For the money these headphones feel, and are, very special. From the experience of opening them, to laying out your accessories, it becomes immediately clear that Audio Technica wants you to feel special with the M50x's. The headphones feel very robust and premium. The hinges still feel strong after almost a year of hard use. The vinyl ear cups are still in great nick, even tho I've experimented swapping them out with Shure 1540 cups for improved comfort(you lose out on the lows if you do). They come with 3 cables that can be replaced, but they're very well made, Build quality is top notch here is what I'm saying. The cables can also be used on Senheisser 598's, and I dare say, are an improvement over Senheissers included cable.
The sound is huge. It's very balanced, but kicks hard. They may not have the fine nuances of a very nice pair of open back's, but they are reference monitors. Every sound is clear, present, and balanced.
The only downside is the tight fit. The supra-aural cups are very plasticy and smooth. They're soft, but they clamp hard. You can swap them out for Shure cups(I used 1540's), or some custom velour pads, but you lose the lows badly. My ears will get sore with the OEM cups after about 45mins, and if it's warm they'll get sweaty and slippery, which is uncomfortable at the best of times.
You'll see gains from a DAC/amp, especially in the lows, and the clarity of things like drums in rock songs, but they still sound wonderful without.
Overall 9.5/10 for build quality, sound quality, versatility. 0.5 deducted because I never want to take them off, but sometimes I have to to give my ears a break.
The sound is huge. It's very balanced, but kicks hard. They may not have the fine nuances of a very nice pair of open back's, but they are reference monitors. Every sound is clear, present, and balanced.
The only downside is the tight fit. The supra-aural cups are very plasticy and smooth. They're soft, but they clamp hard. You can swap them out for Shure cups(I used 1540's), or some custom velour pads, but you lose the lows badly. My ears will get sore with the OEM cups after about 45mins, and if it's warm they'll get sweaty and slippery, which is uncomfortable at the best of times.
You'll see gains from a DAC/amp, especially in the lows, and the clarity of things like drums in rock songs, but they still sound wonderful without.
Overall 9.5/10 for build quality, sound quality, versatility. 0.5 deducted because I never want to take them off, but sometimes I have to to give my ears a break.
