Audio-Technica M40x Professional Studio Headphones for studio recording, creators, DJs, podcasts and everyday listening Black

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Soundstage is shorter than the AKG and wider than the Grado. It sits near that of the Sennheiser HD598. Treble is more detailed in all of the headphones I compared the M40x to, but that is to be expected at the price point. I guess the revelatory moment came when I started to notice a whole lot of details that I could not hear with my old IM70s. The instrument separation is really nice and you just don't get muddle sounds. Everything sounds really tight and well controlled. To start with, they feel comfy. The pleather is soft and firm and the clamping force is reassuring. This is great for a couple of hours, but after that, my ears began to ache. The pleather pads are not large enough to accommodate my entire ear. This causes quite a bit of discomfort.

I much prefer them to the ATH-M50x model. And although the M40x has less booming/cloudy bass to my ears than the M50x, it's still a bit much for me, but that's to be expected w/ this type of headphones. I have EQ'd the bass down successfully. Thanks to the circumaural design that contours around the ears, these Audio-Technica wired, on-ear headphones provide unmatched sound isolation with minimal bleed to let you hear the full-spectrum detail of your sound source, even in loud environments. The essential 40 mm drivers add a professional and balanced sound experience. The treble is far more detailed and brighter. Bass felt a bit light, but that's my preference. There are quite a few people complaining that the bass is too high. Horses for courses I guess.The sub bass isn't as well defined, feeling a little lost in the mix, but still present enough and with enough control to add to the character of the signature, but certainly not a strength per say. The mid-bass will make the music very inviting while the adequate deep bass performance ensures that you don't get muddy performance when the music gets busy. The bass, be it mid or deep isn't the last word in control or articulateness, but it is by no means unaccomplished and certainly full value for the money.

I have no idea how these would really compare to the ATH-M50X's from the same company, as I have not heard those, but from what i have heard, those are more bassy in their overall presentation, which makes them not as suitable for studio work as these.I have tried Bose quite comfort and truly they are so comfortable and M40X will not meet quite comfort in comfort factor but it does a good job. I always wanted a good around ear headphones and my friend who's a fellow music lover gifted this post some good research. After a day burn in coupled it with my Fiio and started playing my latest collection. Wow, I was in love with the headphones. The audio is clear.The sound signature is refreshing. The headphones are very well balanced and neutral sounding but sometime I feel the presence of added bass than usual. The best point is vocals, they are so damn clear and make you fall in love with the singer. Build Quality: Good, Swivel cups do the job, very comfortable (Have used it for good 3 to 4 hours with my Fiio x1) and a carrying case. For the price, the ATH-M40x is terrific value. Good, sharp sound that reveals little details in songs. I'm happy rediscovering a lot of my music as it has added new depth to my music library. Yet still, I don't love the M40x like I did my old IM70s.

The mid-bass is very nice if a tad un-differentiated, but very nice. I like to pay close attention to the bass lines in songs and just today I listened to Achtung Baby by U2 which made use of very prominent bass energy as an omnipresent soundscape throughout much of the album. This album is a tough task to handle in this respect as the music can start to clump and bass lines will merge into a bloom. What the M40x did here was quite commendable. I found that to very acceptable levels the bass energy wasn't mud and when the bass lines were mastered to come out and be distinct, they were there and had plenty of detail. Certainly not reference detail, but very engaging. In fact, if I was forced to use one word to describe my overall impression of the M40x I would call them engaging. Isolation is below average for a closed set of cans. I tried using them on stage for live monitoring, but the isolation doesn't cut it for me compared to IEMs or other headphones. The isolation is also below average when I used them on the subway. As you can see by the fact that I gave the M40x a full value rating I consider it money very well spent indeed. Comfort wise I have no issues at all and find it comfortable enough. I strongly prefer over ear designs and while the XS has less clamping pressure than my M80, it isn't without some pressure. There is perhaps a slight bit of clamping pressure with the M40x, but it has not resulted in me feeling any discomfort and I have it at the smallest setting possible. I find the ear pads quite comfortable, but certainly not luxurious, but seriously, for the price what should I get, supple leather?

Frequently asked questions about the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x

Instrument separation resolution/timbre/details/clarity/imaging are all above average. I have heard better gear for microdetails/resolution/soundstage, but for the price point, I don't have much complaints. Soundstage width is average. It is a set of closed headphones. Mostly plastic, but seems quite sturdy. I have read reports of the headband snapping, but these issues seem to stem from the first few batches of the M40x. It seems audiotechnica has reinforced the metal sheets on the headbands for newer batches and it seems to be less of an issue. It is quite cheap for its abilities and sound qualities, and is not as well known as its bigger brother, the M50x in audio circles. The M50x definitely boasts a more boosted bass, and is more for casual listening. The M40x on the other hand, is very neutral, and more for studio monitoring rather than leisure listening. BASS - Definitely seem to have emphasized midbass but they do subbass well too. Seem to me to have a slight V-shape and the mids are underemphasized to me.

Bass seems overly extenuated, too punchy, and not very accurate to response when compared to Sennheisers. 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.You also get a nice pleather bag to stash your headphones. I would've preferred a carry box instead, but hey, I would've also preferred to get an Orpheus 2 too, so I guess you got to take what you can get. Comfort is actually pretty good for me. The earcups are shallow and not very deep, but they do a decent job at encompassing my ears. Since these have no vents around the ear cups, your ears do get a little warm, but not to the point where my ears get incredibly sweaty. The pads are very important in headphones in influencing the sound that is percieved by our ears, so definitely changing the pads will have an effect on the sound unfortunately.