This is the official discussion area for the Audio Technica ATH M50X
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Personally, I think these are well worth the extra money over the M40x. Build quality and low end extension are better, and they come with three cords. I’m not sure they were as “accurate” as the M40x, but most of the group I was with preferred the M50x for most music.
Is the sound of m50x the same as m50?
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I do understand why people like these, but I’ve owned them 3 times and sold them.
I wanted to like them because they seemed portable and were mostly OK sounding when I got used to the sound. But when I move to a different, less colored pair of headphones and then move back, they are just a mixed bag of high-end shoutiness and low end bloat. Not really to my tastes.
The M40X on the other hand, I liked a great deal, but they weren’t as portable/foldable 
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The M50x and M50 have virtually the same tuning.
The difference between them is the M50x has a detachable cable and is more portable than the M50 due to the fact that it can fold and comes with a travel bag.
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Yep, I agree that the M50x and M50 have the same tuning. My brother owns the newer M50x and I own a M50 that is still going strong with its not-so-detachable coil cable, but both sound more or less identical.
Something that I think is worth considering when purchasing the Audio-Technica M50/M50x is that these headphones are quite rugged without being over-the-top about it. I’ve had mine since 2012 and it still looks like it’s new.
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i think that the m50 has a little more refined sound and not so pronounced highs.on the other hand on m50x maybe its the sound coloured by the fiio a3 amplifier.i dont know for sure…
Oooh, interesting note about the amplifier! I used my M50 and my brother’s M50x for radio broadcasting, so my mileage was a mix of spoken interviews, live music soundchecks, and music editing. I rarely paired my M50 with an amplifier.
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I still see the M50x in studios quite a bit. Durable, pretty neutral with decent isolation at a decent price
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In my opinion, the M50/M50x really excels in a studio setting. They remind me of old Koss and Beyerdynamic headphones that are still found in a lot of studios today. Those headphones just don’t die. And the M50/M50x just emulates so much similarity to those old headphones that I’m sure these cans are a mainstay in studios for years to come. (That is, if the vinyl / pleather headband and earcups don’t dry up and crack.)
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i really like the sound of 50s.but a little complain about the fake leather on caps and headband.after a year of usage as a dj its really getting worse and there is a need of replacement.-the white m50x are more sensitive though
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Most studios I’ve seen lately either have the M50x kicking around or the Beyer DT 770s.
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I’ve always had a pair of these for broadcast stuff… never thought of them for sound quality. THen I started getting into this world a bit.
Now I’ve got a pair of M50x that I put right next a Focal Utopias + Clears, Nightowls, Campfire Cascades, etc…
… and I can easily see why they have such a great reputation. Everything’s solid.
- Obviously build and comfort are satisfactory…
- relatively transportable with the fold flat-ness…
- Doesn’t need an amplifier…
- Slightly extended bass response, but not overwhelming, and I don’t notice distortion.
- Not scooping the mids…
- Nice clarity in the highs…
I was very surprised/heartened. Solid, solid purchase and a satisfying headphone.
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I actually thought the build of the M50 / M50x is good for the price. I mean, yes, there are folks who have had the moving joints break and stuff, but I literally threw these into my backpack after a radio sesh, bounced them around at the airport, and generally treated it like a beater, and it has stood up remarkably well over the years.
I wish I could say the same thing about the vinyl, though! My M50 in black are fine. My brother’s M50x in white is dooone.
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i wonder if there was a future m50 wireless…
Never forget that the design of the M50X was made for monitoring and sound mixing. Dont get me wrong, I love mine , I love the headset as a whole but for pleasure listening I use other alternatives. It has absolutely no soundstage which is perfect for mixing but not the best for pleasure.
If you are looking for headphones for pleasure I highly suggest something else but for Mixing and mastering I havent found anything better than the m50X, err mabye the M40.
Lol I like constructive discussion, convince me otherwise!
While I have the M50x and like them for traveling since they fold up in to a compact shape I still like the MDR-7506 for traveling since it has a touch better isolation and sounds a bit better at really low listening levels and if I want really small then the V-Moda XS is really hard to beat but sound does suffer a bit compared to the M50x and MDR-7506.
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I have used M50X’s at work listening to audio files (verbal communication) for over a year now. I love them for the price and category of headphones they are in.
The only downside has been the ear pads. They got tore up fairly quick. The material started to flake off. I bought some sheepskin memory foam replacements from Brainwavz Audio. I really like them a lot and prefer them over the original pads
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due to lower price compared to other headphones audio technica maybe has compromised ιν the earpad material.its not leather and needs replacement more often
I’ve been hearing that the M50x has the bass and treble boosted but I also heard that it has clearer sound, so I’m quite confused. I need headphones for all-rounded use: gaming, listening to music, online job meetings/voicechat, etc. (and I understand the comfort problem, will change pads, got some on the way already)
I’ve tried bassy headphones before (like Beats) and I’ve always hated how I could barely hear someone talking while listening to music on lower volume due to the bass mudding their voice, and also in many songs with some bass, the voice is almost undetailed, but I also want bass I could hear/feel, and definitely don’t want it to sound “boring” (as some people call the M40x), I just don’t want it to overblow everything else. Also happens in games, the bass just basically fucks everything else up in some bass-heavy headphones.
Does the M50x have this problem just like other bassy headphones where the bass overblows the vocals that they end up undetailed? Or can you clearly hear the voice and other sounds even if the bass is a little emphasized?