sound of my Cherry MX blue keyboard over my music as I type this!

 

 

AUDIO QUALITY

 

Now, onto the main event - audio quality. I will preface this by saying that I do not use any fancy audio hardware such as a sound card, DAC or amp. I have never listened to a system with these extra "aftermarket" components before. This opinion is coming from a person who has used many a mainstream consumer headphone. I also listen to iTunes bought audio files - so that's 256kbps AAC. I don't use an equaliser.

 

I guess I'll start with the good - I certainly prefer the audio quality over my Earpods!

 

The sound feels a lot more like it's around me, rather than like it's playing inside my head. I can't quite tell yet if that's something I prefer or not, but there is a difference there. Directionality is certainly affected. I am able to tell where instruments are separated in terms of pan in the track a lot better than my previous in-ears, and vocals feel a lot "closer" to the centre. This becomes an advantage in games when you need to know where somebody is, but I still feel like positional audio is broken in games. Sounds still get too quiet when I turn my back - but this isn't the fault of the M50Xs. Watching television with these is a satisfying experience. Sound is centralised, and it is easy to hear actors over any backing audio.

 

Now, onto the frequency response. I like to listen to a lot of R&B - so artists like Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Kelly Rowland and Gwen Stefani are the kind of thing I listen to the most. I also like to listen to Kings of Leon, Nirvana, Coldplay, Muse and the Killers sometimes, and occasionally I like listening to older music from people like Michael Jackson. For the sake of audio testing purposes, I also listened to some classical music, and some metal from people like Meshuggah (which I didn't enjoy so much, but I felt like I needed to give a review that would benefit the majority of people on this forum, and I know this forum is into their metal! )

 

I have to say, I feel like I am rediscovering my music all over again. The premium Apple phones I bought (pictured in the case above) did this for me with their dual drivers, but the M50Xs are something else. Sound is warmer, bass is just as controlled yet I am able to feel it more (which was a problem with the Earpods - bass was only audible, not felt). Highs are bright in songs that want it and can be more subdued in those that require it too. The R&B tracks I listen to are very enjoyable and the harder beat they typically contain is child's play for the M50Xs, as with a lot going on, the sound isn't "woolly".

 

And man am I enjoying my Beyoncé collection again! The female frequency range is incredible. Her voice simply rises above the rest of the track and is such an awe to listen to, but not so much to make it focus solely on the vocals. Songs like "Speechless", "Listen", "If I Were A Boy" and "Love On Top" were the most impressive. Listening to Justin Timberlake was also pleasant - all frequencies are impressive. Going into the alternative genre, vocals are very clear, and guitars pop out and are very "natural" sounding, despite being electric. Drums are sharp, but are slightly lacking in kick. 

 

Moving onto Michael Jackson's collection, which has tracks containing strong highs, I was pleased they were very crisp and clear, but didn't hurt to listen to. And as for metal, the sound is very unified, vocals are slightly subdued and drums are easily distinguishable from other instruments, while the guitar has more of a back seat. Whether that is just a characteristic of the artist I listened to, I don't know, but that was the only genre that these headphones didn't impress me with. And I say that with no bias

 

CONCLUSION

 

So overall, I am really pleased with this purchase. The only criticism I have with them is that they don't get very loud (forgot to change iTunes volume, this is why I said that. Tried again and they go to a decent volume), but I understand an amp can solve that problem. However, they are definitely worth the £125 on Amazon and I would certainly consider buying an Audio Technica product in the future.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading my review.

[Andrew0472]

Good to hear a review from just a general user of a product I enjoyed reading it!

[MrTomnus]

Good to hear a review from just a general user of a product I enjoyed reading it!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[Valhallatier]

not loud enough?
what are you plugging this into? my M50 get loud enough, i could even hear it outside my room (doors shut)

[MrTomnus]

not loud enough?

what are you plugging this into? my M50 get loud enough, i could even hear it outside my room (doors shut)

When I was listening to the music I had turned the system sound all the way up but not the volume in iTunes... So that was why it wasn't loud. On trying again they went to a very loud volume. Either way I'm using the front panel on my PC with them.