[whtge8]

So I have been in the market for about a week for a good pair of headphones. I have never used anything other than ear buds btw. After reading many reviews I decided to go for the Audio Technica M50's. I have read many good reviews about them so I decided to go with those. I was mainly looking for some over the ear, good all around headphones with emphasis on bass. 
 
I believe they are still going through the burn in process so the quality will only get better, but so far the sound quality has been great. The bass has also been great. However my only minor gripes about this headphone is that they are not very good at blocking out noise, and keeping the music in. I know there is a term for this but I can't think of it. Also I was looking for over the ear headphones, but after trying on my friends on ear headphones, they feel more comfortable, and also do a better job of reducing outside noise. I don't really like other people hearing what I am hearing when the headphones aren't even as loud as they can be.
 
Anyways, I enjoy my M50's a lot and they sound great, but I believe my next purchase might be some on ear headphones with better sound containment (?) Anyone else feel the same way or got some suggestions for the future?

 

[kingpage]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudioTechnicaATHM50.pdf
 
Their isolation is only -9dB. Many close-backs have about -15dB.

 

[CaveManta]

I also find the M50's to have okay isolation. If I ever use them in public, I can still hear everything that's going on around me, which I actually like in a way. But I find sound leakage with them to be incredibly low, with almost no audio leaking at all.
Holding the earcups together while playing music through them results in complete quietness for me. Maybe your M50's aren't sealing completely or something, which is causing sound leakage.

 
If you want to be free from sound leakage and achieve great isolation, I highly recommend Sennheiser HD 25-1 II. It's one of their best attributes.
 
So yesh. I'm glad you're enjoying your M50's! Have a good time with them. And good luck in your search for new cans in the future!

 

[whtge8]

I know in retrospect the Sennheiser HD 25 are better headphones, but I don't find them visually appealing to me, and I heard they are lacking  in the bass department. However they would be a very good compliment to my M50's.

 

[TheStobe]

Uh, I feel the opposite. I feel the M50s have not enough bass and they isolate very well and close to no leakage. I checked out the HD25-1 ii today, and wow great tight bass, isolates very well, only thing I didn't like was the comfort.

 

[apk878]

I have just purchased the M50's and find that they have great bass if amped and EQ'd properly. Out of the box all ranges are very flat, but with proper EQ it is simply amazing.. comming from HD 448's it is night and day difference between the two headphones.

 

[Nepenthe]

Congrats. Search for the coax pad mod if you like, see if that's something you'd like to consider. Comfort, soundstage, tamed highs.
 
I feel an amp with virtually zero output impedance does well with these. I think they excel at low volume.
 
I have to ask, how loud are you listening to these that they "leak" sound *out*? I literally can't hear anything out of them if I put them driver sides up lying on the table right in front of me. You may want to evaluate your listening levels if not only can you hear music emanating when you take them off, but when they're closed against each other or against a head.

 

[apk878]

I agree, they definitely excell at lower volumes. I was amazed at how neutral they were at super low volumes. You can still hear all the sounds and bass at a low volume fairly neutrally. They do leak a little sound, only highs at a high volume when amped(for me). From an iPod or iPhone, no way its going to leak sound unless you don't have a proper seal.

 

[JK1]

The Sennheiser HD380 pro claims up to 32db of isolation. It looks very interesting now that it is down to $145 on Amazon.

 

[DVDRey]

 
Quote:

32db of isolation

 
Yes but a huge clamping force, attention to the headache.

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

There's a reason it is "up to" a number of decibels. By Tyll's measurements, the DT1350 could be said to have up to 41dB of isolation, my KRK KNS 6400 would be up to 37dB, and the HD280 Pro would be up to 35dB. It's a borderline useless metric in that regard, sadly. 
 
Quote:

The Sennheiser HD380 pro claims up to 32db of isolation. It looks very interesting now that it is down to $145 on Amazon.

 

 

[UCLA 15]

Quote:

 
 
Yes but a huge clamping force, attention to the headache.

This. I'm a newb to nice headphones and totally wanted Senns (because of the name), and my eyes POPPED when I saw they had HD 380 Pros at the Guitar Center I visited, but damn did they clamp hard. Way too uncomfortable for me. I much prefer the KRK KNS 8400s I settled on that are ultra comfy AND isolate noise well.

 

[apk878]

When I first got my M50's (first 100$+ headphones) they clamped so hard i could feel my heart beating around the earmuffs and it made my head and neck hurt. I bent the bend gently and it is much better now. I don't know if the 380 Pros have a metal band but if they do you can easily fix that. I did it a somewhat dangerous way but I heard putting them over a box or something big overnight is a better way to do it. Just loosens it up a bit.

 

[ssrock64]

I believe I've solved the M50's isolation problems. I've worn my M50s at temperatures way lower than I should've, and ruined the pads. Since then, not a peep gets out of my in-need-of-replacement pads!