I have a long history with audio tech products. Back in my 20’s, I received a diploma in audio engineering. I learned how to record, edit, and mix music on a computer. At the time, I couldn’t believe I had the technology and know-how to make music at home. I spent hours wearing headphones during recording and editing sessions. That’s when I realized the importance of a good pair of headphones.
Today I’m revisiting my audio production roots by reviewing three professional monitor headphones from Audio Technica, the M30x, M40x, and M50x. These are part of the M-series monitoring headphones. Since a lot of you may not know what monitoring headphones are, let’s start with a brief explainer.
Headphones vs monitoring headphones
Many people may not know the difference between traditional over-the-ear headphones and monitor headphones. In a nutshell, “monitoring” is an audio production term that refers to the listening of sounds being created or recorded. Monitoring headphones are therefore designed to reproduce sound as close to the original recording.
Compared to traditional headphones, monitoring headphones have a wide, flat frequency response and no boosted bass. I find them more comfortable to wear but it’s been a long time since I wore a pair. My ears are in for a treat.
Unboxing the Audio Technica monitor headphones
Each pair of headphones comes with a soft carrying pouch and a quarter-inch to 3.5mm adapter. The cable on the M30x is non-removable, whereas it can be removed on the M40x and M50x. The M40x and M50x come with one coiled 3-meter cable and one straight 1.2-meter cable. The M50x includes an additional smaller straight cable. The cables have Audio-Technica’s proprietary connector on the end that attaches to the headphone. They cannot be replaced by generic cables, so you definitely don’t want to lose these.
Build quality of the Audio Technica monitor headphones
As monitor headphones, M-Series were designed with comfort in mind. Users will typically wear these for hours on end. Comfortable headphones are incredibly important for long studio sessions. I speak from experience.
The earcups are contoured to give a tight, seal fit for sound isolation. I was alone when I reviewed them so I’m not sure if there was any bleed coming out. If you work close to others, audio bleed is definitely an issue with some headphones.
I noticed the metal frame in the headband was thinner on the M30x than the M40x and M50x. The M30x also doesn’t swivel as well as the higher-end models. The M30x has a 15-degree degree swivel whereas the M40x and M50x have 90-degree swivels for each earcup.
Each headphone folds down into a compact format to fit into a pouch. The non-removable cable on the M30x hinders its portability. If I needed to carry headphones around, I definitely wouldn’t get the M30x. The cable becomes too cumbersome to fit into the pouch.
Cable quality on the Audio Technica monitor headphones
Another thing I look for in headphones is the build quality of the cable ends. From my experience, that’s the first thing to go. I’ve owned many high-end headphones where the cable gets damaged at the connector, and the sound only comes through one earcup. It used to drive me nuts, especially after spending good money on a pair.
The M-series cables have reinforced rubber on each end to prevent cable damage. My concern is if the cable can still get damaged, at the end of the rubber reinforcement. Only extended use would tell if that protects the cable or not.
As mentioned, the M40x and M50x use a proprietary locking connector. This prevents the cable from ripping out if you accidentally trip over it. This happens all the time with headphones, especially with long cables. That’s why I prefer to use the provided coiled cable. It’s more flexible than the straight cable, but the added tension can be annoying.
Sound quality of the Audio Technica monitor headphones
This was the first time I reviewed three monitoring headphones at once. It was a remarkable experience listening to the same song, switching between the headphones.
Moving between the M30x and the M40x, I noticed that the M30x lacks a lot of detail and brightness in the treble range. The M30x and M40x both feature 40 mm drivers so I’m not sure the average user would be able to tell the difference.
The M50x has a 45 mm driver which made a sonic difference compared to the M40x and M30x. I was impressed with the bass accuracy, especially as it relates to the mid-range. I mostly listened to cheesy 80s inspired synth wave music. There was a lot of room in the low-mid range for the thump and punch of the 80s kick drums. Vocal and lead instruments were clear and well-balanced.
With my eyes closed, I felt like I was in a mixing session. I could hear subtle things in the low-mid range that I never heard before in some songs. This was a refreshing experience, as many headphones are tuned to extenuate certain frequencies like low-end bass.
I want to hear music the way it was mixed in the studio. That explains why I also prefer to listen to music on monitor speakers. I think even the average person out there will notice a sonic difference between their headphones, and the M-series.
Which M-series monitoring headphones should you buy?
It is no accident that Audio Technica created three headphones in the M-series. Each comes in a different price range and are geared towards different users.
The M30x is the entry-level version, perfect for casual audio and video editors. I recommend this over any pair of traditional headphones. They are comfortable to wear for a long time and produce a well-balanced sound.
If you need portable headphones, I would spend a little more and get the M40x. It’s always best to take the cable out of the headphones to prevent wear and tear. I’ve learned my lesson on that.
Personally, I would get the M50x. Having tried all three at the same time, I felt most comfortable with the M50x. While I didn’t wear them in a marathon session during this review, I feel I could do one without any comfort issues.
It’s also nice to have different cable sizes. I don’t like to use long cables if I don’t need to. Since the cable end is proprietary, you can’t go out and buy a third party cable. That said, if I was working on a budget, I would be completely satisfied with the M40x. It pretty much has the best of both worlds with additional features over the M30x, but not the price tag of the M50x.
Final thoughts
For anyone doing a lot of editing at a dedicated workstation, a good pair of headphones is a worthy investment. If you want the best sound possible, it makes a lot of sense to pick monitoring headphones. It provides an accurate representation of audio recordings, and they are designed for extended listening sessions.
Within the audio production circles, Audio Technica is a brand used by many professionals. The M-Series over-ear sound-isolating headphones are perfect for content creators, video editors, and musicians. If you want to listen to music the way it was intended, I highly recommend you try out the M30x, M40x, and M50x.
Table of Contents
- Headphones vs monitoring headphones
- Unboxing the Audio Technica monitor headphones
- Build quality of the Audio Technica monitor headphones
- Cable quality on the Audio Technica monitor headphones
- Sound quality of the Audio Technica monitor headphones
- Which M-series monitoring headphones should you buy?
- Final thoughts
The sound quality and the portability are both great features of these headphones.
I like that the headphones fold up and are perfect for travelling and carrying them in a case.
the sound quality while still being portable
I love the portability of the headphones.
the sound quality while still being able to fold them for traveling easily is perfect.
Would love a headset with this amazing sound quality!
Best feature is the quality build, particularly on the cable, not flimsy.
Love Audio Technica
Sound isolation, and easy travel capabilities.
I’d love to get these to be able to work from home video editing without disturbing my neighbours!
The headphones fold up and are perfect for travelling and carrying them in a case. This works for me as I am usually travelling or away from home for work.
The sound quality
The noise isolation
The feature of Audio-Technica M50X headphone that is the best for my family is that the earcups are contoured to give a tight, seal fit for sound isolation. Very important with 4 kids in the house.
The sound isolation earcups are the best
I love the reinforced rubber on each end of the cable to prevent damage.
Sound Quality !
The sound quality from the Drivers.
Love that they are super comfortable and that you can wear them for a long time!
The extra audio cables included with the m40x and m50x and comfortable wear for long hours
Sound isolating earcups would be a great feature.
I think the Circumaural design contours are the best for the audiophile in my family
Starting to mix my own music and would love to win a M50x. Sound quality and accuracy are definitely what I’m looking for. Thanks!
Sound isolation feature seems like the best feature.
The best feature is the 2 included cables for more listening options.
Most definitely the sound isolation
The 45mm Driver sounds way better than the 20mm drivers in my current headphones, and I’m sure the whole package is quality-made.
45 mm driver? Blow my mind, and maybe even my eardrums a little. That’s going to be awesome.
The fact that the earcups are contoured to give a tight, seal fit for sound isolation.
sound isolating ear cups
The balanced sound profile is my favourite part of these headphones!
The sound quality is the best feature of many of course. 🙂
The exceptional sound quality.
Love the sound isolating ear cups
The audiophile in my family loves the 90-degree swivel in the earcups and that the headphones fold into a compact pouch.
The sound isolation feature sounds ideal and the fact that they are reviewed to be very comfortable to wear also appeal to me.
Compact and portable great for mobile studio recording and sound engineering.
The Audio-Technica M50X headphone is extremely comfortable to wear.
Sound isolation — an absolute must for truly immersing yourself in your music.
Sound isolation ear cups
The deep, accurate bass response. Good bass gets the blood pumping
Comfort features.
I love the large-aperture drivers of ATH-M50X headphones, definitely my favourite feature.
Sound Isolation and Comfort.
Sound Isolation feature.
After listening and reading the review I would prefer the M50X headset. I have started a small podcast and find I am using earbuds hurt my ears for long periods. The comfort of the professional ear pad and headband quality is what I need. Plus the different cables available to this model is a bonus. The sound quality with the sound isolation is what I need. Thank you for the contest and opportunity to try and win a set.
Sound isolation
Great article. I think the Sound Isolation feature would be most appreciated for me with the comfort features after that.
Trying to produce music while working from home makes me think the sound isolation feature would be absolutely game-changing for me. These bad boys would get their fair share of use with me!
Sound isolation earcups and the fold up feature for travel
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