Audio-Technica ath-m50s
Introduction
Are you interested in purchasing the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s because you want to keep your music to yourself? Or perhaps, you want a great set of studio monitoring headphones for mixing great music or for traveling. If so, you need to understand what to look for when purchasing good studio headphones and why you should consider the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s studio monitor headphones.
Some people considering a purchase of a set of quality studio headphones just want to chill out listening to their favorite music. However, some people buy them for reasons other than a great listening experience. These folks fall into three categories:
1) A studio mix artist worried that his or her sound mixes may have too much bass or lacking in the high-end frequencies;
2) Audiophiles looking for a portable audio solution; or
3) People wanting noise canceling features combined with high end audio.
You probably already sense that there are low-end headphones and good studio headphones. However, even recognizing that there are cheap as well as expensive music monitoring headphones, sticker shock is harsh. If you are budgeting $150 – $200 for good studio headphones, then read through this review of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s Studio Monitoring Headphones.
What to Look for When Buying Good Studio Headphones
If you are used to wearing ear-buds, or the cheap headphones that came with your computer, then you should anticipate an adjustment period. Your brain needs to adjust to better quality music and your head and ears to being enclosed in the ear pieces. This review of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s covers these five points:
- Sound Quality
- Comfort
- Portability
- Durability
- Value
You already recognize that cheap headsets and ear buds don’t offer what you need. If you plan on daily use of your headphones, then cost becomes less important in comparison to the other benefits your Audio-Technica ATH-M50s headphones provide. Here are the details on this set of studio grade headphones.
Sound quality
To get the most out of your digital recordings you need high definition headphones and preferably headphones that deliver high quality sound without the benefit of an amplifier. If you’ve been mixing your music by relying on the sound that comes out of your speaker, you are in for a big disappointment – your speakers. When listening to your speaker-based mixes through these Audio-Technica ATH-M50s headphones, you may realize that you’ve pumped certain frequencies too much by relying exclusively on your speaker sound. If you are a DJ or do your own studio mixes, you owe it to your business to invest in studio grade monitoring headphones.
The overall sound of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s headphones is much cleaner and realistic compared to the muddy and heavy bass of some other popular headphones. M50s win for treble detail and bass satisfaction. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50s is a fitting choice for studio work (for which it is designed) and for casual listening.
How comfortable are the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s?
If you sport a large head or oversized ears, you may find the Audio-Technica M50s closed-back cushioned studio monitoring headphones uncomfortable the first time you put them on. The band tends to clamp firmly to your head, which keeps it on your head if you bounce around a bit, but I can see where people with big heads find it uncomfortable. This comment popped up in some of the online reviews, but reviewers stated that the padded headband loosened up after a few days wearing these enclosed earpiece monitoring headphones.
The Audio Technica M50s weigh a bit more than the competition’s. This is because they are “enclosed” headphones which are heavier and sturdier than the “open-air” headsets. Sealed or enclosed earpieces are ideal if you need to block out external noises. This is especially important for people listening to audio while working in a shared office environment and you don’t want to disturb your neighbors.
The earpieces on the Audio Tech ath can rotate 180 degrees. This is a nice feature if you want to listen with only one ear.
What about portability?
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50s ‘s are amazing for portable use as they are easy to drive from a portable player and sound great with pretty much every type of music you throw at it. As mentioned above, the headband fits firmly to your head to keep it in place when you are moving about the studio or walking down the city sidewalk. When you are ready to pack them away they collapse down into a nice package and slide into the protective pouch that comes with the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s headphones.
What about durability?
The construction is very durable and they collapse down solidly. In sound and construction quality, these studio headphones are built to last.
What about value?
The are Audio Technica ath-M50 are a good pair of studio headphones if you can get them for under $200 and they are a really great value at $150!
How Much Should You Expect to Pay?
You can buy Audio Technica on Amazon for only $149 plus they offer FREE shipping. They come in black. The MSRP for these superior monitoring headphones is $199.
What’s Included?
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50s are packed with a coiled cable that connects to the left earpiece. It has a gold-plated plug along with a screw-on ¼” adapter. The cable is coiled, but there is a straight model available that you can order if you prefer.
What Others are Saying
“I compared to my office-mate who owns a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. Right off the bat, we both noticed how much more open the ATH-M50 sounded.”
“Probably the most popular closed headphone in this price range for the head-fi crowd – they do have great build quality as well.”
“I spent almost a month looking for the “right” pair of headphones for my home mixing… but it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside to know that my money has been well spent.”
“OMG! I love these at first listen…The looks by the way, is really sexy and even better in person-the manufacturer’s pics don’t do it justice!”
“I never want to take these things off!!”
Any complaints?
“You will soon realize which devices you use have inferior sound cards or noisy outputs — because with these headphones it becomes obvious fast.”
“Long chord. I have to keep half of it coiled and in my pocket.”
“Stretching for 100 hours also loosened up the fit so it is very comfortable.”
Where Can You Buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s?
You can buy these great studio headphones from eBay, but Amazon offers free shipping.
Where Can You Read More Reviews for the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s?
The best place to read owner reviews about M50s is at Amazon ($149) and at Audioholics ($199 price tag). Amazon has over (130) 5-Star reviews and only (2) 2-Star reviews. Check out the Audio-Technica ATH-M50s out for yourself.
