Audio Technica ATH-M50s Headphone Review

This is review for The Audio Technica ATH M50s. They are Undoubtedly amongst the best headphones between 100-200$ in the world. When you try searching the internet for the best headphones below 200$, you will for sure find them in almost every search.
Manufacture’s Specifications

• Type: Over Ear (Circumaural)
• Drivers Size: 45 mm
• Drivers Type:
• Frequency Response: 15-28,000 Hz
• Sensitivity: 99dB @ 1Khz 1mW
• Impedance: 38Ω
• Microphone sensitivity: NA
• Maximum Input:
• Weight:  284g without cable and connector
• Connecter: 3.5 mm gold plated straight jack
• MSRP: 199$

Design

ATH M50s are a full sized over the ear closed back studio headphones, which means they are designed to produce music and sound as they were originally recorded without any coloration or changing in the sound characteristics.

Out of the box

The ATH M50s comes packed in a transparent plastic and cardboard box along with a black semi leather draw string carry pouch so you can pack your headphones and carry them around with you.The quality of the carry pouch is acceptable, it doesn’t have any special design or logo and doesn’t protect the headphones much so you need to take care where you’re packing them, for me I personally prefer a hard carry case but that’s not a big deal because the pouch does the job its intended to do.

They have a collapsible design makes them easy to carry around, the ear-cups can swirl in 180 degrees which allows to pack them flat in case you are packing them in your bag for traveling. The headphone cable is connected to the left ear-cup and can not be detached.

The one we are doing the review on is the ATH M50s that comes with a straight cable, there is the also the ATH M50 that comes with a coiled cable. The straight cable is fairly long which can be very useful for home and studio use, but the same time it can get annoying while using on the move.

Style

They have a very simple design, with nice black color with some silver on the ear cups,not too flashy or fancy looking but decent at the same time . I like the Audio Technica name on the head-band, and you have the logo on each ear cup. They come in 3 color options: Black, white and Red.

Build quality

They have good built overall, the cable is of a good quality, thick strong and anti tangled.

The audio jack is gold plated and has a metal spring to protect the connection area. Plus the supplied 6.3mm adapter is the screw on type.

Comfort

The ear buds are very well padded with very soft foam and coated with artificial leather which makes them really comfortable to use for long hours of listening, the only issue is, they will make your head warm like most of the over-ear headphones. The head-band is also padded with foam and it sits comfortably on your head. On the other hand the long headphone cable can be a bit annoying if your using the headphones on the move because of the weight and length.

Supplied accessories

• Carry Pouch
• 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter

Sound

This is the M50s playground, putting everything aside when it come to sound quality these cans shine. Sound is their game, and they can easily compete with much more expensive headphones.

When it comes to frequency response they have a nice and even value response across the board, this is why they are classified as studio headphones, because they produce the music and sounds without any coloration. All sound are nicely detailed without and playing in harmony, and all notes played as its recorded.

Due to the good padding on the ear-cups the ATH M50 provides a good sound seal from exterior noise as a passive noise canceling and at the same time they cause very minimal sound leakage so no one around you will be disturbed while you can crank up the volume on your favorite tracks.

They are very easy to drive directly form any portable music player, but you still feel the need for an amp, its always a plus if you’re willing to invest in an amp to pair them with one even the entry level ones like the FIIO E6.

Wisemen by James Blunt instrument separation and changes in the sound moods are sweet on the ears, In Naseer Shamma’s Halat Wayd in his album Hilal the bass sounds great and the Oud sound feels like he’s playing in your living room, Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen all guitar sounds are great, The Bass sound so rich in Michael Buble’s Fever plus the vocals, trumpet and piano are amazing.

Bass: Bass is very well balanced, rich in details. They can handle all types of bass from the deep bass in house and R&B music.

Mid-range: Vocals and mids are very well presented, they are brought forward but at the same time they are not overpowering on the bass and treble. Instruments such as trumpet, piano, violin. …..etc sound great and detailed.

Treble: High notes and treble are clear and crisp, but in some audio tracks i got the feeling that i could you use a little more treble. So for listeners who like bright sound character they might prefer a little more highs.

Sound Stage and instruments separations: They have a relatively wide sound stage considering they are closed back headphones. They suit all types of music, and do a great job when it comes to instrument separation, in properly recorded audio tracks you can feel each instrument playing very clearly.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great well balanced sound
• Durable flexible build
• Collapsible design allow easier packing
• Great value for money
• Minimal sound leakage
• Good passive ambient noise isolation

Cons:

• No supplied accessories
• Not smart phone compatible
• Cable is too long for mobile use
• More suitable for home & office use than for portable use.

Conclusion

The Audio Technica ATH M50 are a great sounding pair of headphones, very good frequency response with a neutral sound character plus they are an amazing value for money

I would advise anyone who’s looking to buy a good pair of headphones with limited budget to give them a try.