Audio Technica ATH-M40x: The Little Brother that Could

[imran27]

What do you mean? These headphones play loud enough without an amp, they are made to be portable and not needing an amp. What could an amp offer besides more loudness which is already on high levels?

Sounds dynamics change, the nature and signature also changes. Being dynamic drivers they improve a lot when driven by a very low impedance output source/amplifier. And also the amplifier possibility will provide a wider frequency response compared to normal phones.

 

[MrPhilicorda]

I recently bought a pair of HM5 velour ear pads for my M40x but it was a real disappointment, they pretty much killed the bass. I'm not a basshead and I actually think the M40x are a bit too bassy if I'm being picky, but the change with the HM5 pads was just way too much.
 
I'm using a pair of Beyerdynamic DT250 velour earpads at the moment and they actually sound quite good. Compared to the stock pads they sound more open (slightly less mid-bass) and less stuffy. I'm getting quite close to what I'm after but I'm kind of curious of the Sound Professionals velvet ear pads.
 
Has anyone compared them to the DT250 ear pads? What I'm looking for is just a touch less bass, then my M40x's would be perfect.

 

[MusicBox]

Just a question, did you change the ear pads because they were worn off/destroyed? If yes, then how much time did it take them to be worn off?

 

[MrPhilicorda]

  Just a question, did you change the ear pads because they were worn off/destroyed? If yes, then how much time did it take them to be worn off?

Mine are brand new. I'm experimenting with different ear pads to see if I can improve the sound quality in any way (mainly to tame the bass a little). ​Additionally, improved comfort is a nice side effect of using velours.

 

[octiceps]

Are these the most neutral headphones under $100? Also does anyone feel the treble to be a bit tinny/artificial sounding?

 

[Mad Max]

  Are these the most neutral headphones under $100? Also does anyone feel the treble to be a bit tinny/artificial sounding?

 
They're not neutral at all to begin with.  SRH550 is closer to neutral, if fragile as heck, for one.

 

[c61746961]

They have two problem spots but the tonality isn't that wrong IMO, there are plenty of worse options in the price range.

 

[octiceps]

They're not neutral at all to begin with.  SRH550 is closer to neutral, if fragile as heck, for one.

What is it then?

The Shure has mediocre reviews. And it doesn't look neutral either: http://en.goldenears.net/en/files/attach/images/254/347/009/1e8bb61ba55f0e9fa468220d3019cc31.png

 

[MrPhilicorda]

  Are these the most neutral headphones under $100? Also does anyone feel the treble to be a bit tinny/artificial sounding?

After a week of testing and comparing to my other headphones my impression is they are quite natural and pleasant sounding through out the frequency range. To my ears they sound neutral except for the bass which is elevated, however I feel it is not to a point where it would be overwhelming and/or masking other freqencies. I think the treble sounds good and quite detailed and I haven't experienced any of those tinny or artificial aspects.
 
All in all I think they sound great out of the box. My only gripe is in the bass department. I think they can be slightly too thick and muddy. I got great results swapping the stock ear pads to DT250 pads. They reduce that muddiness while the lower bass amount is pretty much the same making the headphones sound more open and airy. If you like the basic signature of the M40x I strongly recommend this ear pad switch. I will still be experimenting with different ear pads to see if I reduce the bass just a tiny bit more. Then they would be the *perfect* headphone for me.

 

[Mad Max]

What is it then?

The Shure has mediocre reviews. And it doesn't look neutral either: http://en.goldenears.net/en/files/attach/images/254/347/009/1e8bb61ba55f0e9fa468220d3019cc31.png

 
Neither is M40x.  Your point?
 
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-a/
 

 

[octiceps]

   
Neither is M40x.  Your point?
 
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-a/
 

I'm confused about what you're trying to say. So what is the most neutral headphone sub-$100, the M40x and SRH550 clearly aren't it.

 

[c61746961]

Probably the AKG K181DJ (bass boost off) or the NVX XPT100 which often go for ~$80. The AKG's are on massdrop right now.

Solderdude's measurements for the AKG:

 

[MrPhilicorda]

 

There is no point in comparing graphs if they are not measured exactly in the same way. Golden Ears, DIY Audio Heaven, Headphone.com and so forth all have different methods, different equipment and apply different compesation algorithms to make the graphs look in a certain way.
 
And even if they are measured exactly the same way, graphs can only be used as a relative method of comparison IMO. What looks like a straight line might not be a straight line in the real world. On the other hand, if a pair of headphones for instance have more treble/mids/bass than the other that will probably be how it is precieved when actually listening to those headphones.
 
If you for instance look at how the $98 Sony MDR-7605 compares to the $1600 Sennheiser HD800 flagship in the graph below. In comparison the Sony's are nearly rule flat, but I doubt they will be percieved as the more "neutral" ones.
 

 

[octiceps]

Probably the AKG K181DJ (bass boost off) or the NVX XPT100 which often go for ~$80. The AKG's are on massdrop right now.

Solderdude's measurements for the AKG:

Thanks for the K181 suggestion, but it's on-ear which I can't stand. The NVX looks massive.

There is no point in comparing graphs if they are not measured exactly in the same way. Golden Ears, DIY Audio Heaven, Headphone.com and so forth all have different methods, different equipment and apply different compesation algorithms to make the graphs look in a certain way.
 
And even if they are measured exactly the same way, graphs can only be used as a relative method of comparison IMO. What looks like a straight line might not be a straight line in the real world. On the other hand, if a pair of headphones for instance have more treble/mids/bass than the other that will probably be how it is precieved when actually listening to those headphones.
 
If you for instance look at how the $98 Sony MDR-7605 compares to the $1600 Sennheiser HD800 flagship in the graph below. In comparison the Sony's are nearly rule flat, but I doubt they will be percieved as the more "neutral" ones.
 

Good point about cross comparisons b/w different sites/testers. I think I also read somewhere that due to irregularities in the human hearing, a ruler flat frequency response on a graph isn't necessarily perceived as flat by our ears/brain.

 

[c61746961]

There is no point in comparing graphs if they are not measured exactly in the same way. Golden Ears, DIY Audio Heaven, Headphone.com and so forth all have different methods, different equipment and apply different compesation algorithms to make the graphs look in a certain way.
 
And even if they are measured exactly the same way, graphs can only be used as a relative method of comparison IMO. What looks like a straight line might not be a straight line in the real world. On the other hand, if a pair of headphones for instance have more treble/mids/bass than the other that will probably be how it is precieved when actually listening to those headphones.

Agreed, that's why I linked to graph produced by the same setup (Solderdude's). As you say, they are a tool, if one's impressions jive with what is represented on the graph, then one should use other graphs produced by the same setup as a reference.

Here are GoldenEars plots for the M40x. In my experience, Solderdude's are more accurate.