Just as a note I bought my pair in the dark green scheme, because the standard black pair I thought i wanted had run out of stock at the store. In hindsight now I think it looks ace compared to the black ones, which some have complained of looking a bit underwhelming against the more fashion-oriented pairs (Senn Momentum, V-modas, etc. etc.) on the market today.
The ATH-M50x (and the ATH-M50 before it) has always been the go-to recommendation in the under $200 circuit for quite a while now. And its hasn't taken me long after getting them to see why. The bass on these cans are fantastic. They strike the middle ground for me between my two previous pairs - the Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear and the HD439. The bass on the Momentum was great fun, but a bit overwhelming at times, especially with my selection of hip-hop and rap. On the other hand the HD439s were quite neutral, which is great no question about it - and it was well-extended as well. However sometimes (infrequently) it left me wishing for more oomph. The ATH-M-50x was perfect on the other hand, as it had the well-extended, controlled bass of the HD439 and the fun volumous bass of the Momentum, but not to its overwhelming extent. Quality and quantity, without much compromise.
The mids were similarly excellent, with plenty of detail. They reminded me of my Shure SE215s in this regard, which were very pleasing in this regard. Male vocals came out really well here. The treble was also on point. Treble is not really a concern to me with my selection of music, unless it is overly bright and gets in the way of you enjoying the rest of the frequency spectrum. There is no such worry here.
The soundstage of the ATH-M50x is quite pleasing, considering it is a closed-back pair. Much better than the HD439 for sure, but keeping in mind it retails at twice the price it is only appropriate that that is the case. I have no comparison with other over-ears in this price range, but (to my ears) they're more spacious than the on-ear Momentums, which have a respectable soundstage.
Isolation is great for an over-ear pair. They can hold a torch against some of the shallower fitted earphones I have, but definitely not to the Shures. I do wear spectacles, which means that better isolating on-ears like the Senn HD25s and the AKG K518DJ would likely be quite uncomfortable for me. I mean, even the Momentum On-Ear, which many considered to be one of the more comfortable on-ears on the market cause discomfort enough after an hour. So point is the ATH-M50x is a great recommendation for those who do have spectacles and want decent isolation, but can't handle the clamping force of the better isolating on-ears.
In any regard they are comfortable headphones. They are almost on par with the HD439, which brings to mind a hybrid between a pillow and a headphone. Where they can't compare is long term comfort, where your ears get slightly sweaty due to the pleather pads.
Some nitpicks are the included carry case, which is um, well, a leather purse. But this is quite picky indeed as the ATH-M50x is incredibly well made and probably doesn't need it in the first place. Every folding motion feels solid and resonates with a nice click.
The ATH-M50x (and the ATH-M50 before it) has always been the go-to recommendation in the under $200 circuit for quite a while now. And its hasn't taken me long after getting them to see why. The bass on these cans are fantastic. They strike the middle ground for me between my two previous pairs - the Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear and the HD439. The bass on the Momentum was great fun, but a bit overwhelming at times, especially with my selection of hip-hop and rap. On the other hand the HD439s were quite neutral, which is great no question about it - and it was well-extended as well. However sometimes (infrequently) it left me wishing for more oomph. The ATH-M-50x was perfect on the other hand, as it had the well-extended, controlled bass of the HD439 and the fun volumous bass of the Momentum, but not to its overwhelming extent. Quality and quantity, without much compromise.
The mids were similarly excellent, with plenty of detail. They reminded me of my Shure SE215s in this regard, which were very pleasing in this regard. Male vocals came out really well here. The treble was also on point. Treble is not really a concern to me with my selection of music, unless it is overly bright and gets in the way of you enjoying the rest of the frequency spectrum. There is no such worry here.
The soundstage of the ATH-M50x is quite pleasing, considering it is a closed-back pair. Much better than the HD439 for sure, but keeping in mind it retails at twice the price it is only appropriate that that is the case. I have no comparison with other over-ears in this price range, but (to my ears) they're more spacious than the on-ear Momentums, which have a respectable soundstage.
Isolation is great for an over-ear pair. They can hold a torch against some of the shallower fitted earphones I have, but definitely not to the Shures. I do wear spectacles, which means that better isolating on-ears like the Senn HD25s and the AKG K518DJ would likely be quite uncomfortable for me. I mean, even the Momentum On-Ear, which many considered to be one of the more comfortable on-ears on the market cause discomfort enough after an hour. So point is the ATH-M50x is a great recommendation for those who do have spectacles and want decent isolation, but can't handle the clamping force of the better isolating on-ears.
In any regard they are comfortable headphones. They are almost on par with the HD439, which brings to mind a hybrid between a pillow and a headphone. Where they can't compare is long term comfort, where your ears get slightly sweaty due to the pleather pads.
Some nitpicks are the included carry case, which is um, well, a leather purse. But this is quite picky indeed as the ATH-M50x is incredibly well made and probably doesn't need it in the first place. Every folding motion feels solid and resonates with a nice click.
