Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

Reviewers broadly agree on the shape and split on how to feel about it: a bass-boosted, treble-lifted V/U-shape with somewhat scooped mids — a fun, consumer-leaning voicing, not a neutral one. The argument is one of degree and taste: some hear a mild, even scoop that sits close to a pleasant consumer target, others a pronounced V that's coloured and best kept for monitoring rather than critical hi-fi listening. (The valence of that split lives in the bass, treble and value aspects below.)

“The 50x opts for a 5dB shelf across most of the low end, so let’s address the elephant in the room first: this is NOT a neutral-sounding headphone.”

Home Studio Basics

“Quite suited for monitoring but a bit too U-shaped for hifi music reproduction.”

DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)

Almost everyone agrees there's a lot of it and that it digs deep; they split on whether it's any good. One camp hears a punchy, deep, satisfying low end that's a treat for bass-forward genres; the other hears a bloated, woolly mid-bass that isn't tight and bleeds into the music. The split tracks something physical — the bass is elevated through the mid-bass with measurable distortion when pushed, and the sub-bass depends heavily on getting a good seal.

The midrange leans mildly recessed — a lower-mid dip and a ~3 kHz dip are in every measurement — and a fair few listeners describe it as scooped or 'hollow,' especially with guitars and male vocals. A minority (and the brand's defenders) hear clean, natural vocals with no obvious peaks, so the disagreement is really about how much that gentle scoop bothers you.

“Mids have a neutral/forward character with a bit of a ‘hollow’ sound to it. Clarity is good.”

DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)

“Moving into the mid-range, we have a very good response with no glaring peaks or cuts, which helps vocals and instruments stand out naturally and organically.”

Home Studio Basics

The defining, most-argued axis. One camp hears the top end as sharp, grainy, sibilant and fatiguing — the source of the 'treble murder' reputation among treble-sensitive listeners; the other hears it as restrained, non-splashy and non-fatiguing, and notes the M50x actually tamed the brighter original M50. Tellingly, the measurements themselves disagree, which is why this comes down to your ears, your music and your specific unit.

Typical closed-back, and not a selling point: most describe it as small, intimate and 'in your head,' with several calling the stage microscopic. A minority — notably the brand's defenders — find it surprisingly spacious for a sealed design, but width and air are clearly limited.

“Spatial qualities were low with sound on each side of the ear.”

Audio Science Review (amirm)

“For a closed-back model, these deliver quite the experience.”

Home Studio Basics

Lightly covered and mostly a knock when raised: critics report instruments jumbling together and weak placement, while studio-leaning reviewers find hard-panned instruments come through cleanly enough for checking a mix. Not a strength, not a disaster.

“The hard-panned instruments come through pleasantly and distinctly.”

SoundGuys (Jasper Lastoria)

“Bloated bass, zero soundstage and horrendous imaging.”

Reddit r/headphones

Reads as resolving for the money — the quality its fans point to most — though skeptics argue a lot of the perceived 'detail' rides on the bright upper treble rather than true resolution, and it isn't as revealing as a good open-back. Cleaning up the bass bloat (or EQ) is repeatedly said to free up more of it.

“The resolution was immaculate.”

Home Studio Basics

“Getting rid of the bloat in upper bass let more of the detail in music to be heard.”

Audio Science Review (amirm)

Easy to drive and effectively unflappable: low impedance and high sensitivity mean it plays loud and clean from a phone, and reviewers couldn't find its distortion limits even at painful volume. A minority counter that it doesn't 'scale' with better amplification — but it doesn't need one to perform.

“Power handling was superb with me not be able to find the limits of the headphone as noted earlier.”

Audio Science Review (amirm)

Genuinely split, and it tracks your anatomy. One camp finds it light and comfortable for long stretches; the other finds the shallow pads and firm clamp press on the ears, run hot, and 'dig into your earlobes' over time — with glasses, larger ears and long sessions pushing people toward the second camp. Deeper aftermarket pads are the standard fix (though they change the bass).

Two things sit side by side. There's near-universal agreement on one flaw — the faux-leather earpads and headband flake and crack within a couple of years (the pads are cheap to replace, the headband less so) — and the move to a detachable (if proprietary) cable is widely welcomed. Past that, opinion splits: one camp calls the foldable, metal-reinforced chassis tank-like, the other calls it cheap, creaky plastic that can crack.

Decent for a closed-back and a point in its favour for tracking and noisy rooms — most call it acceptable to good — but it does little against low-frequency rumble, so it's no commuter's isolator. Seal- and pad-dependent, as ever.

“Attenuation of outside noises is decent.”

DIY-Audio-Heaven (solderdude)

“In the lows you receive no isolation, meaning bassy droning sounds from your environment will still reach your ears.”

SoundGuys (Jasper Lastoria)

The core of the 'overrated' debate. One camp says it's strong value — durable, versatile, and a genuine bargain on sale — and the tens of thousands of high owner ratings back that up. The other says that at full price it's been outclassed by newer rivals (Beyerdynamic DT 770, AKG K371, Sony MDR-7506), and that much of its fame is now legacy. Most agree the 'overrated' tag is more about years of over-recommendation and backlash than a fault in the headphone.