Compatible with ATH-M40x

I was looking for a portable headphone. But didn't want to spend a lot of money either. And they needed to be tough as I was going to put them on my backpack to use them working on the road every day. I found this model hit the $$ range I was looking for and had pretty good reviews around so I gave them a chance. I got them for around $86 in "Like New" condition from Amazon Warehouse Deals. MSRP is actually $139, but they go normally here on Amazon for $99.. so all in all.. a good deal.. they seemed new to me... just the box had some scratches, but nothing I would care about... Now on to my thoughts so far NOTE: These headphones and the Sennheiser HD600 are the only headphones I've had worthy of mentioning. I also don't have any other headphones with me to compare them to in the same price range or any other range. Not even the apple earbuds that came with my iphone5 (don't miss them at all). I also have not had experience listening to a lot of good quality headphones except for my HD600. So as unfair as it is...all my thoughts are in comparison to the HD600s which is still the superior headphone and an awesome value and my point of reference in evaluating the m40x which after all, have surprised me quite a bit! First, they sounded very promising! But they weren't very comfortable. The stock ear pads are a little small for my big ears. They sort of cover all of my ear, but its not as comfortable as my HD600s and their huge pads. So looking around I found the Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads here on Amazon as well. These fit perfectly and were free (thank you Amazon gift card!). They didn't affect the sound signature a whole lot really...if anything since I now have a perfect seal, the bass is actually what I think should sound like for those who can achieve a good seal with the original pads... These headphones are tuned flat as per manufacturer's description and there is also this video on YouTube [ http://youtu.be/sj69-mWHV3E ] that compares the different versions of the m##x series of headphones, and indeed, the m40x sound almost identical to the source. So having a neutral headphone was appealing to me, and with the new earpads, I don't notice any frequency range dominating the rest...I think these are still pretty neutral but the pads make them WAY more comfortable....I Recommend them Highly! These headphones are definitely more forward than my HD600, but nothing gross.. I actually kind of like a bit. After a while, I kinda stop thinking about it. They have very good sound staging. They work better in portraying sort of an arc in front of me and I also notice a little better instrument separation too. The HD600 I find is more detailed still, and more natural sounding. Instruments like acoustic guitars and such sound more real/believable, but the m40x work a little better for me in presenting them a little more in front of me than in between me. The angled drivers are definitely making a difference here, because I never noticed this from a set of closed headphones before. They mate very well with the Geek Out 450 USB DAC/Amp (What doesn't?!) I do notice a big volume change when I hook them up after the HD600 but that's expected. Still, they benefit a lot from the power provided by the GO450 vs my iphone 5 or laptop headphone port... also expected... They have awesome sound isolation (especially with the new pads). The effect is very similar to wearing my 3M over the ear earmuffs from work. This is a big plus for me as they are going in my backpack with my GO450 every day for work and I'm always in noisy environments...I also travel a couple of times a year and I can see this kit working for me very well during flight time. All in all, I am very pleased with these headphones and it's an easy recommendation for someone looking for a good headphone without braking the bank! Happy camper here!! Worth every penny! Now back to my music!

If you are looking for accurate, correct audio reproduction, look no further. The ATH-M40x delivers that better than drastically more expensive ($500+) "reference" headphones. The most noticeable part of accuracy, particularly with any competent headphones, simply comes down to neutral frequency response, and that is where the M40x is so strong with superior tonal balance. Keep in mind that the M40x has better tonal balance than the more expensive M50x and especially M70x, so if you want accuracy without needing a 1/3 octave EQ, stick with the M40x. If you do have a 1/3 octave EQ, the ability to take measurements and experience to tune it correctly, and a good headphone amp...sure, maybe hunt for a more expensive set of cans and tune them to sound even more correct than the M40x. Otherwise, the M40x is your direct route to reference audio reproduction without having to deal with all that other equipment. The passive sound isolation is very good. I prefer solid passive isolation to electronic noise cancelling in most instances. If sound isolation has no value to you, an open back design may be preferable, but finding something as accurate as the M40x without EQ will be tough. Comfort is good, but I have some other over-ear sets that cost 5x as much that are more comfortable. Since the M40x is a closed back design with strong isolation, your ears do get a little warm after a while. The clamping force is just enough to get a consistent seal around the ear so that bass response will be correct. Build quality is solid, nice, and functional, but not luxurious. The interchangeable cords are really good with a twist-lock jack on the left ear. I expected to prefer the straight cord, but I actually ended up liking the coiled cord even better for most use. If you use electronics to take frequency response out of the equation, more expensive sets can produce better measurements, but it's a moot point for 99.9% of users. Value at this price point is through the roof due to the tonal accuracy. Good luck finding better tonal accuracy at any price, honestly. Unfortunately, everyone has to have their own "sound signature", especially really expensive stuff where they need to try to give something unique to justify the price tag. The M40x just gives it away at a no-frills, no-fuss price. Buy these and enjoy re-listening to your favorite recordings to hear what they are really supposed to sound like!

Honestly, I'm a little pissed off. Not because these are bad, but because the 40x doesn't get enough credit for being one of the top best studio headphones to date. The majority of the people choose its bigger sister, the M50x, which don't get me wrong, the M50x is also a great studio headphone, heck, just the M series are great sets of studio headphones, but reason saying these dominate the rest really is that these cans will be the closest to neutral quality when monitoring your music. The thing with the M50x is that they added an extra cable and "more color" to their sound by dosing up the treble and bass a little bit. And I'm not just saying this one dominates the rest of its sisters because of its best neutrality, it dominates ALL STUDIO HEADPHONES. Don't believe me? No thanks to SoundSensePro, their YouTube videos can prove it to you. Now of course there might be a few exceptions with some other top-end audiophile headphones that are great for monitoring, but most of them are expensive and they require amps to get the same studio quality, where you could just get these, no amps required for good neutrality, all around $100. These have a nice build quality, nice comfort to the ears, although it could be better in my opinion because it takes some adjustment ever once a while and feels a little tight, otherwise I can listen to these for hours, and surprisingly these have great noise isolation, but I mostly will be talking about the main purpose of why these cans are great, which is the sound you get from them. I have been to several sound boards and monitor music with a variety of different studio headphones (Sony MDR7506, Sennheiser HD 280 Sennheiser HD 650, etc.), and ever since I picked up these headphones I know this is going to be my main source from here on out. Here's the thing with studio headphones: the goal is to make them as neutral as possible (not flat. There is a difference between flat and neutral sound) so you know that you're picking up the same exact audio from its main source. Now because bass is very common nowadays, most studio companies think that in order to get a flatter sound, the more bass you need to take away from it so it doesn't "eat-up" the mids and the highs. This doesn't mean you can't hear the lows, it's still rather noticeable, but the issue is you're not getting an idea of how much bass is being applied to the audio, and you need that. These headphones not only monitor bass (and it's just the right amount of bass to monitor as well. You don't want too much bass or too little), but you get to monitor with a great soundstage performance on the M40x. Now another good headphone I encountered in a recording studio is the old Audio Technica ATH-M40 f/s, which took an hour for me to compare the difference between those and the M40x because they were that close. The only difference I could pick out of them is the M40x is more enhanced with its soundstage and stronger noise isolation, still making these a whole lot better. These are worth every buck if you are looking for best neutral sound. Only thing I would say to be aware of is its portability and durability. It only comes with a handbag if you want to bring it around, the headphones are bigger than they appear, and even though it has great build quality, most of it is made of plastic, so if you are a DJ and want to bring them wherever you go, just don't be surprised if they break. These are more for staying at your home or sitting in a recording studio for listening than going place-to-place constantly. Will keep you guys updated when I start experiencing trouble-issues.

The sound is unmistakably AT. I love that. I’ve had AT headsets before and I love their inner-ear pieces, so the familiar sound is great for my ears. The fit is, initially, definitely snug, some might say a bit tight. But I got used to it quick enough. It’s snug for a reason, to help keep most noises out without having to need the noise-cancelling tech. I had a pair that I used for 10 ears that were cushy and comfortable but they finally wore out so I had to replace them with these. And while there might be some break-in period with these new ATs, I’ll make them work. I also wish that the cord insert was on the right side and not left side. So that’s the only drawback. They do give you 2 cord choices, which is nice for this price point.

First of all, I will only do a short review in regards to the sound quality, comfort, price value and design since I've only bought these 2 days ago. As soon as I can open the headphone and try it on, I opened several song I've had from a playlist I complied filled with various genre. I start the test with a simple classic music like Vivaldi to test how good the treble is. As I've read in some review, it does sound really crisp, crystal clear with all of the instrument sounds flow very smoothly. You can hear the detail of each musical note without sacrificing the grandiose of the background noise. It's truly fitting if you love classic. And just a quick comparison, this strong treble equally match my Sennheiser HD 518 series, which is a very one sided due to its treble heavy, though it's still pretty balance overall. So I go play a more bass heavy track right away to make sure that it's trebly one sided like my Sennheiser, I choose this one indie song that use plenty of bass. Surprisingly, it produced a very solid bass, equivalently of the so-called beats with their bombastic bass caliber. I can still sense the bass heavily presence without the cost of overpowering the treble. Also, it doesn't sound artificially enhanced or feel forced. A quick comparison I can make is with the now popular Sony MDRXB950BT extra bass. I tried the Sony during the the thanksgiving sale on Best Buy, while they're boosting about the discount. While the Sony certainly offer more punch to the bass, I noticed quickly that it sounds a bit too artificial despite the added richness of what it promised. And I tested the bass without the extra bass mode turn on, it's already empowering the treble, as if it's made exclusively just for bass heavy song. I just felt all bass and nothing else, a sign of unbalance sound quality. And this is without the extra bass mode, I can imagine that listening to music the mode would be like putting your ear right next to a mini boom box. Unless you're a bass head or just someone who only cares about bass, then you shouldn't choose the Sony over this audio Technica, amidst the Bluetooth, mic, and music control or heavy discount. At the time of the test, the Sony has had its price already go down from $200 to $88. Nonetheless, you buy a premium headphone for the sake of quality for which even a discount price like this is irrelevant. As far as the design goes, it looks nothing fancy or fashionably friendly like those overpriced beats can or its cheaper counterpart The skullcandy. But overall, the headphone still looks pretty slick and friendly looking enough that it won't make you look lame wearing a non-trendy headphone. Last but not least, I bought this for $74 thanks to limited thanksgiving discount. The original price is $139, which is still cheaper than the Sony with its $200 price tag due to the Bluetooth connectivity. Most importantly thought, this one is a lot more balance and sounds way more natural than the latter. So if you're an audiophile or just someone that prefer the more naturally sounded headphone, then you'll should get this Audio Technica M40x over the Sony MDRXB950BT. I recommend this to anyone that care for the full listening experience of their music in its purest form without breaking your wallet. It's a very good but worth every penny, overall.

These are fabulous. Usually, I try to give the bad points first, so I'll try, but they don't really take away from my five star rating. The bad: The collapsible design is actually kind of annoying when you have these laying around. They tend to collapse so that you have to straighten them out again to put them back on, and since you can't rotate all the way in some directions, that means a little more plastic shifting about than I would like. It does also exert a little more clamping pressure on my head and weigh a little more than I like, but it's not too bad, and that's coming from someone who's not used to it. If it bothers you, put it on something wide for bit. Because it has accurate sound reproduction, remember that it will show which files have poor sound quality in your library. You might learn to hate autotune more. And pointless reverb. The good: Sound reproduction. It's just right. It's like I'm Goldilocks and someone just served me warm porridge with honey and milk, and a perfectly sized chair. I listen to a wide variety, from classical and jazz, showtunes, alternative/rock, dance, rap, and they all sound good. The volume also gets loud enough that if I turn it all the way up, I can set it next to me and listen - mostly because it would be painful if it was still on my head. It's comfortable enough. Yes, Bose is more comfortable, but they can't beat Audio-Technica for sound quality at this price point (in particular, stay away from SoundTrue). The build quality is also worth commenting on, because it's kind of clunky, but extremely sturdy. I can drop it, step on it a little, and it doesn't even notice. The cord is also a nice, thick, flexible rubber. Some reviewers have said that the straight cord is too long, but I love it. I can plug it into something on the other side of my (large) bed and lay back, move around without worrying about the tensile quality of the cord pulling my tiny laptop off my desk or something. I think the best part is that I won't see the need to upgrade this for a very long time, both because it clearly won't die, and the sound reproduction isn't - well, irritating. There's no over-emphasis on the little lip sounds singers make, overly mellow/warm tone on everything or bass that won't stop thudding and muddling. In terms of transitioning from average earbuds and having never owned anything truly flat (don't roll your eyes at me, audiophiles!), I can hear all the parts that make up my music more clearly, and the vocals and bass are just barely less boosted, and I no longer feel like my skull is being used as the echo chamber for my music. I bet that it's a lot less claustrophobic on long flights. Well, I think I've rambled on long enough. Thanks for reading, hope it was helpful!

I originally bought the ATH M50x's and returned them (thank you Amazon for making it so easy), because I felt too much bass intrusion --and a less forward midrange. I did a lot of additional listening to other closed headphones that I could borrow or find in retail stores that fell between $100 and $200 price range. These included the Brainwavz HM5, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro and HD 380 Pro, AKG K 240 MK II, and others. (The one set of cans I didn't try--and wish I would have to compare these against--are the NVX Audio XPT100. I know they are supposedly Brainwavz HM5 clones but because of their very different earpad architecture, may have a very different sound signature that is also appealing. Anybody who has, please drop me a note here.) I eventually decided on the ATH-M40X for a simple reason: While they are "flat"-- as in pretty accurate--like some of the other reference items mentioned above, they have just enough "color" to offer a solid signature, particular in the midrange where so many sounds get lost these days, without sacrificing bass or highs. I realize this is a personal preference, and if I were a true studio recording engineer, this might have been a downside instead of a plus, but all listening is subjective. I have read some listeners have had minor issues with sibilance on female vocals, but I did not find that to be true at all. What I got were crisp, accurate--not harsh--highs (maybe lower bitrate mp3s would have this problem, but I never listen to anything below 320 kps, and usually lossless, vinyl and CD quality recordings) and there is plenty of tight bottom without the muddy, flabby loose feel in many modern headphones--even in dance music and hip hop. I found separation excellent, sound isolation is very good (they are closed)--if not exceptional--and listening with and without a headphone amp pleasurable and comfortable right out of the box. The sound has only gotten better with use. I have an average size head and do wear glasses, so a few hours (5-6) of listening was quite easy. The M40x is for my home critical listening, they don't require an amp due to the smaller drivers than the M50x and can easily be driven by a smartphone or tablet and provide plenty of non-distorted volume. That said, using am amp, they can be driven without distortion. (Admission: For all day use --nine hours minimum-- I review music for a living--I use Sennheiser 439s, but not because they are better sound-wise, but because they are so lightweight and the pads so comfortable, I can wear them for 12 hours without a break.) These phones are also solidly built, contain two detachable (primary) cables, an adapter plug and a carrying bag. I bought a case, but really, these are hardcore physically and shouldn't need it, I'm just obsessive. For the price range I was seeking, I couldn't find any cans I liked better than the M40x.

I've owned these about nine months now. I'm a huge audio nerd, and I love these headphones! Quick points: - frequency response is incredible. - you won't need a DAC -- they're very sensitive (efficient). - sub-bass is present, if a little quiet, but - they can take MASSIVE amounts of sub-bass if EQ'd - great for people who are sensitive to treble - they're really comfortable -- I can wear them for hours, with glasses - their floppiness takes some getting used to - they isolate sound pretty well - you'll want to buy a different cable (there's an awesome 1.2m braided one on Amazon for $12) They sound /so/ flat. ("flat" here refers to a graph of their frequency response, where a "flatter" graph gives a sound that's de-emphasized across the frequency spectrum -- it doesn't make some notes too loud and others too soft, just reproduces them exactly as they were recorded.) They respond to EQ really well, but I don't feel the need to use EQ on any part of the range besides sub-bass (and only for trap, future bass, etc.). Of course, their response isn't the most even and flat (according to professional measurements I've found), but it's really, really great. What is emphasized makes detail (2kHz to 6kHz) just a little more present, without being harsh. To my ears, a lot of headphones in this price range and higher sound too harsh because they emphasize treble too much. I had that concern with these at first, but for my ears, they're right on the edge without going overboard -- just about perfect. You can practically use them as speakers with a mobile device -- they're that sensitive. You definitely don't /need/ to use a DAC with these. I love sub-bass. I listen to a lot of trap, future bass, and misc. edm where the subbass really needs to speak. These headphones start to roll off around 70Hz, but not so drastically to where these styles aren't enjoyable without an EQ. I could go without EQ on these headphones, but I don't. What's great about these is that you can throw all the sub-bass boost you want at them and they still perform superbly. I use as much as +25dB at 31Hz (on a 29-band EQ) and they handle it excellently. In that regard, I give in before they do. I recommend AIMP if you're on Android so you can dial in the bass just how you want it, if you're into that sort of thing. With other types of music and with podcasts, audiobooks, etc, I don't even think to use EQ with these headphones. Acoustic instruments never sounded so good before, or so true-to-life. And with podcasts, you can really hear the differences in the different microphones people use; it's incredible. They're really comfortable for me. I have a large head and I wear glasses half the time, and even while wearing glasses, I can wear these headphones for hours at a time with minimal fatigue. The earpads and headband are nice and soft, and the earpads reach all the way around large ears. My partner has a small head and seems to find them comfortable, though they can slide around a bit on their head. When I'm moving around a lot, I find I need to really tighten them up to get them to grip when I tilt my head down. This became a non-issue for me as I got accustomed to them. Due to the flexible nature of the design, they are especially floppy. You really can't pick them up quite like normal headphones, and putting them on is necessarily a two-handed affair. The first time I picked these up at a demo, they seemed to abandon my hands. You can't pick them up by one earcup and slip them on one-handed. I find I have to grab both cups or both ends of the headband and then put them on. But that's intentional. Sometimes you want to just pick up one ear and listen for just a second, like when you're trying to dial in something in a recording. For that purpose, the rest of the headphones fall to the side out of the way, and it's very convenient. I was actually frustrated by this at first, but after using them for some time in several different scenarios, I'm glad for the flexibility. Other design notes: they seem durable and they've never appeared to even start breaking. I am gentle with my equipment, and I kept from forcing the hinges when the headphones would flop out of my hands for the first week I used them. I absolutely love that they fold up. This is eminently convenient for putting them in bags and taking them places. The sound isolation is pretty good. Even on airplanes I've found that I don't have to turn the volume up too much. They easily block out conversations and even that one guy who doesn't know he talks too loudly. Adding bass seems to help this. The cable situation is pretty bad. It's kind of weird to include two giant studio-length cables with headphones that will also be bought by average consumers. That being said, I bought a compatible braided cable on Amazon for $12, and it's awesome. It locks into the headphones, it's just the right length for everyday use, and it seems really durable. You'll probably want to buy one if you ever move your headphones from your desk. I really love these headphones, and I highly recommend them for all purposes.

Better then I thought

Very useful for mixing and monitoring as it's frequency response is very flat. Not that type of fancy or fun headphones. These are headphones for surgical mixing tasks. Highly recommend.

I don't know about everyone else but it took me about 18 months to make my decision over which headphones to purchase. I had spent countless hours in Curry's testing the headphones on offer.. Bose, Skullcandy, JVC's etc... and never really finding myself happy with how any of them sounded. Mr previous headphones were a pair of Panasonic DJ200's (I think) which I bought from Argos for less than £30. For the price these were excellent - not tinny and not too heavy on the bass. There were already a number of reviews here praising these headphones as being neutral which ultimately helped my decision. I had been so disappointed with many of the those I had tried in Curry's - Bose sounded screechy whilst others had so much bass you couldn't hear any other detail in the music. A previous reviewer had posted a link to some Youtube videos tested the headphones allowing you to compare the sound of the input against the output from the headphones using a dummy head and some pretty smart recording equipment - and these were the most neutral (I prefer 'faithful') sounding - and I guess that helped to swing it for me. The other factor was price - there was no way I could justify paying £300 or so for headphones but did eventually set myself a budget around the £120 - £150 mark. If I hadn't found anything within my budget I would have given up, so the £80 I paid for these was icing on the cake. I use these for movies on my tablet and they perform admirably but it is music where they excel, for everything from Rock to Classical music. Oh and if you are a fan of 80's Electro Funk - you really wont find anything better... Excellent headphones - more than happy to recommend. UPDATE 07/12/17 - Having had these headphones for 9 months now I thought I'd report back.... No problems whatsoever - no breakages, no damage to cushions, I use them every day either to listen to music or while watching videos on Youtube or iplayer and still find them comfortable, and if anything the sound is even better when they have had time to burn in properly. I didn't go above 80% for the first 20-30 hours of use and I think this is important. Unlike some other reviews, I don't find the cushions to be uncomfortable, I wear these with or without glasses and even with masking hearing aids for my tinnitus. As with all wired headphones the twisted cable can be a bit annoying, but I cant really see them being able to truly replicate the sound in a wireless pair. Still very happy, and definitely the best headphones I've purchased.

Premetto che non sono un tecnico del suono né un dj né un audiofilo esoterico. Sono un normalissimo appassionato di musica che cerca di ascoltarla al meglio delle possibilità delle mie tasche. Le ATH M40X sono per me le prime cuffie serie, ho sempre snobbato l'ascolto in cuffia prediligendo i diffusori e limitandomi all'ascolto della radio con gli auricolari del telefono. Attirato da questo nuovo modo di ascoltare ho preso le Audio Tecnica e devo dire che sono davvero contento. Le ho prese sfruttando la promozione di Amazon Warehouse pagandole circa 50€, sono arrivate il giorno dopo dalla Germania in perfetto stato, scatola intatta e cuffie senza neppure una riga. L'unico problema che ho riscontrato è stato che nella confezione c'era tutto tranne l'adattatore per il jack da 3.5 a 6.5. Ho scritto subito al servizio clienti che mi ha proposto un ulteriore sconto di 12€ in alternativa al reso. Beh che dire alla fine ho speso neanche 40€ per avere una paio di ATH M40x nuove, perfette e senza un difetto. Con due euro di adattatore ho risolto. Passiamo al prodotto: le cuffie sono molto comode anche per chi come me porta gli occhiali, nessun fastidio dopo una sessione di tre ore. Le ho collegate al mio ampli Rotel ed ho ascoltato diversi LP, scusate ma la denominazione vinile mi dà ai nervi...il suono è meravigliosamente asciutto, reale e spazioso. Non ho notato enfatizzazioni in nessun ambito, suono cristallino, sincero e straordinariamente appagante. Sono contento dell'acquisto, sono contento di poter ascoltare più spesso i miei dischi, anche quando non sono solo in casa come facevo prima, mi allungo sul divano, chiudo gli occhi e mi sento nel pieno di un concerto, anche se sullo stesso divano il resto della famiglia di ottunde i pensieri davanti a qualche fiction... Grazie ad Amazon ho potuto acquistare delle cuffie , per me, fantastiche al prezzo che avrei speso per un paio di auricolari bluetooth entry level. FANTASTICO!!!!! Dopo 5 mesi di utilizzo non posso che confermare quanto scritto in precedenza. Ottime

Good for mixing and video work. Real sound.