Audio review
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Review: Top Seven, or Save Up?
Sonarworks ranked it among the seven most neutral closed-backs they had measured. SoundGuys said it under-emphasises basically every note and told readers to spend more.
By Paulo GerchonPublished 2 min read
Illustration, not a photo — we don’t have a licensed image of this product yet.
Audio-Technica
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
Good · researched from 3 sources
The most consistent cheap studio headphone anyone has measured, and one lab rates its neutrality above headphones costing three times as much. The cable is fixed and the pads are divisive, so read the comfort section before committing.
- Buy if
- Tracking and monitoring on a tight budget · Anyone who wants measured neutrality rather than a flattering tuning · Studios buying several pairs, on the consistency finding
- Skip if
- Long sessions, on SoundGuys' two-hour limit · Music with critical sub-bass content · Anyone who wants a replaceable cable
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
Two labs, two verdicts
Sonarworks measured these and placed them among the top seven closed-back headphones they had tested for neutral frequency response, noting they were by far the cheapest of that group.
SoundGuys measured them and concluded they under-emphasise basically every note, scored them 5.8 out of 10, and headlined the review with advice to save up for something better.
Both used a target curve. The curves differ, and so does what each considers the job of a studio headphone.
Sonarworks' detail is the more specific: a conservative high-mid cut and a treble boost of only 5 dB, with bass almost flat down to 60 Hz. SoundGuys' detail is also specific: deviations below 70 Hz and again at 5 kHz and 8 to 10 kHz.
Those are not incompatible descriptions of a headphone that is broadly flat and short of extension at both ends.
The finding that decides it for studios
Sonarworks tested consistency between units, and this is where the M20x does something genuinely unusual: manufacturing consistency is good, deviating pairs are rare, and channel matching blows the far more expensive M50x out of the water.
For a studio buying four pairs for a tracking session, that matters more than a decibel of treble. Every pair sounds like every other pair.
It is also the exact opposite of the AKG K371 elsewhere in this catalogue, where Sonarworks measured up to ±4 dB of channel imbalance between units on a headphone costing three times as much.
And it beats its expensive sibling
Sonarworks' comparison is direct: for studio work, the M20x is arguably a better choice than the M50x, on neutrality and on consistency.
The M50x, also reviewed here, has better isolation, three detachable cables and more comfortable pads. What it does not have is a flat midrange, and a third source called it unsuitable for mixing on exactly that basis.
You can buy three pairs of these for one of those.
Comfort is the coin toss
SoundGuys: 4.8 out of 10, downright uncomfortable after two hours, vinyl pads without enough cushioning.
Sonarworks: adequate for the price, breaks needed after about an hour.
Sound Sight: soft synthetic velvet pads that do not heat the ears even after several hours, comfortable for hours at a time.
Three descriptions, two of them describing different pad materials. The pads are replaceable, so check what is fitted to the pair in front of you, and budget for a velour set if the vinyl is what arrives.
The cable will end them
Fixed. Three metres, with a quarter-inch adapter.
Sound Sight puts the consequence plainly: a cable failure means a new pair of headphones. They otherwise describe these as a purchase for life, with exchangeable pads and headband foam.
On a fifty-euro headphone that is not a catastrophe, and it is still the single part most likely to fail and the only one you cannot fix.
How it scored
The overall 7.6 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Sound quality
Sonarworks ranks it among the top seven closed-backs they measured for neutrality, with bass almost flat to 60 Hz. SoundGuys measured under-emphasis across most of the range.
Value
Sonarworks scored 6.8 uncalibrated and 8.1 with calibration, calling it professional-grade sound at around €50. Sound Sight calls it effective entry-level monitoring gear.
Build quality
SoundGuys scored build 6.5 out of 10, calling the plastic cheap, and the cable cannot be replaced. Sound Sight notes the pads and headband foam are exchangeable.
Comfort
SoundGuys scored comfort 4.8 out of 10 and found them downright uncomfortable after two hours. Sound Sight says the pads do not heat the ears even after several hours.
Consistency
Sonarworks found manufacturing consistency good with deviating pairs rare, and says channel matching blows the far more expensive M50x out of the water.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- Sonarworks ranks it among the seven most neutral closed-backs they have measured
- Sonarworks says channel matching beats the much pricier M50x comfortably
- Bass almost flat down to 60 Hz per Sonarworks
- SoundGuys confirms no headphone amplifier is needed
- Sound Sight reports the ear pads and headband foam are replaceable
- SoundGuys measured about 35 dB of isolation at 8 kHz
What we didn’t
- The cable cannot be replaced, which both SoundGuys and Sound Sight flag
- SoundGuys scored comfort 4.8 out of 10 and found two hours the limit
- SoundGuys measured under-emphasis below 70 Hz and at 5 kHz and 8 to 10 kHz
- Sonarworks notes bass extension is limited below 60 Hz
- They do not fold and the earcups rotate only about 15 degrees
- Sources disagree on weight by 100 grams
Specifications
| Type | Closed-back, over-ear, wired |
|---|---|
| Isolation | About 35 dB at 8 kHz per SoundGuys |
| Bass extension | Almost flat to 60 Hz and limited below that per Sonarworks |
| Weight | 190 g per SoundGuys; 290 g per Sound Sight |
| Cable | Fixed 3 m with a quarter-inch adapter |
| Amplification | Not required per SoundGuys |
| Folding | No, and the earcups rotate about 15 degrees |
| Pads | Replaceable per Sound Sight |
| Distortion | Harmless second harmonic below 45 Hz and a spike at 5 kHz per Sonarworks |
How we researched this
We have not had this unit on the bench. This review synthesises the manufacturer’s published specifications, independent measurements and owner reports listed below. Every figure on this page comes from one of those sources rather than our own measurement.
3
sources reviewed
SoundGuys supplies the isolation measurement, the frequency response deviations against their own target, the comfort and build scores, the weight and the amplification assessment, and scored 5.8 out of 10. Sonarworks supplies the neutrality ranking, the distortion measurements, the unit-to-unit consistency finding and the comparison against the M50x and M40x, scoring 6.8 uncalibrated and 8.1 calibrated. Sound Sight supplies the pad and build description and a third comfort assessment. The three disagree about neutrality, comfort and weight, and all positions are reported rather than reconciled.
What we read
Common questions
Are the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x neutral?
How do they compare to the ATH-M50x?
Are they comfortable?
Do they need an amplifier?
What is the biggest weakness?
The bottom line on the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
The most consistent cheap studio headphone anyone has measured, and one lab rates its neutrality above headphones costing three times as much. The cable is fixed and the pads are divisive, so read the comfort section before committing.
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