Audio-Technica M50xBT Impressions Thread

[hifi80sman]

Just picked these up yesterday and have been listening to them for about 8 hours (cumulative). So far, very impressed.

To me they sound very much like the M50x (based on memory and "emotive impressions"). Unfortunately, I don't have a wired M50x on hand to A/B.

Over AAC, the BASS is textured and extends throughout the frequency range. It doesn't overpower the mix, nor does it shy away. It's very distinct in its presence with no appreciable bleed. As anticipated, the MID range is absolutely fantastic. Both male and female vocals are distinct & detailed, with nuanced inflections easily reproduced. Acoustic Guitar on these is like ear porn. TREBLE is never piercing or overly bright, rather, it's very open & airy.

Transparency and Instrument separation is fantastic, effortlessly isolating each instrument and it's respective character. For a closed back, the soundstage is much better than I was anticipating.

Comfort is about the same as the M50x, which is average. I can use these for hours with no issues.

The MIC is average. My voice, volume-wise, is good, and while still intelligible, it's a bit on the muffled side. It's competent enough for general phone calls, but it might not be the best choice for business calls.

So far, I'm really enjoying these. If you're looking for pure sound quality, wirelessly, the M50xBT can't be beat, especially at $199 (worth every penny).

 

[hifi80sman]

Testing out the wired connection via LG G6 (Quad DAC version) and it sounds very much like it does wirelessly. It sounds ever-so-slightly "tighter" wired, but overall, very impressive.

 

[comzee]

These are the best SQ wireless headphones out there. Just picked them up today. I've owned the Bose QC35II and the Sennheiser PXC 550. These M50xBT are easily better than both in terms of direct SQ.

Pros/Cons.

M50xBT:
Doesn't have active noise cancelling (something I don't care about at all, some people might)
$100 cheaper than Bose or Sennheiser for better SQ


Don't get these thinking they'll be some audiophile replacement tho. I'm still rocking my HD800sdr + Eddie Current Aficionado + Yggdrasil LOL. These are good enough for wireless use where I don't immediately want to take them off my head tho.
They're SQ is just good enough to actually enjoy music (imo) while out and about. Both the QC35II and the PXC 550 I returned two days after I bought them. The M50xBT, I'll be keeping.

 

[hifi80sman]

These are the best SQ wireless headphones out there. Just picked them up today. I've owned the Bose QC35II and the Sennheiser PXC 550. These M50xBT are easily better than both in terms of direct SQ.

Pros/Cons.

M50xBT:
Doesn't have active noise cancelling (something I don't care about at all, some people might)
$100 cheaper than Bose or Sennheiser for better SQ


Don't get these thinking they'll be some audiophile replacement tho. I'm still rocking my HD800sdr + Eddie Current Aficionado + Yggdrasil LOL. These are good enough for wireless use where I don't immediately want to take them off my head tho.
They're SQ is just good enough to actually enjoy music (imo) while out and about. Both the QC35II and the PXC 550 I returned two days after I bought them. The M50xBT, I'll be keeping.

Couldn't agree more. Given you're running a 7k or so setup, that's quite high praise for a wireless headphone.

Although I enjoy my HD600, I'm on the move, even if I'm just on the move away from my desk at home but still in my home, I enjoy the freedom of wireless.

 

[Jack Linguini]

I've been rocking the ATH-M50XBT for about a month now.

I agree with the above impressions. For BT headphones the bass is very nice.
Not sloppy or bad DSP boosted sound.

1 concern I do have is the micro-USB power connector.
USB-C would have been nice and less prone to break since its not keyed like the micro-USB.

I've been mostly listening to Spotify on Galaxy S9+

I've been running them AAC. Any opinions from other listeners ?
Do you prefer the AAC or APTX BT profile ?

JL

 

[comzee]

I've been running them AAC. Any opinions from other listeners ?
Do you prefer the AAC or APTX BT profile ?

My primary phone is an iPhone, and all iPhones only do AAC. Which is still much better than oldschool Bluetooth A2DP.
I have an old LG G3 that does APTX, and I compared the difference. I think, maybe the APTX is a bit better, but it's definitely not something I'd go out of my way to get for the M50XBT.

One thing I noticed a lot of reviews say is that the M50XBT sounded the exact same on BT vs wired, and that must be because all the reviews have really bad AMP/DAC setups or something.
The M50XBT will scale with a wired connecting, if you have a good AMP/DAC. I have a Dragonfly Red I was using it with, and it did scale with that.

Although, it sounds great on AAC, and I don't really plan on using it wired, not why I bought it. The performance increase on wired is negligible v.s. just getting a headphones meant for wired connection, like the hd650 (HD6XX).

I also have these pads coming for my M50XBT https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZGGG3KY, I'll report back what they do to the audio signature.

 

[Jack Linguini]

I'm interested in those pads too. Will be interesting to hear your thoughts.

And I agree with you 100%. These are for using at work or on the go. When cables can get annoying.

as a matter of fact. I have not even tried listening to them via cable yet. If I did I think I would want to amp them though so they had a little more oomph !!

From what I read and from listening to them there's some pretty high quality DSP going on there managing the sound. The bass sounds cleaner more neutral less processed then any other Bluetooth headphones or speakers I've heard. I have a nice Pioneer wi-fi speaker but the base always has this kind of pumped up sound.

I have the mass drop hd58x. And I absolutely love them. They're so neutral and just sound so good. I'm waiting on a fancy custom cable from England. It's got Van Damme Cable in it so you know it's going to be good.

JL

 

[hifi80sman]

I have the mass drop hd58x. And I absolutely love them. They're so neutral and just sound so good. I'm waiting on a fancy custom cable from England. It's got Van Damme Cable in it so you know it's going to be good.

LOL! "What the hell is a Dim Mak?" "Death Touch". Yeah, those cables are going to rock your socks off (literally) because of the name alone.

 

[Thade]

I'm enjoying the m50xbt as well and I also have Hd58x. Interested in impressions of hybrid pads.i went with the wicked pads and they are very comfortable and I think they actually improve the sound. Wired with an amp adds a LOT more oomph. BT gets plenty loud but the only thing missing here may be a bit more headroom on volume.

 

[zObiToz]

Hi, Can you make some comparison between M50xBT and 1ABT?

 

[comzee]

I'm interested in those pads too. Will be interesting to hear your thoughts.

The Brainwavz Hybrid Memory Foam Earpads were extremely comfortable, with a complete over the ear feel.
Unfortunately I don't personally like what they do to the sound signature.

Pros:
Soundstage + airiness (but not by much)

Cons:
Less impact, dynamics
Less resolution
Less bass

Overall I'll be sticking with the stock pads.

 

[starflyer]

I recently bought M50xBT. I noticed that there is a mild static noise when the headphone is connected to a phone via bluetooth and when no music is playing. It would be great if someone could confirm this mild buzz or static noise on bluetooth when no music is playing.

 

[starflyer]

I recently bought M50xBT. I noticed that there is a mild static noise when the headphone is connected to a phone via bluetooth and when no music is playing. It would be great if someone could confirm this mild buzz or static noise on bluetooth when no music is playing.

bump

 

[rails4headphones]

I own ATH AR5BT of Audio Technica. I am wondering if the sound signature of the M50XBT will be same as AR5BT? Is there anyone who tried or used both? Can they give a short comparision

 

[hifi80sman]

I recently bought M50xBT. I noticed that there is a mild static noise when the headphone is connected to a phone via bluetooth and when no music is playing. It would be great if someone could confirm this mild buzz or static noise on bluetooth when no music is playing.

I don’t notice anything like that at all. In fact, it’s nearly dead silent. I would try another source to see if it still does it, and if so, exchange for another. Could be a shielding defect.