[mystaku]

Hello everyone.
 
My Audio Technica M50 headphones arrived yesterday. I previously owned a $40 Sennheiser HD203 and was hoping the $160 M50 would blow me away 4 times! As i had read so many favorable reviews here in head-fi.org. They're even ranked #4 in Over-Ear Headphone category.
 
Sadly, I was disappointed. A lot actually. They sounded more or less SAME as my Sennheiser HD203! which I had been using for 3 months (extensively, so yeah it's well burned-in) There was only a slight improvement in the audio quality and the bass but it was NOTHING worth $160 at all! I've fired up a couple of bass-heavy trance songs since yesterday and have set my HP in burn-in. I am noticing some quality improvement however it's nothing special, really. All those glorious words used in the reviews seem so fake all of a sudden  
 
What am i doing wrong? MY HEADPHONES ARE NOT FAKE. I've ordered them from the official Audio Technica distributor of my country. I'm playing them using my onboard IDT HD audio (laptop) and I've turned off the equalizer and other enhancements. Please help! 

 

[DVDRey]

 
 
Quote:

I previously owned a $40 Sennheiser HD203 and was hoping the $160 M50 would blow me away 4 times!

 
Unfortunately in the audio world, the ratio is never proportional,lol. You can spend 1000$ more for just 5% better.
 
I don't like M50, maybe you should try HFi580 or HFi780.

 

[mannaburn]

Did you try using FLAC files? I had the same problem with my K701 and the problem was that i was using 128kbps mp3 files. I only heard a disappointing barely noticable improvement over my logitech G35. But when I used flac, its a whole nother beast! Good luck

 

[TMRaven]

Flac files probably won't matter as much as the actual recording.
 
I think this is just the case of you not liking its sound signature.  Happens all the time.  Also, audio will always give diminishing returns the more you spend.

 

[mystaku]

I was looking for something with great bass. More or less which gives the effect of a sub-woofer. Since all the reviews said that the M50 is able to excellently reproduce low frequencies i went ahead and bought it, however I was disappointed. 
 
I head that the new white/blue box version has lower bass than their older variant. Is this true? 
 
Also, what do I do now? Burn-in them for more hours? Use an ipod/mp3 player instead of onboard audio?

 

[TMRaven]

I'm thinking it's true.  I've only had the blue box, and it has more bass quantitively overall-- including in the low, low end, than my pair of Denons, which a lot of people think is a bass monster.  However it doesn't have as much impact as the Denons.
 
You burn in by playing music while listening to them for hours, and letting your brain get used to their sound signature.

 

[Dominirican3351]

You said that you received them yesterday and that they ate burned in most high end headphones require 40 + hours to burn them in and I would recommend trying them with flaco songs or a good store bought cd and if possible to amp them to get the most you can out of them


Sent from onizuka 2.0

 

[bcasey25raptor]

Keep listening. When i received my pair i thought they were trash. Now i freaking love them.

 

[mystaku]

Fine, I shall burn-in more and post my experience with the headphones later on. Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[Dominirican3351]

If you have a desktop just get a burn in cd and play it while you sleep to help burn them in


Sent from onizuka 2.0

 

[curtisinoc]

Sounds like you're after a "bass-boost" rather than new headphones.  Try an inexpensive dac/amp with your existing headphones instead.  Maybe the FiiO line?  The E10 (usb connect only) is about $80 on amazon and has a "bass boost" switch.  I'd bet you'd be real happy with the E10 (bass boost on) + ATH M-50

 

[yd2zhang]

Quote:

I was looking for something with great bass. More or less which gives the effect of a sub-woofer. Since all the reviews said that the M50 is able to excellently reproduce low frequencies i went ahead and bought it, however I was disappointed. 
 
I head that the new white/blue box version has lower bass than their older variant. Is this true? 
 
Also, what do I do now? Burn-in them for more hours? Use an ipod/mp3 player instead of onboard audio?

Good bass reproduction is not the same as bass quantity. Quality matters when it comes to bass aswell.

 

[lpan]

Have you switched back to the hd 203s since listening to the m50s? Perhaps if you try using your hd 203s after a while of listening to the m50s, then you'll realize the difference more easily.

 

[Flagellin]

Your laptop is the problem. The "IDT" audio is also on my HP, and it sounds horrible. Get a decent DAC, or listen out of even an ipod, and you'll see the sound quality increase dramatically. 
 
EDIT: and let me define what horrible means. Even through my iBuds, my ipod sounds significantly better than my laptop. 

 

[Coq de Combat]

Well, maybe the M50s are not to your taste. However, I'm also thinking that the DAC and amping section isn't really bringing out the better of the M50s.
 
Personally, I found the M50s to have both better quality and quantity bass than i.e. the CAL! and HD25-1 II (the latter I knew before buying, with the HD25-1 II I wasn't striving for bass monsters). If you EQ and amp them, they will go subwoofer on you.