The ATH M50 has long been a studio favourite. Is this new x-series version a worthwhile improvement?

Audio-Technica's ATH M50 headphones have been a popular studio workhorse since their introduction. Lightweight and comfortable enough for prolonged use, offering useful levels of isolation from external sound, and competitively priced, they tick all the important boxes. They sound respectable, too, with a gentle 'scooped' tonality that, to my ears, tends to emphasise the bass and the upper mid/high-frequency region.

A recent update to the A-T range of headphones sees the addition of a lower-case 'x' to all four of their models. The new ATH M50xs are thus joined by three progressively more affordable variants called the ATH M40x, M30x and, you guessed it, M20x. A-T sent all four models for review, and I was also able to compare them directly to my own nearly new pair of original M50s.

Able Cable Fables

The Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT offers consistently high sound quality for both wireless and wired use, making them great for music fans looking to trade up from entry-level models.

From a visual point of view, the M50xs look almost indistinguishable from the M50s, but happily, Audio-Technica have addressed one of the few weaknesses of the original design: its fixed cable has been replaced by a removable one, attached by a mini-jack connector which rotates a quarter-turn to lock it into place. A-T also say that they've 'refined' their earpad design, and it does indeed feel slightly different. If anything, I found the M50xs a little more comfortable than their predecessors, though the difference is not night and day.

Changes in sound are likewise very subtle, to the point where it is hard to pinpoint how much the difference is attributable to the new earpad design and the way it positions the phones on the head. For what it's worth, my impression was that the newer design has a slightly more open and bright top end, and at the other extreme of the spectrum, seems to emphasise a fractionally deeper range of bass frequencies than the original M50s. However, if you needed to replace an existing pair of M50s that had died for some reason, the M50xs would still feel instantly familiar.

The treble lift is restrained enough to keep the sound from becoming fatiguing, and doesn't have too much of the 'splashiness' that often plagues bright headphones — they sound much better in this respect than, say, the Sennheiser HD25-IIs. The low bass, meanwhile, is more prominent than on many studio phones, yet still pretty articulate. Autodesk softimage face robot 2012 with keygen crack mac. They offer a level of isolation that's perfectly acceptable for most purposes, though for location work and other situations where isolation is crucially important, I'd still choose the HD25-IIs. All in all, although they are of course not quite as revealing or accurate as a good pair of open-back headphones, the M50xs have all the qualities you'd look for in a pair of general-purpose studio cans.

X Marks The Spot

Overall, then, I think Audio-Technica have done exactly the right thing with their x-series revamp. They haven't fixed anything that wasn't broken, but they have taken on board user feedback regarding the cables, and have made small yet worthwhile improvements where they could. The range as a whole represents excellent value for money, and in particular, I think the M20xs and M40xs are hard to beat at their respective prices.

Alternatives

The market for mid-priced studio headphones is fiercely competitive, and at around the same price as the M50xs, you could also consider the Shure SRH840, Beyer DT250 and DT770, Sennheiser HD25-II and AKG K271 MkII, among others. All the major manufacturers likewise make models that compete directly against the cheaper models in the M-series.

Generation X

Audio-Technica sent the complete range of x-series headphones for review, and I was surprised at how good the ATH M20x sounded considering the very modest price. Lightweight and comfortable, with a no-frills black plastic construction and a fixed, straight cable, they are somewhat less sensitive than the M50xs, and in comparison, exhibit a rather restrained top end, which actually sounded more natural to me on some material. There's plenty of bass, albeit rather less well-defined than on the M50xs, and there are some noticeable resonances in the mid-range, but I've heard plenty of more expensive phones that sound less good.

Move on up to the M30xs, and you get something that is much closer to the flagship model, both in appearance and sound. Again, though, you get a fixed cable, and unlike those of the M50x, the earcups rotate only in one plane ('up and down' rather than 'fore and aft', as it were). The M30xs' tonality is broadly similar to that of the M50xs, but more aggressive and, I felt, more tiring to listen to. If I'm honest, I preferred the M20xs, especially for extended listening.

The M40xs are closer still to the M50xs, with an equally detachable cable, and earcups that can be rotated to suit even the most bizarrely shaped head. (For some reason I actually found them slightly more comfortable than the M50xs.) Sound-wise, they share many of the M50xs' good qualities, but the top end is noticeably less smooth, with some edginess creeping through on sibilants, acoustic guitars, hi-hats and so forth. That said, they are close enough that I can imagine many people settling for the M40xs rather than fork out an extra £50$60 for the top-of-the-range model. The ATH M20x offers remarkably good value for money.

Pros

  • Worthwhile improvements over the original M-series phones, especially the detachable cable on the M40x and M50x.
  • The range as a whole offers excellent value for money, particularly the M20x and M40x.

Cons

  • As long as the Audio-Technica 'family sound' suits your needs, none.

Summary

Audio-Technica's range gives you a lot of headphone for not very much money. What's not to like?

information

Audio Technica Ath M50 Driver For MacATH M50x £159, M40x £99, M30x £69, M20x £49. Prices include VAT.

Audio-Technica +44 (0)1132 771441

ATH M50x $169, M40x $99, M30x $69, M20x $49.

Audio-Technica +1 330 686 2600

Question: How do I record music from my A-T USB turntable on to my computer?

Answer: Audio-Technica USB turntables allow you to connect to a Windows or Mac computer to record your cherished albums on the computer. Once on the computer, you may save the recording to compatible digital files and use them with other devices by burning them to a CD, or putting them onto an MP3 player or other device. To accomplish this, you must become something of a home recording engineer, but this process is simpler than it may sound. Although other home recording software is available, we use the popular free software called Audacity in the examples we have prepared for you. And while there are alternative methods to get the music from your records into the digital domain, we have attempted to provide the most straightforward, step-by-step instructions in the videos below. Whether you are using a Windows computer or a Mac, we recommend watching all of the videos pertaining to your specific operating system to ensure you get set up properly. The video descriptions and individual links allow you to come back at any point to review a specific topic.

Windows

Use your Audio-Technica USB Turntable with a Windows 10 Computer

(Click link above to watch the 4 videos pertaining to Windows.)

Instructions for Mac users Step 1: Extract and Install the software Create a folder in your Applications folder called 'Longman iBT Prep 2.0 CD-ROM'. Copy of software from the CD-ROM into this folder and eject the CD-ROM once done. Toefl ibt preparation apk for mac. Download TOEFL Prep & Practice and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. ‎Hundreds of TOEFL students have studied with Magoosh's world class video lessons and practice questions. With this app, you can bring all of Magoosh's expert content with you on the go. Also available: The TOEFL ® Official App Now you can manage your TOEFL account from your mobile device with the TOEFL ® Official App. Search for test centers and dates, register and pay for the test, access official prep resources, view your scores, and more. TPO TOEFL Flashcards for PC-Windows 7,8,10 and Mac. TPO TOEFL Flashcards is the ideal solution for learning words efficiently by showing them just before you would forget. The TPO tests are a set of full-length practice TOEFLs that were used for real tests in previous years.

The breakdown of the above videos:

Install Audacity 2.x on Windows 10 computer

Configure Audacity 2.x on Windows 10 computer

Record from turntable into Audacity on Windows 10 computer

Create and export individual tracks on Windows 10 computer

Mac

Use your Audio-Technica USB Turntable with a Mac Computer

(Click link above to watch the 5 videos pertaining to Mac.)

The breakdown of the above videos:

Install Audacity 2.x on Mac

Set up Audacity 2.x on Mac

Record from turntable into Audacity on Mac

Use Audacity Marker Track on Mac

Export individual songs to iTunes on Mac

These videos are available for you to refer back to at any point to ensure you have all of your computer settings properly configured for maximum performance with your turntable and computer software. Again, you may use a variety of different programs to accomplish the same thing and you should check with those software companies for additional assistance with their products. If you have further questions on recording with your Audio-Technica USB turntable, feel free to contact the Audio Solutions Department.

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