Audio-Technica ATH-M50X

I have had my m50x's for 7 YEARS, since I was 15 years old, and before I knew anything about audio, music, or much of anything else. The fact that I still own them astounds me given my track record, so I've decided to provide a review for the regular everyday consumers out there still considering these bad boys.

1. Style
Just look at the pictures mate.

2. Utility
These things are pretty portable, not too heavy and they fold up well. On top of that they come with a removable cable which is very handy, and 2 alternative cables, one longer, and one coiled. They come with a pleather carrying pouch that is good for any long distance travel, although it doesn't provide much protection.

3. Comfort
These headphones aren't too heavy, and the padding on the headband is sufficient, unfortunately over time it has worn and long listening sessions can hurt the top of your head a bit. The pads are a little bit of a weak spot, they're not very thick and eventually had to be replaced, but again this is 7 years of use from a teenager, so grains and salt and all that.

4. Sound
The M50x's are what you'd call 'V-shaped', meaning in this case that they have MUCH more pronounced bass (BIG 808'S), some more restrained and less clear mids (vocals and the inbetweens), and quite a sharp treble (high hats etc). I would consider them a 'fun' headphone. In the audiophile community there's a pretty common opinion that neutral sounding headphones are in some way superior, but we normies know that it's great for your music to have some punch (in this case a complete haymaker). I've always loved the sound of these headphones and I genuinely still do. The seal ​is decent, but if you're cranking your gabber on the bus like a degenerate there will definitely be some sound leak.

5. Build Quality
Now given that I have owned these for so long you may be led to believe that the build quality is quite good, but honestly it is pretty poor. These headphones are completely plastic (besides the pleather headband), which makes sense given the price. The earpads are cloth covered in pleather, which after about 5 years had completely peeled off. The cables provided are thick, but I had a persisting issue where the jacks of the cables kept bending and snapping, so be mindful of that.


Conclusion
The Audio Technica M50X's are a great pair of cans, and I've listened to them almost exclusively for a long time. I have to keep in mind that the issues of parts wearing is more to do with the sheer length of time that they have been my daily drivers. If you're looking for a pair of bass heavy midrange headphones then there's not many that can match these.

After doing a lot of research for what monitor headphones to buy around the 100-150€ price range, I narrowed it down to these or the Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro.
I chose these mostly for the practicality: they are very portable, since you can collapse them, and the cables are removable and exchangeable (two characteristics that the Beyerdynamics do not have).
Having also tried the Beyerdynamics, I can say that these two pairs of headphones are different, but neither is necessarily better. As monitor headphones, they both do an excellent job, and I would say that they are the two best choices in this price range.
The only thing about the Audio-Technicas that I do not rate at 5 stars is the comfort. They are not uncomfortable - in fact, they are very comfortable to wear for the first 30 minutes to an hour. But, after long periods of time wearing them, the band does start do hurt my head, and I find myself having to shift the headphones back and forth so as to change the placing of the band. Keep in mind, this only happens when I wear them for long periods of time, and even then, I think very few headphones would be better in this regard. However, the Beyerdynamics do have a reputation for being the most comfortable headphones out there, so I think they might win in this aspect (although I don't actually have experience wearing the Beyerdynamics for long periods of time).
So, if you value the collapsibility and cable-exchangeability of the Audio-Technicas, choose these. If you value the apparently unbeatable comfort of the Beyerdynamics, chose them.
Hope this review helped!

I bought these in april 2016, it is now January 2023 , so we are coming up to 7 years of heavy use for these earphones. This indicates to me, that they are extremely sturdy and well designed. I have replaced the earpads twice in that time after they became tattered.

The headphones are excellent for music production, listening to music, playing video games and watching movies. They are the most high end and best headphones I have ever owned. I can use them for several hours without any comfort issues. After three hours, my ears and head start to feel fatigued but not in a way where I need to stop wearing them.

I also like the way they look, they are nicely styled with a minimalistic chic look. All in all, I have no complaints and I will instantly replace them with a new pair when they die.

Compared to my other monitor headphones, the DT-770 Pro, these seem to have just a bit better low end response. But overall the sound is flat with no flavor whatsoever.

The low impedance gives you some versatility, allowing the use across multiple devices rather than just a dedicated headphone amplifier.

You can even use them as your daily headphones!

Comfort wise, they are the best suit for some while a nightmare for others... It all comes to your preferences. The Pads are a bit smaller compared to other headphones in this range and some complain about that. Buying new pads might solve this issue, but I haven't tried that yet.
The clamping force is present, but seems to go unnoticed.

They shrink down to half the size. You can switch cables.

They are rugged, I dropped them multiple times, and even used them in raining conditions, though I would not encourage you to do that!!

In conclusion, if you only need voice monitoring headphones, go ahead and get the DT-770 Pro, otherwise if you would like to be able to use them as day to day and pack them, throw them around, I would suggest you get these.

Some objects do not try to impress you immediately. They wait. They exist quietly, observing, until one day you realize they’ve already become part of your routine. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x belongs to that category. With its closed-back, over-ear construction, 45 mm drivers, and wide 15 Hz to 28 kHz frequency range, it carries the technical certainty of something built not for fashion, but for endurance. There is nothing excessive in its appearance — only purpose. Black surfaces, industrial calm, and the silent promise that whatever you feed into it, it will return honestly.

The first time wearing them, there is a sense of isolation — not from the world, but from distraction. Sound becomes contained, deliberate. These headphones do not exaggerate. They reveal. The low impedance of 38 ohms allows them to perform effortlessly across devices, from interfaces to portable gear, without demanding attention or compromise. What stayed with me most, however, was not only the sound, but the presence. The weight, the texture, the way the detachable cables and swivel earcups adapt without resistance, as if designed to follow rather than dictate the moment.

Eventually, I gave this pair to my best friend. He lives in a different rhythm — closer to crowded rooms, dim lights, and the quiet tension before a DJ set begins. These headphones belong there as much as they belong in solitude. And yet, their absence left a space behind. Not because they were irreplaceable, but because they had become familiar.

Some tools leave quietly, but their absence speaks louder than their presence ever did. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is not defined by novelty, but by reliability — a constant companion in environments where nothing else is predictable. It does not try to impress. It simply remains, steady, waiting for the next signal, the next moment of clarity. I will reorder them again. Not out of necessity, but because certain objects, once known, become part of your internal landscape — and silence feels incomplete without them.

As a music producer and audio engineer, I tend to spend hours every day wearing headphones and these have been my choice since the day I got them.

Short version : very comfortable, good separation, lovely yet balanced and transparent sound, useful cable options, great price.

Long version : these are being used in my studio for all professional audio tasks.

In tracking/recording, their comfort and separation make it easy to use them for hours on end and without almost any spill into the mics.

In mixing and post-production, they are my main tool besides my monitors and I have mixed full productions using only these, when needed. As with all monitoring situations, they do require a bit of learning of their sound and are a bit on the "gentle" side, so make sure you have something else to check the aggressive/sibilant sounds in your mixes.

And for personal use, they come with a short, mini-jack only cable, perfect for running, listening to things on the go etc. In addition, they are quite sleek and good looking, unlike a lot of other studio options :).