ATH-M40x Monitor Headphones
ATH-M40X Pure. Professional. PerformanceThe M-Series ATH-M40x professional monitor headphones are tuned flat for incredibly accurate audio monitoring across an extended frequency range.Critically acclaimed sonic performance.“incredibly accurate audio monitoring”The M-Series ATH-M40x professional monitor headphones are tuned flat for incredibly accurate audio monitoring across an extended frequency range. Your studio experience is enhanced with superior sound isolation and swiveling earcups for convenient one-ear monitoring. Engineered with pro-grade materials and robust construction, the M40x excels in professional studio tracking and mixing, as well as DJ monitoring.“ Comfort and convenience”Critically acclaimed M-Series professional monitor headphones deliver accurate audio and outstanding comfort, perfect for long sessions in the studio and on the go. Contoured earcups seal tight for excellent sound isolation, with minimal bleed. And the pro-grade materials are durable, yet comfortable. Find out why online reviewers, top audio engineers, and cult followers agree, M-Series is an unmatched combination of audio and build-quality that gets the job done. Hour after hour, year after year.
Why r/BuyItForLife recommends it
22 mentions from real owners
- #1Dec 25, 2025
Sennheiser HD555 from 2008 Mine are from the old ‘Made in Ireland’ run.
I'll give a shout here for Audio Technica m40x. Great headphones for a reasonable price, bought them like 6 years ago and still work splendidly. Bought them when I got tired of gaming headsets being garbage and breaking on me after like 2 years or so
View on Redditopen_in_new - #2Dec 19, 2025
A gaming headset with low latency after 4+ years of regular use — what actually held up
I am on year 12 with my Audio Technica M50 headphones. So far I've replaced the earcups and bought a cover for the top band, as the fake leather was shredding on my ears/hair. Sound is just the same as it ever was. You know what works pretty well for reducing latency? *Wires*. You know what never gets made useless by some weird driver or bluetooth issue? Wired headphones.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #3Nov 5, 2025
What are the best headphones with a great price-to-performance ratio?
i've been meaning to post about the audio technica ath-m50x in this community for a while now because i've had them since 2017 and they're still amazing. I listen to a lot of techno and they're still the best.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #4Feb 1, 2025
What’s one item you bought that has lasted for YEARS and was worth every penny?
audio technica m50x headphones i have been using 10 years, no issues, have only replaced pads few times which is easy and very cheap
View on Redditopen_in_new - #5Dec 5, 2015
Audio Technica ATH-M50X $99 (Great BIFL Headphones)
I got these a few days ago from Amazon for $115. They sound amazing and are built really well. The detachable cords are a huge BIFL feature.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #6Dec 5, 2015
Audio Technica ATH-M50X $99 (Great BIFL Headphones)
Verifying! Probably the best closed-back headphones at ~$100, and known for lasting for a long time. Sound pretty good as well!
View on Redditopen_in_new - #7Dec 5, 2015
Audio Technica ATH-M50X $99 (Great BIFL Headphones)
Wat. You had a pair of Sony's that cracked and that's why you shouldn't buy these? Fwiw, I have had a pair of these for a couple years and they are great. I also have a pair of similar tier head phones from the same company that are almost 20 yrs old that are great as well except the fake leather vinyl on the ear pieces is a bit ratty.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #8Dec 5, 2015
Audio Technica ATH-M50X $99 (Great BIFL Headphones)
Just because artists use them doesn't mean that they are good. Example 1. Beats. But real explanation is that they are going to use it for a different purpose. The reason why I won't recommend the 70 as much as the 50 is the price and the fact that the 70 is far more beneficial as the 50s have a high mid while the 70s are just even throughout (better for listening experience). I was thinking about VModas but I went for ATH as the sound quality is quite damn good imo.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #9Dec 4, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
ATH-M50 checking in. Totes worth it. Awesome cans.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #10Dec 4, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
Audio technica ATH M50X
View on Redditopen_in_new - #11Dec 4, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
I have a pair of noise cancelling Bose headphones (not sure model, but I assume on the cheaper end.) provided by work, and a pair of AT m50s at home. I prefer the m50s and will probably end up buying a pair for the office eventually.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #12Dec 4, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
Audio technica M50
View on Redditopen_in_new - #13Dec 4, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
Audio Technica ATH-M50
View on Redditopen_in_new - #14Dec 4, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
[100% these, you can find them for $15 less online if you look.](http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449196153&sr=8-2&keywords=ath+m50x)
View on Redditopen_in_new - #15Dec 4, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
Grados are a good suggestion. Headphones will eventually break-down in some way, so a good guarantee is a start. Grado will repair most broken parts for cheap or free. Note that Grado's are also an open design though. Don't be the idiot that gives them a bad review, because you thought they were closed. (For the curious, the design is set to open because it usually makes the headphone sound more natural letting air pass through). Also, for the curious, some amazing things are happening to modifying Grado's right now. It's an easy headphone to modify, but there's people building Senngrados for cheap (Vibro Labs). And you have Symphones started to release the Magnum V6 drivers, and making an open 3d printed earcup, made for the sound quality through Shapeways (in Beta). Grado's, and especially modified Grado are some of the easiest ways to get kickass sound quality on the dirt cheap, considering the hobby is getting stupid expensive. Koss is also a good suggestion and has a lifetime guarantee. If it breaks, and it will after a few years, send it in and get a new one, for life. Very cheap, open air design. Go with the Porta Pro or KSC75 (Latter has better highs, less bass, more neutral). Audio Technica is often recommended. Their M40x/M50x design is phenomenal, but they're a V shape, sucking out the midrange. Many realize their mediocrity after trying more neutral headphones (m50), the issue with the m40x is that it sounds too enclosed and slightly boomy. It is more neutral, the highs feels artificial. Supposedly there is a mod out there to fix some of these issues. My quintessential BIFL headphone is the Sennheiser HD-25. It's a 25 year old headphone, and only had a few updates. It's made to be used, the cable ports are well thought out, the parts can be bought if you break them, and are user replaceable. It sounds neutral, and this mod i've done has made them sound a lot better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZIt_3xfHwc Yes, it's usually more than $150. Also, a lot of people ignore on-ears. I think they're one of the cheapest ways to get a good seal though, whereas many over-ears have a harder time of making a seal and having the driver at the ideal spot to the ears. I was so ambivalent to the clamp of the HD-25's in the beginning, but they loosened up with use. One might place it around something to emulate a head. I agree with Unkle_Erik, a lot of the detachable cables - ESPECIALLY ON CHEAPER MODELS - are very weak. So many sell detachable cables at a selling point, even products like mechanical keyboards, and the input is the first thing to fail. Bose is decent. They make the best noise cancelling headphones, bar none. They are overpriced and not BIFL durable. Beats is overpriced too, although the Solo 2 is considered good. Still not BIFL. Beyerdynamic has too many quality control issues. Frequent drivers dying and imbalances. Not BIFL, although a step above the last few mentions. German Maestro 8.35 gets a mention, because they're bombproof. A videos on YouTube chucking them around. An over-ear, and could use a different set of earpads you can easily switch out yourself. 3 year warranty? Cable will eventually need replacing, but it's heavier than the headphone itself (I recommend the mobile version), since the normal length can put too much weight on the side of the headphone. I also do NOT recommend V-Moda. They are not military grade design. They have a good warranty, where they will give you 50% off your next purchase, when your current one breaks. Val Kolton is trying to balance style and function, and style trumps in the end. The headband frays, the plastic can chip easily (especially where they connect to the headband, the ports are a problem. They're not the worst, but priced around the warranty, i'd say. The sound is also as v-shaped as you can get. Mega bass, no midrange at all. The headband pads are bad, and the XL are not much better. Most would do better with the M50x if they want that V. I'm also not a huge fan of the Sony's 7506/v6. It's a great design, but the quality has dropped. There's a million imitators. They're neutralish though, and meant for monitors. This means, details revealed, bass lighter, and treble can be harsh, particularly on bad recordings. I'd recommend Senal SMH-1000 as an alternative. Headphone pads on both are meh. With the M40x/M50x, Sony 7506, German Maestro's, (and Fostex below) there's like a bajillion different headphone pads that are relatively interchangeable. The Mp4nation pads are generally recommended. They're a weak "memory foam". Also note that pads can change the sound signature in a significant way. I haven't tried the Monoprice more than at a meet. They're cheap, they're durable for their price. They're uncomfortable and put a lot of pressure on the top of the head. They're a headphone that could use some serious modding to make work, which for the price, i'd rather take a koss and flop on the hammock. Good sound signature, more neutral. Also, the T50RP and subsequent mods are a good recommendation. It's a different driver type, orthodynamic. It needs an amp, so can become more expensive and certainly cumbersome. I recommend the Fulla Schiit USB amp. The T50RP is semi-open design, so sound leaks, whereas the T40RP is closed. They've been modded to no end, but the mk3's sound pretty darn good. And ortho driver, to me, sounds more precise, while having a smaller sound stage. Some prefer one to another. While, to me, a dynamic sounds like its coming from a cone, within its soundstage, the Fostex and ortho drivers sound like they're coming from a wider area (not easy to explain). I still find dynamic drivers more fun, even though they're blending more. There's a major shift in the audio industry in the past 10 years. Many of the headphones i'm recommending have been "updated", but have been around the block a few times, and are 10+ years old. Recently, you have a ton of newer companies, typically made in China. Their drivers are fantastic. I can go on many ends of my web of how good the NAD Viso HP50 sounds. It's also horribly uncomfortable and fragile though. Many of these imports have really good drivers encapsulated in poor, weak designs. Take your pick, but it doesn't belong in BIFL. Also, for funsies, I will always recommend the Sennheiser HD600 and HD650. They're not duper durable. Sennheiser offers replaceable parts. Many will disagree with me, and I don't give damns for your downvotes, but with a decent amp, they're the best open, over ear headphones for the price. More people would like the HD650 ideally, but it's a pain to find the right amplifier (Bottlehead Crack). If you're not willing to build that, or invest in something like a Schiit Valhalla, the HD600 is way more amp forgiving. It's a headphone that always sounds, "just right". If you have any specific questions, ask me. This is too much shit for me to write a faq here.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #16Dec 3, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
I bought my pair of ath-m40fs about 3 years ago for $45 and they are great. I wouldn't say they are as good(as the m50x or higher end ATs), but they are also less than half the price and I don't regret the decision one bit.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #17Dec 3, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
90% is way overstated. I see more Sennheisers in the studio than anything else, followed by ATH-M[4,5]0s and then MDR-7506s. I would definitely choose the M50s first in this price range, but they're not that dominant.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #18Dec 3, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
[ATH-M50x](http://www.cnet.com/products/audio-technica-ath-m50x/)?
View on Redditopen_in_new - #19Dec 3, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
These are great. I own a pair of these and also the Audio Technica ATH-M50s. The Sony headphones are a bit lighter and slimmer, but this comes at the cost of sound isolation. The heavier M50s do a much better job of blotting out the outside world. I have used both on a bus commute.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #20Dec 3, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
Seconding Audio Technica - I have the M50x and it is the shit. http://www.cnet.com/products/audio-technica-ath-m50x/ Just realized it's $159 on Amazon. Close enough? Seriously, so worth it.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #21Dec 3, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
Audio technica do a set. Called the MTH-50s or something. Can't remember the exact model name. They did an original and then an updated model. If you can't get the new model, you should be able to get the originals for <$150
View on Redditopen_in_new - #22Dec 3, 2015
Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?
The Audiotechnica ATH-M40x are a go-to when it comes to closed over the ear headphones. Check out headfi.org if you want some real in depth opinions on headphones. http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/75b2f282c93a7651/
View on Redditopen_in_new