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Audio-Technica ATH-M50 ($199)
1/1/2010
www.audio-technica.com
These are the second least expensive
headphones in this roundup, but are
quality, durable performers with a
smooth and balanced response.
Thanks to the circumaural design and
heavily-padded ear cushions, they
offer great isolation for tracking and
remain comfortable for hours at a
stretch. Further emphasizing its tracking
abilities, the earpieces can swivel
180 degrees for those into single-ear
monitoring. The isolation is very good,
as the ATH-M50 offers above-average
noise rejection from the outside world.
The high end is not as transparent
as more expensive models; the overall
sonic signature is a bit “warmer” or
“darker” (depending on your
viewpoint). But that doesn’t mean you
can’t mix on them—it just means
there’s a little less “air.” On the low end,
the bass is solid and sounds very even,
with a midrange that’s both defined
and free of significant “peakiness.”
The ATH-M50 can deliver some
serious SPL, which is important in a
tracking headphone if there’s a lot of
ambient noise in the studio. And as
someone who’s used an ATH-M50 for
a while, I can attest that it can handle
a certain amount of abuse and keep
on going. Bottom line is that the ATHM50
is all about performance/price
ratio, where it scores very well indeed.
(An alternate model, the ATH-M50s, is
available with a straight cable
instead of coiled; neither model
offers detachability.)
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