ATH m50x vs m40x headphones for mixing/composing

Anything about hardware musical instruments.
RELATED
PRODUCTS

Post

I’ve had the ATH m50x headphones for years and only recently discovered that many people believe the m40x variant to be flatter / more neutral than the m50x. Should I really be using the m40x?

The question of “what should I replace the m50x with” will come later though.

For comparison’s sake, I do have a Sennheiser 280 HD Pro. How does that compare with the m40x? If it’s better, I can just stop using the m50x for music.

Thanks!

Post


Post

Go ATH m50x if you are used to them you know how they sound and that is the most important, a super secret tip to get a plugin from toneboosters "Morphit" load the plug on your master channel it has all the headphones you can buy, just click which headset you have and it evens out perfectly best I've gotten. :tu:

Post

I don't use headphones as my primary mix source.. Maybe after finding a mix on my speakers I may listen on headphones just 'to make sure'.
That said I have m50's in my two studio setups....

I recently bought an m40 to use on planes when I am traveling and for sure, maybe it is indeed flatter? I am not sure, bu tI definitely prefer the bottom end on the m50's, which I use for tracking, and love.
rsp
sound sculptist

Post

50's are tuned for bass.

40's are a brighter sound.

Post

Dasheesh wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:33 pm 50's are tuned for bass.

40's are a brighter sound.
true
I've had both, m50x are hyping lows and m40x are slightly hyping highs, both are reasonably balanced, m40x a bit more though
however m50x are better built and overall nicer to use :tu:

Post

most cans are tuned towards highs, or lows. the reason many don't hit the mids is because you miss the extreme frequencies of today's music. if you tune for the mids, you have to "artificially" introduce frequencies at the highs and lows. usually, this is by eq, which was never meant to be a booster, but developed into that with specialized eq's. Honestly, if you go ATH, do yourself a favor and check out LYX first. the cheap Korean version. The Pads alone are worth 50. super squish. https://www.lyxpro.com/collections/head ... 7098317957

Post

Dasheesh wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:33 pm 50's are tuned for bass.

40's are a brighter sound.
m50x frequency response is 15-28.000 Hz
m40x frequency response is 15-24.000 Hz

How do you mean the 50's are tuned for bass and 40's are a brighter sound?

the m50x have a pretty flat frequency curve. Not as my AKG K 701, but still much flatter than my Beats', my B&W's or my other "consumer" headphones.
i9-10900K | 128GB DDR4 | RTX 3090 | Arturia AudioFuse/KeyLab mkII/SparkLE | PreSonus ATOM/ATOM SQ | Studio One | Reason | Bitwig Studio | Reaper | Renoise | FL Studio | ~900 VSTs | 300+ REs

Post

starflakeprj wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:14 pm
Dasheesh wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:33 pm 50's are tuned for bass.

40's are a brighter sound.
z

How do you mean the 50's are tuned for bass and 40's are a brighter sound?

it doesn't matter what they can hit, if they are not tuned to hit it. EVERY cans have flaws. ALL. What i mean is the 50's are boomy as f**k, and that is a well known and documented complaint. it's not new.

Post

You have to have really good quality components to hit a wider spectrum, with good design. It's not exactly easy, It's pricey. You can mix fine with 50$ cans if you get a good set, and use your tools tho (that's where software comes in handy). 50$ cans are useful.

Post

Dasheesh wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:20 pm
starflakeprj wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:14 pm
Dasheesh wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 8:33 pm 50's are tuned for bass.

40's are a brighter sound.
z

How do you mean the 50's are tuned for bass and 40's are a brighter sound?

it doesn't matter what they can hit, if they are not tuned to hit it. EVERY cans have flaws. ALL. What i mean is the 50's are boomy as f**k, and that is a well known and documented complaint. it's not new.
Ok, I haven't listened to the m40x, but I have the m50x, and I don't agree they are being "boomy". They do have a "lower frequency" thing going on compared to my AKG's, but I wouldn't call them boomy. However, I wouldn't use them for mixing, but for referencing.

I did a search in my preferred search engine, and ended up with hits on customer reviews mentioning "too much bass" though. I just don't think this myself.
i9-10900K | 128GB DDR4 | RTX 3090 | Arturia AudioFuse/KeyLab mkII/SparkLE | PreSonus ATOM/ATOM SQ | Studio One | Reason | Bitwig Studio | Reaper | Renoise | FL Studio | ~900 VSTs | 300+ REs

Post

there are some some cans that are revered because they hit a wider spectrum of mids cheaply.

namely .... creative.

Post

i took a total flyer on these one time. super cheap build, that comes in handy when wearing for long periods. cheap plastic is light weight. I would put them on the same sound shelf as creatives (imo). https://edifier-online.com/us/en/headph ... headphones


THEY ARE NOT MADE FOR LOUD VOLUMES AND ISH.

Post

The hinges break easily if you accidentally twist them the wrong way, so durability is questionable. ATH M50's are fine for producing with, but bass frequency within your DAW needs to be about 3dB higher to be reflected on your speakers.
KVR S1-Thread | The Intrancersonic-Design Source > Program Resource | Studio One Resource | Music Gallery | 2D / 3D Sci-fi Art | GUI Projects | Animations | Photography | Film Docs | 80's Cartoons | Games | Music Hardware |

Post

VSX.
Soft Knees - Live 12, Diva, Omnisphere, Slate Digital VSX, TDR, Kush Audio, U-He, PA, Valhalla, Fuse, Pulsar, NI, OekSound etc. on Win11Pro R7950X & RME AiO Pro
https://www.youtube.com/@softknees/videos Music & Demoscene

Post Reply

Return to “Hardware (Instruments and Effects)”