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HELP! My new Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones might be broken..

post #1 of 22
3/29/09 at 8:07pm
Thread Starter 
Hi, I am new. I bought the M50s two days ago and I am worried they might be broken. When I listen to loud guitars that push certain frequencies I hear a rattle like if the speaker was broken. But everything else sounds perfect.
What could be the problem?
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50S
post #2 of 22
3/29/09 at 8:26pm
There is a possibility that a hair some other foreign object got on the driver. The only way to be sure is to take them apart. If that doesn't appeal to you then you should return them if still under warranty.
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post #3 of 22
3/30/09 at 7:46am
Thread Starter 
It makes that sound on both left and right channel.
Is it possible that the speakers brake and sound bad only on certain frequencies?
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post #4 of 22
3/30/09 at 10:23am
I wouldn't think so.

Maybe what you are hearing is the a really aggressive master that clips. Does this happen all the time with any song?
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post #5 of 22
3/30/09 at 10:42am
Check another pair of cans with the same passage and see if they rattle.
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post #6 of 22
3/30/09 at 12:25pm
Thread Starter 
Here is the whole story... LONG
I went to the shop and tried various headphones with my Creative mp3 player. Including these particular headphones. I tried maximum volume and there was no problem.
When I arrived home I plugged them in my pc sound card: EMU1820m. Played the same songs that I had in the MP3 only with the original cd with Windows Media Player. The sound was terribly distorted.
So I lowered the output of the headphones on the sound card but there still was distortion only at lower level.
Then I tried the same CD on my Macbook and on my hi-fi systems cd player directly form the headphone output and the sound was crystal clear.
So I went back to the PC but this time I lowered the volume on WMP and raised the headphone output. The distortion was gone.
Then I played a MP3 of electronic music with WMP and even if I raised the volume there was no rattling.
So I started to think that the headphone cannot take to much output on certain frequencies that loud rock guitars have. Which the most I listen and play...
Then yesterday I was playing guitar through GarageBand on my MacBook and when I tried a certain guitar preset (Glam... ) there was again the distortion.
And the thing that worries me most is that it sounds like blown speakers but only on those frequancies... I can play Techno-house-drum'n'bass at any volume with no problem...

I'll try to ask to the shop if they let me try another set at home. But I doubt they will.
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post #7 of 22
3/30/09 at 12:32pm
Can you bring your MacBook and guitar into the shop?
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post #8 of 22
3/30/09 at 1:06pm
when i read the first post i thought he might have been listening to the cd version of death magnetic..
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post #9 of 22
3/30/09 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks TopPop i didn't think of that possibilty.
I was listening to Unsane! UNSANE on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
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post #10 of 22
4/1/09 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 
I went to the shop. The salesman told me that the headphones work fine and I use them at too high volume. But gave me a new set to try an home.
I tried the new set and it does the same thing.
I do listen at high volumes sometimes. But it is acceptable for me and want to be able to listen at that volume.
Should I try another headphone? Maybe an open one? Or get an amplifier?
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post #11 of 22
4/1/09 at 6:27pm
Are you EQing in anyway?

When you said using a certain "guitar present", it sure sounds like EQing to me.
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post #12 of 22
4/2/09 at 5:58am
humm... i haven't had any problems with my ATH-M50s and i use them with logic unamped from my macbook pro. have you tried to replicated the exact same circumstances with another pair of cans? at this point i think all you can do is troubleshoot each part of the setup (i.e. test your source, check the plugs, check the sound clip, see if there are any radio/magnetic objects like sub-woofers in the vicinity of your workspace, etc.). good luck!
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post #13 of 22
4/2/09 at 11:17am
Thread Starter 
moonboy403 I don't know what you mean.

smallcaps the problem is that the headphones can't handle the volume I want. I tried two different pair...

What type of headphone should I look if I want a pair that can handle more volume?
Higher impedance? Open back?
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post #14 of 22
4/2/09 at 3:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lorenzo8 View Post
moonboy403 I don't know what you mean.
If you are adding any EQ the distortion you hear could be clipping caused by the EQ. If you add to frequencies with the EQ it is possible to clip those frequencies.

When using an EQ you should set it to decrease the frequencies you don't want rather than boost the frequencies you want. You end up with the same net result just at a softer level. Nothing gets boosted beyond their normal level so no potential for clipping. There are other ways around the problem as well, but in general the rule of thumb to never boost always cut will work.

If you are using EQ then try the headphones with no EQ. That will take the EQ and the possibility of the EQ clipping out of the equation.
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post #15 of 22
4/2/09 at 9:33pm
Thread Starter 
I do not use an equalizer before my headphones.

Any suggestions regarding some headphones that should handle more volume?
I'm starting to think I don't really necessarily need closed backs. Would open ones give the impression of higher volume?
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50S
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