Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones
Instructions
Thank you for purchasing these headphones. Before using these headphones. please read through these operating instructions to ensure that you will use the headphones correctly.
CAUTION
Please read these cautions before using your headphones.
To ensure safety, observe all cautions while using this equipment.
Warnings
- Never use the headphones while driving a car. riding a motorcycle or bicycle or operating any other vehicle.
- Do not use the headphones in places where the inability to hear ambient sound presents a serious risk (such as at railroad crossings, train stations. construction sites or on roads where vehicles and bicycles are traveling).
- Ta prevent damage to your hearing, do not raise the volume too high. Listening to loud sound for an extended period may cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.
- Discontinue use if skin irritation results from direct contact with the product.
- Do not disassemble. modify or attempt to repair the headphones.
- be careful to avoid pinching yourself between the housing and arm of the product.
Cautions
- Ta ensures compatibility and correct usage, always consult the user manual of any device before connecting the headphones to it.
- These headphones are designed to easily dissipate noise to the outside. On public transport systems or in other public places. keep the volume low so as not to disturb other people.
- Please minimize the volume on your audio device before connecting the headphones in order to avoid hearing damage from sudden exposure to excessive volume.
- when using this product in a dry environment. you may feel a tingling sensation in your ears. This is caused by static electricity accumulated on your body, not by a headphone malfunction.
- Do not subject the headphones to strong impact.
- Do not store the headphones under direct sunlight. near heating devices or in a hot. humid or dusty place. Do not allow the headphones to get wet.
- when this product is used for a long time. the headphones may become discolored due to ultraviolet light (especially direct sunlight) or wear.
- simply placing this product in a bag or pocket may cause the cable to become tangled and snag, which may result in severed wires.
- connect/disconnect the cable by holding the plug. Pulling directly on the cable can result in a broken wire and the risk of electric shock.
- Do not wind the cable around your portable audio device. This may damage or sever the cable.
- Audio-Technica will not be liable in any way for any loss of data in the unlikely event that such losses should occur while using this product.
Cleaning
Get into the habit of regularly cleaning your headphones to ensure that they will last for a long time. Do not use alcohol. paint thinners or other solvents for cleaning purposes.
- cleaning the headphones
To clean. wipe with a dry cloth. - cleaning the cables
If the cables have become soiled (by perspiration. for instance). wipe them with a drycloth immediately after use. Using cables which are dirty may cause them to deteriorate. become hard and give rise to problems. - cleaning the plug
Using the plug when it is dirty may cause intermittent sound or noise. When the plug is dirty, wipe it with a dry cloth. - cleaning the earpads and headband
To clean. wipe with a dry cloth. Earpads and headbands may fade if sweat or water dries on them. If the earpads get wet. we recommend wiping them with a dry cloth andallowing them to dry in the shade. - For long-time storage, keep the headphones in a well-ventilated place without high temperatures and humidity.
- The earpads and headband deteriorate over time due to use or storage. For information about replacing earpads and headbands or other parts. or for information about other serviceable parts. contact your Audio-Technics dealer or service center.
Part names and an example of connection
Please confirm each part before using these headphones.
Locking Cable
Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic Equipment (Applicable in European countries with separate collection systems)
This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product shall not be treated as household waste. Instead, it shall be handed over to the applicable collection point for the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. By ensuring this product is disposed of correctly, you will help prevent potential negative consequences for the environment and human health, which could otherwise be caused by inappropriate waste handling of this product. The recycling of materials will help to conserve natural resources. For more detailed information about recycling of this product, please contact your local city office, your household waste disposal service or the shop where you purchased the product.
This explanation is guidance concerned with the environmental laws and regulations of the People’s The Republic of China. The printed information as well as the list of contained materials conform with the standard values established by the related laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China and does not apply to other Restrictions of Ha7..arduous Substances including Europe’s RoHS directive.
ONE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
Audio-Technica brand products purchased In the U.S.A. are warranted for one year from the date of purchase by Audio-Technica U.S., Inc. (A.T.U.S.) to be free of defects In materials and workmanship. In event of any defect, the product will be repaired promptly without charge or, at our option, replaced with a product of equal or superior value If delivered to A.T.U.S. or an Authorized Service Center, prepaid, together with the area slip or other proof of purchase date. PRIOR APPROVAL FROM A.T.U.S.IS REQUIRED. FOR RETURN. This warranty excludes defects due to normal wear, abuse, shipping damage, or failure to use the product In accordance with Instructions. This warranty Is void In the IMIIlt of unauthorized repair or modification.
FOR RETURN APPROVAL AND SHIPPING INFORMATION, contact the Service 0ep,h Audio-Technica U.S., Inc., 1221 Commerce
Drive, Stow, Ohio 44a4. Except to the extent precluded by applicable state law, A.T.U.S. WILL HAVE NO UABIUTY FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES; ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE EXPIRES WHEN THIS EXPRESS WARRANTY EXPIRES.
This warranty ·-gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state. Outside the U.S.A., contact your local dealer or Audio-Technlca distributor for warranty details.
FAQS
Not as balanced as HD600, somewhat similarly bass and treble boosted like HD650. Annoying 10kHz frequency peak like any other closed-back headphone. HD600 and HD650 boast far higher resolution and much better clarity, bigger and more accurate stereo field (though they don’t excel at this like AKG’s K701 or Hifiman morphodynamic headphones), they’re meant for high-end playback systems, M50x is just a cheap, decent monitor (though not as good as M40x and M70x at that, in my experience).
Headphones don’t drain batteries. They just talked the juice from the headphone amp. I think with the agent of so many consumer-grade headphones with noise cancellation or built in amplifiers we have a slew of people completely confused and misinformed with the basics of audio gear. These are the same. people that would have to call a computer tech to plug in computer monitor to a computer. These are the same people that will give a bad review to ga reat product simply because that don’t understand the product’s intended use.
Not sure about the Inspiration Actives but I have the regular Monster Inspiration over-ear headphones and they are just as capable and impressive as my ath-m50x. The people who are commenting saying the 50x is so much better than the Inspirations are showing true ignorance. The sound stage is actually slightly better on the Inspirations. Monster makes a wide range of headphones not all of which are just Beats clones. For people who own headphones like the Inspirations, the HD558’s, JBL S500’s… you will be disappointed if you think the ath-m50x will blow you away.
Most phones have low quality DACS and amps; they are anything but audiophile quality. You will NOT need a separate DAC for the ATH M50X’s if your computer or other device has a quality DAC chip built in, like the Cirrus Logic 4206BCNZ used in some of the newer and better Macs. Otherwise, buy the $99 Schiit Modi 2 or $149 Modi 2 DAC, depending on your needs. The least expensive audiophile-quality headphone amp that I have heard — and actually used with these ATH M50X’s — is the $99 Schiit modi 2. And, of course, your setup will only be as good as its the source material, so use lossless files for best sound quality.
Covad’s thoughtful response is spot on. “professional monitor headphones” are a sub-set of “professional headphones”. “Monitor” headphones are used primarily by the talent for tracking and by the engineer in the control room monitoring during the record process; or during live recording or any other professional sound work application (DJ, broadcast, etc.). The other sub-set of “professional headphones” is “professional analytical/reference headphones”. This subset is almost always open back (think AKG K701/K702; and the Beyer DT880 Professional) and used primarily during the mixing and mastering process; they may also be used by the producer or engineer in the control room during the recording process.
The connector to the headphone is proprietary. These headphones have been out for over a year now; so if there are any after-market cables for it, they should show up in a Google search. If you buy an after-market cable, be sure it states that it is specifically 100% compatible with the M50x.
about that here.
With these headphones, there is a lot of sound isolation, and it hold all of the sound in pretty well with the standard earcups included with the headphones! Unless have at 100% volume then it will be a little noisy but not too bad!
That’s a really difficult question to answer considering comfort is a very subjective matter. Audio gear that I find comfortable would sometimes be completely uncomfortable to others. Have you already tried outfitting the M50x with velour pads? I’m not sure what other pieces of audio gear you have tried but some of Senn’s HD series from the 598 and beyond are quite comfortable. Unfortunately, you’ll be stuck paying premium prices on amplifiers to get those headphones properly amped or they’ll end up fatiguing your ears. Beyer’s DT880 also comes to mind, but again they need proper amplification.
Comfort is a tough issue to tackle for some people. I’ve known a few artists that actually modded their ATH-M50 earpads, stitching them with soft fabrics to make them more comfortable.
Depth is 1/2″ inside. Outside diameter width is 3 1/4″, height is 4″. Inside diameter width is 1 1/2″, height is 2 1/8″.
This headphone has excellent bass response, however, it is not bass heavy. They are meant to be extremely accurate.
Bass boost is very, very modest. Audio-technica makes bass heavy models like WS1100is and Pro7x, but the Monitor series doesn’t do that, and M50x is no exception.
That JVC is a bass cannon, no? M50x is a monitoring headphone, less imbalanced, but that JVC is higher fidelity, if I’m not mistaken. I had SZ2000, crazy bass monster, but its “acoustic crossover” crapola doesn’t work for me.
cables break. if the cable is hard wired in, you either send the headphones in for an expensive repair, or you throw them out and buy a whole new headphone. if the cable is detachable, just buy a fairly cheap replacement cable and be on your way.
sound quality of the song, sound jack of the ipod, or cables can get skrewed up easily, try one of your other cables
No
The new Beats Solo(2) (on-ear headphones) may be different from prior headphones in the Beats line.
You can read the recent InnerFidelity review here:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/time-rethink-beats-solo2-excellent
And the InnerFidelity review of the M50x (over-ear headphones) here:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/legend-continues-audio-technica-ath-m50x
All other things being more or less equal, closed-over-ear headphones will generally sound better than closed on-ear headphones because of the better seal of the earcup.
If you’re considering Beats Solo(2), you may also want to look at the Sennheiser Urbanite:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/great-headphone-kids-sennheiser-urbanite
The ATH-M50x signature makes it an excellent tool for use by talent during studio tracking, and for personal listening enjoyment; but in my opinion it is not a suitable tool for critical analytical/reference studio applications. the low end boost, while tight, nevertheless colors the mix too much.
No, there is not. It comes with the three cables as depicted on the main page for the headphones. With the way the cables work with the headphones, it is not likely that you will find a cable with an integrated microphone/volume controls for iPod that will fit where the cable locks in. Check the Audio-Technica homepage though. Also, these are more meant as studio headphones rather than ones you can wear around wherever; not that you can’t do that since these headphones are very comfortable and light and can be worn for long periods of time without much discomfort.
