Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Black

The headset market is a market that is flooded with new “genius” marketing techniques. It is therefore very easy to choose based on what the internet says, rather than determining what you think.

So before you read this review and make a decision based on my/others opinion. First I want you to promise to listen instead of reading. Not only to these headphones but also to other brands and models.

I bought these headphones because my previous one (Urbanears Plattan) gave up the ghost. It was a bit of a shock when I saw that my account had been hit. To this day I am very satisfied with the choice I made on April 22 this year.

Why?
I was looking for headphones for everyday use, on the road, at school, at home and at night. As social as I am, I thought it was a wise choice to make sure that my fellow man does not suffer from this. So the market (openback headphones) was no longer an option.

In addition, I had the requirement that the headphones be easy to control, in other words I want to connect them to an iPod and telephone and still have the option of becoming deaf.

Not to forget, I think it is very important that the headphones are easy to carry. Foldable, foldable, unscrew or stamp flat. A way to stuff the headphones in a bag was a requirement. (Preferably repeatable as possible)

So you can see that in my case a lot of headphones fell off.

I have asked for advice on a number of forums, at bax and at CoolBlue, in order to come to a conclusion. Every time I got a response there was a sentence that said: ”it is better if you listen for yourself”.

I have also included this advice and asked my classmates to cooperate with it. 1 day dedicated to different headphones. For example, I had the time to listen to a Dt 990 Pro, Dt 770 Pro, a Fidelio X2, custom one, m50x and a number of other brands that happened to be present.

It soon became clear to me that the m50x had great potential. The folding mechanism, the look, the quality, the … I think I fell in love.
 
In the end it's all about sound, to be very critical it really depends on what kind of music you listen to. I am someone who listens to Hardstyle/trance the top 40 and instrumental. So hugely widening, but something I find important is that bass. Something on which the m50x scores a lot of points.

Unlike the “open back” headphones I've listened to. Due to the open design, the highs and mids on these models are purer and more beautiful. Not that the M50x doesn't, but there is a difference.

Qualities of the m50x:
1) The smart profile of the headphones makes it easy to carry. Folding is a solution to be able to store the headphones in a bag or suitcase. The headphones are very comfortable on the head, although the first week after 4 hours could become a bit painful. Now a few weeks later this is no longer a problem. I know I have it on, I just don't feel it.

2) I really like the sound, I have no other words for it. Whatever I throw at the headphones, Games, Movies, Hardstyle, instrumental so far, he's been able to keep up with it all and has succeeded gloriously.

3) The leather pouch, the extra cables are nice to have. The leather pouch is just too small and getting the headphones in is quite a challenge.

4) The cables can be detached, which I really like. I use the long cable for my computer, and the short cable for my mobile. The cable is secured with a twist mechanism, a sudden tug on the cable will not interrupt your music.

5) Build quality is very good, despite everything being plastic it feels sturdy/strong and has a premium look and feel.

Improvements of the m50x:
1) From a sustainability point of view, I miss the option of being able to replace small/loose parts. I also miss that there are few color options. There is a black and white m50x and a limited edition of 230 euros (Blue brown).

2) The clamping force in the beginning can be experienced as painful, especially if you have a slightly larger head, the m50x may feel tight. But don't worry, it will become less and less with use.

3) I would prefer to see a cable with android/apple capabilities, and the leather pouch could go away for me.

So to sum up the story the reasons why I bought the m50x and not another set of headphones.

Good sound (suits me and my music)
Present bass
Foldable/easy to carry
Robust
Good price/quality
And before I forget, Listen! Very important.

Coolblue also facilitates in this

I've been using this headset for a few months now, and I'm very satisfied with the product! Sound sounds great, very good build quality and very complete package. Only prolonged use causes problems for me.

Sound
This headset is mainly used by me to listen to music via the laptop, usually without any extra amplification or DAC so just straight forward and the sound quality is simply fantastic, everything is well adjusted. Some songs sound new, because I used a cheap headset before, sometimes I hear things that I didn't hear at all before. You will miss the surround for gaming and movies, but that is not something you buy this headset for, of course.

Build quality
I can only say about the build quality, exactly what you can expect from a studio monitoring headset, not built like a tank but it can withstand all regular incidents. It has fallen to me once and then there is nothing to see, I have also used it in many different temperatures and the ear cushions remain as they came out of the box. All 3 cables that come with it are also nice and thick.

Smartphone
It also handles the smartphone well, even taking into account that it is long enough to work with most cases. The only thing that becomes a problem with smartphone use is the fact that there is no remote control in the cables, but that is of course because this headset is designed for the studio.

Comfort
Opinions are divided on the comfort, one praises the M50x to heaven and the other has many complaints about it. I'm somewhere in between, for me they are nice and very soft, only with very long use (think of 4+ hours) I will feel them and they will eventually irritate so much that I take them off for a while. Most people don't have this problem, it's also a personal thing of course, but I notice it every time.

Conclusion
The product works perfectly for what it was made for, listening to music. I've never heard such good sound from a headset! The build quality is also more than good enough if you are a little frugal. I would recommend it to anyone who finds good audio quality important, and does not just use it on the smartphone.

I don't often give a product 5 stars, but this one is an exception. It did surprise me how good these headphones actually are, and explain why in categories.

The sound:
When I wanted to test the headphones, I expected the sound to be very realistic, with nice highs and lows that are well balanced. Result? This is the case in all cases. Personally, I have added a little more bass to the headphones, but this is actually only a very small amount (I like bass). It really surprised me how beautifully and well all the tones are reproduced, and I have to say that it is difficult to describe in words.

The design:
The design is not very special. This is of course just my own opinion, but it is not an exaggerated design with all ("superfluous") colors. Personally, I think it's a good design that doesn't try to stand out (positive!).

The quality:
The quality of the materials is very good. I was surprised how well the headphones have held up. I've had these for almost 2 years now, and the headphones are still in like new condition. You can throw it against a wall, drive your car over it (ok a bit of an exaggeration..) but these headphones last!
The materials themselves are not special. It's a combination of leather and plastic, so don't expect to be dealing with Apple quality materials here. Furthermore, it is very light.

The wearing comfort:
The comfort is very good. The headphones sit well on your head and the cushions are very soft. Despite the fact that it is very comfortable on your head, I unfortunately have to say that after many hours of listening to music / gaming (think of 4+ hours) you will feel the headphones and slightly irritated. For me this is not a big problem, because if you put it on your head again it will be over.

Extra information:
The headset comes with 3 different cables (1 of 3 meters, 1 of 1.2 meters and a "coiled cable"), which means that you can also change the cable. This is a big plus for me because cables break all too often with me. Despite that, the cables are very sturdy and only 1 cable (was my "on the go" cable) broke. The plug of this had broken, so not the cable itself.
You also get a bag with it, which is a bit redundant for me but is always nice to have. You can fold the headset which makes it easier to transport in your bag. You can also rotate the earmuffs, which makes it very pleasant to wear on your neck.

For whom?
I can recommend the headphones for basically everyone. But to be a bit specific I'm going to mention a few groups. These are as follows:
* Music lovers: The audio design is accurately reproduced with a good balance between treble and bass. That's why it's a fantastic headset for music lovers.
* Gamers: Despite you never hear about this in the gaming community, I find it very unfortunate that few gamers use studio headsets. Gaming headsets often have a poor balance of bass and treble, so headsets (in my opinion) always sound mediocre. Gamers find it important that they hear all the details in the game (footsteps, directions etc), but despite the headset being stereo, I find it outperforms all 5.1 and 7.1 headsets I've ever tried (Tested with CSGO). Note that you have to combine the headset with a good sound card (Asus Xonar is fine). Because of the good balance of tones, you can hear the footsteps very clearly.
* On the go: You can use the headset in public, but despite the fact that the headset is "small", it is not compact. I don't think it's weird if you want to use this headset in public, but keep in mind that it is quite large and people might look at you separately. The headset size may be slightly larger (or the same size) as Beats Studios.

Combine with:
Personally, I think it's best to combine the product with a good sound card or even a DAC. A DAC is therefore very expensive, but as an alternative there are sound cards. Personally, an Asus Xonar DX was enough for me, but a cheaper (or more expensive) is also possible. The effect of this is that the tones you hear sound even better and are even better balanced. This provides even more pleasure for your ears ;-).

IN BRIEF: The headset is fantastic! The wearing comfort is good, but can irritate in the long run. The high and low tones are reproduced well. These are also nicely balanced, and you can easily get started with equalizers and other external sound equipment. The design is fine, materials are very solid and for the price it is a nice headset!