ATH-M50X Headphones, White | 45mm large-aperture drivers with detachable cables and 90-degree swiveling earcups for tracking, mixing and DJing

As the title reads, these headphones have meet or rather amazingly exceeded my rather high expectations from the m50's. The range of music that these can be used for is absolutely stunning. I've listened to everything from Beethoven's symphonies/sonatas, Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon', The Smiths, Kanye West's discography, to even Skrillex. The headphone's excel in almost every category of music. I reassure you that I am not ignorant or naive when on the topic of headphones. I have throughly listened to and even owned the Bose QC15's, Audio-techinca anc-9, Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro's, Monster Inspirations, Parrot Zik, V-moda M100/lp/lp2, and even the infamous Beats by Dre Studios. Certainly these are not audiophile headphones (as I am no audiophile), but rather headphones that can be used and bought by the average consumer. With these I have found that the m50's are certainly in the top in terms of value for money. Obviously the noise cancelling headphones are priced much higher than the m50, and rightly so. But I have found that when noise cancellation in activated there is slight ambient noise created by the headphones themselves, which in all honestly may not be a concern to most people but it is for me. If you are a travelling person that is exposed to lots of noisy situations the qc15 or the and-9's are the better fit for you. I myself transit much of the time. However, the loudness at which I play my music blocks out much of the noise (with the m50s which is around 50%). It all depends on how much noise that surrounds an individual. Now concerning the sound quality. The m50's are all-round headphones that play all kinds of music extremely well, as stated before. i must warn bass heads that the bass you are looking for may not satisfy your tastes. I found the bass to be just the right amount without muffling the mids or highs which is how I like it. If you want more bass go with the M100's or the Beyerdynamics COP with adjustable bass. Actually I thought the Beyerdynamic's sound signature was the closest to the m50's if the bass level with around 1.5 clicks from the top. Furthermore, the Beyer's are in the same price range as the m50x. Now with the different types of music. The symphonies (especially the Symphony No. 5 in C minor by Beethoven) in Flac format was simply incredible. It was like I was sitting front and centre listening to a live orchestra, with the violins towards the left and the violas, cellos, and basses towards the right. The strings were resonating beautifully. Now on to the late 60's and 70's with Simon and Garfunkel, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and many more. There were details that songs like Time, Money, The Boxer, Yellow Submarine, and many more that I haven't heard before so distinctively. Now with a great pair of headphone's I can truly appreciate the sound and subtleties the artists intended for us to hear. The 80's with The Smiths, Queen, and Michael Jackson just to name a few was a revolutionary decade. Once again the details exposed are stunning on almost every single artist and track. People reading this maybe more concerned with modern music and I have to say the headphones do a great job in bringing life to music. The headphones do justice to musical tastes throughout. There are many artists personally that these headphones truly do justice to: Radiohead, Outkast, Biggie, MF Doom, Eminem, Jay Z, Coldplay, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Green Day, Death Grips, Beyonce, Kid Cudi, Drake, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Bon Iver, Daft Punk, and the list goes on. Simply put, these headphones live up to the hype and I personally recommend them to almost everyone who has a passion for music. The headphones are practically a bargain with amazing sound quality. Full marks from me. PS I recommend FLAC files, the extra memory it takes up is definitely worth it. Also, if you can afford an amp or dac I would get one, the fiio amp/dacs are fairly affordable and do make a noticeable difference.

PREFACE: The last two 5 star reviews I posted on Amazon for two different pair of headphones, they were posted but when I went back to add something, both had been removed by Amazon after posted and said "they went against community standards'. There wasn't anything offensive and they were both 100% positive so I am not sure what went against "community standards", but I am gonna try again with these. We shall see.... I have several pair of open back headphones and only one pair of closed back, which is the Sennheiser HD 280. I wanted a second pair of closed back. I debated between these and the Sony 7506. Rather than ask Amazon's AI which was better (as you never get an answer), I decided to ask Google's AI, as they will state which is the better "all around" of the two. Audio Technica came out hands down in every category. So Audio Technica is was. I should mention I also have the Audio Technica 50X, open back headphones; I ill get to that later. I am not a "true audiophile' like many who post, but I know what I like. I still use my setup fro 1974 which is Sansui receiver/amp, JBL L50 speakers (back when both brands were excellent) and a Technics 1200 table along with two OPPO blu ray/SACD players. Now to the headphones. First, they are powerful and very very loud. I had to turn the volume down to "2" so I didn't go deaf. With all the other headphones I play around "4 or 5". This proved to me that higher "ohms" do not make headphones louder as my other closed back is Sennheiser HD280 and those are 64 ohms, these are only 38 ohms. So that was a lesson learned. Second, they are very well built, comfortable and look great. Third, the sound is very very balanced, even more so than some of my open backs and they have a great sound stage to them, which is not a trait with closed backs but they do. I am hearing things on these I have not heard on any of my other headphones, closed back or open back. Point of reference, the open backs I have are Sennheiser (4 pair), beyerdynamics (1 pair) and Audio Technica (1 pair and it the the 50 X is open back). Why I did my research on these, I was hesitant because the 50X open back , honestly are poor sounding compared to the Sennheiser open backs. The At's have no bass, but these closed backs have incredible bass and treble and neither high, mids or low are overshadowed by the other. As I stated my other closed back is Sennheiser HD280 and I love the way those sound, until now. I have had Sennheisers since 1970 and I am a true fan of the brand, but this particular pair of AT's has just blown me away with its clarity. After becoming use to open back headphones I never though I could ever listen to closed back again, but these have proven me wrong and it pains me to say it sound better than the Sennheiser 280 in all around clarity and depth of the highs-mid-lows. While I am not gonna go closed back headphones purchasing happy as two pair are enough and I see no reason for a third especially with the ATs, I will still continue to purchase open backs but again the AT 50 closed back may sound better than open backs. I am truly love these headphones, especially after my disappointment with the 50X open backs. These are worth the money not only for sound but for durability as they are not all plastic but have metal components. Let's see if this review goes against "community standards"

Let me start off with a disclaimer that I am rather severely hard of hearing (require good hearing aids to hear well...ish) caused by a bout with bacterial menigitis as a toddler, so take the following review for what you will. General Summary: With these, I can hear/feel bass, I can now (occasionally) hear things I couldn't hear before (eg: cymbals/high-hats on drums) and similar sounds (although my headphones are in the dangrously loud range of 85-90db+ range when I do so). Volume is not an issue with these by any means as I can actually turn them up to be loud enough to hurt my ears and force me to turn it back down (though I rarely ever have it that loud as my hearing is damaged enough as is lol). For music: The bass has will actually vibrate my headphones when turned up despite not having EQ tuned more towards bass (it's pretty flat which is another bonus as it gives you a better baseline for EQ control). I can hear certain things I never could before such as things in the "back of the mix", faint adlibs, subtle sounds such as cymbals and hi-hats on drums. For Gaming: Clarity is incredible and I have slightly more situational awareness when in games (though I still miss some things due to my hearing issues). Volume & sound feels rather "full" to me as well. I rarely ever have volume/sound issues in games with these headphones. For movie/video (youtube, netflix, etc): Outside of really soft speaking/whispering, I have absolutely no issue with hearing everything rather clearly (aside from added effects such as distortions of course, but I can barely understand that to begin with due to hearing). Even with distortions though, I can actually hear and understand it a little better than I have ever been able to with any other headphones I've ever used, personally. My previous headset was a Logitech Artimis which was surprising how good it was and until I got these, the Artimis headsets were the best I've ever used (though gaming focused)... Now? Sorry Logitech, but these are even better, however, with that said. Both are surprisingly affordable for their quality and neither use the dreaded "in-line controls" which always the weakest point and when that goes, the headphones stop working so any headphones without in-line controls will always be viewed far more favorably by me in durability... Speaking of... Durability: I've dropped these countless times (by accident... butterfingered klutz problems lol). Have accidentally "kicked" them, pulled a little too hard when there was not enough cord, and other various, minor mishaps common from daily use and they are still working fine with 0 issues or any actual damage. I have one minor gripe although I think that has more to do with my glasses (or me) than with the headphones and that is that sometimes I can't seem to make them sit comfortably on my head, but rotating the cups a little seems to help though it still takes a few minutes to get used to it again but once I do... They are incredibly comfortable and remain comfortable even after wearing them for 12+ hours a day as I do most things on the PC and at my PC most of the day, so I'm wearing the headphones more often than not. These are durable, powerful, and comfortable. The only drawback for me *personally* has less to do with the headphones and more with hardware/software of my PC which is I wish this came with an app that could read db output so I can be more conscious and careful of my hearing for it is more dangerous (for me). Thus it is more likely to cause damage for me as my starting volume is considerably higher by default due to hearing loss as the 70db range is what I need to hear well enough to follow along (I can *hear* the 60db range, but have severe trouble understanding as it's barely whisper level for me due to hearing). but that's really close to 80db range and I can easily cross over into that (and into the 90s) for long extended listening periods which can damage hearing if done for extended amounts of times. All in all, I highly recommend this product whether your hearing is normal or damaged. I have found no legitimate faults with this product. I would definitely purchase again in the future (doubly so if they create and include an app that can help keep track of db levels to add a layer of hearing protection much like apple does with their air pod ear buds and the hearing section of the health app). I would hope that if they do the app, it is free or at least cheap and affordable (like 5-10 USD at most and not something like 50-100 USD). To the person reading this: I hope this review from someone with hearing impairments was helpful in spite of the fact that I have severe hearing damage. Thank you for taking the time to read this and have a great day/night.

I've looked at and seen M50x's in the wild I don't know how many thousands of times. A good chunk of my favorite streamers and YouTubers use them, I see them out in public commonly, and every time I look at headphones on amazon, they always pop up near the top. I really hadn't written them off until I - foolishly - wore a pair of the M50xBT's at my local Best Buy, and was surprised at how uncomfortable the headband was. It felt like a 5 pound headphone was placed on my head, and I almost immediately took them off. That was somewhere in the 2019 - 2020 time period and I recently decided to give them another chance with the regular wired version, and I couldn't be more glad that I did. There had to have been something wrong with the one I tried on at Best Buy, maybe one too many people had flattened the headband out or something, I don't know. Comfort: The headband and the very light weight of this headphone make this possibly the most comfortable headphone I've ever used with a solid headband. When you see photos of this headphone, you would think there isn't very much - if any - padding on the headband, and while there isn't a massive amount, the cushion still somehow makes this thing feel more comfortable on my head than HyperX's Cloud series headsets, which are known for their comfort. The weak point on their comfort surprisingly comes from their earpads. The earpads, while tolerable for now, are absolutely going to be swapped out with Dekoni Audio Choice Leather earpads. The earpads are extremely shallow, and the ear opening in them is one of the smallest I've seen, with only the Astro A10 Gen 2 and the Picozon headset (don't even look it up, it isn't worth the 10 bucks) coming in smaller. The clamp, while tight, is also comfortable. I've had a pair of Drop x Sennheiser HD58x's since about August maybe September 2020 and have been using them commonly since then, and these don't clamp as bad as they do but it does get close. So, if you do think about buying these, maybe invest into some Dekoni earpads, or some Brainwavz earpads (since Dekoni gets EXPENSIVE) Sound: So I'm just gonna say this right now, I am no where near an audiophile and make no claims to be one, however I do know the sound signature that I like. Since I got these, I've ran these off an FX Audio DAC-X6, an iPhone 13 with the Apple Dongle, and a PS5 Dualsense controller. When I first plugged them into my PS5 controller, I was taken off guard a little by the tinny sound, but figured they just needed to be broken in a little, so I decided to break them in with the only way I know how to. Playing Black Ops Cold War. I played for a few hours, and they sounded a lot better, but still not how people have described them, so I did what people in the audio community suggested for me to do and plugged them into my amp and played white noise through them overnight and until about 2 or 3 in the afternoon. That put them where I wanted them. I could hear everything clearly and with no problem. I could hear details in music that I was never able to hear before just because of the headphones I was using. I could hear footsteps in Cold War that I wouldn't have with my A40's. My only complaint about them is that the bass isn't nearly as good as my XM4's, but I wasn't expecting it to be, and I can still EQ them. Tl;dr The M50x's are an extremely comfortable headphone, and combined with some break in time, are some of the best closed back studio/gaming headphones you can get for under 175.

TLDR love these but there are some design issues that make them uncomfortable and less durable, they are great headphones for editing but I have had some issues using them as a voice actor while recording so they're not as versatile for recording artists in my opinion. (see below) I'm a full time narrator recording 5-6 days a week and these have been my go-to headphones for the last 4 years. I have yet to find anything that comes close to the sound quality at this price point and overall I've been really happy with the price, sound, the clamp, the flexibility with changing out chord types, and the portability. I do have a few qualms with the comfort and design that have me debating if I want to buy another pair but without shelling out a lot more $ these still feel like the best option at this price point. My issues are that the material on the ear pads and band across the top disintegrates very quickly and sheds everywhere and, while you can replace the ear pads (which I did) you can't replace the band. Mine started shedding within the first year and are almost completely disintegrated now. I get pieces in my hair, ears, on my face, and all over my booth and it's very annoying. Second issue is that I have a small head and these are slightly too big even though they're adjustable. As a result the ear pads sit a little too low on my jaw which affects the sound quality and interferes with facial expressions when I get more animated. In order to remedy this I wrapped a satin cloth around the band to try to make them fit a little better on the top of my head but this gets uncomfortable after a while. The third main issue is they are clicky when they move while on your head. I've been able to EQ a lot of these noises out but sometimes I have to stop and retake something because the headphones are making noise (perhaps if they fit better over my ears they wouldn't move as much). Today a piece of plastic broke off when I was twisting the ear pads into position and that earpad has completely lost it's "clamp" and won't stay on my ear anymore so they've officially bit the dust. They lasted 4 years and were great headphones but perhaps not the best fit for people with small heads or for long term daily use for folks who record with them. That said I may still get them again because they lasted this long and I figured out how to make them work as best I could.

First, I am not an audiophile, so this review is for us mere mortals with normal ears. I understand there are super tasters, and probably super listeners. I am not a super listener, and am willing to accept that my ears are "normal". If you are an audiophile, or "super listener" just move on. Please don't buy these and leave a negative review. Leaving a negative review is not useful to the other 95% of humans. Accept that you have an incredible sense level that most of us don't have. I gave these a 5 star audio quality because a normal person can easily tell the difference between these and a gaming headset, for example. This is an important quality for normal human use. A lot of "high end" headsets are indistinguishable, for normal people, to a headset like these. For listening to music and sound accuracy, these are simply amazing. They are not insane bass headphones. The bass is good, but it's normal good, it is not amplified to ridiculous levels like some headphones. The sound seems neutral and relatively balanced. The sound is much more detailed than any other headset I've used in the past. There are smaller details on a lot of the music that I listen to that I never noticed before. Again, this is from the perspective of a normal human with normal ears, so there is a good chance you will be able to have the same results. Noise cancellation I gave a 4 star because they do block a ton of sound but are not active noise cancellation. So there is room for improvement but they are still very good. Normal people won't have an issue with this I don't think. One thing to note here is if you have ears that stick out these will be uncomfortable. The pads are comfortable enough, but the foam over the speakers are irritating on the ears. This doesn't bother me because my ears sit close to my head. Your mileage may vary here. For gaming I gave these a 4 star. It's hard to rate these for gaming, because gaming is not the primary purpose of these headphones. They are a 4 star for me, personally. It honestly depends on what you are looking for in a gaming headset. If you are looking for sound accuracy these are amazing. If you want massive explosion booms with overly loud bass in call of duty, these might not be for you. If you want overly sensitive and loud treble so you can hear footsteps from a mile away, these are not for you. To be clear, these do both of those things, but they do so in a balanced and accurate way. These are not "competitive" level for gaming. However, if you play casually and not competitively, these are an amazing set for gaming. These will produce a more natural sound, which is something the vast majority of gaming headsets do not do. Most gaming headsets focus more on treble for competition. They do not offer a natural sounds. One could argue this headset is closer to how the sound designers intended you to hear their games than a gaming headset, counterintuitively. Who are these for? These are not for professionals or audiophiles. These are for mortal listeners. If you are a mortal listener, you can easily tell the difference in sound and appreciate what these have to offer. You absolutely cannot say that about a lot of "audiophile" headsets that cost a ton more. This headset is good enough for anyone to appreciate the difference in quality. These are not for people who need a non-balanced sound. I am not criticizing the need for those kinds of headsets at all. They perform their function well. This is not one of those. To sum this review up, these are incredible headphones for the value if you want a balanced, accurate, sound profile. These are "just buy it" quality for normal humans.

Edit: This review is from a viewpoint of someone who haven't used the previous M50 version. This review is generally about the overall quality of this headphone! My Review: This is one of the best headphone I've owned. Even more expensive headphones like the Sennheiser HD series (besides the HD800 I guess) are not as good as this one. There are several factors that make this headphone awesome: Comfort: 10/10 First of all, I want to talk about the component that separates this headphone from the Sennheiser HD series or other headphones; the comfortable of this headphone is unmatchable by other brand headphones. I have big ears and the ear cups fit perfectly inside my ears as well as the tightness of the ear cups doesn't hurt my ears either which helps with extended listening/wearing. The earcups are made out of some sort of soft leatherish rubber which is once again...super soft and comfortable. Same thing for the headband, it's so soft and fit to my head so well. They also put some sort of soft cushion under the earpads for extra comfort. Which are all pretty neat and cool features. Sound Quality 30/30: +Highs 10/10: Perfect, crisp +Mids 10/10: Really clear and balance +Lows 10/10: Very good base and smooth. I'm not an expert or audiophile but dang this headphone sounds good. Everything sounds differently, every song sounds like a new song and you can hear everything in the audio file as long as you have the good enough quality audio track. I've listen with this headphone from all kinds of music: classic, rock, pop, alternative, etc. Everything just sound so good. In my own opinion, I think that this headphone sounds better than the Sennheiser HD598 HD280 380 because of the improved base as well as the clearer background I guess (just my own opinion). Also in my own opinion, I think this headphone is better than the Bose QC15 and is comparable to the Shure SHR1440. Overall, everything sounds smooth crisp with incredible base. Get this for your own to try it out and you'll see what I mean. (I will update more as I break it in a little bit more, could be even better :D) Looks 9.99/10: It looks great and well... This is again a personal reference/opinion. This headphone is very fashionable and awesome looking. It's also very light so you can wear it outside no problem! This is just my opinion on the look but you can look at the picture and judge for yourself. :D Feels 10/10: Very solid and durable. Inside is made out of metals/aluminum (I'm not really sure). You can feel the quality of it from top to bottom , it feels very dense and solid (unlike the plasticky feel from say the QC15 or HD380)...From the ear cups to the leather padding. It's a great built headphone overall. The cables are also thick and durable (I like the coil one because I tend to move around a lot). Overall, great upgrade from the last model (which I never own one, I took this sentence from reading other reviews :D) Pricing 10(+5) or 15/10: For a headphone like this,I could pay 400 dollars for it and still feel worth it. I don't know, may be it's just me but I feel like getting this headphone for just around 200 dollars (plus tax) from Amazon is way too cheap. With this awesome quality built, comfort level as well as supreme sound, this headphone is way too good for its price/competitor. [Hurry, get this now before Audio Technica raise the price:) ...jkjk haha] Conclusion: That's all I have for now. I hope you find my review helpful and help you somewhat make up your mind to purchase a great headphone. If anyone would ask me which headphone to buy within the 500 dollars range, I would tell them to save the other 300 and get this headphone in a heartbeat! Some extra comparison: -ATH-M50x or Beats Pro HD $500 => Beats: Broncos ATH-M50x: Seahawks (lol sorry Broncos fans) -This heaphone or QC15: This headphone for sound quality and price. QC15 for sound cancellation. About the same comfort level. P/S: Sorry for any grammatical errors or mistakes. Please feel free to leave any comments, improvements that I could make for my reviews as well as some more comparisons that I could do. Thanks again for reading my review!

This has to be one of the best headphones that I've bought... Period. \\The Sweetcake// I received it on March 14 and my oh my the packaging is exquisite that I don't want to get rid of the product box,open it and you receive 3 interchangeable cables to suit your need whether you want to use the short 1.2 m (3.9') for your Android or smartphone , the coiled cable, 3.0 m (9.8') AND the straight cable 1.2 m - 3.0 m (3.9' - 9.8') for your studio it will provide the cleanest connection from the ATH-M50x jack to whatever device you wanted connected to , I've tried all of the cables for a long duration and they are solid , they muster took great deal making those because each cable feels very thick and durible yet not heavy , that's amazing. . The cable option is a plus for me and its a good thing that I heard from the internet that there is a version of the ATH-M50 that you don't need to mod it in order to change its cables . \\The Build Quality// Its a mix between plastic and solidity that you should keep in mind because if this was complete build balls-to-the-wall-style then I don't think Audio Technica would go cheap and seriously this headphone should have cost about 220$ at max , however the feelings of the ear pads and the weight of headphones makes you want to be a little more careful when holding/using it because to me its like holding a white gem (Considering I have choose the white color and its a great color in paint , I don't see those very often) you can swiveling the ear cups 90° if you want to keep one on your ear and the other outside to keep an ear out . \\Comfort// These are one of the most comfortable headphones that I've ever had and that's no exaggeration , I'm a guy who sits on his chair listening to music and I do have the constitution to be sitting for about 24 hours and I can tell you it doesn't hurt , the cups have this hexagon look in detail and it feels like leather , maybe because it actually is from the start and no wonder really . I've moved from the usage and comfort of the Razer Tiamat 7.1 to this ... and you know what ? I'll throw away a Tiamat just for this. \\Sound Quality// Keep in mind this is my first entry to a professional headphone level that's meant for home/pro studio level of use and I'm kinda on the not know it expert of audio in a way but I do know the essentials that I know that in the ends matters . I listen to any kind of music that has great melodies,classical music and the "catchy" factor, from Beethoven "Symphony No.5 In C minor" , Pink Floyds Album "The Darkside Of The Moon" to Andrew - Zircon - Aversa's "Identity Sequence" and Son Lux's "Lanterns"... It was really a trip. The lows were punchy and powerful and have more energy then anything , the mids feels right , clear and smooth and the highs were crisp and not sharp but you know that when a mid and high collides together to sound like an orchestra , I can tell you for sure that this headphone does it right . I didn't mention the bass though , I like my headphones to be bass natural at best and this one brings it up just fine , it gives me that I'm actually there in the field and I close my eyes , I feel like I'm going to another worlds and its just ... Damn, just damn. When I was browsing there was one reviewer in Amazon who mentioned that some details in Pink Floyds tracks from his "The Dark Side Of The Moon" like Money and Time had a lot of details that he couldn't hear but he said that the ATH-M50x brings up life to music , I'd like to stand beside the person who wrote that statement because it is true , not only true but its an amazingly true fact with jaw dropping results . Now keep in mind I hook this up to a dedicated sound card that came with the motherboard for my PC that I use , a SupremeFX X-Fi Audio Card , There is no problems whatsoever . I hooked it up to my Android Galaxy S III with no need for phone amps since this is a 38 ohms in Impedance , sound quality still great . I use the headphone not only for music and for gaming too , It gave me an immerse feeling that I never felt I had before in the Razer Tiamat 7.1 . I also work on mixing and producing music and after closer evaluation I know this is a keeper . \\The Looks// You should look at the pictures and videos , I don't know what to say more then that , it looks like a gem , but then again who cares about the look ? , as long as it delivers what you need . Overall : If you are looking for a professional headphone that kick the sweet spot right in the ear every time for every thing you do digitally , then this is for you . If you are looking for a headphone that looks great , sounds great and looks great all for under 200$ then this is for you . Buy it , you wont regret it .

Very sensitive and clear sound. Good for my monitoring needs, also good stereo separation for gaming.

ATH-M20xの音もすごく良いと思ってましたが買い換えたらなんじゃこりゃ全く異次元に凄いリアリティーというのか特に低音が出てるわけでもない無いけどバランスが良いのだろう玉置浩二さんが耳元で歌って居るように思えて感動が押し寄せるコレが200万でなくて2万円なんてヤバいねやばいよやばいよ～オーディオテクニカ凄いぞ！日本万歳！

Very good headphones. Clear sound and good bass.

Un livraison express et un excellent son pour un prix raisonnable

[màj du 05/07/2017] Bon, avant de poursuivre par une longue tirade je commence tout de suite par la conclusion: ce M50X est encore meilleur que son prédécesseur M50. Comme quoi avec un X ça va tout de suite mieux (!) Tranquillement l'air de rien, sans aucune publicité les gens se le procurent et l'adorent. Sans se ruiner. Et malgré moultes gesticulations marketing coûteuses une nouvelle fois la concurrence se prend une baffe! Attention soyons clairs: c'est un modèle de connaisseur, très largement utilisé chez les pros notamment dans les studios d'enregistrement et certaines régies TV. Pour les autres, les amateurs avertis, ses très hauts niveau de technicité et de musicalité sont tout à fait recommandés pour de l'écoute dite "Hi-Res" sur des lecteurs numériques de qualité (DAP audiophiles). Ça passe aussi sur les smartphones mais dans ce cas c'est comme donner de la confiture à un cochon. Mais bon, ça sera toujours mieux dessus que vos intra blanc d'Apple ou votre Beats Pro à 400 EUR dont seulement 13 ont servi à sa fabrication... Avant de poursuivre, bref historique sur les tarifs et modèles: le mythique modèle original ATH-M50 a été produit de 2007 à fin 2014 (dernier prix que j'ai pu voir en fin de série: 109 EUR ici sur Amazon). Il s'en est vendu des palettes entières. En 7 années, plusieurs déclinaisons de ce ATH-M50 sont apparues. Les différences portaient sur deux éléments: la couleur et le type de câble. Ce nouveau modèle ATH-M50X est disponible depuis fin janvier 2014. Lui aussi se décline en versions colorées et cette fois TOUS les câbles sont livrés sur toutes les versions: droit (pour le salon), spiralé (pour le salon/studio) et court (pour le nomadisme). Mon analyse qualitative que je vous rapporte ici, semblable à celles de tant d'autres, est qu'il s'agit de l'un des meilleurs casques d'écoute / monitoring pro qu'il soit possible de trouver sur le marché. Et ça dure comme ça depuis 10 ans. Ce casque est tout particulièrement adapté aux musiques modernes, par essence massivement rythmées par une électronique aux dynamiques compressées. En revanche pour une écoute acoustique, jazz ou classique par exemple, un casque "ouvert" (type ATH-R70X) est à mon sens plus adapté que celui-ci qui est "fermé". Le niveau de cheval dont il est capable est déraisonnablement élevé mais en toute circonstance ce casque offrira à son auditeur une sensation sonore totalement inédite. Bien que nous n'arriverez jamais à le saturer sans perdre 15dB à chaque oreille, quelles que soient les fréquences à reproduire il sera d'une précision chirurgicale dans les transitoires. Sur un casque de même pas 150 euros ça parait suspect et pourtant: l'ampleur et le rendu sonore sont tout à fait sensationnels voire carrément spectaculaires! Son isolation, sans valoir des intra, est au-delà de toute attente et a même été améliorée par rapport au modèle précédent. Son confort est lui aussi plus agréable: cette fois-ci on ne le sent plus. Quant à sa construction, robuste ce casque est à l'épreuve des balles! Attention cependant, mon précédent M50 s'était usé sur le revêtement simili cuir de l'arceau. Soyons donc vigilants à l'avenir sur ce point pour son successeur M50X. Pour résumer: il conviendra tout aussi bien au DJ (niveaux de puissance/sensibilité élevés et faible impédance sans aucune saturation ni distorsion + système de pivot d'écouteurs très utile pour la pratique du DJing), au musicien dans son home-studio, au mélomane dans son salon bien sûr et quoiqu'un peu lourd (et encore ça se défend), au nomade (on en voit de plus en plus dans les transports). Mais quand même: grosse marade que de voir ces rayons "hi-tech" spécialisés toujours aussi saturés de casques scandaleusement onéreux et médiocres face à ce ténor! Il détrône haut la main et sur tous les plans les fameux cabassets au plastique brillant arborant un petit "b" fashion outrageusement tape à l’œil, affichés de partout à plusieurs centaines d'euros, markétés à l’excès par un docteur bien connu puis repris aujourd'hui par une marque tout aussi connue répondant à des critères marketing identiques. Ce docteur qui, au passage, avait lui-même adopté l'ancêtre M50 du temps de son job en studio... Je ne parle pas plus de l'autre américain, vous savez, celui avec un grand "B" suivi de 3 lettres que l'on voit partout dans les transports! Car tout comme petit "b", grand "B" a lui aussi honte de fournir les specs de ses casques tellement ils reproduisent mal la musique. Non mais on rêve, soyons sérieux tout de même! Pour ceux qui se seraient décidés à acheter cette merveille japonaise, sachez qu'un Audio-Technica a besoin de temps pour mûrir. Cela dit j'avoue que ce nouveau modèle M50X est quasi mûr out-of-the-box (belle la box à propos). Je vous conseille cependant de le faire fonctionner quelques heures à un niveau normal/soutenu d'écoute, de manière à façonner définitivement le son de ce nouvel ami (je parle ici du "headphones burn-in", le rodage quoi). Le plus simple est de passer la musique que vous écoutez. Certains conseillent même de jouer des fichiers de bruits "colorés" (blanc, rose ou marron) ou de forme sinusoïdale logarithmique de 5 à 30kHz. Bon OK, je l'ai fait moi-même sur ce M50X. Fichiers facilement trouvables sur le net ou bien à générer soi-même par des softs d'édition audionumérique (audacity est simple et gratuit). Bon OK et ensuite? et *seulement* ensuite? Et bien vous y êtes: sentez, goûtez, écoutez, et redécouvrez la musique. Car au final, c'est bien de musique dont il s'agit! Audio-Technica, premier fabricant de casques au Japon, grand spécialiste du microphone et des cellules pour platines vinyles des premiers "get down" des 70's est surtout très présent sur le marché pro, même s'il se fait désormais connaitre auprès du grand public par une gamme très large d'équipements. Comme ce fut le cas pour son grand-frère, ce M50X se classe lui aussi n°1 sur critères qualitatifs par des milliers d'utilisateurs. Jugez vous-même: sur un "review site" bien connu, dont le nom commence par "test" et fini par "freaks", les utilisateurs du M50X lui attribuent une note moyenne de +4.9/5 pour +2500 votes (M50 en 2014: +9.4/10 pour 775 votes). Aucun autre casque au monde n’obtient de note aussi élevée avec autant de votes; même pas les hauts de gamme de chez Focal, AKG, Shure, Sennheiser ou Beyer Dynamic... Aussi bien à ce prix? Réponse simple: ça n'existe pas. Musicalement