Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT

Keep up with the times

Every big-name professional headphone maker has some super-successful models with which it is associated. For example, Beyerdynamic has a trio of DT 770/880/990 Pro, Sennheiser has an HD650, and when Audio-Technica is mentioned, the mid-low-cost model ATH-M50x comes to mind first of all. And in the wake of the boom in wireless headphones, the Japanese decided to re-release their classic model with a combined connection, giving it a second life.

40 hours of music

In fact, we have the same headphones, but with a Bluetooth module, support for aptX and AAC codecs and a serious battery that will last for 40 hours of listening. The logic of this solution is as direct as the corner of the house: in the studio you can use the wire in the old fashioned way, but at home or on the street, when the quality of the audio transmission is not so critical, you can disconnect the wires and listen to them via Bluetooth. Plus, the headphones have finally added a headset, which many owners of the old model dreamed of. One might regret the lack of noise reduction and top-end codecs like aptX HD and LDAC, but given that the Bluetooth version costs a couple of tens of dollars more than the regular ATH-M50, such nitpicking would be redundant. In terms of design, nothing has changed, which is great. The old ones were well-assembled, they sat securely on the head, but at the same time they did not tyre, and the velor ear cushions did not strain even during extreme heat.

Signature sound over wired and bluetooth

The branded sound also remained the same (and that's good): a transparent middle, a neat, not protruding bass and moderately detailed high frequencies. They have a very precise sound balance, the stereo sound, as for a closed type, is impressive in volume, and the dynamics are beyond praise. Due to the low internal resistance of the ATH-M50x, no special equipment or expensive players are needed. An impedance of 38 ohms allows them to be well pumped even by a mid-range smartphone with a not the most sophisticated DAC. In tests, we did not see a particularly big difference in sound when listening over the wire and over the air. In the first case, the detail and drawing of the instruments was slightly better, the music played brighter overall, but there was a little less bass. This is a big plus, since many manufacturers often resort to additional equalization of the wireless signal, which makes the same headphones sound like 2 different models.