Theyre not for pleasure looks at screen* I died there

Watched this with m50x's on...

9:14 'Don't blow your earbrains out.. Earbrains, goddamnit..' 'Don't blow your earballs out...' Carries on normally hahaha...

That cat loves you so much Z.

I own some original M50's with a detachable cable mod. It was one of my first headphones. Looking back, I probably should've bought the DT770s, but I think all this is a learning experience. I've no regrets about buying my M50's. Are there much better choices out there for the price? Hell yes there are. That's why you're here Z, so that future young bucks just getting into audio don't make the same mistake I made. If it comes down to M50's or DT770s go with German engineering kids!

3:19 "not for pleasure" (looks at anime girl) XD

I have owned these for 2 years now. They are very well built. I have dropped these things probably 50 times and they are still like new.

"Don't blow your earballs out". Wonderful, Z. Wonderful.

Good review man!!! :D I'm gonna order my M50x tomorrow! :)

my workhorse, I have these for over 7 years, changed the pads once and had to make a new headband for them. Very well made inside.

0:01 THE EARCUP MOVED ON IT'S OWN

I listen to HD600s at home, but I needed a pair of closed headphones for low volume listening at work, so I bought an M50x. At first I thought it sounded like mud, but I wasn't really looking for perfection in a set of throw away work headphones. After some long listening sessions though, I found I really enjoy listening to them. No need for the hate. They don't sound natural by any means, and I would never game in them. but they are a pleasure to listen to.

Gosh dang it I should've seen this before I bought mine, this is very accurate :/

finaly a proper review.... they aren't as good as they say... I fell for the hype

Back in 2017 when I asked family to buy me headphones for Christmas, I went into a shop, with no online research, and listened to every headphone there. After I’d chosen the M50X, I realised that if I just had Googled good headphone it would have immediately appeared, so I wasted time, but I’m glad the choice was my own. I’ve enjoyed them and found them invaluable for sound production, and fun for music as well. Apart from the pads, they’ve also held up perfectly. But I have two problems with them - clampforce and soundstage. I know now how much better both could be, and though I’ve loved mine very much, I’m now ready to try something new.

I completely agree with you. My starter headphone was the M50, had them for 3 years before I recently upgraded to a DT990 Pro. I fucking love the DT990s, I really like highs. But when I put the pleather HM5 pads on the M50 it is unfuckingbearable and their soundstage is awful no matter what. Edit - I cut out the back padding from the original pads and put them behind the HM5 pads. They are now actually listenable, but they still sound "sucked out".

I personally enjoy the m50x's. They're have a very nice sound, especially since I prefer a more balanced sound. I'm just not huge on bass, it doesn't have to be the center of the sound for me. I respect your review, but I don't agree with it. And that's what a lot of Audio-Technica fans need to realize. You can disagree with a review and still respect it.

I have the same impression on this headphone when I listened to it. High frequencies are really in your face, biting

12:11 Enter Beats by Ronald McDonald.

can you please review the m40x? they are said to be way better than the 50s. more balanced bass not so piercing highs and way cheaper.

Might be the pair I have but I simply Love them so much. I bought a pair of HE-350s for normal listening but I think I prefer the 50s over the HE. Granted I modded my 50s a bit. I opened them up and unscrewed the driver housing. There's a white ring that goes over the wire I cut it off and saved it and oh my goodness it's made them so much better. I looked around seeing if anyone else has done it. I haven't found anyone else who's done it.I realize comparing a open back to a closed is like apples to oranges. I'm not comparing them. I perfer the M50X's

I enjoy my M50x as much as i enjoy my 650s! i must say they sounded like your said when they were new, but after 2 weeks and around 25 hours of burn in (not wearing them) they sound fantastic to me. And i have my Senns HD650 as reference.

I totally agree with Z Reviews... I had m50x for over a year now..... Good headphone to do music work... Worst headphone to enjoy music.... I regret getting these

By the way I for some reason love your laid back 1st person camera shooting rig reviews, keep it up Z

I can agree to the pain aspect at high volume, my ears was beeping like I went deaf

I wish I could try the m50x's before buying them. this review makes me question if they are good or not. However, this review is so over the top that makes me question the credibility. Sound can be subjective to a degree and that makes finding a good pair of headphones hard without personally using them

Made both of the changes he recommended (treble killers + new pads) and it breathed new life into my m50s (got them like 8 years ago when I didn't know better)! Thanks

New to the audio game. I just moved from the M50x's to Momentum M2's and I think finally get the whole treble thing.

Thanks man, your reviews stopped me from getting the m50x and I just got a Momentum over-ear and I'm super happy with them.

your right with them feeling cheaper. Had my pair of the m50s and my friend brought his m50x over, and you could easily feel that the headband and the plastic is a lot lower quality but the pads are definitely better on the X (still hurts my head wearing them though...).

I think you need a part 3 video. Just like mk3's, try pads that crush, specifically the Shure 1540 pads, these sound pretty good and are super comfy - like the most comfortable headphones you will ever put on. Plus you get one added benefit of a "semi-open headphone ", in that you can hear someone without having to take your headphones off. Also, no special foam insert is needed with the 1540 pads.

Speaking toward the "build quality", I had mine in excess of 4 years and even though almost every single piece of faux leather has fallen off, they still work with not a single broken piece/swivel. They may feel cheap but dam they are sturdy!

But hey, it depends on the person. So might as well try it before making a decision.

I had a pair of AT-M50X for like 4 years and I enjoyed them very much. I then switched to a pair of Meze 99 classics and gave my AT to my sibling that uses it to this day, it holds very well although the pads had to be changed because they completely flaked off. Really nothing to say about the build quality for the price it's robust even if there is some rough edges, the plastic didn't crack like most plastic headphones would after so many years it still looks brand new to me. But I did try it not long ago before changing the pads, I listened to some tracks from Rob Zombie's "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" album and on the 99 classics it was a great, fun and pleasant experience but with the AT I was in physical pain even on lower volume, on the other hand tracks from Eminem's album "Music to be murdered by" worked extremely well on the AT and had that punchy bass and higher tremble (without being painful at all) that made the track more fun to listen to than with the 99 classics (that are more for orchestral composition in my opinion). I think the AT can use some EQ on some songs but I definitely was no longer used to how the AT reproduces the sound but I can't say it's bad thing as I did use it for 4 years for many hours per day and I loved it. So I would say that the AT is worth a shot it definitely didn't deserve the shit you gave it in terms of build quality and comparing them to Yamaha's that are 100 dollars more expensive which basically puts you in the

Thank God I'm not see this video before buying my m50x because i would regret it, i love your videos man but in this case im not share your opinion. This headphones have a tight punchy bass, and an agresive super energetic sound and that's why i like this!

They are balanced, but the soundstage is pretty narrow. Personally, I am a fan, plus they are comfortable. I can wear them for hours. BUT....if you want a wider soundstage and tighter highs, skip the M50s.

As a classical musician, i find the m50x's sound signature quite good to my liking. I do understand all the point Z mentioned in the video, but in the end is what You prefer. My ear is quite sensitive to low frequency so that might be something....

Zeos, from what I know from the youtubers. They just plug 'em to a very dull onboardl sound card, which is no wonder why the bright sound signature of the m50x does not hurt them. at all.

I bought them for the wrong reason and I bought the pads and foam and while listening for a while, I like it! Thanks! 👍

Fuck... I recently bought these because I read so many good things about them, but I gotta admit they do kind of, I dunno, tire me out. I wanted headphones to relax and enjoy music, but these are just too intense, everything too close together. I think I'm gonna sell them and fork out for a pair of TTPods and some nice open-backs.

If only I discovered the audiophile community before I bought my m50x's. Oh well I have nothing to compare them too, but I definitely want to upgrade sometime.

To be honest, the M50x isn't even good for monitoring.

Own the ATM-M50s and truly agree I even have them with the HM5 Pads, I should've just saved up and got a nice setup with HD600s/650s. I have them to compare with the HD598s and the ATH-M50s with the HM5 Hybrid Pads is a god send. Everyone who has M50s should get them. With the treble issue I fixed it by cutting out the foam from the old earpads as I don't need them. Now they are wonderful and they still have a place on the table when I listen to deep house, Jon Bellion and the such.

never saw videos of someone who is this passionate and honest about sound and headphones. that guy nailed it for me. his recomendations are pretty valid and these dislikes just shows how some rookie tech-youtubers who usually test graphics cards can unjustifiably hype up mediocre products

Thanks @Z Reviews. you make the most honest reviews.

Really don't understand why people hate these headphones so much. Z Reviews is really lacking consistency between reviews. Here is a graph of the frequency response of the Beyer-Dynamic DT 770, the M50x, and the Shure SRH840. imgur.com/a/LQbBV He says that the Shure SRH840 is what the M50x should be. When looking at the graph, the M50x has less of what annoyed him, the bass and harsh treble. While the Shure SRH840 has significantly more energy at 8Khz-10Khz and 75hz -500hz. Really doesn't add up.

Hello Z. I've shared your opinions on the M50X headphone. After experimenting with various ear pads, I find the original earpads (which you get 2 of ) with the Brainwavs HM5 headphone to strike a pleasant balance between bass, trebble and comfort. You may not agree, but could be helpful for fellow listeners with similar ears as I. Keep up the good work.

thats how a professional sounds like not a stupid paid youtuber.... thank you god

They aren't meant to be easy on your ears, they are professional headphones. They are meant for the studio and DJing. They are accurate but not easy on the ears.

Even the M40x is much better than the M50x, IMO.

One reason the M50x's are popular is because they constantly get recommended by MKBHD (Marques Brownlee), who isn't an expert in anything. He's a KZfaq reviewer with 3.2 million subscribers who does casual level tech reviews. Nothing wrong with that for some people, but he doesn't have enough knowledge to provide a true technical review.

I honestly don't think I've ever seen such a wrong opinion. I love these headphones through-and-through.

sorry u don't enjoy the m50s I like them but u did a really good review. thumbs up

I fell for the hype and these headphones give me headaches :(

This is not okay. This video, January 2016, is over 5 years old.

I don’t think these are crap cans, but the midbass is bloomy, the mids are slightly recessed, the treble is a little metallic. They are not neutral. But they are dynamic, they have fidelity, and good stereo separation. They are punchy. They sound fun. For studio work I prefer K361 and SRH840, but these are good to have lying around a church soundbooth or just for jamming

The ATH M50 is the Nickleback of headphones. They got too popular at a fast rate so to hate on them seems like the cool thing to do.

So what I'm getting, ATH-M50x are meant to make and mix music

108 M50's deaf fanboys. M50's fanboys be like "you dare dislike the M50's? dislike to your video biatch"

For the price: I'd highly recommend damped/modded Fostex T50RPs w/velour pads, or just any other pads that aren't the stock Fostex pads.

I still don't understand your hate towards these cans. I've noticed a massive surge of people suddenly saying that the M50X's are horrible. Which is funny that this is only being said AFTER they become popular. Like people are acting as if these are the new Beats. It's almost like people will purposefully bash a good headphone just to go against the grain.

I tried these the other day and I totally agree with you.

I have my m50x's for about 4 years now 3 years on 15€ aftermarket velour pads. I've thrown them around my desk on my bed, I've had them squished in backpacks and travel cases and the cable got pulled out many times. And they still work absolutely great. I don't think they're uncomfortable but maybe that's because I have a rather slim head, though there was a bit of a headclamp feel when I first got them. The headband started slowly chipping apart about 3 months ago and official spare parts for that cost 36€ including 5€ shipping to germany. I haven't had other headphones for longer periods of time that are worth mentioning so these are my first pair of above 50€ so I don't wanna recommend them nescessarily just state my experience with them. Also that's why i've not mentioned anything about sound because that topic is highly comparison based.

You actually said in your Yamaha review that it sounded excellent, the bass did slam but in a good way plus it had "some" sound stage. Think it was the highs that were your problem with the MT-220's, but with HM5 pads the shrill wasn't as apparent. Overall the Yamaha's did have a fair review I think.

I like my M50X's and am listening to this on them. I wonder what you would think of the Turtle Beach X12s? Those are some of the only decent headphones I wore before this, and I definitely think these are better. It's hard to know whether I just have different taste, or simply have never heard anything better.

Someone send give him some ATH M40Xs! They are even better in my opinion and others than the M50s.

I have the M50x's and I think they're usable enough for monitoring. Not trying to say they're the best studio headphones ever, but they are fine for what they are.

I wish i had seen this review before buying Audio-Technica M50x's. I'm having similar issues with them and i bought them based off all the review's and positive things said. At first i thought i had damaged my ear drums listening somehow, but i found out it was likely just these headphones. Having these at 80-85% volume on a phone were unbearable for me and caused pain after just a few minutes of listening. I lowered the volume which helped greatly, but then i could not listen to the music. I tried my old earbuds or headphones no issues in terms of pain and having them as loud. Going to go ahead and try out the SHP9500's. I'm hoping these are more what i enjoy. ATH-AD900X's, HD 600, and Beyerdynamic DT 770 are priced way to high for me. 300+ CAD dollars. SHP9500's come to 120$.

Why do people buy M50x when M40x are much cheaper and don't have that shitty bass peak... Not to mention for the price of M50x you can get so many better cans

Zeos, try a set of Philips SHL3300's with HM5 leather pads. $20 CAD headphones. You should be surprised. DO IT.

I bought the M50x a few years back for production and mixing... sold them within 3 months to get some k702s. I didn't pay much attention to the sound difference from an enjoyment perspective but the quality of my mixing went up quite a notable ways, then when I was able to get some Adam A7x s the quality spiked again massively... The m50x was an okay headphone in that all frequencies were at least present, but there was no good point other than that. My AKGs sounded fine, but the cable sucks and the build quality is laughably bad... All in all i ended up with HD650s for just listening to music since doing any really mixing/mastering/production on headphones really isn't a solution (it took 3 years of personal experience to come to that conclusion). :D If you are an audio professional and you want some decent headphones, the m50x shouldn't be on your shortlist.

Thank god someone who's thought is "Why are these so popular" I JUST purchased a pair off of everyones glowing reviews.....and have felt lost about headphones until THIS moment.

glad to sold mine a long time ago and got a K7xx~

Bought the M50x a few months ago expecting amazing quality based on the reviews and your review pretty much sums up how I feel about them... so overrated. Just bought the ATH-AD900x though and am loving them!!

I'm just wearing the M50x, tried them at bass guitar tracking and noticed right away a harshness at about 4k. I did my research and there it is, the few and rare that have the same issue. I think you are right, I tried to make myself think that they are great and that I am the issue because the whole world likes them but... the treble, the soundstage and kind of the bass to are worse than what I've had with my Creative Fatality that just died on me and they were like 30 bucks...

I'm just gonna put this here for anyone considering buying these: I loved my m50x for all the time I had them, they're my first hi-fi headphones. But after 6 years (today) the left earpiece suddenly was able to bend away from my head, so when I wear them now the left earpiece won't stay on my head, the very top corner does but the bottom pulls away; the only way I can use them now is if I hold the left headphone to my ear. I took good care of them (though admittedly, I just put them in my backpack when traveling; no case). Got the Beyer Dynamic DT 990 Pro and hohoholy Jesus they're great. Bass is less loud, open back, non-detachable cord, and they don't fold, but they sound genuinely amazing. Stereo field is muuuch wider and more clear than the m50x (to my ears, we all have different preferences). Even the clarity of the sounds and layers of songs sound clearer and less muddled/blurry than on the m50x. I fell in love demoing these at guitar center so I ended up getting them after lots of comparing. Not as nice for phone use because they're quieter and I have to turn my phone volume up all the way to match the volume of 75% on my m50x, but the clarity is definitely a tier or two above the m50x. I use it mostly for studio music production anyway, so I can boost my audio interface's volume to compensate. I only wish the android volume boosting apps actually worked. But I'm not planning on taking these outside the house often so it's not a big deal. The studio is #1.

I mean, if EVERY other review I hear says their good for any purpose, from studio monitoring, to casual listening, to gaming, and this one pissy guy who seems like the snobby “I know better than you because I’m an audiophile with a messy room full of gear” type is telling me otherwise, I’m just going to assume that it’s just him being crotchety, and that they’re probably fine for most people in most situations... I’ve got a pair of M50Xs coming for Christmas, and I’m personally very excited to give them a try!

Thank you!!! Saved me a lot of $ and pain in the era! LOL

I bought the m50xs after my brother bought m50s 5 years ago and I love them because I learned to make my own eq settings for them so the highs are not as loud on the highs

I ordered these via amazon, the box had no seal, they looked new. At first, they sounded good IMO, however my deal breaker was something different. They had stereo imbalance, which is the most annoying thing ever in headphones. After an intense burn-in session, the stereo imbalance was still present (Left was louder than right). Sound was well detailed, having used earpods, bass heavy sony's, sennheiser 280 pro steelseries siberia v2 & bang & olufsen h6 2nd gen. I listen to headphones @ 40-60% volume on my MBP or iPhone, even lesser if its earpods. Unless its my favourite track. I listened to these on 50-70% volume and didnt feel like cranking the volume up bcuz its lazer! So at a moderate level these sounded really nice, detail was very good, bass was nice, I was enjoying music, all sorts House, Orchestra, Piano, Jazz, Electronic. Bright & Fun. I actually purchased a lot of music while listening the previews on iTunes store, almost all the tracks were better, especially the VOCALS, that was the thing which kept me interested & how balanced it is overall. I was very happy with the sound detail BUT i couldnt get over the STEREO IMBALANCE. That ruined everything. I know these headphones dont look great and neither are they very comfortable. What is REALLY BAD about these headphones is that THEY ARE NOT WHAT THEY SAY IT IS FOR! Worst headphones for sound monitoring! If the LEFT channel sounds louder than the RIGHT one it doesnt matter how good it sounds. I ordered a replacement, hoping its going to be better BUT NO! The second pair of headphones were worse. It sounded MUDDY & DULL + Stereo Imbalance. Also the soundstage can confuse you sometimes, like the positioning of instruments in V-MODA crossfade m100 but much worse. As much as I liked them for how FUN they were at first, I was disappointed and returned them back. Audio-Technica has made a mistake & its m50x. They actually sound terrible.

I think the M50x feel really well built and I don't know why you say they are uncomfortable, they are not the most comofortable but not to the point where they are uncomfortable.

Being my first serious headphones, I thought they were ok back in the day, but now I'm so happy with the Momentums (even when they're not the best out there) that when switching back to the M50 they feel very raw, uncomfortable and fatiguing. Still, I'd recommend them if the price is really low and it's your first real headphone.

I put some "WICKED" angled pads on my m50x and I like them for my first headphones. "Ward, I think you were a little hard on the beaver".

Audio Technica AD700's, had them for 6 years still doing good, can be had for under $150 these days, yes they are ope headphones.

Why this video makes me feel that i made a wrong choice.!!! :D

M50x soundstage=🙏 M50x highs=👂🔫 👀

Hey Z Reviews, I know this video is kind of old now but I fell prey to the hype train and got a pair of M50xs before I saw this and I can say that I totally agree. As my first pair of "over ear monitoring headphones" I found that the highs have a painful sensation that tickles my ear canals at low volumes, and are sheering at louder volumes. The bass isn't great either. All in all, I'm underwhelmed. Anyway, I play guitar and am an amateur music producer. I'm looking for something that I can use for monitoring, tracking and mixing, as well as for general use and music enjoyment. Do you have a few suggestions to fit that? Or do I really just need more than 1 set of cans to meet all of those needs? Thanks, great video

I've had my M50xs for a super long time, since about 2015-16. I like them. Though it's the only real pair i've owned. Probably will invest in the m40s and those pads eventually though just to have them.

you just crushed my dreams with this review

It's my first headphone... And I hate them. But, it's what drove me into this shitty hobby called audio. Because how shitty the thing is, but actually a bit better than my old random brand chinese headphone, I went on a journey to find a good listening quality and now I own 5 fucking headphones and probably about a dozen IEM right now. All because this shitty little piece of shit ATH made and hyped to death. It deserved a spot in my wall though, as the one that started everything I guess.

Hey. I buyed m40x and liked em. I buyed m50x and firstly i was impressed and at the same time not - i was frustrated - they sound slightly better than m40x in bass but not in rest and i thought - oh no. I listened again M40x and liked em lot still. I used M50X again right after M40X and now i have HEARED this immediately difference - more bass and more amazing treble. I finished not only at this. I used multiband eq and WTF. I made them more linear. Yes i using them for monitoring. Amazing. I was planin to chhose 770 beyerdynamic but m50x are sick. m40x are really sick too but m50x - gived me more details. I love both. Sexy monitors.

I quite enjoy your videos and I have a few good-great sets (B2 Dusk, HD58X, Blon-03, Retros, 75's, TRN MT1's, and the list goes on with more to come) but I just purchased a used set of M50X's and enjoy them. Haven't listened to them enough to write a review, but with the Brainwaves Hybrid ProStock pads on and powering off of my Conexant Cx31993 these seem to sound good. These are really nice for everyday headphones, and I know there are "better"/cheaper sets that might be able to satasfy me more for a bit less or more than I paid for them used ($60 Cad+$40 something Cad for pads) but I really wanted to hear these controversial cans. I can see why many may not like these, however. Unreleated, but my Mom has a set of Oneodio/Oneaudio BT/Wired cans that sounds similar to these.

THEEEEEEEESE!!!!

I find the M50x very comfortable. And if you aren't in a battlezone, the headphones are pretty sturdy. I know they aren't built as a tank but I've gotten pretty good mixes when using them.

I buy those because of recommendations all over internet, never had any closed headphones so at first i thought they are awesome but now after 2 years of use i must say that those are called monitors for reason. And i want them for play games and listen for music. i have no idea how other headphones sound. Thank you for review im sad about it but i agree with you. Top head band broke a lot btw. Im not completely dissapointed but now i know i would buy other headphones for my purposes. Will try your recommended earbuds propably.

Just an observation, the M50X is flatter than the M40X. It's not flat, but it is flatter. Sub bass is rolled off, bass is slightly boosted, lower mids slightly recessed, treble slightly boosted (more even, less peaky than the M40X). Anyone who says otherwise is wrong. These are fine. There are better options, sure. But these aren't V SHAPED, PIERCING, BASS CANNONS, NO MIDS, none of that. They're just.. fine. They don't deserve the praise, nor the hate.

M50x should be definitely classified as the "Anti-Beats" of the headphone market. I go on the train, bus, just almost anywhere in public I see some guy in a trench coat wearing the M50x. Everyone wears them now, and go "Fuck everyone who uses Beats!" in public with these.

for $99 are you sure you didnt get a fake pair, because they love to do that with the m50s

I've had these for about 4 years now. They broke in several places, the pads wear out quickly, they are not comfortable, and sound terribly sharp. I hate the fact that many reviewers hype these up without knowing how bad they are. I've had many headphones after these which made me realize that if you haven't listened to good quality audio and don't know what it is you can easily think that buying these headphones is a good desigion. Please do not buy them for music or gaming they are terrible at both.

I don't know why I'm saying this when there is so many other people saying the same thing but considering we have horrible sounding products on the market like beats and skull candy which are just a fashion statement, audio tecnicas are made for sound, and for listing to actual music like mj, queen, Beatle ect with flac quality sound, you can't beat them for the price