Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Closed-Back Stereo Monitor Headphones

Monitor your mixes confidently in these stylish, comfortable closed-back cans. With a frequency range of 15 Hz - 28 kHz, M50 headphones deliver every detail.

Overall User Ratings (based on 32 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(32) (see rating details)
Submitted March 27, 2010 by a customer from hotmail.com

"ATH MMM50!! YOUR ONLY CHOICE...AT VERY LEAST...BECAUSE I SAY SO!!! :D"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
no headphones...and i mean NO headphones can compete as to date in this price range (and beyond for the most part). They are just unreal if you understand just what it is youre getting exactly. I will never need anything better, these are everything iv ever wanted for my studio production mixing. I truly love them and thankyou audio technica, you more than catered to the musician/producer on a budget. If it were stolen id get another pair as soon as possible and praise the thief who had good taste! I couldnt be happier, they might just be headphones, but they are helping me create my dream with confidence of what it is sounding like through the process. enjoy!
Sound
Oh my, oh my, oh me (can anyone see my nostrils fair?) To sum up the sound quality in regards to character, accuracy in monitoring, performing, expression etc etc...they are simply unreal!! I read numerous glowing reviews on these headphones so i new i was in for a treat (and was making a fine choice) but i did not think they'd take me into the "pro studio" category! The bass people, the bass! It is like having a pair of high quality nearfields only probably better becuz theyre isolating outside sound giving you direct accuracy of what you;re actually hearing (asset in noisy environments and apartments). The lows are the best yet (any price range imho..and iv been around) the mids are buttery and very defined the highs sing out at you and inspire a first rate mixing session. The list goes on and on...you can listen to one phone at time for parameter mixing, the go loud, the wide stereo spacious/ flat response is a recipe for success in precision mixing. Let them burn in, and now we're talking! Clearly the best investment i ever made...thank god i didnt pay more for those akgs.
Features
has the basics and then some. They are well padded, very comfortable, flexible rotating phones, 2 adapters, now straight not coiled (doesnt matter, though would prefer the former), nice litte "leather like" case to protect the headphones, beautifully made collapsible cans. Great isolation..just all around first rate..you're paying for these, but it pays you back even more.
Ease of Use
although not as "comfortable" as the little brother (m20) but then again..these headphones are "adult"...and so, bigger and stronger thus existent and noticeable while on...that is..until you're completely taken and engaged with the sound thats coming out of it , then will you forget theyre even on, instead you might just think you're listening to some vey expensive nearfeilds in the midst of monitoring...while perfroming, it might be a slightly different story, depending on the shape head you have...well...they are headphones..and very comfortable imo..nothing difficult or annoying about these.they are a pleasure!
Quality
tres bien! As if you didnt know id give this a 10. Excellent build quality, it will last me years. They are made for this! Thats what audio technica had in mind while constructing these gems. They are made to last long critical sessions, to sound flat to help you hear the honest truth and make it as wonderful sounding as you can. These headphones are not liars...they will either depress you when you realize it is not up to par with your personal satisfaction, and then eventually they will uplift and inspire you after making you work harder to get you where you're at (saving you tons of work down the road). The construction is there, the technology (frequency response) is there. The reliability has already proven to be there. For the price, they are an absolute steel, the best yet, these will be the great almighty classic headphones for any application and studio. In my experience, while criticizing headphones vs headphones (rather mixes) these EASILY compare with phones around the $1000 market.
Value
invaluable! Top notch!
Manufacturer Support
no idea, havent needed them...though i have heard good things about them so i guess that merit a 9??? Hope i dont have to find out!
The Wow Factor
i want it, i got it , and then i got it..again,, (i got 2..just because i love them so much and if anyone else is in the room , i want to hear what they are hearing to enjoy and bask in the experience in which these babys helped me achieve!)

Musical Background:

singer/songwriter/studio musician/producer

Musical Style:

prog rock/prog folk
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Submitted December 25, 2010 by a customer from hotmial.com

"Sweet surrender"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I am satisfied for investing on these cans. I appreciate the most the natural response and sound reproduction unlike with other cans, of this type, who seems to be to hypey with their base. These are able to capture other flaws of a mp3 file like (sibilants, plosives, crackles and hisses) which might have slipped through the recording process. One of the things i appreciate on these cans, you could hear all the sounds even the smallest ones like egg-shakers and other small instruments. Also, i seem to get the feeling that i am just inside a studio watching and listening to singing artist. further, it has good clamping force which it wouldn't fell or slip off from your head when you bend over or do a little bit of head banging. good job Audio Technica.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Rock, RnB, Dance/Club, classical, acoustics
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Submitted August 27, 2009 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Brilliant."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I don't see myself buying any new headphones for a long time, I am more than pleased with my purchase. :)
Sound
I've used a few other pairs of headphones in the past. And thus far, these have exceeded my expectations. I use headphones all day, so having a nice pair, as well as high quality, is a must. And you will hear everything with these, as a warning, and a compliment.
Features
These come with a case, a coiled wire, and an adapter that you can take off so you may use it in an mp3 player. It is able to be folded up for easier storage.
Ease of Use
The great thing about these; you don't NEED a pre-amp to make them work. Though, I would recommend you use one for the best sound possible. What this means is you can just plug them right into your mp3 player without any issues.
Quality
Though it does have plastic, it's very durable and thick plastic. It does contain steel elements in it's construction, so that it is capable of withstanding some rough treatment, though I'm not saying you should throw it against concrete to see if it is unharmed. I'm not worried about these breaking whatsoever.
Value
The price, build quality, and sound on these headphones are unbeatable in my opinion. If you want the best, these are what you should invest in.
The Wow Factor
It's black with silver accents, thus making it fit in with most studio set-ups. It looks and feels high-quality, and it is.

Musical Background:

Aspiring Musician

Musical Style:

Trance, Drum and Bass, Ambience and Chill-out
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Submitted February 22, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"Studio Monitors you wear!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I adore these headphones and have not once regretted buying them. They have helped my small studio become all the more pro and it a great product for any engineer to have.
Sound
The sound on these things is really awesome. I use them for mixing when blaring my speakers wouldn't be ideal and they work really well. The sound is very accurate.
Features
It comes with anything you'd need as far as studio headphones go and the super long cable is really convient for walking around the studio.
Ease of Use
They sound like studio monitors should. Flat and accurate.
Quality
My one complaint is that the headphones is they hold a little bit tight against your head. Nothing that would lessen the desirability of this product but it's good to know. The tightness however also ensures there's no bleed into microphones so it can be considered a good thing. But they are quite comfortable on the ears due to the nice ear cup padding.
Value
This is an amazing product. I would recommend it to anyone, the price is worth it over and over again.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't had any problems, no need to use customer support.
The Wow Factor
These headphones looks great too and are built to last.

Musical Background:

Singer, Sound Engineer, Guitarist

Musical Style:

Alternative Rock
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Submitted January 13, 2009 by a customer from gmail.com

"As good as you've heard"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I need to use headphones for everything from casual listening to mixing tracks. I've tried many and looked a long time and finally found some truly great ones.
Sound
Unreal. Never heard anything like these. I have several other sets of headphones that cost about this much and they are no comparison. I've used them in multiple setups including the audio from my sequencer as well as music listening and in every circumstance they surpass anything else I've heard.
Features
Nice thick plastic and steel construction. Ear pads are slightly thicker stiffer than typical.
Ease of Use
Good fit. They don't fold out as quickly as my Sony headphones do, but I think that's because these are constructed of thicker material. Top could use a tiny bit more padding.
Quality
Very thick and nice feeling materials.
Value
This is what you're going to have to pay to get headphones that exceed consumer levels.
Manufacturer Support
I've never had to use it for headphones.
The Wow Factor
No doubt. These have a lot of hype and it's deserved.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

downtempo, trip-hop
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Submitted April 26, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"Amazing quality for a great price."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
So glad I read up on these in various forums. These are highly endorsed on Gearslutz.com. Do yourself a favor and pick them up.
Sound
Amazing sound. Very transparent and friendly.
Features
Comes with a pouch and a 1/4 adapter - everything you'd expect...
Ease of Use
Just plug it in and listen. The fact that the cups fold, swivel and tilt is a great feature for DJs and one-sided monitoring.
Quality
They seem to be built very well and I haven't had any issues.
Value
These are amazing bang for the buck and are definitely worth it.
Manufacturer Support
I haven't had to deal with AT but they have an excellent reputation.
The Wow Factor
They look great. Good weight and feel solid and don't fatigue the ears at all. I used to own Sony mdr-v700dj headphones and those can't touch these - uncomfortable and sound worse compared to these AT's.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Hip Hop
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Submitted December 31, 2013 by Blake P in Houston, TX

"Absolutely amazing!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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So the title says a lot. These are the type of headphones that make you appreciate good music. You here things that you previously had missed and the clarity is off-the-charts. There are NOT the headphones you purchase to blow your eardrums with. They are plenty loud enough however to completely immerse yourself in the music. Just close your eyes and let your eyes do the work. I guarantee you will smile.

Musical Background:

Come from a professional music household. Drums since 3 yrs old and guitar for 20+ yrs now.

Musical Style:

alternative, rock, folk, hip-hop, dnb, glitch, electronica, blues, big band, pretty much anything with talent...and heart!
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Submitted September 17, 2008 by a customer from hotmail.com

"THESE ARE A MUST BUY, IF YOUR IN THE MARKET!!!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I plan on having these for quite a while!!
Sound
I just got these in the mail yesterday. After using them for almost a solid 14 hours in my studio the only thing that i can say about them is that they are phenominal. Comfort and the way they snug your ears is great. Sound Quality is amazing. Christal clear highs, crisp, and great low end. I've used many different brands. Pioneer, Sony, Newmark and these are the best ones that I have ever put on my head. The price might be a bit steep but its well worth it. I highly suggest anyone looking for a new pair for DJin, mixing or producing in the studio, just go ahead and spent the little extra money. ITS WELL WORTH IT!!!
Quality
Quality is great. Very reliable, looks and feels to hold up great!!
Value
I think that it is worth every penny!!!
The Wow Factor
SEX APPEAL IS A 10. LOOK VERY VERY HOT!!!!!

Musical Background:

Producer

Musical Style:

Trance, Minimal, Breaks
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Submitted August 17, 2012 by Matthew Morris in Mission Viejo, CA

"Perfect for my noisy office"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a top tier headphone set. But after a few days of research I chose these. I brought them to work and plugged them. I have been very pleased with my choice. The sound quality is better than I expected. When I'm not listening to anything they quiet the room better than I thought.The cord is great too. Before I had a headphone set where the cord would get tangled up in my chair, but these stay on my desk and out of the way.The only issue I have is it can feel heavy on your head. It's a comfortable fit but the top bridge will push on the head... it takes a while getting used to it and I still move the position ever so often.
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Submitted November 9, 2013 by Vineet G in San Jose, CA

"Awesome headphones for the price"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Upgraded from Sony MDR7506. Far far better than those. Better base, better clarity, not as high/shrill sounding.
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Submitted October 10, 2008 by a customer from gmail.com

"What Are You Waiting For, Audio Technia Has Did IT"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I doubt i'd ever buy any other monitor again .. well headphone wise... these babies are top notch
Sound
Well im a producer and mix engineer, and these are prolly the best i've ever heard .. like seriously. ONe thing to remember tho when u get them is that you have to break them in. take ur ipod and put it on shuffle for 5-10 hours ... After that these SHINE. I actaully get more mix jobs now vs production lol ...
Features
Their headphones .. what kinda of fetures do ya want lol. they come with a Carrying bag (leather) and they fold up for travel. that also come with an adapter.
Ease of Use
Plug in and Go....
Quality
The Build quality is Excellent, they are plastic but have a very good amount of weight to them. i cant even imagine these breaking. not to mention it has this gold connection with a spring on the chord ling at the connector part so it doesnt bend and short out after bending ... quite Genius of them to put that on this pair.
Value
BUY NOW BUY NOW .. GET UR MIX GAME RIGHT.
Manufacturer Support
E-mail Contact is At most 3-5 hour turn around.
The Wow Factor
ITS LOOKS DROP DEAD SEXY .. LIKe if anglina jolie was a pair of headphones .. these 'be her right here

Musical Background:

Im a producer, and Engineer

Musical Style:

Hip-hop, Rnb, Soul, Jazz
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Submitted October 10, 2012 by Nokey Anderson in stone mounatin, GA

"Love these in the studio"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Good Cans....Good response!

Musical Background:

professional Drummer/producer

Musical Style:

R&B ,Hip Hop,Blues funk.rock
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Submitted January 6, 2014 by Clark W in Washington, MI

"Great Product Great Service and Delivery"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Recommended, Reliable fast shipping....No issues!

Musical Background:

Played Bass and vocal recreationally since 12yr old....now 51

Musical Style:

Noise
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Submitted April 30, 2012 by David R in Chino Hills, CA

"Studio Headphones"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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I haven't bought headphones in 20 years. These do the job well for my home studio setup. For a $200 list price, they feel a little cheaply made but they sound decent. For the price I paid, I do not think there is anything out there that would have been a better buy. I use it with an MAudio Fastrack audio interface and Garageband.

Musical Background:

Guitar 20 years and Bass 5 years

Musical Style:

Rock, country, blues and other acoustic stuff
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Submitted April 21, 2014 by Randy P in West Palm Beach, FL

"Alan Parsons ..."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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uses them in the studio. That is all you need to know.
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Submitted December 24, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"Best Headphones Under $200."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I am not going to buy another pair of headphones for a long, long time. I have a great feeling these are going to last for a while. If this product was stolen or lost, I would buy another pair of of these for sure.
Sound
The sound quality is sweet on these headphones. Very flat and accurate. The low end goes extremely deep and is very accurate, the mids are amazing and the highs are really crisp. Any genre, from classical to hip hop, sound amazing on these. I play it through my computer and my phone and they sound great on both. As well, these do not need to be equalized. They sound this good.
Features
In the box, you will see the headphones, carrying pouch and 1/4" adapter. I wanted a cleaning cloth, but whatever =D
Ease of Use
You just have to plug in the headphone jack to your device and that's it.
Quality
These headphones are built like a tank. This product is going to last me years. The plastics, metals and leather are high quality.
Value
These headphones for $160??!!!! They should be worth $300-$350. I did not even get these for $160.......I got these for $120!! It's a steal for the money you're paying for it. I tried a lot of headphones in the 300 dollar price range and these headphones sound just as good.
The Wow Factor
These headphones may look boring to some, though I think they are beautifully designed. I just wish these would come in different colors other than black.

Musical Background:

I have been playing guitar for 6 years. I play at home, on stage and with friends.

Musical Style:

rock, hip hop, blues.
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Submitted March 29, 2014 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Doesn't Live up to the hype"

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought these headphones after reading all the great reviews about it. My plan was to use them as a secondary mix tool and for casual listening. The headphones themselves were fairly comfortable and seemed to be durable. However, the frequency response was not pleasurable at all. It sounded as though there was a low cut and very harsh boost starting at the high mids that made these headphones unlistenable. If you're interested in these I would definitely try out a pair before buying them

Musical Background:

Amateur Audio Engineer
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Submitted September 30, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"Avoid at all cost."

Overall: 0.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Avoid these things. Don't listen to anybody whose only had them a few months or only has one set. You can't trust what your listening to. And for what I do it's very important that everybody is hearing the same tone. It's sucks when you dial in a bass sound or guitar sound that you think is awesome and everybody else in the band thinks your losing it.
Sound
I'll give them a five on sound only because when I first bought them I loved them. Now not so much. I bought three sets for my trio's late night headphone jam sessions. Now after just under a year all three sets sound completely different from each other.
Features
The cord. What a colossal fail. It's about 2 feet of straight cord coming out of the left ear phone. Then it coils up nice and tight almost all the way to the end. You'll need an extension cable when your only sitting two feet away from your source. Huge pain in the can.
Ease of Use
That cord again. What a huge giant stupid idea!! A straight cord is the only way to go in the studio. If I had bought them for an iPod then yes coiled would be fine. But I didn't I bought them for jamming in the studio and straight is the only way to go.
Quality
Okay so the other night my lead singer kept saying he couldn't hear our keyboard player. I kept looking at him funny cause it was piano hour in my headphones. I couldn't hear anything but piano. So we swapped headphones (same mix mind you) and sure enough there was almost no piano in his phones. So I checked the keyboard players phones and it was all there piano, drums, bass, guitar, and vocals but, it was muffled, like a blanket over them. 3 matching pair, so we could all be hearing the same thing, gone toast, not one of them sound the same. They might as well be 3 different brands of headphones. I bought them so when I made eq adjustments to a guitar sound or to the bass, we could all hear the same thing. Now in one set the bass is snappy and bright, like new strings. And in another its muffled and sound more like Motown. And in the third it sounds nice but won't get loud enough.
Value
Far too much money (I paid the old price,just before the price drop)for the epic fail that is these phones. And they are an epic fail. I would stay clear of these things. I'm once again on the hunt for decent phones.
The Wow Factor
Well not anymore.

Musical Background:

Hobby Studio

Musical Style:

Alt Folk.
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Submitted October 14, 2008

"AT has done it!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I've gone through several pairs of Sony, AKG, and Sennheiser cans before discovering that there really is something worth spending some extra money on. These will be any mixer or DJs permanent companion, and they manage to retain comfort too. AT has hit gold here.
Sound
Beautifully detailed mids and highs. The lows are true and very punchy without being boosted. Once you burn these in, the highs become even smoother and have that "tickling your ears" quality. Very wide stereo space makes it easy to pick up nuances in the mix you might have missed or never appreciated before. Sound isolation is not as dramatic as on other cans, but is sufficient enough that I can hear music played at moderate volumes over a subway train. Leakage would not be a problem in the studio so long as you arent jacking the volume to 11, however I think these are better suited for mix monitor, DJ use, and simple listening applications.
Features
Very nicely padded cups. You can wear these for a long time without any discomfort. The cable has a spring surrounding the end near the plug which helps keep it in place. Headband is a little bulky, but it's relatively light and the padding on it feels cushy.
Ease of Use
plug in and go.
Quality
Parts are mainly plastic, but feel as if they could take some drops without breaking. The headband adjustment is easy and the cups stay where you put them.
Value
Most people will find these expensive, but I think in relation to how overpriced a set of HD280s are at $100, the jump in quality you get with the extra $70 here is more than worth it. These are perfect candidates for an argument that you don't have to spend $300 for a perfect set of headphones.
Manufacturer Support
havent had to call.
The Wow Factor
design is sharp and clean with metal ring accents over black plastic. You'll still look like a raver geek wearing these on public transit, but people definitely look at em and wonder where you got these.

Musical Style:

breakbeat, hard techno, metal.
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