Im probably like you right now, I was once reading reviews a bunch of comments, watching a bunch of videos of what to purchase... and everyone kept suggesting the ATH-M50x, so in a frantic search you are checking out reviews. I can honestly say that this was one of the best purchases. This headphone is great for studio use and I can easily convert to casual use. It plays great with all my songs even the ones I would like more bass with. I can easily get a flat sound while mixing. Excellent dynamic range, I can get songs down to very low frequencies without distortion. I can feel all the sub-bass frequencies , with no need for an amplifier. However, with the amplifier I sometimes felt my jaw shake! Everyone says the mids are recessed and its true, the mids arent as loud and present as the highs and lows, yet they do a great job. There is excellent separation between three aswell. The bass is never bleeding into the mids and the highs are not bleeding with the mids at all. I can play any song I want with the highest fidelity. I purchased the ATHM50XLE and still a great choice.