The Audio-Technica M50xBT are simply a more portable version of a classic headphone with a very specific purpose – to provide studio quality sound – especially useful for video editors. That’s not to say the M50xBT aren’t a great pair of headphones but rather, if they’re the only headphones you’ll be using, it’s important to consider a few things.
You can watch my full review in the video above or read on.
More Or Less Portable
Over-ear headphones are always going to be larger than earbuds like the Bose QuietComfort 20i (my full review) so for any traveler, the size considerations have to bring notable advantages. In general, going over the ear means a more natural sound (our ears have funny shapes for this reason) and being larger, longer battery life for wireless listening.
Studio-headphones like the M50xBT are designed to give a very flat sound profile, ideal for editing sound from music or in videos. A pair of headphones like the ATH-SR30BT (my full review) on the other hand pump up the bass and treble, giving a pleasurably distorted nightclub sound.
A good analogy is the different in photo quality of a phone versus a traditional camera – phones automatically pump up the colors to be vibrant, higher-end cameras tend not to. The less manipulation done by the device leaves more room for a human editor later on.
Know What You’re Getting Into
You won’t be disappointed by the M50xBT at all, they are very good headphones. But for frequent travelers who aren’t at all interested in editing audio, something like a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 or Sony WH1000XM3 with active-noise canceling or Jabra Move without it will be better suited for you.
Everyone else, the M50xBT give you the option of a headphone cable for low-latency but when you do go battery, it’s got around 40 hours for wireless listening. (Apple’s Airpods for comparison run only about 5 hours.) I did have to change the factory ear cups on the M50xBT with these Brainwavz pair – something to keep in mind if the M50xBT get uncomfortable after a while.
Overall, these are a reliable pair of studio headphones where Audio-Technica did the smart thing, don’t try to change much but give you the option to cut the cord when needed.