Audio-Technica Headphones
Audio-Technica has 2 headphones on Headphone Ranker, priced from $159 to $199. The highest-rated Audio-Technica pick is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Compare the full lineup below.
Audio-Technica's two models are the same headphone in two forms. The ATH-M50x ($159) has been the default first studio headphone for over a decade: 38 ohms so it runs from a phone dongle, a fold-flat frame DJs say lasts a decade of gigs, and three detachable cables. The ATH-M50xBT2 ($199) adds Bluetooth with LDAC, multipoint and 50 hours of battery, and keeps the detachable cables and replaceable pads.
The complaints are shared too: a firm clamp that bothers glasses wearers for the first weeks, and pleather pads that run hot and wear out (owners treat replacements as routine maintenance). Neither has ANC. On the wireless model, owners report the A-T Connect EQ doesn't apply over AAC, so iPhone users effectively get no EQ.
Audio-Technica
Wired & Studio
The M50x has been the default first studio headphone recommendation for over a decade, and it mostly earns it. At 38 ohms and 99dB sensitivity it runs happily from a phone dongle or laptop — no amp needed. The tuning is punchy rather than flat: a mid-bass bump and forward treble that flatter hip-hop and electronic more than they serve critical mixing. What owners actually rave about is the build — these fold flat, shrug off years of backpack abuse, and take three detachable cables. The coiled cable is the classic complaint: it's heavy enough to tug on your head, so most people live on the straight ones. The pleather earpads run hot, clamp firmly on larger heads, and start flaking around year two or three; replacements are cheap and considered routine maintenance by long-term owners.
Best for first serious studio headphone buyers
Audio-Technica
Over-Ear Headphones
This is the wireless version of the ATH-M50x, the studio monitor half the internet learned to mix on, and it makes almost none of the concessions wireless headphones usually make to mainstream taste. The 45mm drivers keep the M50x's flat-leaning, detail-first tuning — tight bass, honest mids, no smiley-face hype — and LDAC support means Android users get genuinely hi-res wireless playback. Battery is a huge 50 hours with a 10-minute charge worth 3, and owners with years on Audio-Technica builds vouch for the durability: the folding metal-reinforced design takes abuse, and detachable cables (plus a mic-equipped one for calls) keep them alive long-term. What you give up versus similarly priced consumer flagships is the entire convenience stack — no ANC, no transparency mode, no wear detection, and while multipoint technically works across two devices, owners note the handoff needs a manual pause rather than switching seamlessly. The physical buttons are old-school but reliable, and the A-T Connect app adds an EQ and a low-latency mode for video. Call quality through the beamforming mics is fine indoors and mediocre in noise. Buy these if you want reference-style sound and week-long battery in a tank of a headphone; buy a Sony or Bose instead if silence on a plane matters more than accuracy.
Best for Accuracy-first listeners who don't need ANC
Audio-Technica headphones: common questions
Is the ATH-M50x good for mixing?▾
It's a common first studio headphone, but the tuning is punchy, with a mid-bass bump and forward treble. Mixing-focused owners say to monitor with them and check mixes on something else, because the bass bump hides detail.
Is the ATH-M50xBT2 worth it over the wired M50x?▾
If you want the M50x sound without the cable, yes: LDAC, 50 hours of battery and a mic cable, for $40 more. You still get no ANC, transparency or wear detection, and at 307g it's heavier, which adds to the clamp on long sessions.