“Audio-Technica’s ATH-M50, and the updated ATH-M50x, have received rave reviews from tech sites, bloggers and YouTubers alike. The love that these headphones receive on a regular basis convinced me that the next pair of headphones that I tried needed to be these,” Jeff Benjamin writes for 9to5Mac. “Do they live up to the hype?”
“Of course, no description can replace hearing how the ATH-M50x sounds for yourself, so you’ll have to take my word for it if you haven’t heard them before,” Benjamin writes. “All of the ranges — lows, mids and highs — sound crisp and clear. Lows are somewhat punchy, but not so much so that it becomes a distraction or is detrimental to the overall sound quality.”
ATH-M50xAt less than $125 on Amazon, “the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is well within reason for budget-conscious buyers who don’t wish to settle for less. These headphones have proved to be something of an “anti-Beats”, in that they provide noticeably better sound quality in all dynamic ranges for a modest asking price,” Benjamin writes. “Are there better sounding cans out there? Certainly. But for the price, I’m happy to say that the ATH-M50x lives up to the hype.”
Read more in the full review here.
MacDailyNews Take: We concur. Audio-Technica’s ATH-M50x headphones offer excellent sound for the price. $125 is sort of a ridiculously low price for headphones that offer this sort of sound quality. And, for slightly more (prices vary), those who’d like to Think Different can get the ATH-M50x in a variety of Limited Edition colors.
Again, I wonder if this is news or a paid product placement? These days, you often can’t tell the difference.
True, but it is informative, and it’s the kind of information I would normally seek out, and its not asking me to use my location over and over and over and over and over…
Who cares? Anything that is dubbed “anti-Beats” is worthy. (Sorry, Apple, but you blew it on that one.)
I have a buddy who bought into the Beats hype for years. I convinced him to try a less expensive, but quality set of cans from a true audio company – pick one: AT, Sennheiser, etc. – and he would love it. Once he did, he was amazed at what he got for about $80.
I never thought that the Beats acquisition was about the headphones. It was about Apple Music and expansion into streaming.
I’ve had my pair of ATH-M50x for six months and can vouch for the sound quality.
I have a pair as well. I really like them. Great value.
I compared them in my home with to Beats Solo 2 and they’re certainly better than the Beats Solo 2. Beats Solo 2 headphones are actually pretty good though. I’d say 75% as good as the Audio Technica ATH-M50’s. The ATH-M50’s are way more durable though. Beats Solo headphones are garbage.
There a 1000’s of positive reviews for ATH-M50X headphones. They are arguably the best <$200 headphones on the market.
I’ve had my ATH-M50 headphones for a few years now, and they’re very smooth sounding. They have excellent detail and clarity without being fatiguing. Their bass response is excellent without being overpowering. When I first received them I was tempted to return them because they didn’t sound very good. But I gave them some listening time and they smoothed out nicely. I listen mostly to rock, some pop, jazz and classical music through my Audioengine D1 headphone amp.
I also have a pair of Sony MDR-V6 headphones that sound pretty good too, but I find them a bit shrill at times in upper vocals.
Since I didn’t want to pay even $125+ for headphones, I purchased Audio Technica ATH-m40x, one step down… The balance is flat, you get to hear what was intended to play. The balance on the ATH-m50x is high at the ends to give you a richer experience, but not technically identical to the producers product.
I recently purchased velour ear pads, for mind numbing comfort.
Also, the Sony MDR-V55BR are also very nice of for the money. A real Beats contender, but are EOL…. You can still get them NIB for around $50, but I went used for $27… Replaced the pads on these, and are good as new.
Well, I bought a pair, and I am impressed.