Наушники — Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

The ATH-M50x is a closed-back, over-ear professional monitor headphone from the Japanese company Audio-Technica and part of its wired M-Series. It is a dynamic design aimed at studio tracking and mixing, DJ monitoring and personal listening, and its driver is shared with other M-Series models such as the ATH-M60xa.

Key specs that matter

Every earcup carries a proprietary 45 mm large-aperture driver built around a rare earth neodymium magnet system and a voice coil wound from copper-clad aluminium wire. Audio-Technica specifies a frequency response of 15 Hz to 28,000 Hz, sensitivity of 99 dB and impedance of 38 ohms at 1 kHz. Maximum input power is rated at 1,600 mW at 1 kHz. Weight is 285 g without cable and connector, or 341 g with a cable attached. The headband and earpads use what the maker calls professional-grade materials, and the headphone is offered in black and in white.

Engineering and use context

The copper-clad aluminium wire keeps the moving coil light, which the maker links to a quick response of the diaphragm. Both earcups swivel by 90 degrees, allowing one-ear monitoring with the second cup turned away from the head. The whole headphone collapses for transport, and the earpads are covered in faux leather. The cable is detachable and attaches to one side of the headphone only, which keeps the other cup free of wiring. The package holds three cables - a coiled lead that stretches from 1.2 m to 3 m and two straight leads of 1.2 m and 3 m - each ending in a gold-plated 3.5 mm stereo mini plug with strain relief. A screw-on 6.3 mm adapter and a carrying pouch complete the package, so the set can be used with studio gear fitted with full-size jacks as well as with phones and laptops.

Pairing

As an easy electrical load, the ATH-M50x runs from a phone, laptop, audio interface or mixer headphone output without a separate headphone amplifier. The short straight lead suits portable players, the long straight lead suits a desk or console at some distance, and the coiled lead gives slack for moving around while tracking. The maximum input rating leaves margin when the headphone is plugged into higher-powered studio headphone distribution amplifiers.

Alternatives

The Audio-Technica ATH-M60xa uses the same driver in a lighter on-ear chassis with 102 dB sensitivity.