Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Sound Review
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- homestudiobasi...
EqualizerAPO EQ Preset:
Channel: all
Preamp: -4 dB
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 150 Hz Gain -5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 11: ON PK Fc 11000 Hz Gain -4 dB Q 2
MiniDSP EARS HPN Compensated Measurements:
i.imgur.com/bB...
i.imgur.com/MU...
If you like what I do and want to support the channel, you can become a patron here: / metal571
A list of headphones I'm looking for viewers to send to me for review can be found here: docs.google.co...
Follow me on Twitter to know when I'm uploading, what's coming next, and to just generally get in touch. / metal571
![Audio Technica ATH-M50x vs Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro (80 OHM) - STUDIO MONITOR Buying Guide! [2018]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qcOJvEEG4wA/mqdefault.jpg)
M40x will always have a special place in my heart. I own several high end headphones like hd800,hd700, el8 closed and dt1990 but from time to time I still listen to Images and words with my m40x.
Soo what you are saying is you use these headphones over some of the most expensive headphones (not to mention using it with a 2k amp/dac) I would love to see your review of these headphones
@@LoneBeastYT Because m40x is more portable compared to my other headphones. Open backs are for home use only. And do you know how much of a hussle to wear an el8 closed outside?
@@jekken333 soo have you checked the m60x? I m pretty sure they are portable but at the same time they are good (from what I heard)
@@LoneBeastYTi don't like on-ears.
@@jekken333 oh that's a shame...so what earapds you use on the m40x?
Nice review and thanks for the shout. This is a good anime. Lol. Agree about the mid-bass hump that was a minor issue for me but I thought overall gave it some nice thump. Most people will enjoy that extra bit of emphasis. Also agree about the amount in general. I've always said in articles and reviews that there's no reason why this should ever be marketed as a reference/monitor headphone. It's just not. More neutral than the 50x? Sure. But on it's own def no. Treble I thought was a bit metallic right around where you said as well. It just has this weird artificial character but it's kind of subtle.
Shout out to Stu at Home Studio Basics. Good RUclips reviews, and funny as hell.
Thanks bro! Just seeing this. Bout to watch the video.
Thank you much
Using your EqualizerAPO EQ settings, I could finally have got sound of m40x that I some how like.
I've just sold mine. It sounded good but I hate to say it but it was boring. So I sold it. For it's price I purchased a Sennheiser HD598SE and I'm happy now. I've got everything I missed from Audio Technica. I'd go further. About a week ago it was an Aurvana Live! on Ebay for 30 quid you mentioned and I couldn't resist I purchased it. I would say Metal you were right it sounds amazing. Unbelievable. I highly recommend it to you guys over M40X.
Wait until you try the new K371 too
just bought them two weeks ago..and i'm very happy for the sturdiness, they are "battle" headphones in my opinion ..they have plastic in the right places and you can throw them on the bag without worrying. The major complain i have is that you can't cranck up much the volume in case you need to
( too much distortion) ((but i play the drums))
Mine broke in under a year at the joint... wasn't rough with them either.
Auditioned these from a friend and I own the Shure SRH440. Micro detail and sound stage? It's a no contest. The SRH440 is very underrated. It's probably one of the best closed-backs out there. A.T. sound stage is pretty bad everytime I audition one.
Basically what I said also in my srh440 review if I remember right
How about making a group comparison between M40X, CB1, CAL, and Pro 82?
and pro80
@@nonenothing4412 Pro80 is hard to get since takstar already stopped the productions. But you can get same-like sound by getting cloud alphas or cloud-2
@@dkphobo546 i know, and everyone knows;) love my cloud silver
@@dkphobo546 cloud alpha is different headphone made by Kingston, don't confuse peoples!!!
I did one of the 40x vs. CB-1 and 7506. I remember you telling me about the CAL and I still need to get my hands on one. same with Takstar. homestudiobasics.com/audio-technica-ath-m40x-vs-status-audio-cb-1-vs-sony-mdr-7506/
I totally agree on how the higher end headphones spoil our preference of sound. I regretted selling my M40X 2 years ago but after owning the HD800, Atticus, LCD-X and even the 6XX, I don't think I'll have the same feeling for the AT's now because I pretty much know what kind of neutral sound signature is to my preference. BTW the soundstage improves greatly with the ZMF Cowhide pads. Zeos wasn't kidding about that lol
Only had the suedes on hand so not quite the same. I remember hearing Z's own pair with zmf pads and the bass was like 10 dB even more than I measured already with the HM5 angleds...
@@metal571 Lol the Z disease had me rolling.
I honestly loved the M40x. I'm mostly a post-grunge/rock listener and really appreciated the fact that it's v-shaped. As someone who listens to music a lot and needed something nice, they do have excellent audio quality. Of course it's not the best thing in the world, but it's nowhere near as bad as certain audiophiles say it is. Within this price range, K361's are pretty good too.
Is it good for watching movies
@@awayrnus4546 Yes! Especially for that. I was actually surprised by how good it is for movies. The immersion it gives is amazing, absolutely love watching pretty much anything with it.
@@quackgarage9551 thank u so much for ur response
I would definitely go for the K361 nowadays, jeeze the comfort alone is enough to do that. The pads really small on M40 and M50 for being over ear
@@metal571 Comfort wise the K361 is better, but honestly I can't complain about the M40x. Of course the pads are not exactly clouds to the ears, but they're far from being that bad, at least for me they're nowhere near as bad as most people say it is. I can use it for 5 hours straight with no problems whatsoever and my ears are somewhat big, one thing that can be a bit annoying at first is the pressure to the ears, but after 2 months of use it became considerably better.
Question ; What about the headphones you have on what are they? I have a Senn 380 Pro, not a good Rock music set or?
Did you try the m40x without the foam shield inside the pads??? They sound MUCH! more detailed in the treble and they get better dynamics.
I put ZMF Ori Pads on my CAL!'s and I regret nothing.
@GIUSEPPE BORIS RUSTY SHACKLEFORD BABUBHATTMONYeah, it's an extremely loose fit but the seal where the pad meets the headphone is perfect. Never tried an open back mod.
Do random people send you headphones for review? I'd love to see a you talk about my MDR-7509HD. They are truly a lousy headphone especially for how much they cost even 10 years ago.
Thank you for this honest review, I genuinely enjoy your content and would like to ask what if instead of replacing the earpads with the HM5 I instead replace them with any pleather pad or velour pads?
The earpads in my M40x is currently worn out and would want to know what type of earpads I should replace it with.
The original ones. lol
@@metal571 Noted hehe
@@metal571 best closed back under 200 ??. But not k371 i brokes easily
K371 still the best sounding one I know of, one durable alternate that's not so neutral is the DT 770 80 ohm
@@metal571 okey thanks man have a nice day .
Do you have any reviews on any of V Moda's products? Preferably there crossfade wireless models.
Superlux 660/330 are nice too, in cheapest pricerange. lacking subbase and bit bright, but nice detailretrieval/soundstage/timbre.
Something like 58x jubilee minus the subbase I think (also 150 ohms)
Also crappy spiral telephone cable^^ who cares for 30 bucks you only get an porta pro...
been wanting to get those although there's like a few review of that here
@@Monomonmamon Don't read foolish reviews. I owned Superlux 662/681evo/660/330/687. The 660/330 have least distortion in the treble and also best sounstage, but lacking subbass significantly in comparison to even much older cans. All other Superluxes are lacking clean treble more (which would bother our friend metal571 for sure), but have nice base extension and good mids.
@@hectorg.7282 I'm not a big fan of imports to europe. I mean if you live in america they're viable option...
comparison to Shure Srh440? Which one is more neutral?
I want to know that too
Me too
Shure srh440 is invariably more neutral but not as versatile as M40x.
Plus, the flimsy built quality of the 440 leaves much to be desired.
As for the M40x, the hinge mechanism is the main culprit for breakage if incorrectly flip the headphones so keep that in mind.
Naisu review. Those ATH headphones are really really uncomfortable. That headband is just sooo bad. I always thought they were neutral too. And I have to agree pads do change sound even switching to my stock velour pads to a velour pad from a third party I noticed some changes, though not huge.
Mikan they are indeed. I have a pair. Also they break easily. So while the sound is pretty good, probably you should look for something else, unless you’re ok with something that is uncomfortable and will easily break (it’s a design flaw, look it up). Also they look like 💩 after a year of regular use- black stuff starts coming off the headband and pads.
Is the senheisser 599 durable?
Had three pairs of these , they all broke in the same place (the hinge) trust me. also agreed with everything you said about them. The comfort is pretty bad and will give you pretty bad ear fatigue in normal sessions. I think they are OK sound wise. But, I still have not really had a replacement for them. I guess thats one of the funny things about headphones. As a replacement though I am looking at ue6000.
Excellent review! I hope more people saw this
Plan on doing a review on the Takstar Pro 82's soon? or the Cooler master MH751's as the "revision" or the 82's?
Did you try them without the foam shileds which they're in the pads? They actually sound much clearer overall!
metal571, do you have recommendations for closed or semi-closed back (isolating..) with separation, soundstage and imaging comparable or better than the HD558's or AD700X's below the 400 mark? These are to be my endgame for competitive FPS', so neutrality and comfort aren't super relevant. I feel like I've read hundreds of posts in my search and that there just isn't a solution out there. Cheers.
I hope he answer you
For closed backs I don't think that exists. Largest stage I know of for a closed back in that price range is probably the DT770
You might look into Massdrop Beyer 177x though there’ll be a wait.
I mean, you could wait to see what happens with the vokyle erupts (if they come out anytime soon). I guarantee you this, you will not find a semi open headphone (or any headphone for that matter), that has a soundstage that enormously wide.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 Thanks for pointing out the Vokyl's, I hadn't seen these until now!
Hey Metal, you talk about the brainwavz pads here, but what do you think about the zmf oval pads for this?
I visited a store and handled both M40X and M50X, their build quality are worlds apart, although a lot of people say that M40X is flatter
Agreed, the M40x is not built as tough at all as the M50x, sound aside. Nowadays to keep things shorter and to the point I normally just talk about the sound, but I should have mentioned this in my "other" section.
If you can stomach IEMs get the Etymotic ER3XR for $140. They're a warm neutral (warm in the sub bass but extend in a linear fashion down to 10 Hz; linear relative to the 0 dB reference) but holy fuck are they detailed for that price. They beat all of my previous full size AKGs in terms of dynamics, depth, detail, etc and they have a fairly wide and natural soundstage. People report that they actually beat the more expensive Sennheisers in those regards too.
Can you do msr7
TLDR: as bright as you would expect from AT. Good speed and decent detail
Or MSR7b - these are even better.
The bass looks crazy with those other pads!
It is
Can you do measurements without the foams in the Brainwavz? I just pulled my M40x out and checked how the foams sounded with my pads (since I never put them in) and it makes them sound much worse IMO. I'd also like to see measurements with something closer to the stock pads like the Shure 840 pads. Love the videos!
Im not an audiophile, and do not own any high end audio equipment. I do have the schiit modi and magni, B&W p7, Philips fidelio x2, dt1770 pro, momentum m2. I bought m40x today to use with my guitar, and my first impression is somewhat mixed. They feel plasticy, but the sound is not bad to be this cheap.
Waiting for your tier list and budget headphone tier list!!!!!
I would like to know your opinion on MSR7 and WS1100iS also.
Yeah. I offered him the same especially ATH-MSR7b - the new balanced edition. I absolutely love them. But he doesn't seem to be interested. I still wait to hear good words for a pair that I like.
These were my first headphones, at fordt I was comoletely blown away but after an upgrade i see that they arnt all that great
I was able to get a k702 for 100 dollars, so I sprang for them. At first I was a little let down by it sounding a bit thin. But MAN they eq like a god damn dream. My dac amp is the fiio q1 mk2, and it has a bass switch on the side. It isnt much, thought it was useless on the m40x, but they fix every problem on the k702. Bass is netural but still rumbles when it needs it, beautiful mids and highs, amazing separation, i cant wait to upgrade my closed back too now
Yeah I probably should re-review the AKGs since I did the Q701 very early in my reviewing career, except they've been on the market since the mid 2000s so I guess that's not really newsworthy... love those things still
@@metal571 hard agree. Coming from the m40x it completely redefined music for me. Soon I'll upgrade to the k553 mk2 for a closed back, excited to hear those
@GIUSEPPE BORIS RUSTY SHACKLEFORD BABUBHATTMON INTRESTING. So if i get a k712 pads it'll be Better for studio use?
@GIUSEPPE BORIS RUSTY SHACKLEFORD BABUBHATTMON where do I buy these pads? I must know
@GIUSEPPE BORIS RUSTY SHACKLEFORD BABUBHATTMON bless you, you beautiful man
Hello! Which headphones to choose: beyerdynamic Custom Studio 80 or beyerdynamic DT 770pro 250?
Okay, the conclusion I make after watching lots of reviews and your reviews are part of the most honest ones. The whole audio technica line is not impressive. The DT 770 pro line is better maybe much better, I use DT 770 pro 250 ohm and this one. The m40x is not impressive, the m50x is even less. I am done with the audio technica headphones. AKG is a better option, if you like to upgrade from the dt 770 pro, do you agree? Thanks for this video.
Make sure you also read my pinned comment on that ever popular DT770 80 ohm review as Beyer seems to have made a revision that makes newer units of that headphone less fun. The K553 with some EQ is what I ended up making a daily driver at the office and is the best closed back under 200 I've found
@@metal571 Yes, I placed a comment. Thanks. The K553 is discontinued, I have to look for another option....I like to upgrade, but I think there are not many options....sennheiser/akg 200-400 dollars I do not think that will be much better, the dt 770 pro line is better then the price it is sold for, and I think sennheiser/akg in the 200-400 dollar price range do not do a much better job then the dt 770 pro, but that is my opinion. You can pay 600-1000 dollars but that is a bit crazy .... okay what is crazy nowadays lol.
Metal571 Okay, maybe I made a mistake with my opinion, I want/like to believe that akg make better headphones in the 200-400 dollar price range, but I ..... maybe you have a suggestion.
Nope, the first thing you have to cast aside in the hobby is any brand loyalty and treat every model on a case by case basis. Last I checked K553 mk2 also known as K550 mk3 now overseas is the latest revision, hopefully it's still available somewhere
@@metal571 Thanks for your support, I found a k550 mk3. You are right about brand loyalty. I wanted a m50x owh man, I like the headphone, it's cool, but the sound is....the dt 770 pro is not handsome/cool but awesome when you have the headphone on your head.
It became a lot more comfortable with time and i stretched them a little, very little and it was fine. It’s something that will come with time but it is hella comfy now. I got different pads but now I use the stock again, they hurt before
I have a pair of Wicked Cushions on my pair and feel/sound great. I mainly use mine on the go, and they’re sweeet for that
The early early m50x reviews were full of praise were they not?
I started listening to this video with Senn 4.50 BT headphones (have Cheap $5 HM-5 type pads for a true around ear fit) Then switched to M50x, the biggest change was a major increase in your echo in that hard walled room.
Yeah but that was years ago. Actually the major hype train started with the original M50. We've gotten quite a few challengers since then, especially the K550.
So for me to replace M50X today point me in the best direction. I need a closed solution. MkIII K550 vs MKII K550. This quite a chore choosing a set.
What's the alternative to these at the same price point? Thanks
Consider Shure SRH 440. It's like siblings of M50X. SRH had a protruding L&R Cable on the earpad to steel head padding but tonal quality I like SRH 440 better than M50X, but if it's SRH 840/940 vs M70X, I'll go to M70X. And not like M50X, I think I saw SRH 440 as low as 65£. I don't know how much is that in $, but do check it out!
K361
Please which one is better since i cant buy the AKG 553 , ath m40x or srh 440 for monitoring? (or which one would you choose?)Thank you
I have mine still cant part with them. They are decent headphones and sound pretty good all around.
Are you going to review the DT177X? Definitely wanna hear your take on it
If someone sends me one
great review
yes, it is v shaped and warmer sound. that is how i would describe them as well. for the price, the built quality and sound quality are pretty good. these are my first decent headphones. would not use them as audio monitoring. i would use them for movies and games if they are a little comfortable.
Hi. Are the MX50 better than Sennheiser 599 HD? Are these headphones MX50 good for listening to rock and roll? Thank you.
Do you think that Beyerdynamic DT770 80 or 32 Ohm would be a considerable improvement for mixing purposes in comparison with M40X? Thanks
I would rather use a K361 or K371
M40x with HM5 angled pleather without the foam inserts is where it's at. Much better than stock IMO lol... not being a troll. My recent headphone is the m1060c, so good.
How many measurements did you make for the frequency response graphs you plotted with the three pads ?
As many as I needed until the results were both repeatable and matched my subjective impressions
11/25/2019, Hello, I have a very old headphone set Samson CH700. They are not the best, but usable to plug directly into my 100-watt guitar amp. This headset will limit how much volume I get to protect my ears. Will my 100-watt amp turned to max volume, I will only hear a clean low volume with no harsh or distorted sounds, and no loud danger of hurting my hearing. So, I am seeking a new headset, but it must have that volume limitation. Does the Audio Technica m40 have this feature?
hello. please can I find a nice mids in there? I need mids for my work and I am afraid these will be very V - shaped eq. thanks for a beautiful review
It's a flat frequency headphone
Metal571 talking about pad-rolling is like the anti-Zeos, too funny.
I was in the market for a cheap closed-back and considered the M40X, but I value comfort highly and aftermarket pads would have pushed the price up too far. Bought the Takstar Pro-82s and am pretty happy with them. Not mind-blowing, but good value and comfortable.
I'd say (but didn't test consecutively, so mainly by memory comparison... not the best I know), for a bit + $$, the B&O H6 are a far better buy than both the M40x & M50x, better detail, flatter, pleasing signature overall, excellent built & pads, nicer ^^ , & more room for EQ for personal tuning. The ATH MSR7 & maybe Focal Listen too are pretty terrific, even though i found they need EQ to really balance out & deliver the most. All below 200$ range.
I can't remember how I compared them to the Status Audio HD2 (100$ range), which are very good but nor recommended bc of bad headband build quality (I had to custom them on that regard; but once done, they're great though)...
Yep used to use an H6v2 all the time
it's weird i did a side by side with a reference track and then tuned to sound of the m40x and the y sounded allmost identical to me, i feel i need a comparison between these and the 840s
What would you recommend as a closed back over-ear, low leakage below $200 headphone? Thanks.
K553 mk2/K550 mk3 if you can find one
Uff the headband on the M40x clamps so hard on my head and the pads too... can't listen to these for more than 15 minutes...
Yeah same problem with the M50x
Imo they have better sound signature then he4xx. He4xx have better soundstage, seperation, imaging,detail but i dunno man i love m40x. Its soundstage is not that bad either. Waiting my cowhides!
my zmf cowhides arrived and here is my observation: detail is a lot better because details were lost in soundstage before now soundstage better so more detail, imaging better, enstrumant accuracy lower, seperation better, trebles are a bit hot now, bass remained same mids same. comfort? well i got these new so they need some time but i dont think they are EPICLY more comfortable then original pads(5 month usage).
worth? hmm maybe, not sure about that. they need more time. but i dont think zmf cowhides add +10 db to bass.
@@mertdundar7659 kanka bişey sorcam sence ath m40x mi m50x mi almalıyım ve neden?
@@afsdhdasfadfskgfhdsg8907 reis ikisinide alma çünkü çok eskiler ve artık yeni kulaklıklar ile boy ölçüşemiyorlar. Mesela ben tin t2 aldım 180 tl ye bende cowhideli m40x var oda 1000tl, tin t2 ler daha iyi. Ha biri kulak içi kulaklık yani iem diğeri ise kafaüstü kulaklık. Ha ama ben m40x veya m50x alıcam dersen m40x ler daha iyi
@@mertdundar7659 bir de şu tin lerin üst modeli var t3 diye onun hakkında ne düşünüyorsun
Bu arada instagramini verebilir misin ordan konusalim
Would you suggest these, the dt770 Pro 80ohm, or the akg 361 standard set?
371
@@metal571 another then that what u suggest?? i need a closed back under 200$ but k361-371 brokes easily
i love to feel the bass very punchy but i agree the mid suffer why cant someone build a headphone for a 100.00 - 150.00 with a loud thumping bass and clear mids detailed highs .nope gotta pay 500.00 or more sad but true .i am still looking akg very clear but not enough bass but i havent tried them all thanks
Can you make a video about the impact of the DAC-AMP combination in headphone performance? (as in how it affects how a headphone sounds)
I'm generally not very good at describing how amps and DACs sound, so the channel will remain focused on over and on-ear headphones for now.
In the ATH-M40x's price range $50-$100 what headphones would you recommend in 2020
K361 or Porta Pro
Hey metal571 I was doing some more research on what is a neutral sound signature, and came across "grey noise." Apparently there is no unanimous, neutral, sound. It depends on the individual what they perceive as neutral. So is there really no way to objectively, scientifically, identify neutral sound? It'll always be muddled by our senses?
It's absolutely possible to define "flat" in the speaker world. Headphones are much, much more complicated to measure and decide on what is "flat" for them by comparison, so this is an ongoing research topic.
what does ON PK Fc mean? which filter?
It's what goes directly in the equalizer APO text config file and in this parlance it is peak filter
which is better for casual music listening? ATH-M40x, HD 280 Pros, or the MDR 7506s? (I listen to rock and jazz).
K371
@@metal571 is there a $100 range AKG that would do better than the ones I mentioned? because that's all my budget can manage.
@@steven-cs8rr K361
hey@@metal571. I recently received my K361 from amazon with your recommendation. Considering im not much of an audiophile, is there a particular way to test my headphones to see if everything sounds the way it should?
@@metal571 Do you consider the K361 better than the ones mentioned on the original comment only for casual listening or also for studio usage?
Does buying dac make footsteps clear in gaming PC?
For soundstage probably go with like and cowhides or angled sheepskins. As for gaming probably check z reviews's take on the m40x..he says once you change the earpads it would make it better for gaming
They sound great, but definitely boost bass a bit.
Would you say the LCD-2c's are the best headphones under 1 dollar? (no joke, i managed to get a pair for literally 0 USD not counting shipping)
Also: Have you ever tried the Sony MDR 100aap?
LOL and nah haven't tried that
Sennheiser 200 or Akg 52?
look at that, finally
i agree... i dont know what audio technica made with the 40x model.... i had a 2016 ath m40x and the sound was very flat, perfect for mixing... they broke so i buyed few months ago a 2019 ath m40x and the sound was sooo different, not flat at all, with too much bass... definitly they decrease on quality a lot
I wanted to buy new hedphones yesterday and I was comparing 40x and 50x.I was expecting the 40x to be flat as everybody on the internet mentioned. Oh boy...I was not ready for such a surprise.
Try to remove that thin foam shield between the stock earcups and the drivers.
That's the culprit.
I found these extremely uncomfortable to wear, my 7506 and 58x feels like heaven in comparison. Put some velour pads on makes it more tolerable but I have a Domestic Long Hair that sheds like a storm
I can never win with these Headphones :/
That's always been the case with the pads on M40x and M50x. K361 and K371 blows it away and this is a redundant offering in the market now
@@metal571 bruh i wished Iearned that a month ago
@@bigtastyben5119 those didn't exist when I shot this unfortunately lol
@@metal571 yee, at least they make a good traveling pair of headphones (when I can get all the cat hair off lol) will probably buy the k371's next month to replace my 7506's as monertering headphones, that one had been through hell with me including a headband change.
This or srh440 in my country can't get k550 cause it300$in my country and cal not avilable
In my modest opinion, the srh440 anyday of the week. I have owned both for a considerable amount of time. The m40x is might be great with a 50 dollar set of pads on them (never tried), but at stock they just hurt and I have a small head and small ears. m40x has better build though. Not a bad headphone though honestly, I just really love the shure srh440/840. Also the lack of soundstage metal comments on was something I noticed instantly coming from the srh440, which in itself has a pretty small soundstage. I think that is what turned me off more than anything.
@@dudemanismadcool thanks
This review varies significantly to other reviews. Possible reasons: Audio Technica changed the parts, headphones weren't broken in, or reviewer is biased.
I owned these 5 years ago, they sound the same. No changes. Burn in is not a thing. Rtings FR graph matches my subjective impressions. Not sure what else I would even need to convince you except to try other headphones
@@metal571 If someone does a review that's an outlier, surely you've got to ask why. Maybe all the other reviewers were paid off?
@@worldwidehappiness Oh of course that's logical. I wouldn't say all of them, but a lot of them, especially the ones constantly spamming affiliate links without disclosing that they are as such, are ones you can never be totally sure about. I highly recommend resolve reviews and max settings in particular, and I know for a fact that max agrees with me on this headphone in particular since I talk with him often on discord. Hope this helps you navigate this confusing hobby a bit better
I got these headphone i love the clear flat sound but it feels uncomfortable on my ears when i use it more than 2 hours
Yeah pad opening is not very large
Creative headphones are basically Denon cans by another name.
Yes CAL was based on the D1001 which is just another Foster (Fostex) design
Oh wow, you mention it pretty often. I didn't know there wasn't a review on it.
Yeah people have been bugging me for at least the past year or so to finally do this, just hadn't yet
Lol, turns out paying attention to your other reviews works out! Great review btw. @@metal571
Haha. I am using the M40x as my daily driver right now. 😁
And I completely agree with everything you said. Also with the fact that I absolutely I have NO idea what neutral sounds like. 🤣 The M40x is as close to studio quality I ever came. (I'm writing these hoping you read them 😅 seems like I might have all your attention on RUclips).
Could you tell me what music you use to test soundstage? I was actually quite impressed with the soundstage out of the m40x but I have the brainwavz angled sheepskin pads. I noticed a significantly wider soundstage v/s the stock pads, and thankfully, a drop in the sibilance (which is my biggest complaint with the m40x).
Your observations regarding the bass going bad with the pads is absolutely spot on. On some songs, the bass dissolved so much I nearly lost separation on drums, especially on metal music where they're played so fast. That really sucked.
However, I use the modded M40x for the good mids (according to my uneducated ass anyway) and vocals. I really they weren't as sibilant though. 😝
hhow do you change equalizers?
EqualizerAPO
i had this and it had anoying sibilance, i now have the nad viso hp50 its so much better maybe you wanna review them
Lol yeah the mid treble is pretty annoying on these. HP50 was ridiculously uncomfortable for me so I didn't think I wanted to bother reviewing it
@@metal571 i find them comfortable maybe cause i have smaller head, they are verry similar to the msr7 in terms of comfort
Please give your thoughts on m60x and 1more triple driver over ear......I want a headphone for portable use .
1more is fking amazing
@@nonenothing4412 some say it becomes a little too boomy when bass kicks in
@@himanshutiwari90 i have not a lot to compare (pro80, pro82, 58x, shp9500, ksc75) but i think the bass is on point. guitars have balls but do not get in the way of subbass when kick drum ...kicks. got 1mores for 100 bucks, left only with them and ksc75
also they take eq not bad, i use with poweramp on Android phone and adjust the sound a bit to my taste - boost 2-4k, 10k(because dip) a little bit and few decibels here and there. can't stop headbanging!!!
@@nonenothing4412 ahh thanks for sharing your experience , I am really thinking it's time I sell my m40x and m50x buy a newer portable model.1 more will cut the bill and I hear they scale well with amplifier and dac.
do these need an headphone amp i just bought some and find they distort easily
they dont really need an amp, very weird they distort I have never found that issue in mine.
@markshone did you try an amp ?
Nice bro.
own these once, changed the pads, sort of liked it but the sound is kinda too fatiguing for a while. then I bought R70X, changed the pads too. liked it more. never returned to the M40X again.
r70x owner here too... what pads did you swap with?
@@uvd8866 I have 2 of these (that's how much I love these!) one with brainwavz sheepskin and one with hybrid velour/pleather.
@@bonkiru9818 that's cool. I've tried the brainwavz and shure alcantara on em, i still use the stock pads.
So you are comparing M40x to headphones costing 4x as much. Cool.
@@janm.4496 new to the hobby?
Hi everyone, my name is Alejandro from Uruguay, music producer and sound engineer, the thing is that I'm traveling a lot in the last times and I looking for a pair of closed back cans that allows me to mix and master on the road, like trains, buses, even planes or noisy environments like coffee places, etc. I have my beautiful AKG 712 but of course are opened back and not accurate for noisy environments. Also have my 770 80 omhs ones but I think not the best for mixing and mastering so far. Please, any recomendation about the best and more flat closed back headphones for mixing and mastering??? Let's say money is not an issue for now, my boss gonna pay for them, but I need this solution as soon as possible for working. Thanks a lot form advance, peace!!! Great channel btw, I spent hours watching many reviews, thanks and congrats @metal571
AKG K371 or Audeze Mobius. Probably the former as the latter cannot be used passively and has some inherent amplifier hiss. Enjoy
@@metal571 hey, first of all thanks for your super fast answering. Can you compare their soundstage with K553? and please make a review as soon as possible of the K361 to let us know if it's taht a better option than the K371, thanks again!!!
@@alejandroschmidt3284 I talked about the 550 briefly in my 371 review
@@metal571 great, thank you, waiting for the K361 review, thanks a lot!!!
hi aging man!!! I have a last question for you, in the video description you say you are using a DPS something wile you were testing the K371 headphones, is it relevant? does it makes the sound more flat? without DSP thing headphones gonna sound less flat? thanks a lot!!!
The m40x were my 1st foray into the hobby as well. It is great for entry level, but it does have flaws. Still beats the m50x, but then again so does most cans. Meze 99 Classics and M50x are the worst sounding headphones I've ever heard. Meze too much bass, M50X too much everything and then that shelved mids.
Same, I hated the m50x so much that it kickstarted my foray into the headphone hobby
@@frosty6845 lol that's one way to do it
Completely agree regarding the Meze 99, the bass makes me want to vomit. So overpowering. Just bought a pair and wound up with regret.
@@andrewwillcoxon And I love tasteful bass, but the mezes actually made me sick. Thank God I saved up and now have an Atticus. Best closed back I've heard for my preferences.
I tried to warn everyone about the 99 classic and how insanely way too much bass it has, but alas this channel is still small, yet driven purely by being as serious and unbiased about the hobby as possible, with zero focus on profit or affiliate links. The Atticus is undeniably awesome. I'm probably getting one this year for the office
for someone like me who never heard anything but super cheap headphones untill 2 years ago, I feel I am in heavan listening to these
Welcome to the beginning and sorry about your wallet in advance
@@metal571 Inflation, right?
Hell, even the MDR-7506 and now AKG K361 are now beyond 100 bucks especially the AT and Sony than it was 4~6 years ago!
Funny, Andrew was just talking about that yesterday on stream as well
@@metal571 if you don't mind, but can you share the link about Andrew's stream? I haven't heard about that though, nor know about the guy's channel so pardon my ignorance...
😅
@@IrOnCuRtAiN61 ah it's just the channel called The Headphone Show, which essentially serves as my channel's replacement
AKG 553??? Thats weird , dude . Why not Sennheiser HD58X for 50$ ?! Sounds way more reasonable .
58X is not good on resolution compared to the 6XX, I'd rather EQ the latter every time
@@metal571 Of course , but i was talking about 150$ value , and for that amount HD58X blows away AKG371 , that is my point .Besides , i'm a metal head too , more on a technical death side with different variation of it , The Artisan Era bands are my recent attraction soundwise , so i would say that 6XX is just slightly better then 58X considering treble details may be , but here where is stops . I know you don't like them (58X) much but i own both and for my taste 58X better and i'm not talking about the details but overall sound signature and yeah , there are much better headphones if we look for those midrange details in guitars . Respect and salute to you , anyway .
Different use cases. You can't use a 58X in an office. For a closed back under 200, K371 is exceptional. Obviously I'd choose the 6XX if I had a chance to use open back. This is why one must be careful comparing different types of cans lol
Talking closedbacks even K361 for 100$ and CAL SE for 70$ beats K371 , i know you bought it and it was your decision..You just sad 200 , now we talking , allow me to introduce you to exceptional value and sound headphone for 200$ which is..Beyerdynamic DT250 250 Ohm (there are different variants such as 80 i 32 Ohm i think) , there is slight channel imbalance which is easily and cheap fixed (diy audio heaven come handy for that case) , but for that money you will be very much amazed how it sounds , it is exceptional headphone and if you ever have an opportunity to check it, there is an audiophile treasure awaits for you , definitely .An outstanding sound capability and bang for the buck .
Wonder how it compares to the Superlux 669
I've wondered about those for a while
I have the 669s and changed the pads, as the stocks are pretty darn uncomfortable. But I love the sound, boomy bass, and some soundstage. It's the best cans set I have so far. Other cans I have are the same brand HD681 and AT AVC500, not much soundstage, although the AVC 500 has clearer mids and highs. If I would move up in the future, I'm considering the M40x.
@@chinocracy don't do that lol. Try the K371 and see my review on those. If you can't afford that then get a K361 that I also reviewed
Thanks, nice to see this aside from Z Reviews', lol
@@chinocracy Z and I are very very different reviewers. I prefer to compare the sound of everything to the one frequency response that I like. Max Settings and I are much pickier. You can also look at crinacle for IEM reviews
Any app on android I can use EQ?
Not system wide that I know of
Viper4Android , but requires root
I'm a bit late, but there's Wavelet, which you can use without root, and it has an EQ library for popular headphones.
I own HD599 and I love them but I want something with better low base extension. Please help!!! @metal571 @anybody
K371
How about dt 770 pro 80ohm??? I heard akg has quality control issues.
I bought my Sony mdr7506 headphones and it is 63 ohms and I'm happy with my new headphones and hopefully it will last much longer than my sennheiser hd201 which I used to own my hd201 in 2014 to fall of 2015.
Worst soundstage in a headphone ever? Really? Lol im curious now 😂
Yes
I can confirm, somehow even $15 chi-fi iems manage to have better soundstage.
@@andrearenaudo9045 no way lmao
I can agree, after all, they are monitors, not reference cans
Add something like brainwavz sheepskin or zmf cowhides and give a review on it separately...there is a huge difference
I hate my M40x
Maybe it's the fact that I'm not used to "flat" sound
but the sound is so metalic and way too crisp
Bought them because of omnipresent good opinions and I'm very dissapointed.
also I feel like I'm listening to white noise when it comes to highs and vocal.
It seems that I should saving up and getting DT770 Pro instead.
I prefer the K553 as an upgrade nowadays, DT770 is very bassy and very bright at the same time
@@metal571 What would be a suitable alternative to the k553? I can't find it in amazon (europe). The only result I get is the k550 mkii for over 200 EUR.
Oh that's the same thing. K550 mk3 and K553 mk2 are the same. The mk3 K550 adds a removable cable, otherwise the K550 mk2 is the same
@@metal571 Metal571 Do you currently have the K553?
That's what I use in the office every weekday
b9ity dawi bzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaf
some people are so stupid about m50x, although it is best sounding headphone of audiotechnica successor to m50 and also the best sound reproduction with lowest distortion rate of all time for closed back. if you dont mind soundstage too much but its not bad at all for closed back headphone as compare to some hybrid beyerdynamic headphones they are same,
Some unbelievable hate going on from Z - Review for m50x, i mean look at that stupid reviewers that people are buying m40x and they are complaining distortion problems on bass heavy applications. Sound reproduction of m50x is far superior than m40x
at the end m50x is alway good monitor for studio applications, recording applications and trackings.
LOL
these headphones are really uncomfortable. It ruins wholes experience
theyre fine u got just big ears
I was like INCHES from buying these to monitor and do some down-and-dirty mixes with, but I'm glad I've now seen a video where somebody REALLY details the voicing of these headphones bc now I'm pumping the breaks a bit. Sounds like they're... pretty untrustworthy(?)
Meh... guess I'm back to the drawing board 😐
its just too bad that these CAL are so goddamn ugly, otherwise i'd totally go for them, same with the HD 800...hideous
hahah I am so glad nobody has to look at me wearing any of this stuff while at home
Im first but idk what to say.
Nice review btw its on point