[johnsoft349]

Hey guys, 
 
So i've been reading a lot about mid-price headphones and am pretty into the ATH m50s. I think they offer a really appealing combination of sound quality, comfort, style, and isolation. 
 
One thing I'm a bit concerned about is the bass. Some people describe the bass as really powerful, which is great, but I am concerned simply because they are a "Studio monitors." I have found these to be too flat for my taste in the past. I have Westone UM3xs and the bass is a little less powerful than I'd like, as a point of reference. 
 
So will I enjoy listening to metal, electronic, etc. (bass heavy genres) on the m50s? I wouldn't describe myself as a basshead, I just want to feel the punch from the bass. 
 
Thanks guys

 

[invalid404]

I have the newer M50 version (The top of the box is that pale smoky blue) and they have enough bass for EDM but not so much that rock or acoustic genres sounds muddy. At first I was disappointed with the low-end but I am really enjoying the M50's now! It is satisfying.

 

[MadMolly]

I didn't know there was a new version of the M50's.  I did have the opportunity to listen to a pair not to long ago.  I wasn't impressed by the supposed bass emphasis they had, but they definitely "thumped".  I think there bass was more quality over quantity.  I agree with invalid in that they did sound muddy with rock music.  Mids were a little recessed to too.  If your really concerned about the M50's bass, I would get the CAL!'s.  Imo they have more bass and they have nicer mids too.  And they're cheaper.  Although I don't think they isolated as well as the M50's.   

 

[pogy]

I have the white box white ATH-M50. The bass is there but not so boomy as the XB600 that I have. I bought the XB600 looking for a lot of bass and thinking that I am a basshead but turns out i dont like so much bass that sacrifices mids and highs.
I agree with MadMolly that they have "thumped" bass but not to much.
The best thing to do is to test them yourself and see if you like them. If you can do that thou.
I love mine M50 if it helps

 

[bachatum]

The bass is one of the strong points of the M50s, specifically for EDM, imo. You shouldn't have an issue.
 
BTW, going with a headphone that is too bass heavy usually means the other frequencies will suffer. Meaning they will be pushed back while the prominent frequencies come to the forefront. The M50s are a bit V curve heavy but not to the extent to where it dramatically changes the sound. My gripe with them is there rather digital, compressed sound... which actually favors them a bit for EDM, depending on how you like your music.

 

[johnsoft349]

If one of you m-50 owners could do me a big favor, I think this may help me understand the m-50s sound a lot better. Here are a few songs that I like and descriptions of what sound I want out of them:
 
Animals as Leaders - Odessa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bmXGkwNs-k: This song has an interesting mix, but here are are a few keys to look for. 
1) The bass drum. There's no bass guitar in this song so the bass drum is a huge focus. It should be fairly present and should have a solid thud; you should be able to feel it a little bit. 
2) Really rich, deep guitar tone. The song is played on 8-string guitars. 
3) Really cool, detailed electronic components. 
 
And then, as a simple test of bass power, Thrift Shop by Macklemore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes
This has some serious sub-bass going on. Such that it isn't even audible on MacBook speakers, but on a proper headphone or speaker system, it should be a powerful rumble. You should definitely feel some vibrations if the m-50s are what I'm looking for. 
 
I can give more examples if need be but I don't want to ask too much! If you guys could check these out for me I'd be very grateful. Thanks

 

[TMRaven]

That'll be a difficult task to follow through with for someone else other than yourself.  What might be a powerful thud to you might be bloated to someone else.  What might be accurate to someone else might be anemic to you and vice-versa.  The M50 will definitely go low enough and more to give you the audible tones of the second song.  The bass in that song isn't the strongest I've ever heard though, so don't expect a headache inducing bass from the M50.

 

[bachatum]

Quote:

 
 
Originally Posted by johnsoft349 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
If one of you m-50 owners could do me a big favor, I think this may help me understand the m-50s sound a lot better. Here are a few songs that I like and descriptions of what sound I want out of them:
 
Animals as Leaders - Odessa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bmXGkwNs-k: This song has an interesting mix, but here are are a few keys to look for. 
1) The bass drum. There's no bass guitar in this song so the bass drum is a huge focus. It should be fairly present and should have a solid thud; you should be able to feel it a little bit. 
2) Really rich, deep guitar tone. The song is played on 8-string guitars. 
3) Really cool, detailed electronic components. 
 
And then, as a simple test of bass power, Thrift Shop by Macklemore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes
This has some serious sub-bass going on. Such that it isn't even audible on MacBook speakers, but on a proper headphone or speaker system, it should be a powerful rumble. You should definitely feel some vibrations if the m-50s are what I'm looking for. 
 
I can give more examples if need be but I don't want to ask too much! If you guys could check these out for me I'd be very grateful. Thanks

 

 
 
I'll do better. I listened to those two songs and compared the M50 to the Beyerdynamic DT770 , Sony MDR-7506, and last Shure SRH840. From those two tracks, surprisingly, the DT-770s were the clear winner. Bass was rich and the tracks were very warm. Second, were the Sony MDR-7506, followed closely by the Audio Technica M50, and in clear last place (bass wise) were the Shure SRH840s. You have to keep in mind each headphone, depending on their design, tend to be more prominent on cerrtain frequencies for the lows, mids and highs. So certain songs, depending on the instruments, equipment used, and how they are mastered, may shine more on certain headsets than others.
 
 
To me, the beyerdynamic DT-770s are the most unbalanced and heaviest on bass, relative to the mids and highs. The bass is more extended, loose than punchy imo. The M50s have a more punchier, forward bass, but the exaggerated highs make the bass seem less prominent, like on the two tracks provided. The Sony MDR-7506 beat out the M50s in every area, imo. The Shure's are simply not the best for bass oriented music.

 

[MadMolly]

Quote:

That'll be a difficult task to follow through with for someone else other than yourself.  What might be a powerful thud to you might be bloated to someone else.  What might be accurate to someone else might be anemic to you and vice-versa.  The M50 will definitely go low enough and more to give you the audible tones of the second song.  The bass in that song isn't the strongest I've ever heard though, so don't expect a headache inducing bass from the M50.

+1
Honestly, I would buy the M50's on Amazon and try them out.  If you don't like them send them back.  Amazons return policy allows for it.

 

[bassophile]

The M50's seem to have every sound signature covered depending on which version you get.
 
Supposedly, the 'old' version had very heavy bass, very heavy highs, recessed mids, and a definite 'v' shape. Supposedly the new one is bass-light, has very forward mids and edgy highs as well. Then there is the anniversary model which I have no idea about.
 
Apparently the different versions of them sound so dramatically different that between them, you can have all your bases covered.

 

[invalid404]

In my first post I meant to say that there is enough bass to make EDM satisfying, but it is not so bass heavy that other genres sound bad. Rock and acoustic genres sound great too*

 

[johnsoft349]

bachatum, thanks so much for doing that. So I take it the M-50s did not produce the type of bass I'm looking for? I have the Sennheiser HD280 Pros, as a point of reference, and they fall a bit short of what I want. 
 
Bassophile, is there anyway to make sure I'm getting the older, bass-heavier model?

 

[asdfghjkzxcvbnm]

Quote:

Supposedly, the 'old' version had very heavy bass, very heavy highs, recessed mids, and a definite 'v' shape. Supposedly the new one is bass-light, has very forward mids and edgy highs as well. 

 
bass-light, has very forward mids 
 
Really?

 

[zephyrre]

 
Here's headroom's graph comparing the M50 to the HD280 pro. I'm not sure if that helps you any, but here it is. As you can see, for the bottom 30hz your HD280s have the advantage, but from there to about 220hz, the M50s have more bass. According to this graph anyway. 

 

[zephyrre]

Quote:

The M50's seem to have every sound signature covered depending on which version you get.
 
Supposedly, the 'old' version had very heavy bass, very heavy highs, recessed mids, and a definite 'v' shape. Supposedly the new one is bass-light, has very forward mids and edgy highs as well. Then there is the anniversary model which I have no idea about.
 
Apparently the different versions of them sound so dramatically different that between them, you can have all your bases covered.

As an owner of the newer model M50s (white box), I can say that they are neither bass light, nor do they have forward mids. They do not, however, have the molar-rattling-bass that some have reported on the older M50s. I would not describe the highs as edgy, but there certainly is a certain amount of treble emphasis with these cans.