Why ATH-M50??

I hear ATH-M50 EVERYWHERE on this website and I wanted to know why? I might want to try these headphones but I don't know whether the Beyer DT 1350 would be the better choice for dubstep or not. I have a lot of trouble choosing headphones because there is so much to take into account but I can't figure out what headphone would be best for dubstep. So, why do I hear everyone suggesting the ATH-M50 when it comes to...anything?

A strong bass, at a reasonable price, along with wide availability results in this pair fo headphones being recommended quite often.
 

The ATH-M50 is certainly better than the DT1350 at dubstep, but it's comparing apples and oranges. Honestly, there's a lot better cans you can get for the same or less money than the ATH-M50 in today's market. It was king in 2007, but now others have taken its place.

They were over rated headphones in my opinion. 

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ssrock64 said:

The ATH-M50 is certainly better than the DT1350 at dubstep, but it's comparing apples and oranges. Honestly, there's a lot better cans you can get for the same or less money than the ATH-M50 in today's market. It was king in 2007, but now others have taken its place.

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What headphones between 150 and 200 sound better than the ATH -M50? I've tried every headphone that Guitar Center (where I bought my ATH-M50's from) offered and nothing sounds better than the M50's in their price range or even slightly above it.

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trance88 said:

What headphones between 150 and 200 sound better than the ATH -M50? I've tried every headphone that Guitar Center (where I bought my ATH-M50's from) offered and nothing sounds better than the M50's in their price range or even slightly above it.

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That will largely depend on your taste. 
 
For me the Shure SRH 840, Alessandro MS1, Grado SR 225, Senn HD 558 and 598 (which was well under $200 when I bought it just months ago) are all clearly better.  The Beyer DT 770 Pro and Ultrasone HiFi 780 are at least its equal.

Like many, the M50 was my first venture into decent headphones, previously coming from skullcandy's. Granted, I got them before the hype and when they were $100-110, they are seriously good for their price, even at $150.

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kg jag said:

That will largely depend on your taste. 
 
For me the Shure SRH 840, Alessandro MS1, Grado SR 225, Senn HD 558 and 598 (which was well under $200 when I bought it just months ago) are all clearly better.  The Beyer DT 770 Pro and Ultrasone HiFi 780 are at least its equal.

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Hmmm. I tried the SRH840. I didn't think the sound was anything special and the comfort wasn't anything to write home about either.
 
The DT770 80 ohm version I tried as well. They would be on my head right this moment had I not heard the M50. The DT770 just didn't have as clean high frequency response as the M50 and they were harder to drive as well.
 
I have yet to try the Senns you've listed or any Ultrasones or Grados.

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trance88 said:

Hmmm. I tried the SRH840. I didn't think the sound was anything special and the comfort wasn't anything to write home about either.
 
The DT770 80 ohm version I tried as well. They would be on my head right this moment had I not heard the M50. The DT770 just didn't have as clean high frequency response as the M50 and they were harder to drive as well.

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You must like the "V" shaped EQ that the M50 and DT 770 share.  I have the 250 Ohm version of the DT 770 Pro, which most agree sounds superior to the 80 Ohm version.   My 770 has stronger bass than the M50.  However, I agree that even in the 250 Ohm version the highs of the M50 beat those of the Beyer.  The problem with both of them is recessed mids.  Mids is one of the things that the Shure does very well.

Well ultrasones excell at electronic music but there vocals sound unnatural outside of rap and hip hop,since you mentioned dubstep I would take a look at them.To add to the m50 thing,I feel its started off a little over hyped then it got completly blown out of preportion by people new to the audio world.

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skit said:

Well ultrasones excell at electronic music but there vocals sound unnatural outside of rap and hip hop,since you mentioned dubstep I would take a look at them.To add to the m50 thing,I feel its started off a little over hyped then it got completly blown out of preportion by people new to the audio world.

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Ultrasones (thinking the non basshead HiFi 780 and Pro 750) are more balanced than the the M50, but they are bright and have a signature sound that some people like and others don't.  They can be almost as polarizing as the Grado SR series.

I think the HFI-780 is has a sound that works quite well with dubstep and electronic music in general. It has very bright, sparkly highs reminiscent of the Grado line, with a big low end that compliments any bass-driven music. However, the one thing Audio-Technica does have on Ultrasone is vocals, with the midrange and low treble of the M50 complimenting female voices very well.

Is dubstep strictly what you'll be listening to? You could try V-MODA LP2 if you want lots of good bass. Or V-MODA M-80 if you want something a little more versatile. Radio Shack carries V-MODA stuff, but selection varies. And the Sennheiser HD-25-ii 1 are supposed to be great, too.

I have often seen the ATH-M50's referred to as having a "V-shaped" sound. I have also often seen them referred to as being somewhat, or mildly bass heavy.
 
I saw a post somewhere where someone said that later production ATH-M50's are more neutral and less bass heavy than ATH-M50's that were produced years ago. Basically, someone was saying that newer production ATH-M50's sound different than older production versions and are more neutral. I've never been able to verify that or seen any documentation about that.
 
All I can say is that I must really love a V-shaped sound, because I use my ATH-M50's with a FiiO E17 DAC/amp, and I leave the FiiO E17's tone control set on +2 for bass (which is the first step up from 0) for all types of music and everything I listen to.
 
I have the new model ATH-M50's in white that just came out recently, so they are definitely the newest production. In my experience, they have improved after burn-in, so I would be hesitant about any demo of ATH-M50's straight out of the box.
 
I really, really love these headphones and think they sound fantastic. I always do a little EQ'ing with anything I listen to in order to get the sound just the way I want it. I listen to rock, indie, hip-hop, reggae, blues, country, etc. and some jazz. I find the ATH-M50's to be very versatile.
 
I have not heard the other headphones listed, so I can't compare them. I do think the construction or build quality of the ATH-M50's is top-notch. I only use my ATH-M50's at home, so portability issues aren't a factor for me.
 
Are there better headphones for the same price? I don't know. All I can say is that the M50's are very good and certainly not a bad choice if you are looking for a closed headphone in their price range.
 

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stratocasterman said:

I saw a post somewhere where someone said that later production ATH-M50's are more neutral and less bass heavy than ATH-M50's that were produced years ago. Basically, someone was saying that newer production ATH-M50's sound different than older production versions and are more neutral. I've never been able to verify that or seen any documentation about that.
 

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I can confirm this. I have the older ones and my cousin has the newer ones. Mine definitely have more bass. My cousin's are closer to neutral.
 
The biggest difference in the m50 over the years is the price. They used to be a much better value than they are now. I paid $85 from an authorized dealer a few years back.