ATH M50 Expectations? - Page 6

I found the bass boost in the Fiio to work better than my phones or netbooks eq.

SQ isn't exactly better with the Fiio. I needed one because my phone and netbook can't drive my headphones well. The Fiio gives it the necessary boost to drive them.

I honestly preferred the sound of my M50s straight from my iPhone 3Gs than my FiiO E1 - but mostly because I found the mids on the E1 too 'relaxed' and they just didn't seem to synergise well with my M50s. Sound was maybe a tad snappier and spacier.

The sound out of my uDac with my M50s has a modest but worthwhile improvement. Bass is a little tighter, which is nice, and the mid - high ratio sounds a little more balanced. These cans can scale up on better amps and stuff, but they definitely don't need an amp to sound great.

I demoed the M50 today at Guitar Center, and I was immediately impressed with their level of detail and balance. For the sub $100 price for closed cans, they really can't be beat. The DT770 80ohm on the other hand, sounded pretty awful and muddy and I took them off after ten minutes or so.

(I was running them out of my P51, but I believe almost all sub $150 cans don't noticeably benefit from amping.)

You aren't the brightest bulb in the chandelier are you?

I have used mine with an E5 and I don't think it's worth it if you're worried about adding more bulk, but for 20 bucks, it's worth a try. Sometimes I use it with my RSA hornet, it adds a little more soundstage and tighter bass, but for $400, the improvement in sound quality is minimal.

I completely agree with you on the DT770 80 the first day I got them. After letting them burn in for a few days, they opened up and cleared up. They are now CLEARER and punchier than the M50s. They are still somewhat similar sounding, with the M50s being more balanced, and the DT770s being bassier. They are no longer muddy though.

I can A/B them anytime I want, so I know for sure the DT770s are clearer.

Not by much, which makes the M50 a smarter purchase.

As for the M50 headband, I stretched them out a little and they felt just right afterwards.

sweet, i was gonna buy either this or shure 440's went for the 440's simply cause its like 5 minute walk from home and i can return it if i dont like it, and i dont like waiting for purchases <_< but i know u payed well for your money...also looking for a portable amp now ..but anyways, high end audio seems like dangerous territory for your wallet, and this forum doesn't help much

Just got my M50s today as well. I am just running them out of my X-Fi right now. Pretty impressive.

The bass scales well depending on the type of music. Black Eyed Peas sound great and so does Norah Jones. Not a lot of headphones can do that. Some instruments can have a little too much weight to them, but nothing bad unless you like analytical. I love the detail in the treble area, not to much, not too little. Some music is recessed in the upper mids/lower treble. I was listening to some live music and clapping from the crowd sounded distant and compressed compared to other phones I have had. The Headroom graph shows a quick, steep dip in that area.

As for soundstage, I am pretty impressed. Everyone was saying it wasn't great. It only extends slightly out of your head, but what's in your head has nice separation so it feels bigger. My HD580's don't have great soundstage so it wasn't much of a change.

They do clamp quite a bit and were actually hurting my jaw. I'm sure some bending of the headband can resolve this. They're a bit heavy, but the headband feels comfortable so far. The pads get warm fast, but they are pleather. Overall not too bad.

Nice job Audio Technica. Unfortunately I picked mine up from an Amazon partner and they sent me used phones, so they will be going back tomorrow and I'll buy them from a more reputable place. Still not sure if I want to change to a straight cable. Anyhow, for the price I have a hard time believing these can be beat.

I prefer the coiled version. My other headphone's cables are too long and always get in the way. I've recabled a couple of them with shorter cables. The good thing about the coiled cables is that it doesn't get in the way, but will extend when needed.

The burn-in must be the trick. The M50s were demo units (very used), but when I requested other recommendations they pulled out other stuff new from the box, a DT770 80ohm and Shure SRH840 - Price point aside, I'd rank the Shures > M50 > DT770 > HD280(?). For some reason I didn't like the HD280 sound too much, can't exactly describe it. It's very different, but can't say I dislike it, so it gets a tentative question mark.

Edit: Would have most likely pulled the trigger on the SRH840 if not for waiting to try the ESW9 - that wood beauty demands love and attention.

OMFG! I read some reviews about these not scaling that well with an amp. I moved recently and didn't have my equipment hooked up. I decided to hook up my Entec DAC and SOHA Tube Hybrid amp tonight. I am running bit-matched out of my X-Fi with a coax cable, listening to the same Flac files I did my earlier test with. These headphones turned into a a different beast! Almost all of the recession and extra weight is gone and these opened up like a $2 hooker. So much for portable, these are now relegated to desk duty until I can find a portable amp that opens these up like the SOHA did. I didn't realize how bad the X-Fi amp was until tonight. BTW, they sound pretty bad straight out of my 3GS in case anyone is wondering.

Question - Is the strain relief on the cable suppose to be attached to the plug? I am asking because mine is not and I am putting together all the reasons why I know this is a used headphone for the seller so I can get a refund.

I don't really believe in burn in much, but it proved to be true in the case of the DT770s. I was ready to box them back up and get a refund but decided on at least trying to burn them in and give them a chance. I'm glad I did. They are now my FAVORITE headphone, even besting the DT880s for me. The DT880s are of a higher quality and standard, but I like the fun sound the DT770s have. They are awesome with movies and video games. I prefer the DT880s with video games because of their awesome soundstage and accurate representation, but they are a balanced beast, and I prefer more of a bassy, fun headphone for most things.

I too had a severe dislike for the HD280s. I borrowed my friend's well used HD280, and didn't like anything about them ESPECIALLY their eye popping clamping force. They were absolutely hurtful to wear.

To be on topic, the M50s are probably my 3rd fave headphone in sound after the DT770 and XB700s. I prefer the sound of the M50s over the DT880. That's saying a lot.

Yup.

So far I love how the M50's bass can go low, but not drown out the clear mids and highs.