Audio review
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Review: A Studio Headphone That Is Not Neutral
Every source agrees the midrange is recessed and one says outright they are unsuitable for mixing. They remain one of the most recommended headphones ever made, and both of those things are fair.
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-M50x
Good · researched from 3 sources
Bought as a durable, cheap, closed-back headphone that makes music sound exciting, these have earned their reputation. Bought as a mixing reference, they will lie to you about the midrange, and one of our sources says so in as many words.
- Buy if
- Tracking and monitoring, where isolation and durability matter · Casual listening where a lively sound is welcome · Anyone who wants a wired pair with no battery to fail
- Skip if
- Mixing or mastering, on Sound Sight's explicit finding · Glasses wearers over long sessions · Blocking low-frequency noise, which they do not do at all
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
The thing everyone gets wrong about them
These are sold and bought as studio headphones. Sound Sight's review says directly that the response is not linear enough for mixing or mastering.
SoundGuys measured why. Under-emphasis between 300 and 400 Hz. A 3 dB dip at 3 kHz. A notch at 6 kHz. Bass rolling off below 40 Hz, which they attribute to the pad seal rather than the drivers.
TechGearLab, who like these a great deal, still note that nuance and definition get lost in the midrange.
Three sources, three descriptions, one shape: scooped mids, lifted extremes. That is a listening tuning, not a reference one.
None of which stops them being excellent at what studios actually use them for, which is tracking. When a singer needs to hear themselves over a backing track without it bleeding into the microphone, isolation and durability matter and flat response does not.
What the isolation really does
SoundGuys measured about 10 dB of attenuation at 700 Hz, rising to roughly 33 dB at 4 kHz and as much as 38 dB higher still.
Below that, nothing. Low frequencies pass straight through, which is why an aeroplane or a bus is unaffected by them.
Sound Sight's figure of 12 to 15 dB overall is lower and describes the same reality differently. TechGearLab's version is that ambient noise gets somewhat muffled and you will still turn the volume up.
For a closed-back headphone with no electronics, that is the deal.
Comfort depends who you are
TechGearLab: comfortable for multiple hours.
SoundGuys: about two hours, pads stiff until broken in, and probably not great for the bespectacled.
Sound Sight: pads too thin, worth replacing, less suitable for long sessions than a DT 770 Pro.
The clamping force is the common thread. If you wear glasses, treat that warning as the important one.
Why they last
A metal frame, which Sound Sight credits for the durability reputation while wishing the hinges were metal rather than ABS plastic.
Three detachable cables in the box: a short one, a long one and a coiled one, plus a quarter-inch adapter. A broken cable is a five minute fix rather than a dead pair of headphones.
No battery. No firmware. Nothing to abandon.
That is the actual argument for these in 2026, and it is a good one.
The irritations
The cable connector is proprietary, so replacements come from Audio-Technica, and Sound Sight reports they are expensive with durability complaints attached.
SoundGuys found heat building under the pads over a session.
And TechGearLab notes the only carrying case is a cloth drawstring bag, which protects nothing.
How it scored
The overall 7.4 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Sound quality
TechGearLab calls the bass punchy and the treble sharp while noting lost midrange definition. SoundGuys measured dips at 300 to 400 Hz, at 3 kHz and a notch at 6 kHz.
Value
TechGearLab calls them one of their favourite pairs tested. Sound Sight recommends them with caveats. SoundGuys is the outlier at 6.6 out of 10.
Build quality
A metal frame that Sound Sight credits for durability, alongside ABS plastic hinges they think should have been metal, and three detachable cables.
Comfort
TechGearLab says comfortable for multiple hours. SoundGuys puts it at about two and says they are probably not great for the bespectacled. Sound Sight calls the pads thin.
Isolation
SoundGuys measured about 10 dB at 700 Hz rising to 33 dB at 4 kHz, with nothing in the low frequencies. Sound Sight puts it at 12 to 15 dB overall.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- SoundGuys measured up to 38 dB of attenuation in the high frequencies
- Three detachable cables in the box, coiled, short and long, plus an adapter
- A metal frame that Sound Sight credits with the reputation for durability
- TechGearLab calls the bass punchy and powerful and the treble sharp
- They fold reasonably small and swivel flat
- No battery and no pairing, which SoundGuys counts as fuss-free
What we didn’t
- SoundGuys measured bass rolling off below 40 Hz and blames the pad seal
- All three sources describe the midrange as recessed or lacking definition
- Sound Sight says the response is not linear enough for mixing or mastering
- SoundGuys criticises the proprietary cable connector, and Sound Sight says replacements are expensive
- SoundGuys reports heat build-up and says glasses wearers will struggle
- TechGearLab notes only a cloth drawstring bag is supplied
Specifications
| Drivers | 45 mm dynamic |
|---|---|
| Isolation | About 10 dB at 700 Hz and 33 dB at 4 kHz per SoundGuys; 12 to 15 dB overall per Sound Sight |
| Weight | 283 g per SoundGuys |
| Cables | Three detachable, 1.2 m straight, 3 m straight and a 1.2 to 3 m coiled, plus a quarter-inch adapter |
| Connector | Proprietary at the headphone end |
| Response deviations | Dips at 300 to 400 Hz and 3 kHz and a notch at 6 kHz per SoundGuys |
| Bass | Rolls off below 40 Hz per SoundGuys |
| Frame | Metal, with ABS plastic hinges |
| Case | Cloth drawstring bag only |
| Type | Closed-back, wired |
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 is the only source that measured on a test fixture and supplies the isolation figures by frequency, the specific response deviations, the weight and the cable inventory, and scored them 6.6 out of 10. TechGearLab tested them against other wired headphones and supplies the comfort and portability assessments and the qualitative sound description. Sound Sight supplies the recording-focused verdict, the build material criticism, the second isolation figure and the observation about replacement cable cost. The three give different isolation numbers and different overall verdicts, and both spreads are reported rather than averaged.
What we read
Common questions
Are the ATH-M50x good for mixing?
How much noise do they block?
Are they comfortable enough for a long session?
Why do so many people own these?
What is annoying about them?
The bottom line on the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Bought as a durable, cheap, closed-back headphone that makes music sound exciting, these have earned their reputation. Bought as a mixing reference, they will lie to you about the midrange, and one of our sources says so in as many words.
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