Audio-TechnicaATH-M50x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black

First, I am not an audiophile, so this review is for us mere mortals with normal ears. I understand there are super tasters, and probably super listeners. I am not a super listener, and am willing to accept that my ears are "normal". If you are an audiophile, or "super listener" just move on. Please don't buy these and leave a negative review. Leaving a negative review is not useful to the other 95% of humans. Accept that you have an incredible sense level that most of us don't have.I gave these a 5 star audio quality because a normal person can easily tell the difference between these and a gaming headset, for example. This is an important quality for normal human use. A lot of "high end" headsets are indistinguishable, for normal people, to a headset like these. For listening to music and sound accuracy, these are simply amazing. They are not insane bass headphones. The bass is good, but it's normal good, it is not amplified to ridiculous levels like some headphones. The sound seems neutral and relatively balanced. The sound is much more detailed than any other headset I've used in the past. There are smaller details on a lot of the music that I listen to that I never noticed before. Again, this is from the perspective of a normal human with normal ears, so there is a good chance you will be able to have the same results.Noise cancellation I gave a 4 star because they do block a ton of sound but are not active noise cancellation. So there is room for improvement but they are still very good. Normal people won't have an issue with this I don't think. One thing to note here is if you have ears that stick out these will be uncomfortable. The pads are comfortable enough, but the foam over the speakers are irritating on the ears. This doesn't bother me because my ears sit close to my head. Your mileage may vary here.For gaming I gave these a 4 star. It's hard to rate these for gaming, because gaming is not the primary purpose of these headphones. They are a 4 star for me, personally. It honestly depends on what you are looking for in a gaming headset. If you are looking for sound accuracy these are amazing. If you want massive explosion booms with overly loud bass in call of duty, these might not be for you. If you want overly sensitive and loud treble so you can hear footsteps from a mile away, these are not for you. To be clear, these do both of those things, but they do so in a balanced and accurate way. These are not "competitive" level for gaming. However, if you play casually and not competitively, these are an amazing set for gaming. These will produce a more natural sound, which is something the vast majority of gaming headsets do not do. Most gaming headsets focus more on treble for competition. They do not offer a natural sounds. One could argue this headset is closer to how the sound designers intended you to hear their games than a gaming headset, counterintuitively.Who are these for? These are not for professionals or audiophiles. These are for mortal listeners. If you are a mortal listener, you can easily tell the difference in sound and appreciate what these have to offer. You absolutely cannot say that about a lot of "audiophile" headsets that cost a ton more. This headset is good enough for anyone to appreciate the difference in quality. These are not for people who need a non-balanced sound. I am not criticizing the need for those kinds of headsets at all. They perform their function well. This is not one of those.To sum this review up, these are incredible headphones for the value if you want a balanced, accurate, sound profile. These are "just buy it" quality for normal humans.

I've owned several products from Audio Technica over the years. I still have two other head phones from them in great working condition. I have a few microphones as well.First off, I've got a big HEAD, and I don't know what is it, but most headphones the covers for the ears always bother me, or just feels like my ears are getting squeezed. I have gotten the ear pad replacements for each set of head phones I've owned and that usually does the trick for me. I had a pair of Razer headphones some years back I couldn't wear for more then 30 minutes before I had to take them off.After I swapped the ear covers, things were comfy. I went through a series of games, youtube music videos, and youtube pod casts/etc. The sound was good, although at times felt like I needed more bass here and there.They can definitely bring the noise when you crank the volume up, I feel like after you hit a certain sweet spot on volume, things start to pop and come out better. I found that listening with them at lower levels I struggled at times hearing voices or certain details. (It could be my 50 year old ears...)I liked the look and feel of them. You can fold in the ear covers, and stow them without taking up as much space. The head phone was easy to adjust, and get around my huge cranium. It came with several different cables to use to plug into the headset, pc or audio interface. I liked that, and the fact you can unplug the headset and/or change out the cables for more distance or shorter distance.The older models of headphones I have from Audio Technica, the cable/wire would over time twist a lot, and sometimes became rigid. I had two of them break, and I had to repair them myself. The thing with this one, is you can just swap out the cable, and you're fine.They feel sturdy, and since I replaced the ear covers already, I'm sure it will last a lot longer. I've noticed with headphones being tight on my head normally I tend to wear or rub over the faux leather padding off the ear phone covers.All in all, pretty solid, some audiophiles will either love or hate them. I just think at this price point they do the job well, without killing your wallet.

These are some of the best headphones I've used. I can finally hear the great tones of my digital piano, The sound quality and range is superb. Crystal clear sound. It includes three cords and a mini to 1/4in adapter. The cords plug into the phones and the adapter can screw onto the other end. Build quality seems excellent. Overall, great value, and would buy again!