Audio Technica is a prestigious name in the audio industry. Many of their audio gears are loved and acclaimed by general listeners, Audiophiles, Audio engineers, and musicians.
ATH-M50 was the masterpiece which is one of the most popular headphones of Audio Technica. M-50 got a lot of respect and love from people so the makers of M-50 decided to deliver better than the best and they introduced Audio Technica ATH-M50 X.
Audio Technica ATH-M50x vs M50
M50 had excellent sound quality, sturdy build, awesome look but they weren't portable which made the M50 a little bit difficult to carry. Audio Technica did a slight but significant change in design. They made M50X portable with foldable design.
The M50's cable wasn't detachable but in M50X cable is detachable. M50X also comes with the travel bag which wasn't included with the M50. So overall we can say that successor is one step ahead of the predecessor. without adding more words let's review Audio Technica ATH-M50x in detail.
What is meant by studio monitor headphones?
Before talking about the design of M50X let me tell you that ATH-M50X aren't regular headphones. They are Studio Monitor Headphones. There is a significant difference between regular Headphones and studio monitoring headphones.
Studio headphones are those that catch the errors or impurities in the audio. They don't give you the enjoyable or your desired kind of music but they show you the true quality of the audio without altering the audio. As a general listener if someone wants boosted bass or too bright treble then studio monitor headphones may disappoint him because they are made for different purposes. They are made for making the audio better and free from impurities.
Pros:
Cons:
Sound
Build
Comfort
Value
Bottom Line:
Before trying ATH-M50X I tried many headphones like Beats Studio3, Logitech, Bose, etc. Then why I liked the M50X most? All the headphones that I mentioned were good but they were not great in all areas. If one is good in the sound they were not that much comfortable.
One is extremely comfortable and also sounds good but they were lacking natural sound. They were emphasizing some frequency range like too bright treble or boosted sound. But in the case of M50X, everything is near about perfect. I can't say they are perfect because it also has a weak area like treble. but overall it's great.
I would love to tell you the reasons I liked them very much. First of all, they have sturdy build quality with high-quality plastic. ATH-M50X is comfortable. It has smooth and soft earcups that can swivel up to 90 degrees. As I said the main reason for the up-gradation of M50 was the lack of portable design.
They were wired headphones and you couldn't detach the wire that was not so convenient for traveling. With the M50X you get the portable design and you can also detach the cable. Now the most important question. Does the ATH-M50X worth the price? I say it's definitely worth it. Great Build, Portable design, perfect mids, and deep lows. In my opinion, it's one of the best headphones under $200.
Audio Technica ATH-M50X
How is the Design and Build Quality of ATH-M50X?
Let's start with the build. ATH-M50X comes with the 45mm large Aperture Neodymium Drivers. After unboxing, I got 3m long 3.5mm to 2.5mm detachable cable, 1m long another 3.5 to 2.5mm audio cable, and a coiled cable. The package also includes a carrying case that looks and feels good. Did I forget to tell you that it also includes a gold plated adapter that allows you to use an AV receiver with ATH-M50X?
Headphones are made up of high-quality plastic that also looks premium. I loved the ring kind of design on both the earcups. in that ring, the Audio technica logo looks great. I really liked the look of ATH-M50X. They look pretty stylish. Earcups can swivel up to 90 degrees.
ATH-M50X weighs almost 285g. Earpads are comfortable and soft. I didn't feel any discomfort even after many hours of use. First few days I felt excess clamping force but after a week of use, I feel they are very comfortable. The headband also has good padding but they avoid excess thick padding on the headband. Overall Build quality is good and they are comfortable too. Earcups are designed such that it gives perfect sealing against noise.
If you have seen the M50 you will easily catch the difference between M50 and ATH-M50X. M50 didn't have a detachable cable but with M50X you get the 3.5mm audio jack at the left earcup at which you can connect the cables that are included in accessories.
But here comes a minor issue. It has a twist and lock mechanism for the cable so you can't attach any other cable. You have to use only Audio Technica's Proprietary Cable. But I like that twist and lock system.
Another significant difference between M50 and M50X is that ATH-M50X is a lot more portable than M50 with its foldable design. They have also included the carrying case that makes your travelling easy. Overall I would rate them 9 out of 10. Great job Audio Technica!
How is the Sound Performance of ATH-M50X?
Audio Technica ATH-M50X has a rich sound, Deep lows and Balanced Mids. ATH-M50X has excellent imaging. It has an impressive soundstage that you can feel around you. The only downside is a little bit inconsistent and uneven highs.
Some people experienced listening fatigue due to uneven highs. Overall I think they need to improve in lows and highs but the area where ATH-M50X got the full marks is its perfectly neutral Mids.
This is the area where Audiophiles acclaimed the M50X most. As a general listener, you might be expecting boosted bass and treble but let me remind you again that it's a studio Monitor headphones and they are specially made for monitoring. That means ATH-M50X gives you a clear picture of the audio quality you want to test.
Overall ATH-M50X sounds great and I enjoyed it a lot. My overall rating for the audio performance is 8.5 out of 10.
Carrying Case of ATH-M50X
Whatβs in the box?
- ATH-M50X Headphones
- 3m long detachable cable
- 1m long detachable cable
- Coiled cable
- gold plated adapter
- Carrying case
Accessories of audio-technica ath-m50x
Who should get ATH-M50X?
- Best for Audio editors
- Youtubers will surely love this
- If you travel often this is one of the best headphones due to its foldable design and carrying case