Audio-Technica ATH-M40X

I?ve ordered 3 of these to be used in my recording studio as monitoring headphones for musicians.
Inicialy i was considering the ATH-M50 (the non X version) wich i already own a pair an absolutely love the sound but i?ve decided to give the M40's a try after reading some positive reviews, keeping in mind that i could always send them back and get the M50's instead.

After sometime comparing the two and other headphones i have, (various models from AKG) I decided to keep them because i found them to be perfect for the task, this is why:

Great detailed reproduction over all frequency content with smooth clear higs and full deep lows without being overwhelming. A bass player will be very happy as all the others.
Very confortable to be used over a long periode of time, physicaly or soundwise. (wich isnt so true for the older M50's)
Good isolation , ( perhaps just not enough for loud drummers).

They also came with two cables one short coiled cable and a straight longer cable. Thats a nice touch and very handy.

Build quality is very good.

What i dont like:

they are foldable!
Although this may be a good thing for most casual users looking for portability, it's a feature you really dont miss in a pro studio and this particular folding system makes them more fragile and prone break.
(this happened to my M50's)
Also the regidity of the materials employed dont help in that regard.

Conclusion:
i'm really enjoying this headphones,
full, detailed and emersive sound that inspires you to deliver a great performance.

I'm going with 5 stars considering the price and performance!
Excelent product!








Conclusion:

I had a pair of these headphones for a handful of years, and while I enjoyed their sound signature very much, as well as, surprisingly, the comfort of wearing them, even with the stock ear pads, the problem with these headphones remains: They break. Above each "cup" there is a little construction they hook onto so they can swivel in all kinds of directions. It's a plastic part that can be extended from the headband itself to suit your head size. It's essentially two plastic pieces joined together around the mechanisms inside. This is the weak point of the headphone. One of mine broke after a few years. I proceeded to glue it back together with epoxy, a process I repeated numerous times until eventually, the headphone cup itself came out of the construction where it's supposed to swivel and whatnot. Obviously I couldn't really glue that back together as it would make the flexibility of the cup position and rotation inoperable, and so I, to my dismay, had to scrap the whole thing. They lasted a good while, and I did use them a lot, but for the price, I'm disappointed they weren't more durable. I've had a pair of Superlux HD 668-B headphones for almost a decade that I've trounced through rain and snow with, and they're still going strong. They also cost a third of what these cost.

These are my first pair of studio headphones. The sound is very flat, responsive and detailed. The two included cables offer great versatility for working at a desk or recording while plugged in a little further away. The headphone jack adapter included is very good, screws on tightly (haven't lost it yet...) and has a good connection. The carry pouch is good quality and has lasted in perfect condition.

They are comfortable to wear, although after a few hours they can get a bit tight feeling and begin to dig in slightly. This is true for many headphones though so it's not a huge deal.

I think these offer a really good option for the mid-level price bracket, there are cheaper ones out there that may rival but I really cannot fault these headphones in terms of build quality, sound and durability for what is a fairly affordable headphone.

I'm using these for home recording, tracking and mixing.
I don't have proper monitor speakers and usually, it seems, headphones and speakers try to make things sound good. So I was looking for something I could use to give me a clear idea of the actual, non coloured, sounds that I was recording and mixing.
I did some research and heard really good things about the M50's, and was considering them. Then I heard a review of these that said that they might be even better, even though they were cheaper. Better and cheaper sounds good to me : )
They are relatively comfortable, don't really notice you have them on, until you take them off : ) I use the twisty cable, just enough length to go back and forth between the computer and mic without getting tangled or tripped over.
I use them for tracking, guitar , bass and vocals, so they had to be closed. They don't prevent 100% of sound escaping, you can usually hear a hint of the track, but it's never been anywhere near a problem for me, since the recorded part will be used with the track it was recorded along with.
I also use them for mixing, and despite being closed, with open being apparently more desirable for mixing, I have found them to be excellent in delivering a flat response and realistic representation of recordings. All the frequencies sound about right, especially the bass does not seem to be boosted, which is great. It's really annoying having mixed a track to find that the bass is weak when played on another system.
I can't directly compare them to other headphones in terms of use but they work well for me and seem to be a pretty good deal overall.

I bought these after testing them from a friend which had them already.
The sound is phenomenal, really. If you are a bass head, you might be somewhat bummed out. These offer a true sound, the way it's meant to be heard. You also might want to use these with high quality files instead of streaming from Spotify / Youtube. The build quality is very good, they are mostly plastic, but the good kind of plastic. I'd that you will look good with them on the street, in the subway and etc. Also the M40x has very good isolation, people will not hear what you're listening to and you can block some of the outside sound. Also, the braided cable is very nice, bonus points that it is detachable. Overall, if you take good care for these, they will last you for long time. Now, few things I don't like:
- The comfort of these is meh, at best. The clamp is really tight, the leather pads are not very breathable, your ears will get some heat overtime. You could swap the pads for brainwavz or something, but the headphones will be bulkier, uglier and you might experience worse sound.
- Because of the nature of these, their great sound can somewhat tire your ears. After 1-2 hours of listening, you will need some break, because of all the spectrum of sounds that went through your ears. I still use some BT headphones when I just want to chill and watch youtube and etc. You can't use them 8 hours at work, non-stop, no way. Have this in mind, this combined with the lower comfort, I'd say that you need at least one more pair of headphones/speakers.
- It's hard to fit them in the leather bag that they've provided in the package. It looks nice, but they should have made it a little big bigger.

I've bought this headphone nearly 2 years ago and have been using it on a daily basis, mostly while going to school or just listening to music (film scores, rock, classical music and funk most of the time and sometimes also jazz) at home. I am satisfied with this product so far.

Sound: The sound is great, considering the price. The bass and treble are very present, while it sort of lacks middle frequencies, but it's not that bad. The lack of mid range is noticeable but not bothering and doesn't worsen the listening experience much. The cans perform well across all the genres I listen to.

Comfort: The comfort (for me) is okay, but I've heard from friends and many reviewers that the earpads are not the best (hence the 3 stars, otherwise, considering only my experience it would 4), so you'll may consider buying some comfier ones instead. The pad on the top may look too thin, but let me assure you, it is comfortable enough during long sessions.

Quality: Although the plastic feels rather cheap, the build quality isn't actually that bad. I have seen much worse materials and design elements on various headphones over the years. One minus point: after a while the 3D folding mechanism started creak and squeak. I can live with it but still, some of you may find this annoying.

Design: Altough I can't give stars for this, I really like the folding mechanism because it makes the headphone so much practical for on-the-go usage (on the way to school/work etc.). If you are planning to use this on public transport (like I did)
I'd advise buying a hard case. I'd also like to mention that the passive noice cancelling does a good job, it is pleasure using it outside or on public transport.

To summarize very briefly: It is a decent, good sounding headphone for everyday usage. It does absolutely worth the price if you are looking for a practical closed-back headphone.

Having used a Shure SRH440 for a number of years, and while it basically disintegrated around me, I decided it was time for something different. And dear God, it’s amazing.

Way more comfortable than my previous headphones, this little beast sounds amazing. So far I’ve used it for monitoring, as well as to check a few mixes, and it delivered perfectly. The response is as flat as one can hope, and it even looks good while hanging on the wall.

At this price point, I can’t believe there’s a better option. Hopefully it won’t break apart in a few years, but if it does, I’ll definitely be going for it again.

10/10 would recommend it highly.

I was looking for a good set of headphones and decided for the Audio-Technica ATH-M30 first. As i play at the studio and in some other places i decided to order other set.This time i tried the M40. Light, very good sound, cable is thick and long enough, great, great bass woofer. Are these M40 better than the M30? No. Are they worth the extra 28€ compared to the M30? No. I should have bought a second set of M30.Cant see or hear a 28€ of a difference for the better. Are they good? Very good. Better than the M30 model? No. They are siamese twins and this is the richer brother, not necessary a better one.Should had saved 28€ - Thank you, Thomann.