Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $144.00
Today's Bonus: 28% Off
- Exceptional audio quality for professional monitoring and mixing
- Collapsible design ideal for easy portability and convenient storage, Cable Length: 3.9 - 9.8' (1.2 - 3m) Coiled Cable
- Proprietary 45 mm large-aperture drivers with neodymium magnet systems
- Closed-back cushioned earcup design creates an outstanding seal for maximum isolation
- Adjustable padded headband for comfort during long mixing/recording sessions, 1 year warranty
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This is a video review from the MKBHD YouTube Channel:
This is my new all-time favorite pair of headphones. I've gone through my Beats by Dre phase. I've gone through my in-ear buds phase [high school]. I've been sent numerous pairs of headphones to review for my YouTube channel. Only 1 has received a 10/10 with an outstanding price/performance ratio. And that's the M50s.
Enjoy the video!
PS You should totally subscribe to the MKBHD YouTube channel =]
Buy Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones with Coiled Cable Now
I'll say this first off: I don't record, DJ, or do any mixes with this headphone (no prosumer work). These Audio Technica M50's (straight cable) are used purely for listening to my music. One phrase comes to mind about these cans: O MiE GaWd!
I currently own these and the Beyerdynamic DT-770 pro (80 ohm), and have owned everything under the sun from Bose's headphone offerings; except their noise-canceling variants, although I've heard those as well. The M50's overall are the best sounding period that I've heard yet. They sound so ridiculously good that I can't even imagine if I need, let alone want to hear more expensive offerings.
Highs 5/5 Imagine a dedicated tweeter per cup. The highs are PERFECT. Sirens, cymbals, piano notes, you name it comes in crystal clear with a pristine pitch. No harshness or fatigue comes with it. No roll-off or sibilance either, even if you crank it up to stratospheric levels.
Mids 5/5 Like 2 miniaturized, mid-range drivers for your dome piece. When I heard Bose, I thought I HEARD everything, which was very nice. With the M50's, YOU WILL HEAR EVERYTHING. There were hidden voices and notes that even the Bose's missed in songs that I knew by heart. Voices came out clear and articulate. No recessed mid-range here. It's all up in your grill with pleasing authority and with the natural fullness that is to be expected with your tunes.
Lows 5/5 I wish I could rate this higher. No other headphone (that I've heard) can touch this. Take two, high quality, sealed sub woofers. Shrink them, and somehow stuff them into the M50's. Then listen. Your brain will become grits. Your eyeballs will shake furiously. Your jawbone will uncontrollably vibrate. The bass in this headphone can resurrect the dead (and then some). The bass notes come in with such passion, that you instantly fall in love. It is highly textured, laser-accurate, and tightly controlled with ZERO distortion. There is no need to crank up the EQ on this. You can, but you've been warned. The bass is the best part about the M50. It is FLAWLESS.
Soundstage 4/5 For a studio monitor, the soundstage is very good. There is a wide sense of space and depth to the sound. Nevertheless, they aren't as open-sounding as others such as the DT-770 pros, which have a closed design as well. This can sometimes take you out of the "scenario" when watching movies or playing games, which is why I use these primarily for music. I use the DT-770 pro's for movies and games, which those excel in this area.
Detail Retrieval 5/5 Plain and simple, if it's in the audio track, you will hear it with no problem at all. Every nuance, sound, intricate detail, and mouse-fart will have a direct line to your eardrum for your listening pleasure. No complaints.
Value 5/5 You need a pair (no, not those) of Audio Technica M50's. These are more than worthy to add to your headphone stable. Comfort is also quite excellent. Other studio monitor headphones pinch too tight for me (I also wear glasses), these are just right. Not too loose or constricted. The Beyers beat these in this area though (those are like Serta pillows :).
The cord is terminated into a slick-looking, metal housing, with a flexible end connected to a 1/8" plug, that also can be mated to a screw on 1/4" adapter. In other words, you can plug the M50's into whatever device you want; Ipod, home receiver, amp, etc., right out of the box. Durability is also the best I've seen yet. Can't see these breaking in any way, even if it's in the hands of a toddler.
Audio Technica M50's = A slice of musical heaven with whipped cream.
UPDATE: 4/8/09 Burn in definitely changes the sound. Other owners have suggested 40 hours of cooking. The headphones sound more distinct, clear, and the instruments have better separation. Even the bass is more lively and the soundstage is more expanded. All said, don't judge yet until you've pumped tunes through them for many hours. Which then, the end result will surely be a smile on your face.
Read Best Reviews of Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones with Coiled Cable Here
I must admit that I am am one of those audiophiles who has been passionately reviewing headphones, cables, amps etc. to get me as close as possible to the music event recorded on the CD. I have three other headphones with exotic headphone cables the cables alone cost more than the MSRP of ATH-M50 (just wanted to give a point of reference regarding their good value).
I definitely prefer Open vs closed headphone for the illusion that they are able to create.
But there are times when I want to isloate the external sounds or do not want to disturb others that is where this closed headphone shines.
So what is so special about these phones and how do they compare with the more expensive audiophile phones.
ATH-M50s are extremely balanced: the top, mids and the bottom is produced in an extremely balanced way.
They are easy to listen to for a long period of time.
They are comfortable.
They are accurate and
they are easy on the pocket.
Compared to other audiophile headphones (Senn 600/650 and AKG701)
They are not as open sounding (these are closed headphones afterall)
They are not as transparent, they are slightly grainy
They are better than some more expensive audiophile phones
Also they come with 1/8" and 1/4" inch headphone jack/adaptor so you can enjoy them straight out of the ipod or connect them to your audiophile headphone amp or your professional gear.
They are perfect for what it does!
Highly recommended even to hard core audiophiles.
Want Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones with Coiled Cable Discount?
I own a pair of Grado SR80 for years using a Grado headphone amplifier in my office. The Grado serves me well except it is not the most comfortable pair of headphones. The other problem is the open design which leaks out sound which may disturb my officemates.
I have been searching for a replacement on and off for a while. Finally, I read enough reviews and jumped on eBay and scored a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50 for under $100 shipped.
Without burn-in, I would say these compare really well (at par) with Grado SR80. Although I think the sound stage presented by SR80 is wider may be due to the open design. M50 with the closed back design seems a tad closed in. But, nevertheless, the sound right out of the box is really good.
I can say a good pair of headphones can certainly beat loudspeakers that cost 10x even 20x. My Dunlavy SCII with Velodyne DD15 will shy away in comparison with M50. Very neutral and detailed sound stage. The fitting is a bit tight. I plan to stretch it out using my desktop PC while doing some burn-in.
Initial comparison with Grado back to back, I noticed the following:
1. At same volume level, M50 plays louder than SR80
2. Sound isolation of M50 is pretty good, plan to use it on airplane
3. The sound stage of SR80 is wider
4. M50 has better bass than SR80
5. Highs and mids are very close with slight preference for M50
6. Fit and comfort of M50 is better but I hope it will loosen up a bit after use
7. Build quality is much better for M50 obviously SR80 foam cushion is deteriorating after a few years of use
I'll update this review when the burn-in is complete.
--------------------------------------------------------
Update after 100-hour burn-in
Sound updates:
I compared to my office-mate who owns a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. Right off the bet, we both noticed how much more open the ATH-M50 sounded. This is before the burn-in.
I am even more impressed after the burn-in. The close-in that I commented before comparing to my Grado SR80 is now gone. The bass also improves quite a bit.
Off course, my home system with Velodyne DD15 packed a better punch but this is not a fair comparison.
Comfort:
Stretching for 100 hours also loosened up the fit so it is very comfortable. My only gripe is the top of the headband still has a pressure point. I might just bend to provide a better fit.
All in all, if you are shopping for a sub $100 headphone, you cannot go wrong with this one. Highly recommended!
First of all, under $100? Yes, I found more than a few vendor stores selling these phones (both straight and coiled cord) on eBay for under $100. These are permanent stores with fixed prices, not auctions, so hopefully you could find them for a similar price. But anyways...
I spent almost a month looking for the "right" pair of headphones for my home mixing. A month is probably a long time to spend when you aren't planning on spending more than $100 anyways, maybe $150 tops, but it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside to know that my money has been well spent. And it certainly has been!
I must have read a thousand user reviews of different headphones, and those from audio sites like Headroom, and pro-oriented sites like MusiciansFriend. I tried out most of the more well-known headphones in this range, including Sony MDR-V6 and MDR-7506, V700DJ, Sennheiser HD280, HD485, HD515, HD595, Bose Quietcomfort 3, "over-ear" headphones, AKG K240, Grado SR80i and SR125, as well as the Audio-Technica AD700, A700 and m40fs. It took a pretty damn long time.
Okay, I'll willingly say that between so many different headphones it's hard to say what "best" really means. Some headphones definitely have a "flavor" that people prefer but which might be annoying or distracting to others. Since I was looking for monitor headphones, I wanted a very flat response and I personally prefer a little passive isolation (i.e. closed-back phones). Also, my head is somewhat larger than average, and the Sennheisers and Grados were uncomfortably tight. Even the M50s were snug at first, but of the ones I tested they have one of the nicest, sturdiest-looking bands so I wasn't afraid to stretch it over my computer case overnight. I'd heard that the Audiophile phones of the AT line (the AD700s and A700s) were a little big, and true to that statement they fit beautifully and the "wings" floated nearly weightlessly on my head. However, they were a little more "flavored" than a truly flat response (they are, after all, marketed as audiophile headphones, not monitor) and I couldn't find them for under $100 so that ruled them out. Ironically, at the time of this writing Amazon apparently has them on sale for $87 with free shipping. Huh.
To say a few brief things about the other pairs I tried, the Sony's and the AKG's were disappointing considering all the good things I'd heard about them it leads me to suspect that some of their acclaim is due to the respected status of their "classic" predecessors, rather than wholly based on the product itself. That's just my impression. The m40fs was very good, the m50s were just slightly better and in my budget. The Sennheiser 485's were honestly terrific, they were the only Sennheisers that didn't hurt my head and they had a very impressive sound, which I in some ways preferred to the venerable HD280s. Still, they were open-backed and still just not quite as great as the M50s. Bose comfort was great but after listening to all of the above their sound quality was a joke. Then again they're not exactly marketed to the professional audio crowd, that I've seen.
In either case, I was VERY impressed with the sound quality of the M50s, especially the bass. As other reviewers have said, the bass is exceptionally clear and "punchy", present without being overemphasized. This is extremely ideal for monitoring, NONE of the other headphones I listened to were as faithful. The ranges maybe ~2 octaves above middle C and higher (I'm a piano player so that's what I think in terms of) are just a very miniscule touch bright, but then again I only have ~5 hours of burn-in as of this writing and I've heard that changes.
There are a couple of significant differences between closed and open-back headphones, which is why I called this review "best closed-back headphones under $100". But that's exactly what they are. Sound clarity and separation, stage and retrieval are *at least* equal to headphones two or three times this price. A friend of mine who runs sound tech and owns a pair of A900s visited me the other day and was so impressed by the quality of these phones vs. the price he went out to buy a pair himself. I'd recommend that anyone looking for a great pair of phones go and do the same!
