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Audio-Technica ATH-M50
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Audio-Technica
Engadget - Not yet scored
0
Critics
6 reviews82
AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE
Users
43 reviews88
AVERAGE USER SCORE
View All Critic & User Reviews
Audio-Technica ATH-M50
- Critic Reviews (6)
- User Reviews (43)
- 82AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE6 ReviewsCNET90The best-sounding headphones under $200 get (slighQuibbles aside, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is a modestly improved version of its already spectacular predecessor and one of the best-sounding headphones you'll find for less than $200.CNET90Audio-Technica ATH-M50The Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones are among the best available for less than $200, offering excellent sound and build quality.Inner Fidelity80The Legend Continues: The Audio Technica ATH-M50xWhile these cans lack the sense of refinement of some headphones of this type in higher price brackets, the overall good performance puts them right at the top of their price/type.Ken Rockwell80Audio-Technica ATH-M50The ATH-M50 sound great for music enjoyment, have plenty of sensitivity for use with anything without ever needing an extra amplifier, are tough enough to take a beating, great for monitoring live recordings or tracking, and fold flat for travel.Inner Fidelity80The Audio Technica ATH-M50The ATH-M50 is a great headphone to step up and away from consumer grade cans without spending a lot of money. I think they would serve very well as a general purpose traveling, studio, and around the home headphone.Reviewed.com Headphones70Audio-Technica ATH-M50Comfort, decent sound quality and a fairly rugged exterior for a price that won’t break the bank. While they aren’t going to compete with the high-end studio headphones reviewed in the past, these cans are a decent buy if you want to take them into the outside world.
- 88AVERAGE USER SCORE43 ReviewsEngadget Reader90July 22, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 5, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80December 31, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100December 22, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80December 1, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 11, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - Engadget13xforever90September 12, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80August 19, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - Engadgetandibeka100June 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90June 20, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 9, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 8, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90April 25, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I bought these headphones over a year ago and the only thing that I have noticed from the original I had pulled from the box is that the headphone pads have hardened slightly from my constant use and they don't squeeze together. These headphones exceeded my expectations when I had first used them. There is an extremely good value on these and I would recommend this to any audiophile who feels that there is a single severe complaint that could be made.Engadget Reader90February 10, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 3, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90January 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Fantastic set, your head will really appreciate those and your ears even more.Engadget Reader90January 2, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I was looking for new headphones online, as the ones I liked the cord had broken and since it was an uncommon model, I could not get a replacement cord. So I went looking for reviews of best headphones under 200 dollars. The ones I found consistently at the top were the Audio Technica ATH M50 studio monitors, and the Sony MDR 7506. Further research told me that the MDR 7506 did not sound quite as good, with less smooth and detailed sound. I decided to get the ATs not only for that, but they were on sale for 100 dollars on eBay (shipping ended up costing 60 dollars so it cancelled out the sale :/). I let them burn in a bit, and I have to say, these are some of the best sounding headphones I've ever used. It's seriously crazy how good they sound. But before that, I'd like to talk about the design, comfort, and build quality. Design wise, these are good looking headphones. Much better than 7506. They are well built, and extremely comfortable. I almost don't want to take them off. The pads and headband are very soft, so they feel less tight than they are. They are a bit bulky, however, but that is expected of over ear headphones designed for studio use. Now the most important part of headphones is the sound quality. These sound fantastic, not only for the price, but even for headphones twice, three times, even ten times the price! (Ultrasone Edition 8) The bass is strong, clear, and tight, without being overpowering. The trebles are crisp, bright, but not harsh. The mids are clear, detailed, but don't stand out so much that it feels like you're hearing two separate things (vocals standing out too much from rest of music). They aren't perfectly balanced, but neither are pretty much any headphones under 200 dollars, and these are by far the closest to a perfectly balanced sound than any headphones in its price range, and even some significantly above it.Engadget Reader100November 20, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90September 20, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100May 29, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 20, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 14, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 11, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetRyan80December 31, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!They are great if you can get them in the $100-120 price range, which you almost always can on amazon, like I did.Engadget Reader100December 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90September 28, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I bought these for college to use in my dorm room and studio, and for this they are perfect. They block out ambient noise, but if, say, a fire alarm goes off, you will hear it. They are very portable, at least for full-size headphones, and fit neatly in my backpack with all my other stuff; and they can be worn while walking around with no issues with cord management, etc. They are also extremely sturdy, and I have no doubt they will last me many years; in particular, the stress reduction on the plug is very impressive, I think their use of a spring is more effective than just about every other method I've seen. These are also comfortable enough, but I'm looking for ways to soften or replace the somewhat stiff pads. Edit: Doing a sock mod can make these really comfy and doesn't affect the sound. I highly recommend it.These have a good soundstage and respond very well to EQ, which makes them great for a wide variety of genres. I'd say the only one that doesn't sound great on the M50s is noise rock, or anything that has a lot of mid-range texture, because it tends to gloss over those details (it is very detailed on the high end though) and may screw up the mids with bass if not EQ'd. In general though, they sound pretty alright for most rock music (though I prefer my Grados for this), and even bring forward some needed bass in punk songs where it's often relegated to the background. It's also pretty good with classical, especially string quartets, where I think it hits the perfect level of intimacy and brings out the rich tones in the music. Where it really shines though, is on dark, impacting, or dance-ish music like Massive Attack, U2, New Order, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, and The Stone Roses. On some of those tracks, it feels like musical nirvana.Engadget Reader80August 29, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90April 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Best feature, sound! The sound out of these is nothing short of phenomenal. The fit is good and I personally like the look but this is highly subjective so it's up to you. Sound isolation could be better but it's nothing to throw a fit over. They're not the best for commutes, get that out of your head, and they're not really for the average Joe but if you're doing audio design, video production or you really want to get the most out of your home theater setup, these are the cans you're looking for.Engadget Reader90March 19, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80March 18, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!These headphones are incredible. Fantastic sound quality. The bass response is really, really nice. It's well defined, accurate and strong, but it's not overpowering. The mids and highs are awesome too. Very crisp and I heard things in my music that I haven't heard with my other headphones. As well, these headphones look really nice and are really comfortable. The only things I do not like about these headphones is the very long straight cable. I always have to hold a bit of the cable when i'm listening to music on my iPod or my computer. Overall, amazing pair of headphones, for an amazing price! I would pay more than 200 dollars for these headphones. They are that good. Buy them.Engadget Reader90March 5, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80January 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90January 24, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100August 5, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader70June 7, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The presentation of the M50's is slightly dark, forward, but very smooth. Never fails to send great (but colored) sound into my ears. Definitely one of my favorite headphones for home wear.Engadget Reader90May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 12, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80November 21, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is the first pair of audiophile headphones I've owned, and they are pretty awesome. The bass is excellent and I'm able to hear things that I've never heard before in songs. They are very comfortable and fold up nicely for portability (although the included travel bag is pretty pathetic). I purchased the coiled version so there isnt any cable tangling issues. Also note that it took a few weeks of solid listening to allow the "burn in" to really take effect. The sound opened up so much more after time. Although they are made with plastic, the headphones feel very durable. Finally, they do not drown out noise very well, so don't expect them to do so.Engadget Reader80November 20, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90April 20, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I don't have all that much experience in high-end headphones, but these are the best I've ever heard. You can easily tell the goal with these is to reproduce the music as exact as possible. Most people do say they take a decent amount of break-in time to sound up to their standards, and I found that to be true as well. I understand this is quite normal for higher-end headphones. The biggest thing I noticed is that even in songs with very low and big bass, it doesn't drown out any other sounds. The mids and highs are still crystal clear, even with the huge lows.My only complaint about these headphones is their fit on my head. They're a bit loose and fall down with less movement than I would like. I use them on their smallest setting, and its still a bit too small. This isn't a major issue... I'd rather have the best sound quality possible for as little money as possible (these hit the sweet spot) than have the perfect fit. The fit is good, just not perfect.Engadget Reader80January 27, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The response in these headphones is near perfect. They fit very comfortably for me, and I have even taken to wearing them while I walk around town and on my daily commute. If you like great sound, and aren't worried about looking goofy wearing full studio cans around, these are great. You can pay 2-3 times more for a pair of Bose, Beats by Dre, or other high end consumer headphones, but these sound as good, if not better. These headphones do not have active noise-cancelling, but they isolate the sound enough that it has not been an issue for me. Overall, I am very satisfied with this product for both studio work and for casual listening.
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Key Specs
TYPE
Over-ear
CHANNELS
Stereo
NOISE ISOLATION
Yes
ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION
No
CONNECTIONS
3.5mm stereo
INLINE CONTROLS
No
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