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Audio Technica M50 and M-Audio Q40: more similar than different...?

post #1 of 2
2/14/12 at 11:44pm
Thread Starter 

If anyone has heard these two headphones, would they be confident in telling them apart in a blind test?

 

I was going to get a Q40 as a compliment to the M50, as I've heard they have more forward mids and a less bright treble - but are these differences so subtle that you wouldn't even be able to tell them apart in a blind test?

 

How different are they?

 

Thanks in advance!!

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post #2 of 2
2/14/12 at 11:54pm

The biggest difference between the headphones are in the bass response and soundstage. The Q40 has like twice as strong bass punch/impact but it's also more textured, tighter, completely free from midrange bass bleed. The midrange I think is probably just a tiny bit more forward but I don't think M50 lacked in midrange, at least the pair I tried (I believe there's 2 different M50 versions floating out there, one that's bass heavier with more recessed mids and another with slightly less bass and more forward mids and I believe I heard the latter). Soundstage is also noticably bigger with better imaging/positioning.

 

FR graph comparisions from goldenears:

 

M50:

5ebeef5a42b3c36d1db184b973db8d02.png

 

Q40:

02e3d489ef910abf9d3a5837161cd5fb.png

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