Audio-Technica - ATH M50XBT Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones - Black

I really really like these Audio Technica -ATH M50XBT Over-the-Ear headphones. I've really put them through some major listening sessions over the last couple days and I'm happy to say, they are terrific. I have Bluetooth headphones costing even more than these and I'd say in some ways these are much better. They are monitor headphones and as such, they have a very flat, natural sound. Monitor headphones and speakers should present sound the way the sound was recorded, without altering anything. These certainly do just that. Unlike some other big name headphones, these don't over emphasize bass or treble. If you like classical music, these are for you. The canons in the 1812 Overture didn't break up, nor overpower the rest of the music. And a flute concerto was never shrill, but did demonstrate the brilliance of the performance. I also put them to the test with many other genre's and they never disappointed. Vocals sound very natural. These are large headphones and good news for larger eared people, with 45mm drivers, they'll fit fine. And if you have a larger than average head size, these puppies have a lot of adjustment built in. To me, the design looks retro, as in 1980's retro. But I'm not into headphones for how they look. Nope, I only care if they sound good and are comfortable to wear. These are very comfortable on my head and the sound as I've said is really outstanding. These headphones are 5.0 Bluetooth, and you can pair them with up to 8 different devices. I paired them with my laptop, my iPhone and my iPad. As you switch from one device to the next, you'll need to disconnect from the current device to connect with the next device. One thing I particularly like is battery life. You can get up to 40 hours on a single charge. I've been listening for a lot of time and via the Audio Technica app (Audio Technica Connect) I'm still at 90%. Speaking of the app. It's sparse to say the least. You can switch between three Codec, such as AptX, should one provide a better Bluetooth connection. Otherwise, the app really doesn't do much. Especially if you compare the app to say the Parott Zik 3.0, which offers infinite adjustment of the sound stage and equalization. But then if you alter the soundstage on a headphone, they really aren't monitor anymore, so Audio Technica didn't provide that ability, I'm sure on purpose. Everything else you might need is included. You can listen wired, which sounds great either way. The controls for the headphones are on the left ear. Left handed people will love that. For me, a right handed fellow, I find using the controls, which are small for on/off, volume up/down and power, more challenging to get the hang of. And you can answer a call by tapping the left earpiece for voice controls. Audio Technica has been in the high-end Stereo business since 1962. For those who remember record players, Audio Technica was THE brand to own in phono-cartridges, many costing way more than these headphones cost. My point is, unlike some companies out there, this company has decades of experiencing making equipment engineered to provide the best sound possible. These headphones at their price point are yet another example of what Audio Technica can do. And that's a really good thing.

Watching action packed movies and listening to a wide range of music is something I love to do and I thought I knew how it all sounds. Things were familiar to me when I heard them. I got so disappointed when I put on the M50xBT headphones and listened to the music I thought I knew. My disappointment was not in the headphones, but in the realization that the music I knew and liked sounded so different; far more nuanced and vibrant than I'd ever heard before. The tune was the same, but the sounds were so astounding that I'm kicking myself for having spent all this time listening the wrong way with obviously the wrong equipment. Everything I played through these units revealed new sublayers I'd never experienced before. Old sci-fi favorites sounded new and exciting again. The drivers have a high depth of field and the sound immersion is enhanced by the closed back design. The Bluetooth built-in is a plus so you don't need the dongle as in the standard M50x. The touch sensitive google assist on the left side, is a bit strange as it's not a button and doesn't work while playing music. I've been using them for over 20 hours now and haven't even plugged them in once yet. They are truly over the ear and unlike some headsets, the cushioning is well positioned and allows for listening to an entire movie without the need for removing, wiping, repositioning like you would typically do with over the ear units. Sound delivery is exemplary over a wide range of frequencies. The best headphones you can buy, period.

I’ve long been a fan of Audio-Technica products but never had the chance to buy the old M50 headphones that I have heard such good things about over the years. Well, I jumped at the chance to try out one of the new ATH-M50XBT headphones. Here is how it has been after three days. Unboxing: The box is the usual Audio-Technica style which contains the headphones in a folded position resting in a soft fabric. You will also find a carrying case, documentation and a Micro-USB cable (no USB-C here). Build quality: Again, the trends of other Audio-Technica headphones follow here, not a bad thing. The ear cups have plenty of padding, they appear to be a form but one that is not as slow molding as bed memory foam. It is soft and comfortable, but the foam does not feel extremely premium. The top is padded with a thin layer of foam, it is again comfortable but not very dense. The ear cups feel like fake leather, but they are feel durable enough. Supposedly they are replaceable, but I was unsure how to remove them and I did not want to rip them in any attempt. Most of the headphones are made of plastic but it also feels extremely durable and scratch resistant. Sound quality: What matters the most to me is the sound. I listen to pretty much everything. Somebody by the Chainsmokers provided extremely clear vocals (listening via APT-X at 320 kbps source). Bass was powerful but clean, drums were punchy, nothing sounded muffled, the keyboard in the background sounded pure. Switching it up to county with You Make it Easy by Jason Aldean, I was impressed by how clearly each instrument stood out from one another while never overpowering his voice. Each instrument had very fine details, part of this is probably good recording but the headphones allow one to appreciate it. Real Friends by Camila Cabello was enjoyable (I don’t really care for this song). The headphones provided great separation in the guitar sounds and her voice had some details I never heard before. Bass seemed slightly punchier via APT-X than when I connected it to an iPhone XS using AAC. But the differences were minor overall. The connection was clean and stable for about 30 feet using Bluetooth 5. They are rated for 20hz – 20khz via Bluetooth but if you connect it to 3.5mm, they are rated for 18hz – 22khz. My old ears can no longer hear that high of a frequency, but I do have a lot of FLAC files in 24bit encoding on my PC. Music sounded absolutely great with this method. Everyday use: The sound quality was enough to make me forgive any faults but there were a few things I noticed in wear over a few days. The buttons have the usual Audio-Technica trend of being hard to identify with your finger when adjusting volume and pausing. All controls are on the left side and none of them feel very different from one another, so memorization will come in handy. The outside of the left earcup is touch sensitive but it is somewhat useless. It takes a few seconds to activate the virtual assistance to the point where it is kind of silly, just avoid it. The weight of headphones causes them to slip from my head when lying down and I could never keep them in one spot for long. They are best used in vertical positions and require some periodic adjustments. Comfort is fine for long periods of listening and I felt no discomfort. I probably would not wear them to the gym though due to size. Also, if you switch listening devices often you will have to disconnect via the Bluetooth menu before switching to another device. It is not a huge issue but just be aware. Battery: Wow! They are supposed to get 40 hours and I believe it. I charged them when they arrived in the mail three days ago and they are only at 80% right now and I feel like I have been listening to them constantly! This has got to be some of the best out there. Summary: I am highly impressed, none of the problems I had lessened my enjoyment of these headphones one bit. They have easily earned the title of best headphones I have ever owned. I would like it if they supported APT-X HD or LDAC but it sounds amazing on AAC or APT-X so I am not too concerned. Comfort is amazing, battery life is phenomenal, and the sound quality is perfect for my needs. Buy these!

I own way too many headphones. It’s an obsession I suppose, but there are worse things I could be doing! My first pair of really good headphones were a pair of Sennheisers that I saved up for as a kid. That was more than 30 years ago and I still have them and they are still good sounding ‘cans’. For a very long time those headphones were the benchmark for everything else I owned. But over the years headphone technologies improved, better drivers, better materials, new connection technologies (namely wireless). The problems with wireless have always been poor sound quality, unstable connections, batteries that didn’t last, and overall weight of the headphones was too heavy. New technologies like lighter more power magnets, stiffer lighter cone materials, lighter yet stronger headband materials, noise cancelling technology and bluetooth wireless connectivity. Meet the ATH-M50xBT, one of the descendants of the coveted ATH-M50’s that Audio Technica introduced over a decade ago. They were ground-breaking at the time, and they held up over the years. The value of these headphones were reviewed to be best in class year after year. They just sound extremely good, better than most in the price class. Audio-Technica has sold tons of the M50’s because they are simply excellent headphones. What makes the M50-xBT different is that they are wireless, using Bluetooth connectivity. I’ve had many other Bluetooth headphones, and also several RF wireless headphones. They all stunk, they were heavy, they didn’t sound great, the batteries would drain too fast, they’d get too warm on my ears. These Audio-Technica headphones are light years ahead of those old wireless headphones I previously owned. Audio-Technica was able to keep the sound quality of their well-known wired M50’s in a wireless design that removes the umbilical cord so you can roam freely (up to 30 feet). There are other headphones on the market that sound as good, that look as good, some are even better. But the M50xBT’s are priced lower! If you are price conscious, but still want great sounding wireless headphones - these are hard to beat! What I liked about them: The sound is terrific! The audio reproduction is clean, and crisp. The sound is not over-saturated like some other brand headphones are. The sound is authentic, the sound stage is impressive. They have a real ‘presence’ to them, good depth and are immersive. The build quality is outstanding! Audio-Technica is well know to audiophiles as one of the first high fidelity manufacturers to build tone arms and phono cartridges. Founded in Japan in the early 1960’s they have a history of innovation and high quality products. Set up was simple, and fast. WIthin 5 minutes (after being charged full), I was listening to my favorite artists. Excellent battery life! I use these at the office and they’ve never run out of power. I charge overnight, and use them during an 8-10 hour day. Bluetooth 5, and support for different codecs allows for listening to most types of soruce material. Very little sound leakage. These are closed-ear design and very little sound leaks out while listening. This makes for happy neighbors at the office. Can be used as a wired headphone too. Sturdy materials that don’t creak, squeak or rattle. Great compactable design, they fold up easily and slip in the provided padded bag. Excellent sizing, my noggin is big - and these fit just fine! Two year warranty Excellent pedigree, well-known audio company. What I didn’t like: Not a fan of the touch-sensitive panel. Personal preference… I prefer buttons. The small volume buttons are hard to find without looking. The headphones ‘clamp’ a little too tight and are uncomfortable after an hour. I wear glasses so that might be part of the reason why. Things may get better after they’ve been broken in and loosen up. Also part of the reason they have very little sound leakage is because of the tight seal they create. So it’s a trade-off. The earpads are comfortable, but they get too warm after being worn for a long time. I have to remove them throughout the day so my ears don’t get all sweaty. The headphone cord should be a little longer. Then again these are bluetooth headphones, the cable is only for backup usage. They’re heavy, but in all fairness all bluetooth headphones I’ve used have the same problem. Most all bluetooth headphones are heavy because of the added electronics, and batteries. It’s the price you pay for being wireless. The button on the headphone cable is poorly designed, and easily unsnaps. It’s also small so I am quite sure mine will eventually get caught on something, pop-off and be gone forever. The app is underwhelming, it doesn’t do much. It could have been made much better by including equalizer functionality. Bluetooth range is disappointing. I was surprised to find that I wasn’t able to stray too far from the source before losing the bluetooth connection. I tested 2 other bluetooth headphones that were much less expensive and they held onto the signal for nearly 30 feet. The Audio-Technica dropped much sooner, in about 15-20 feet. I was surprised! In conclusion these are excellent sounding bluetooth headphones, there are better ones you can buy - but it would be difficult to find any are in the same price category. They do not have noise cancellation, but that’s fine with me. Some people insist on NC, but I don’t care for it. NC has the effect of muddying the sound quality, draining battery life faster and the added circuitry makes the headphones heavier. The name brand is rock solid and I’m confident these will serve me well for many years. I find the sound quality to be very good, made even better by using an equalizer while listening to them to fine tune the audio reproduction to your liking. I give them two thumbs up, for the price you won’t find better sounding headphones. They’re not perfect, but they’re the best sounding Bluetooth headphones I’ve listened to in this price bracket.

Let me start by saying that I'm not an audio engineer or a DJ. I just wanted a pair of comfortable over-the-ear wireless headphones that isolate most but not all outside noise, sound good, don't get in my way and last for at least a good day between charges. The M50XBT exceeded every one of those criteria without a ridiculously high price tag. Even I've heard of the classic Audio Technica M50X headphones but you never know how the classics translate when you add Bluetooth and try to reach a consumer audience. Here's the bottom line: These headphones sound amazing! I tested myself by tracking down an article that allows you to guess whether a series of sound clips are uncompressed audio, high bitrate MP3 or low bitrate MP3. Using the ATH M50XBT headphones in the "wired" configuration (which was an extremely pleasant surprise for me; I thought these headphones were Bluetooth-only), my untrained ear was able to tell the difference between each of the samples. Using the M50XBT in the Bluetooth configuration was a different experience but that shouldn't be a huge surprise and even used wirelessly they sound as good as any Bluetooth headphones I've ever used. I have yet to kill the battery after a week (!) of what I consider normal use listening to music, watching video and Skype calling for work. If it wasn't clear I also really like the fact that I can decide whether I want wired or wireless headphones at a whim. The included cables (audio and charging) are good quality and the carrying case is on the nice side for a pleather drawstring bag. The headphones are light (just on the good side of too light) and the ear cups are soft and pleasant to wear for extended periods. I'm really impressed with all aspects of these headphones. Assuming I manage to eventually kill the battery, I can still use them as wired headphones in a pinch but I think a weekly top-up will be enough to keep me listening comfortably cable-free.

Overall, if you've been looking for a good-sounding pair of headphones, these Audio Technica cans may just be for you. Quick good things: -Overall solid sound profile. Bass is deep, and smooth, not rattling or washed out, overall lows are good. Mids are decent, but to my ears the weakest point of the headphones. Highs come through clean and crisp. -Batter life. Seriously, best BT battery on any headphones I've ever used. AT claims 40 hours and I never have had to fear the battery would run out. Easily getting 30+ per charge. BT never seemed to change the way audio sounded, either, so AT figured out a way to implement this and preserve the sound profile. -Only charged once in the two weeks I've had them (two hours a day listening, at least) -Comfort. I might have a small head, as this is the biggest knock on the M50x, but I found the clasp and pressure to be fine for two hours at a time. Never used for longer than that yet, however. Cons: -Some may find the fit having too much pressure. -Some may not like the closed back design. -Some may not need BT and would be better off with the M50x normal version. -Only one style of 3.5mm cable (M50x comes with 3 sizes and styles) -Some may think they're bulky. Really though, these are a great BT headphone for the price. The passive NC is great due to the closed back design, and sound quality is top-notch for the price. Wholly recommended. Just remember to try out any headphone, when possible, before buying.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT is a continuation of the legendary ATH-M50x series wired only studio headphones. But now we get to enjoy the outstanding sound quality via Bluetooth 5 connection as well. New model sound clear and well balanced, and still feels like it has a lot of energy. Good spacial depth, feels like you are emerged in a studio environment. Flat frequency response from 15Hz to 28kHz. They do sound fantastic! Control buttons are located on the left hand side and good enough for casual use. Holding your finger on the outer part of the left speaker causes Siri to activate. Overall likes: Bluetooth 5 AAC and aptX codecs support Wired connection option Long 40 hour battery life Carrying pouch is included Things to improve: Included wired connection cord is kinda short - just 4'. It's OK for listening on the go, but not for the studio use. Phone app's sole function is to switch between SBC and AAC coded, shows you the battery life too... For me it feels pretty much useless. Charging time from 0 to 100% is whooping 7 hours, clearly fast charge is not supported. Would I use ATH-M50xBT in a studio? Probably no, I'd still get the wired only version, but on the go or at home - absolutely! These are the best sounding closed-back wireless headphones I've tried!

I have been using the Bose QC35 since it's launch date and I was excited to try something new, especially from a maker that's known for it's audiophile fan base. The ATH-M50x are very comfortable to wear with great battery life. Great treble, good bass and comfortable padding. I did, however, did not enjoy the over the ear experience. I guess I have big ears because my ears were touching the headphone while having them on. Other than that, I would recommend theses at the price point. Thanks.