Наушники — Audio-Technica ATH-M20x

The ATH-M20x is the entry model of the M-Series professional monitor headphones from Audio-Technica of Japan. It is a wired, closed-back design intended for studio tracking and monitoring, home recording and group tracking sessions, and its sealed cups also make it usable for gaming where isolation from outside noise matters. The US price is about USD 59, and black and white versions exist.

Key specs that matter

Inside the cups, 40 mm dynamic drivers use neodymium magnets and voice coils wound from copper-clad aluminium wire. Frequency response spans 15 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Sensitivity is 96 dB per mW, impedance is 47 ohm, and the drivers accept up to 700 mW of input power at 1 kHz. The headphones weigh 190 g. Signal arrives through a 3 m straight cable that ends in a gold-plated 3.5 mm stereo mini plug, and a 6.3 mm snap-on adapter is supplied for full-size jacks.

Engineering and use context

The circumaural cups enclose the ears rather than pressing on them, which gives the passive isolation a tracking engineer or a performer needs when a microphone is open nearby. Audio-Technica states that the drivers are tuned for extended low-frequency output. The cable leaves from one side only, so the other earcup stays free of the lead during a session. The 3 m length gives room to move around a studio floor or reach an interface on a desk from a drum stool. Audio-Technica uses professional-grade materials for the earpads and headband, and the low mass is meant to keep the headphones comfortable through long recording days. The lead is fixed rather than detachable, which removes a connector from the signal path but means a damaged cable cannot be swapped by the user, and this simpler build places the M20x at the starting point of the line.

Pairing

With 47 ohm impedance and 96 dB sensitivity, the M20x can be driven by the headphone outputs of audio interfaces, mixers, keyboards and laptops, and phones will play it at modest levels. The 700 mW power handling leaves a margin for loud cue mixes through a separate headphone amp or a distribution box in a tracking room. The 6.3 mm adapter connects it to mixing desks and stage equipment, while the 3.5 mm plug fits portable recorders and computers directly.

Alternatives

The Audio-Technica ATH-M30x is the next closed-back monitor up, with 40 mm drivers, a 15 Hz to 22,000 Hz range, 1,300 mW input handling and collapsible cups.