Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT Over-ear Bluetooth Headphone Review & Comments

[Ed Selley]

What happens when you take a headphone that was designed to be wired and make it wireless? Thanks to Audio Technica, we can now find out
Read the review.

Write your own review for Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT

 

[mikeybabes2]

I have a pair of wired ATH M50x headphones which I use when writing and composing and mixing orchestral music. The build quality is excellent and they are one product that I'll be very surprised if I ever need to replace them. They are highly regarded in music production circles and are great value for money.

This bluetooth version seems to cost only a little more than I paid for the wired version some years ago. If they are anything like the wired ones, they'll be a great purchase.

 

[Amar]

I wonder how these compare to the Sony wh-1000xm3 which are being regarded as some of the best wireless headphones currently on the market. If these sound just as good, minus the noise cancelling, they'll definitely be a winner at a much lower price.

 

[Garioch]

I wonder how these compare to the Sony wh-1000xm3 which are being regarded as some of the best wireless headphones currently on the market. If these sound just as good, minus the noise cancelling and a lot cheaper, they'll definitely be a winner.

What you're paying for, with the Sony, is the excellent noise cancellation.

I trialed the 1000xm3 and the wired m50x and much, much prefer the audio-technica for audio quality. But then, I prefer the neutral sound.

As good as the noise cancellation is on the Sony... Personally I don't need it, and get by on the passive noise isolation of the m50x. I'm pleased to see that the BT variant still keeps this attribute (and remains comfortable).

 

[Amar]

What you're paying for, with the Sony, is the excellent noise cancellation.

I trialed the 1000xm3 and the wired m50x and much, much prefer the audio-technica for audio quality. But then, I prefer the neutral sound.

As good as the noise cancellation is on the Sony... Personally I don't need it, and get by on the passive noise isolation of the m50x. I'm pleased to see that the BT variant still keeps this attribute (and remains comfortable).

That's really interesting, I need to go and find a pair to listen to. I've heard the Sony and really like them but not sure they're worth £300. I don't really need the noise cancelling. It's more of a nice to have than a necessity for me. I remember thinking to myself that if only Sony had released a pair without the noise cancelling for £100 less.

I have a pair of XTZ Divines but find the bass lacking and they get rather uncomfortable on prolonged use.

 

[Steven]

That's precisely it though. The price premium by Sony and Bose is partly marketing but partly due to the fancy features. I do not own the Sony but for example covering the right cup to silence music and have a conversation is clever

 

[HMHB]

Do these come with a cable so you can listened wired as well? If so, how long is the cable? I think these would be good for listening to my synths playing through

 

[JayCee]

Do these come with a cable so you can listened wired as well?

Which headphones are you referring to?

 

[HMHB]

Sorry, I meant the ones in the review - the ATH-M50xBT headphones.

 

[Ed Selley]

Yes they do. A 1.5m one from memory.

 

[HMHB]

Sorry, I meant the ones in the review - the ATH-M50xBT headphones.

Thanks. My idea is that I need some wireless headphones for listening to music via an iPad Pro but I also need wired headphones to use with my mixer which I connect my keyboards to. I want the headphones to be fairly neutral for the keyboards and these might fit the bill

 

[Finbow]

I am currently in the market for some wireless headphones. Went with the senheisser Momentum 2.0 to begin with. These sounded a bit flat with an iphone I found, probably due to them not supporting the AAC codec. Then moved on to the B&O H4’s these were a very entertaining listen with very deep bass but the bass tended to overwhelm. Next up were B&O H9is. These in the main sound absolutely outstanding however they are plagued by some pretty bad distortion issues via Bluetooth. Just ordered my self a pair of these. It’ll be interesting to see how they compare. On paper they sound absolutely perfect for me. Neutral but still engaging. I will report back in a week or so!

 

[Finbow]

I am currently in the market for some wireless headphones. Went with the senheisser Momentum 2.0 to begin with. These sounded a bit flat with an iphone I found, probably due to them not supporting the AAC codec. Then moved on to the B&O H4’s these were a very entertaining listen with very deep bass but the bass tended to overwhelm. Next up were B&O H9is. These in the main sound absolutely outstanding however they are plagued by some pretty bad distortion issues via Bluetooth. Just ordered my self a pair of these. It’ll be interesting to see how they compare. On paper they sound absolutely perfect for me. Neutral but still engaging. I will report back in a week or so!

What can I say. Thanks Ed! Got these today & they genuinely sound absolutely fantastic. They wipe the floor with the £350 B&O I had been auditioning at home. Balanced, plenty of genuine but not artificial bass. I just wish they looked as stylish as the B&O’s! I had listened to Sony W1000XM3, too bassy & artificial sounding, Momentum 2 wireless (no AAC codec support), B&O H4, looked fantastic but sounded like Beats & the aforementioned H9i’s was about to give up & then saw this review. Thanks again!

 

[HMHB]

What can I say. Thanks Ed! Got these today & they genuinely sound absolutely fantastic. They wipe the floor with the £350 B&O I had been auditioning at home. Balanced, plenty of genuine but not artificial bass. I just wish they looked as stylish as the B&O’s! I had listened to Sony W1000XM3, too bassy & artificial sounding, Momentum 2 wireless (no AAC codec support), B&O H4, looked fantastic but sounded like Beats & the aforementioned H9i’s was about to give up & then saw this review. Thanks again!

Are you still enjoying these headphones?

 

[Finbow]

Are you still enjoying these headphones?

Absolutely. Just got back from Valencia today & used them on the flight. If anything they’ve got better. I don’t really believe in ‘burn in’ but these do seem to sound even better now than when I first bought them. Maybe I’ve just gotten even more used to the sound? My advice would be, get them & give them a bit of time. They’re still better than any other wireless headphones I’ve tried.

 

[Steven]

Absolutely. Just got back from Valencia today & used them on the flight.

Great destination. Sun, city and beach but lacks the touristy sell present in bigger cities. Did you use the headphones in the Spanish sun tho?

 

[Finbow]

Great destination. Sun, city and beach but lacks the touristy sell present in bigger cities. Did you use the headphones in the Spanish sun tho?

Totally agree. As a city it had everything. No chance to use the headphones off the plane. Went with my wife & our 9 year old! No time for ‘relaxing’.

 

[Joe Pineapples]

Can't find a single place near me to demo these. Are Amazon ok with headphones returned (opened) ?

 

[JayCee]

Are Amazon ok with headphones returned (opened) ?

Yes, I've done this a few times with headphones with no problem returning them for a full refund.

 

[Finbow]

Yep. No worries returning them. The AT’s were the 4th set of headphones I ordered.

 

[Joe Pineapples]

Would anyone say these are suitable for instrumental/classical/film soundtrack listening?. Also has anyone upgraded the earpads to third-party memory foam types. Read mixed reviews on how the sound is altered.

About to order, but would prefer to avoid the returning faff if possible.

 

[ScoottyBoots]

Sorry to hijack the thread in advance - I've just received my pair of M50xBT and am getting a very slight buzz in the right earcup whenever I have the Bluetooth turned ON. I can drown this out with music but if I am in a quiet room with the headphones on its a noticeable "bzzzzzzz" that never goes away. Im guessing it is the Bluetooth transmitter doing its thing.

Has anyone experienced this issue with their M50xBT or did I receive a faulty unit?

 

[JayCee]

Your headphones have a Bluetooth receiver in them.
What are you listening to via Bluetooth?
Easy way to test is to turn off the Bluetooth on whatever source device you're using.

 

[ScoottyBoots]

Your headphones have a Bluetooth receiver in them.
What are you listening to via Bluetooth?
Easy way to test is to turn off the Bluetooth on whatever source device you're using.

The buzz is there regardless of if I am connected to an external Bluetooth device or not. It is just a faint "bzzzz" that is there as soon as I turn the headphones to the ON position. The buzz is not present if I use them wired. Can anyone with picky ears verify this with their headphones?

 

[ScoottyBoots]

The buzz is there regardless of if I am connected to an external Bluetooth device or not. It is just a faint "bzzzz" that is there as soon as I turn the headphones to the ON position. The buzz is not present if I use them wired. Can anyone with picky ears verify this with their headphones?

Contacted Audio Technica directly and they have confirmed this buzz is normal. I guess for critical listening I will resort to wired and only use Bluetooth when I'm outside with ambient noise.