The ATH-m50 is my first ever headphone, not including the $2 ear-buds of course. Before the m50, I was just listening to ear-buds and didn't have much affection for music reproduction. However, this has changed once I had the m50 in March 2014, which made my wallet quite unhappy as I made several other purchases such as the AUNE T1 DAC/AMP and the Focal Spirit One.
Comfort:
I think the m50's overall comfort is not bad, especially compared to my Focal spirit One. You do feel the clamping force on your head as soon as you put it on and it does not disappear even after six months of use. The clamping force didn't annoy me much, but when I listen to it for long session, I had to take them off every hour or so as the ear-pads were too sweaty and uncomfortable. Another reason for this, is that the pleather ear pads are not very soft and changing it to the velour ear pads may be better.
Build Quality:
The m50 is build like a tank although it is full of plastic. I do take a lot of care for my headphones, but after six months of use, there are still no dents or scratches that I can find!
Sound:
The bass is definitely emphasized which can be good or bad depending on the genres you are listening to, although emphasized, it is not bothering and is very enjoyable. The treble is sometimes fatiguing as it reaches the higher notes, which is quite disappointing for me as I found the spirit one to be much better for my taste and music. Soundstage is better than the Spirit one, and good for a closed back. The soundstage is not mind blowing, but it does give a good overall presentation of where the music are coming from. I THINK they do burn in, as I found the bass to be much tighter after a few months use, however it may just be more perception.
Conclusion:
The m50 is definitely a good entry to Hi-Fi although it is not a Hi-Fi headphone, it gave me an enormous difference in listening to music. I can be sure of one thing, once you listen to the m50, you can never ever go back to your $2 ear-buds again!
Comfort:
I think the m50's overall comfort is not bad, especially compared to my Focal spirit One. You do feel the clamping force on your head as soon as you put it on and it does not disappear even after six months of use. The clamping force didn't annoy me much, but when I listen to it for long session, I had to take them off every hour or so as the ear-pads were too sweaty and uncomfortable. Another reason for this, is that the pleather ear pads are not very soft and changing it to the velour ear pads may be better.
Build Quality:
The m50 is build like a tank although it is full of plastic. I do take a lot of care for my headphones, but after six months of use, there are still no dents or scratches that I can find!
Sound:
The bass is definitely emphasized which can be good or bad depending on the genres you are listening to, although emphasized, it is not bothering and is very enjoyable. The treble is sometimes fatiguing as it reaches the higher notes, which is quite disappointing for me as I found the spirit one to be much better for my taste and music. Soundstage is better than the Spirit one, and good for a closed back. The soundstage is not mind blowing, but it does give a good overall presentation of where the music are coming from. I THINK they do burn in, as I found the bass to be much tighter after a few months use, however it may just be more perception.
Conclusion:
The m50 is definitely a good entry to Hi-Fi although it is not a Hi-Fi headphone, it gave me an enormous difference in listening to music. I can be sure of one thing, once you listen to the m50, you can never ever go back to your $2 ear-buds again!