Audio-Technica · Mid-range
A closed-back, wired studio-monitor headphone with a detachable cable, which RTINGS tested as a balanced, comfortable over-ear pair for any device with a headphone socket.
Expert pick · RTINGS, Jun 2026
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We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
A wired headphone has no Bluetooth link to pair, charge or lag, which matters when the audio source is a handheld scanner, a field recorder or a camera with a monitoring socket. The M50x ends in a gold-plated 3.5 mm plug, with a 6.3 mm screw-on adapter in the box, so it plugs straight into a 3.5 mm output. Audio-Technica built it for studio tracking and monitoring, and RTINGS describes the sound as balanced, with clear and natural vocals and instruments. Audio-Technica says the closed, circumaural shell gives excellent isolation in loud environments, handy on a noisy platform or in a vehicle.
Three detachable cables come in the box: a coiled one that extends from 1.2 m to 3.0 m, a straight 3.0 m and a straight 1.2 m, so a cable damaged in a bag can be swapped rather than the headphone scrapped. The earcups swivel 90 degrees for one-ear monitoring, and the pair is collapsible, with a protective carrying pouch supplied. Without its cable the pair weighs 285 g. The maker lists 38 ohms of impedance and 99 dB of sensitivity. RTINGS found it more comfortable and better built than the Sony MDR-7506, and better built and noticeably more comfortable than the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, but it also attributes some inconsistencies in audio delivery to the rigid design.
Expert pick · RTINGS: RTINGS, which buys and tests each pair, found the wired M50x a comfortable, balanced closed-back studio headphone with decent audio accuracy. It noted left and right drivers that are not well matched and bass-range deviations from its target. Read the review
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Closed-back dynamic |
| Cables | Detachable: 1.2 m - 3.0 m coiled, 3.0 m straight, 1.2 m straight |
| Weight | 285 g (10 oz), without cable and connector |
| Folding | Yes, with protective carrying pouch |
| Connector | Gold-plated stereo 3.5 mm, 6.3 mm screw-on adapter included |
| Impedance | 38 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 99 dB |
| Driver diameter | 45 mm |
| Frequency response | 15 - 28,000 Hz |
Railfans who listen through a cable: scanner users, people recording train audio, and anyone who wants one closed-back pair that also works for travel. The isolation that helps in a car or on a train also dulls what is around you, so wear them away from the tracks and never as a substitute for staying aware of the line. If you want wireless convenience or a built-in microphone, look elsewhere.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2, the wireless version, which RTINGS describes as more portable with an integrated microphone but without the wired model's boomy bass. Sony MDR-7506, which RTINGS found less comfortable and less well built, though it may cost less.
Image: Apple · source
Apple · Premium
Apple's in-ear true wireless earbuds with active noise cancelling, which RTINGS tested as outstanding for travel, with most extras tied to an iPhone.
Expert pick · RTINGS, Oct 2025
Image: CMF by Nothing · source
CMF by Nothing · Budget
A closed-back over-ear Bluetooth headphone with hybrid adaptive noise cancelling, a wired option and ear cushions that twist off, tested by RTINGS in the light green colorway.
Expert pick · RTINGS, Jul 2026
Image: JLab · source
JLab · Budget
Over-ear Bluetooth headphones with hybrid active noise canceling that JLab quotes at up to 35 dB, 70 hours of playtime with ANC off and 40 hours with it on, and a USB-C cable that also carries wired audio.
Expert pick · Tom's Guide, Aug 2024
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