[Deltanic]

Recently I bought myself an ATH-M50x, and overall I'm very happy with them. They're a huge improvement over my old Sennheiser RS-120. I do however, seem to have an issue that I haven't found anywhere else on the web, which is that I have a feeling the mids are lacking - more than what the headphones are designed for or reviewed about. Take for example this fragment. The three bass punches have a very obvious snare punch on my old Sennheisers, aswell as on my Apple earbuds. However, on my M50x, all I hear is bass. No snare at those 3 moments. Tryed on different audio sources. And I'm pretty sure this is not intended by the author either. Considering (from what I've read) the M50x are known for their very good representation of sound, this raises question marks to me.
 
Another thing is that they don't seem to go as loud as I've read otherwise. 100% volume from my PC or iPhone 4 as source is easily bearable. Tried them on an amp aswell, obviously this went a lot louder. Could be that these are just weak audio drivers, I'm not that experienced with that yet
 
I was wondering if this is normal for the M50x, or that there is a chance of a faulty model, in which case I will trade them for a new pair. Anyone with an idea?

 

[MaztotheUla]

I think its normal, I tried on both earpods and m50s, at first on m50s I didnt hear the snare that well, because it doesnt really sound like 1. Then I tried on Earpods, and the snare came out alot more than on the M50s, then I put  the M50s back on, and I heard the snare alot clearer and better.

 

[cel4145]

If you are used to earbuds and IEMs, then yes, they tend to have higher sensitivity and even lower impedance, make it easier for a portable device or a PC to drive them to higher volumes. The M50X are pretty normal for full sized headphones. So it's not that they have "weak drivers," but that they are not optimal for "weak" amplification.

And yes. The M50 series has a reputation for having recessed mids. While the M50X is considered an improvement in that regard over the original M50s, many Head-Fiers have noted that the mids are a bit colored in that regard. It seems like you are looking for a more neutral can.

 

[LNuneek]

I can hear the snare over that kick on the original M50s when listening on a computer. The third hit though, not too sure if there is a snare though or not. Sounds like a bare kick. The way it's mixed I don't think the snare is supposed to be all that prominent. I think it's just there to get a slightly more thwack sound with reverb and air with the kick to give more of a sense of impact and drama.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Recently I bought myself an ATH-M50x, and overall I'm very happy with them. They're a huge improvement over my old Sennheiser RS-120. I do however, seem to have an issue that I haven't found anywhere else on the web, which is that I have a feeling the mids are lacking - more than what the headphones are designed for or reviewed about. Take for example this fragment. The three bass punches have a very obvious snare punch on my old Sennheisers, aswell as on my Apple earbuds. However, on my M50x, all I hear is bass. No snare at those 3 moments. Tryed on different audio sources. And I'm pretty sure this is not intended by the author either. Considering (from what I've read) the M50x are known for their very good representation of sound, this raises question marks to me.

 
That's because the two sets of headphones are doing very opposite things: the RS-120 and Apple earbuds don't have enough bass while the M50X has a bit too much. Also, if whatever you're driving them with has a bit more difficulty driving the M50X, it tends to make the emphasized response area distort, so you get looser bass notes that can get in the way of notes higher up in the range.
 
 

 
Another thing is that they don't seem to go as loud as I've read otherwise. 100% volume from my PC or iPhone 4 as source is easily bearable. Tried them on an amp aswell, obviously this went a lot louder. Could be that these are just weak audio drivers, I'm not that experienced with that yet

 

It's not the audio drivers that are "weak," they are "less efficient" and whatever you hooked them up to is potentially "too weak." The drivers have a sensitivity rating of decibels for the first 1mW measured right at the earcup (I think); IEMs and earphones have a much higher sensitivity than headphones and speakers. Amplifiers have output ratings in watts or milliwatts at a given impedance and distortion level. Think of it this way: the headphone sensitivity is the weight of a car chassis, the amp is the engine that has to push it, and you need to get to a certain dB/speed without getting distortion from the amp/destroying the engine.

 

Also, what amp did you hook them up to? If that's a speaker amp with a headphone output, there's a good chance its output impedance is too high for the M50X - your amp's output impedance very generally needs to be much lower than the nominal impedance on the headphone it's driving (the general rule is 1/8, or 8X, depending on which side you're looking at).

 

 

 
I was wondering if this is normal for the M50x, or that there is a chance of a faulty model, in which case I will trade them for a new pair. Anyone with an idea?

 
A cleaner, more powerful amplifier might help a little bit but it's not going to be a night and day difference. Maybe you just don't like the M50X. Try the Grado SR325e, you'll probably like it better.

 

[Deltanic]

  I think its normal, I tried on both earpods and m50s, at first on m50s I didnt hear the snare that well, because it doesnt really sound like 1. Then I tried on Earpods, and the snare came out alot more than on the M50s, then I put  the M50s back on, and I heard the snare alot clearer and better.

I can't hear the snare at all. Nada, nothing.
 

If you are used to earbuds and IEMs, then yes, they tend to have higher sensitivity and even lower impedance, make it easier for a portable device or a PC to drive them to higher volumes. The M50X are pretty normal for full sized headphones. So it's not that they have "weak drivers," but that they are not optimal for "weak" amplification.

And yes. The M50 series has a reputation for having recessed mids. While the M50X is considered an improvement in that regard over the original M50s, many Head-Fiers have noted that the mids are a bit colored in that regard. It seems like you are looking for a more neutral can.

Not really used to earbuds, I barely use these. Just got these as a comparison. I am used to my RS-120 however.
 

  I can hear the snare over that kick on the original M50s when listening on a computer. The third hit though, not too sure if there is a snare though or not. Sounds like a bare kick. The way it's mixed I don't think the snare is supposed to be all that prominent. I think it's just there to get a slightly more thwack sound with reverb and air with the kick to give more of a sense of impact and drama.

Interesting. It's true that the third kick and or snare is a little less prominent. 
 

 
That's because the two sets of headphones are doing very opposite things: the RS-120 and Apple earbuds don't have enough bass while the M50X has a bit too much. Also, if whatever you're driving them with has a bit more difficulty driving the M50X, it tends to make the emphasized response area distort, so you get looser bass notes that can get in the way of notes higher up in the range.

I dont think my onboard audio of my PC is very good. This might influence a little at higher volumes (I could hear some distortion on other music). I do like the bass on the M50x however, I definitely prefer that over the RS-120.
 

 

Also, what amp did you hook them up to? If that's a speaker amp with a headphone output, there's a good chance its output impedance is too high for the M50X - your amp's output impedance very generally needs to be much lower than the nominal impedance on the headphone it's driving (the general rule is 1/8, or 8X, depending on which side you're looking at).

I tried them on a speaker amp indeed (Onkyo TX 414), but they did sound good. Not sure if they are suitable for my headphones, but it worked. As for amps, I've read that amps really shouldnt be necessary for the M50x. 
 
 
 

 
Maybe you just don't like the M50X. Try the Grado SR325e, you'll probably like it better.

They're also a lot more expensive. I bought the M50x for their fantastic reviews, and for their closed back. I am also waiting for my K7XX to arrive, which will definitely give me a differend sound as well.

 

[cel4145]

Not really used to earbuds, I barely use these. Just got these as a comparison. I am used to my RS-120 however.

The RS120s have a built in headphone amplifier that is optimized for them. So not a good comparison. The M50X are 38 ohms with a max power output rating of 1,600 mW at 1 kHz. Given that their sensitivity is rated 99db, if you buy an amp optimized for close to their maximum output, you'll be able to blow your brains out

 

[cel4145]

They're also a lot more expensive. I bought the M50x for their fantastic reviews, and for their closed back. I am also waiting for my K7XX to arrive, which will definitely give me a differend sound as well.

The K7XX have a quite different sound. You'll probably enjoy them . . . except, they are typically considered a bit difficult to drive. If the M50X are not loud enough for you, likely the K7XX will be worse.

 

[inthere]

M50's have been recommended for a few years now to every newbie looking for his 1st pair of quality headphones. That said they're probably the most overhyped headphones in existence.90% of people looking for new headphones under $200 are going to get steered towards M 50x at some point in the thread.
 
They're not bad-just not great. I suggest you get a headphone amp because the 7XX's are going to need it

 

[Deltanic]

The K7XX have a quite different sound. You'll probably enjoy them . . . except, they are typically considered a bit difficult to drive. If the M50X are not loud enough for you, likely the K7XX will be worse.

 
They're not bad-just not great. I suggest you get a headphone amp because the 7XX's are going to need it

I was indeed going to get an amp with the K7XX. There is no way I'll be able to drive one without
 

 
That said they're probably the most overhyped headphones in existence.

Interesting how I haven't seen this elsewhere. I'm pretty statisfied with them, other than the notes in the the OP. They look great, and are very comfortable.
 
Anyway, as I get, it, my M50x are probably fine and it's just these uncommon scenarios where I'm a bit picky?

 

[cel4145]

Interesting how I haven't seen this elsewhere. I'm pretty statisfied with them, other than the notes in the the OP. They look great, and are very comfortable.

I agree. Of course some people won't like them. Headphone preference is such a personal thing. But they do compete very well at their price point with other options. So not overhyped. Just recommended very frequently.

 

[Deltanic]

Headphone preference is such a personal thing.

I listen quite a bunch of different genres. A lot of them sound great on the M50x, other's are a bit underwhelming. Is it common to have different headphones for different genres?

 

[cel4145]

I listen quite a bunch of different genres. A lot of them sound great on the M50x, other's are a bit underwhelming. Is it common to have different headphones for different genres?

Sure. Some people do because different headphones bring out different aspects of music. For example, I think Grados are great for listening to guitar in rock music. But not my choice at all for EDM or hip hop.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
I dont think my onboard audio of my PC is very good. This might influence a little at higher volumes (I could hear some distortion on other music). I do like the bass on the M50x however, I definitely prefer that over the RS-120.

 
That's a good indicator that you can use a better amplifier. While this may not make a night and day difference on the M50X, investing on an amp now will mean you can pretty much use nearly any headphone later on. At a bare minimum I'd say get the Schiit Asgard, and at least the Modi2Uber for the DAC.
 
 

 
I tried them on a speaker amp indeed (Onkyo TX 414), but they did sound good. Not sure if they are suitable for my headphones, but it worked. As for amps, I've read that amps really shouldnt be necessary for the M50x. 

 
You mean the TX-NR414? That's a fairly new receiver but personally I'm usually skeptical about headphone output specs on speaker audio gear. New Rotels have a 380ohm output impedance for example. It confuses me to no end that people who design speaker amps and think of adding a headphone output as a back up assume that people who would use headphones as a back up would use a $500 (original MSRP), 300ohm Sennheiser as opposed to a $60 Grado SR60 (the reality is that I know more people in 2ch speaker and HT audio who use Grados).
 

 
They're also a lot more expensive. I bought the M50x for their fantastic reviews, and for their closed back. I am also waiting for my K7XX to arrive, which will definitely give me a differend sound as well.

 

 
I was indeed going to get an amp with the K7XX. There is no way I'll be able to drive one without

 

This series of AKGs are known for being somewhat fussy and transparent with amplification. Among the amps I've tried with them, the Burson Soloist was the one to really make them sing and dance, but that's also an insane $1,500. The Asgard and midrange Meier amplifiers get 90% of that sound at a fraction of the price (what the Soloist/Conductor do really is give them the "attack" and dynamics more akin to Grado, the way that percussion seems to just pop out at you, but without messing up the tonal balance or the soundstage presentation of those AKGs). 

 

 

 
Interesting how I haven't seen this elsewhere. I'm pretty statisfied with them, other than the notes in the the OP. They look great, and are very comfortable.

 

I've seen one thread before but I didn't go in since it was like ten pages long and I was expecting there was already a raging flame war in there. In any case what really took the M50 to the top wasn't the sound by itself but the price, especially when Amazon dropped it to $99. Then the M50X came out at a higher price while there are a lot of other headphones available like the Brainwavz HM5. Save for the isolation, I actually prefer the sound of my Superlux HD330, especially when I got it for $50 (although I use it more for gaming and YouTube, so I don't wear out the pads on my HD600).
 

 
Anyway, as I get, it, my M50x are probably fine and it's just these uncommon scenarios where I'm a bit picky?

 
In the sense that they're not broken or anything, yes.
 
 

Sure. Some people do because different headphones bring out different aspects of music. For example, I think Grados are great for listening to guitar in rock music. But not my choice at all for EDM or hip hop.

 
I prefer them for percussion on most music as well as the guitar on classic rock, and so does our drummer - except of course imaging being the last thing people get to appreciate it took him a while to understand why I prefer a K701 driven by a good amp. It wasn't until I dragged him to a hi-fi show and he got to hear real imaging off a pair of Stella Utopias that he got an idea why we try to achieve that "holographic" aspect of it.
 
Overall though I actually prefer Grados for jazz and blues as they provide a certain "raw"-ness to the presentation. With more complex metal recordings they seem to throw everything at you, including the orchestra and choir, which is why I'm one to listen to such music with headphones and speakers that people tend to call "laid back" and don't use them for metal.