By aspect — in detail
Tonality
Contested · 8 srcThe central disagreement, and the one that matters most for a headphone sold as a reference tool. One group hears a flat, uncoloured monitor; the other hears a gently V-shaped tuning — lifted bass and lifted treble around a neutral midband. The measurements side clearly with the second reading, which makes this less a matter of taste than of how much deviation a listener notices.
Measured
DIY-Audio-Heaven's rig reads the midband as flat from 200 Hz to 3.5 kHz, with bass elevated about 4 dB around 70 Hz and a roughly 10 dB peak between 6 and 10 kHz. headphonecheck.com's separate rig independently flags the band bordering the upper midrange as strongly represented.
⚠ vs. listeners — Both rigs show a tuning that departs from flat at each end, so 'dead neutral' is not what the driver is doing. The reviewers who use that word are not wrong about the midrange — which really is flat and uncoloured — they are describing the part of the range that vocals and instruments live in, and letting the lifted extremes pass.
Where it splits
A flat, uncoloured reference tuning — balanced and honest straight out of the box.33%
“The open-backed design, coupled with a balanced sound, makes for a great listening experience.”
AppleInsider
Not flat but gently V-shaped — a bass lift and a treble lift either side of neutral mids.67%
“So people with a preference for elevated treble and bass will prefer the stock ATH-R50x.”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
The most consequential split. A measured peak of roughly 10 dB between 6 and 10 kHz sits underneath it, and it lands very differently on different ears: many hear detail, air and no sibilance, while others hear sharpness, rasp, or a headphone that gets tiring — a couple found it unlistenable. Everyone agrees there is more treble here than in the Sennheisers it competes with.
Measured
The 6–10 kHz peak measures about 10 dB, with narrower peaks near 15, 20 and 25 kHz that are described as harmless and responsible for the sense of air. There is no sibilance region spike, and the peak responds well to EQ: a foam disc, a felt mod or a passive filter each pull the 8 kHz area down by about 5 dB without removing the airiness.
⚠ vs. listeners — Two independent rigs measure the same elevated top end, so the disagreement is about tolerance, not about what the driver does. Note also that the most detailed traces come from a flatbed rig without a pinna, which reads the 4–10 kHz region differently from an ear-simulator rig — that changes the exact figure, not the direction.
Where it splits
Detailed but tame — extended and airy without sibilance, and comfortable for long sessions.42%
“They're detailed but tame and non-fatiguing”
AlexGFrank (r/headphones)
Sharp and bright — the peak reads as detail on good recordings and as edge on bad ones.58%
“From 6kHz to 10kHz there is a rather large peak (10dB) which makes the music sound ‘highly detailed’ but also causes ‘sharpness’ in many recordings.”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
Sources contradict each other on a checkable point. One group treats the low end as the headphone's surprise — more of it, and deeper, than open-backs at this price usually manage, sometimes beating closed-backs the listener already owned. The other calls it polite: modest in quantity, soft rather than punchy in texture, and rolling off early. The measurements support the first camp on quantity and extension, and the second on texture.
Measured
Bass measures roughly 4 dB elevated around 70 Hz on a downward slope, with extension holding to about 30 Hz before dropping — unusually good for an open design. Distortion above 100 Hz is very low and third-harmonic distortion stays low in the bass, so it does not break up at volume. A reversible felt mod over the rear driver vent tightens the low end without costing extension.
⚠ vs. listeners — The 'lean, rolls off under 45 Hz' impression is not what either rig shows — there is more bass here than in an HD 600 or an R70x, and it reaches lower. What the sceptics are hearing is texture: the bass is full rather than tight, so it can read as absent to someone listening for slam.
Where it splits
The surprise of the headphone — generous, deep bass that open-backs at this price rarely have.63%
“Below the mid-range, there’s a rich bass that doesn’t miss a beat, right down to the ultra-deep bass of urban music.”
headphonecheck.com
Polite and soft — modest quantity, an early roll-off, and a loose texture short on punch.37%
“Bass is lightly elevated but bass-heads need to look elsewhere.”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
The most consistently praised part of the headphone and the reason it survives as a mixing tool: clean, natural vocals and acoustic instruments, with no lower-mid mud. The caveat, raised by the second measurement rig and by one listener who demoed it against the R70xa, is that the presence region is pushed forward enough to sound a little etched or raspy on some voices.
“There is nothing much to fault about the mids.”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
“The midrange is where the R50x truly shines.”
Audio46
Measured
The 200 Hz–3.5 kHz band measures essentially flat, which is where most musical information sits; a small, narrow 3 dB peak near 4 kHz is judged unproblematic and credited with clarity. headphonecheck.com reads the transition into the upper mids as strongly represented and warns it can tire over long sessions.
Soundstage
Contested · 8 srcA dead-even split, and an unusually interesting one. Editorial reviews describe an expansive, impressively wide stage; the measurement rig calls the stereo image simply normal, and the two longest owner write-ups land on 'intimate' and even 'narrow' — wider than their closed-backs, but not the big open-back stage they expected.
Measured
There may be a physical reason the impressions diverge: the cable is 3-wire, so the shared return conductor couples the channels. The 1.2 m cable's 0.4 Ω return measures about -42 dB of crosstalk, while the 3 m cable's 1.1 Ω return measures about -33 dB — enough to widen the stereo image artificially. Which of the two supplied cables you use is a real variable here.
Where it splits· split roughly even
Expansive and wide — one of the headline reasons to buy it.
“The stereo image offered by the headphones is impressively wide.”
headphonecheck.com
Normal to intimate — spacious next to a closed-back, but not a big stage in absolute terms.
“Stereo image is a normal and becomes a bit wider/spacious with the longer cable”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
Most sources rate placement highly — precise enough that the R50x has become a common FPS recommendation on the headphone forums, sometimes over the R70x. But the single longest owner review reports the opposite: a stage he could not pin direction within, and worse positioning than the closed-back it replaced. The minority is small but specific enough not to dismiss.
Measured
Asked directly why imaging impressions diverge so far on this headphone, the measurer's answer is that elevated treble peaks improve the sense of placement for some listeners and degrade it for others, depending on ear shape and how the headphone couples — plus the 3 m cable's measured channel crosstalk, which shifts the image on its own.
⚠ vs. listeners — Nothing in the data settles this one. The graphs explain why it could go either way rather than which way it will go for you — which is itself the useful finding.
Where it splits
Precise placement — a gaming and mixing favourite for locating things in the mix.81%
“A wide soundstage means you can almost place each sound in 3D space.”
AppleInsider
Vague — direction is hard to pin down, and worse than a good closed-back for competitive play.19%
“Positioning is poor though, directionality is hard to pinpoint accurately.”
AlexGFrank (r/headphones)
Detail
Strong consensus · 7 srcBroad agreement that the R50x resolves well for $169 — sources reach for words like high-resolution, articulate and revealing, and several rate it level with or above headphones costing twice as much. The honest footnote is that some of this impression is manufactured by the elevated top end rather than by the driver alone.
“there is a high level of detail”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
“allowing subtle nuances and textures to come through effortlessly”
Audio46
Measured
Distortion is low for a 40 mm effective driver and very low above 100 Hz; the impulse response is clean in shape though it overshoots and rings briefly, and the CSD shows the treble resonances are high in amplitude but very short-lived.
⚠ vs. listeners — The measurer's own reading is that the raised treble band gives the illusion of a highly detailed sound. Pull that peak down with EQ and the resolution stays but the sense of 'more detail than anything at this price' becomes less dramatic — worth knowing before you buy on that impression.
Rated well where sources address it: quick transients, an energetic sense of attack, and no audible strain when pushed. The reservation is that the elevated bass is full rather than forceful, so slam does not scale with the quantity — and the rig sees slight compression once you push past about 85 dB.
“the ATH-R50x also excels in terms of dynamics, especially in sparsely instrumented productions”
headphonecheck.com
“Thanks to relatively sharp attack, every song feels more energetic, driving and emotional, than in 99 Neo.”
AlexGFrank (r/headphones)
Measured
Measured at 70, 80, 90 and 95 dB the traces overlay closely, with slight dynamic compression appearing above 85 dB — 100 dB bass notes come back about 1 dB under level. Reducing the elevated bass region tightens the low end but does not cure the lack of impact.
Comfort
Contested · 10 srcEverything above the ears is a clear win — 207–211 g, a measured clamping force of just 1.5 N, soft velour memory-foam pads and a two-pad headband that leaves no hotspot; several sources call it the most comfortable headphone they own. Everything around the ears is the argument. The 52 mm inner pad diameter runs small, the pads are shallow, and the cups barely swivel — enough for some listeners to feel their ears squeezed within an hour, and for at least one buyer to send it back.
Measured
Measured 211 g without cable, clamping force 1.5 N, pad inner diameter 52 mm with 23–25 mm depth (55–60 mm would be more usual), and a 40 mm height adjustment range. Usefully, breaking the seal — with glasses, for instance — barely changes the tonality, and the pads do not squeak when adjusted. One separate practical gripe: the metal band is awkward to size while it is on your head.
Where it splits
Among the comfiest headphones going — featherweight, almost no clamp, no top-of-head pressure.72%
“The clamping force is very light (1.5N) which makes it a very comfortable headphone.”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
Small, shallow cups with almost no swivel — a genuine fit problem for some ears and heads.28%
“even my medium-sized ears get a little squeezed by the earpad on all sides, causing fatigue and mild discomfort in the ears after an hour or so”
AlexGFrank (r/headphones)
Divides on feel rather than function. Most sources find the metal-and-plastic frame solid and sensibly minimal for the weight, and one owner rates it level with a headphone costing twice as much; a minority picks it up and finds it cheap. Two practical knocks are not disputed by anyone: the proprietary 2.5 mm twist-lock connector rules out balanced cables and third-party ones, and the supplied 6.3 mm adapter only screws onto the long cable.
Measured
Channel matching between left and right measures excellent. Both supplied cables are low in microphonics though springy; the 3-wire construction is what causes the channel crosstalk noted under soundstage. Audio-Technica lists earpads, headpad, cable, adapter and pouch as separately sold replacements, though pads were not yet available at the time of the measurements.
Where it splits
Solid for the money — light but not flimsy, with a proper metal frame and replaceable pads.77%
“The ATH-R50x is a well built headphone that is very comfortable to wear”
Solderdude, DIY-Audio-Heaven
Cheap in the hand — the low weight reads as flimsy plastic rather than as engineering.23%
“Extremely light/cheap feel to them. Felt like I had gotten temu knockoffs.”
Dafunkk (r/HeadphoneAdvice)
Isolation
Strong consensus · 5 srcNone, by design, and every source says so plainly. It is fully open: outside noise comes in unattenuated and anything you play is audible to people near you. That is the point of the design rather than a flaw, but it makes the R50x a quiet-room headphone — no offices, commutes or shared desks, and no use with an open microphone nearby.
“Because it is a full open-back, isolation is basically zero.”
The Audio File (Head-Fi)
“The sound isolation is non-existent, so everything outside the headphones is clearly and easily heard”
AlexGFrank (r/headphones)
Measured
headphonecheck.com publishes an exterior-noise-damping trace alongside the frequency response; the open construction attenuates essentially nothing, though the cups do roll off some of what comes in below about 50 Hz.
The majority verdict is that it is priced well — most sources rate it at or above its $169 asking price, and several place it in the same conversation as the HD 600, HD 560S and its own R70x. The standing counter-argument, which comes from the measurement side as well as from returners, is that the HD 560S covers the same ground more neutrally out of the box, so the R50x's case rests on comfort, weight and the extra bass rather than on outright performance.
“proves that professional-quality reference headphones do not have to come with an exorbitant price tag”
Audio46
“price is very accessible at $140 USD but effortlessly belongs in the HD600/R70x/HD560s camp”
Tofub00b (Head-Fi)
