Ath-m50 sound quality

[Oakley999]

I recently bought the ath-m50x, im quite happy with it, however the sound quality is a little bit disappointing, it sounds almost the same as my previous headset, a sennheiser pc310, which is about £30. The only improvement I can hear is that the sound is more full, and i can distinguish more easily where the sound is coming from, but that's about it. Does it have a burn in? Do I need a soundcard? Thanks.

 

[ssddx]

the m50 doesnt really need burn in (i have a m50s myself, m50x is just a newer version with removeable cables). there might have been a slight difference over time but nothing substantial.

try them out with a different source (mp3 player, laptop, etc) as it could be that you have really bad onboard sound which is making them sound bad. if they sound good (better) on other sources it could be your onboard sound.

getting a soundcard might help if its your onboard sound acting up. i wouldnt go too crazy though and a xonar dg/dgx or creative z would be more than sufficient.

overall i'd say the m50s are good headphones for the money but the m50x (newer version) is a bit higher priced then it should be by perhaps 10-20 us dollars. they are definitely better than headphones 1/4 to 1/3 the price for sure, at least in my opinion from owning them for years. however, we all have our own opinions and perhaps you were expecting something different than what you received? (not sure what you were expecting)

 

[Oakley999]

Do you have a soundcard? What one would you recommend me more? Im still happy with my headphones, maybe its because my 310's had good sound quality in the first place, i have an asus motherboard thats still quite new, I use realtek hd audio manager, would changing the hz on my headphones make the quality any better? thanks

 

[ssddx]

i do not have a soundcard. since i have home theater speakers i have a receiver.

my m50s were most used with my smartphone, ipod and laptop then they ever were with my desktop but when i'm at home they get plugged into my receivers amplifier.

age of the motherboard doesnt matter. some just have poor onboard sound quality which is why i asked for you to test the m50s on other devices if possible to try and see if this is the case or not.

yes, its quite possible that you never noticed such a thing before upgrading to better headphones. recently a person on here bought the m50s and was badmouthing them pretty hard until he realized they sounded wonderful on his laptop but not his desktop. he then bought a soundcard and likes them much more. i'm not saying that you definitely do need a soundcard or that you're in his same position only that you need to test to see if you get the same sort of audio results on different inputs.

changing the audio quality rate can improve sound, mostly notable on the lower end. however, if your hardware itself isnt great (realtek is rather low end generally) its not going to do much.

--

in short: do as i asked and check them out on different sources like your smartphone, an mp3 player, a laptop, or another desktop and see if the sound changes between them. if its noticibly better on other devices then yes you need a soundcard. if its not, then no you do not need a soundcard.

 

[Oakley999]

Both my desktop and my laptop sound the same really, my laptop distinguishes sound slightly more and i can hear a little more background sounds in music but that's about it, I might not be achieving the best quality because I don't tend to listen to music at full volume because my ears are quite sensitive, I think it'll just take a few more days for me to get used to them, then I might try my old headset to see the difference.

 

[ssddx]

if there isnt much of a difference then its questionable whether a soundcard would help by a large degree. at the minimum your desktop would be improved to how good your laptop sounds with them... perhaps by a little bit more too.

something like the $27 xonar dg/dgx would accomplish that so its not a huge price to pay.

your call of course.

 

[Oakley999]

Well I somehow found a guy who bought a xonar dg and he said that with his m50's it made no difference to sound at all, on top of driver issues with most of them too..

Also, my headphones dont have as much bass as i thought there would be

 

[Oakley999]

I looked at this guide: http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-update-7-9-2014-ultrasone-hfi-15g-added

And it looks like the creative aurvana live headphones got a better rating.

 

[ssddx]

if you already have good onboard sound the xonar dg or dgx isnt going to be a step up. however, if you are having issues with your onboard sound then it would be an upgade. quality wise they are about equal to "good" onboard sound but they have much more power output. i mentioned trying it because you said your laptop sounded better which pointed at perhaps worse onboard sound or lack of power on your desktop sound.

unless you enter the realm of "bass cannons" which totally distort sound to give you loads of bass and nothing but bass at the expense of everything else sounding worse.... the m50s (or dt770) are some of the harder hitting headphones available for a decent price which still maintain good clarity and may be hard pressed to find better for the price without going into cannon territory. if your ears are huge and the m50s sit on your ears instead of around them then bass would be much reduced. likewise if your onboard sound isnt capable of powering them (they are only 38ohm so shouldnt be an issue but one previous individual had this problem) then it could also reduce the bass presence.

if the m50 doesnt have enough bass for you (after trying out the xonar dg and making sure they actually fit over your ears) then likely you're a complete basshead and no headphone short of basscannons will satisfy that craving. however, with such intense base comes rather mediocre sound. i owned a pair of sony XB's once since i too love bass and while they did go boom-boom the sound quality was so utterly horrible that i returned them that same day. i suppose we all have our preferences though.

as for the MLE's headphone guide.... keep in mind that it is 100% opinion (and yours may differ) and that it was created for gamers and as such its not really the final word when it comes to which headphones are better. its meant to be used as a general guide and his general rankings of products with his own opinion and not a static list set in stone of what is better. as far as gaming headphones are concerned the m50s really are not considered ideal by most due to their very small soundstage and are normally only suggested when people absolutely need a closed set of cans with good bass but dont want to spend the money for dt770's. the aurvanas (23pts) are 1.75 points ahead of the m50s(21.25pts) because they have a wider soundstage than the m50s do because most gamers prefer larger soundstages. MLE's HG is a good read if you're looking for some generalized info or want to know where to start looking but its not something to read and make decisions based on.

just my opinion on the situation of course.

 

[Oakley999]

Do you personally know any good open ear gaming headphones? Because it seems that open earphones tend to have better quality in sound from what i've read and that while I still like the headphones, im sure it wouldn't be too bad to look at others.

My laptop wasn't necessarily better, it had a beats control panel, and I probably had some settings here and there, the only thing different i could tell different is that It had a slightly higher sound stage, also, there was a static sound going whenever there wasn't sound, so I wouldn't really say my laptop is better. I have a Realtek ALC892 audio chip and i've seen alot of people say on how clear and good it is for being integrated, I think that buying a soundcard would more likely be a downgrade rather than upgrade.

 

[ssddx]

i would not go so far as to say that open headphones have better quality in sound. they have a different sound.

open headphones typically have larger soundstages while closed have smaller. this is akin to listening to a band in a park where sound is ambient as opposed to listening to a band in a bar which is more up close and personal. generally open soundstages have better positional audio but not always.

open headphones tend to be less bassy but are a tad more crisp since sound leaks in and out while closed headphones tend to be more bassy and not quite as crisp.

since you apparently thought the m50s didnt have enough bass... i'm sure you will be even more disappointed by the bass on open cans as most cans have less.

one of the more bassy open cans under $200 would be the dt990pro however you would need an amplifier (no your onboard sound will NOT cut it). this means either a xonar dg or creative z or buying a headphone amp.

another (but less bassy) set of cans would be the hd558. the dt990 is far superior though.

i'd avoid things like the ad700x and anything from akg since you wanted bass and they have none.

 

[Oakley999]

The dt 990 and the Sound blaster Z look like a nice combination, but both seem extremely expensive.

 

[ssddx]

the dt990pro 250ohm can be had for $199. a few months ago i think they were in the $180's but beyerdynamic products all seemed to get a $20-30 price hike recently for some reason. its actually not all that much more than the m50x are (m50x averages about $160-170 (one reason i always recommend the cheaper m50s over the x since you can get them for $100-120 not 160-170 which is too high a price to pay for m50 cans). the 990 really are a nice set of cans if they dont break the bank.

the hd558's are cheaper at around $120 but really arent in the same class at all. the hd598 are in the same class but still not quite as good and run $180. actually those prices arent even that high... headphone prices go all the way up to about $3000 or more just like speakers can. the $150-200-ish budget is just the sweet spot where you get the most for your money.

the soundblaster z normally runs around $80 and is actually not terribly priced considering the alternatives. its of similar quality to the xonar dx which is also respectable but has a much more powerful amplifier than the dx which can power good headphones. definitely a step up from onboard without breaking the bank too hard. headphones like the dt990pro 250 really need alot of power to drive them well so you'd be using a $100 amp if you werent

expensive perhaps but not when you compare them to the prices of other higher end audio. perhaps i've been around higher end audio enough to not blink at $200 headphones.

i'm mostly familiar with the audiotechnica, akg, sennheiser and beyerdynamic lines. there are other headphones out there you can look at which may work but i'm not as familiar with them. you may see a few of them noted on head-fi here and there if you wanted more choices.

 

[Oakley999]

maybe im being a bit too picky anyway, if a £30 headset sounds good with my onboard anyway, then the problem can neither be my onboard or the m50, the m50 is crystal clear and feels like I have full sound around the whole of my ears, and as for the bass, im maybe not feeling it as much because I dont have my volume at max at all, and also the 'bop' or the "P" sounds in electro songs sound great, and really make a large impact in songs. Heres the song with what I based the sounds on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Og94zSuYM

Because you have the same headphones, you should hear it too.

Those were the good things I found about the headphones, I'll keep these for another week or 2 to decide whether to keep them or not.

 

[ssddx]

if you think headphones sound good you should hear that song on my hifi

 

[Oakley999]

I wish lol I envy you that you got the money for stuff like that.

I got a pair of logitech speakers myself that are pretty good, I use them for my xbox, plugged into my monitor, maybe I should try them out for my pc again, I remember playing planetside 2 when I first got them with my pc and it sounded amazing.

Also, what does hi-fi mean exactly? Just a speaker system?

 

[ssddx]

high fidelity. def: "the reproduction of sound with little distortion, giving a result very similar to the original."

basically the term gets thrown around when you're talking about better than average speakers. home theater speakers typically fall into this category as well.

the "build" link in my signature >or click here instead< shows what i'm using myself. 5 satelites and a 450w sub.

 

[Oakley999]

Looks like a pretty cool desk if i may say so , way bigger then mine lol, that amp is freaking huge, i now know what you meant , you dont need a sound card at all lol. Whats both your speakers and amp? I'm just curious to see what kind of setup and prices they are.

 

[ssddx]

i actually got that desk free. a local retail store was throwing it out (an old clothing display table). i just put formica on the top and now it makes a nice 7ft wide 2.5ft deep desk

the box you called an amp is actually a receiver which is meant for home theater speakers and systems and generally most of them are about that size. headphone amplifiers for headphones are much much smaller. perhaps 1/4 the size of the ps3 slim.

as for equipment you can hover over my avatar and it will show a list....but...

pioneer vsx30 receiver $550
klipsch quintet iv 5.0 satelite speakers $500
klipsch sw450 450w subwoofer $350
speaker wire, wall plates, bananna clip ends $100-150

i did not need to go so high on the receiver but it had functions that i wanted which made setup easy back before such things were common. generally my system is only considered at the low level when it comes to serious hifi home theater as many budgets for even low end setups are at least double mine. for the record i would have loved to have bookshelf speakers but they are much much more money.

its quite possible to make a decent hifi set for much less (energy classic take 5.1 set + receiver can be done for about $500-550 total) but i liked the klipsch speakers so i went with them and at the time i had some cash from extra overtime to spend on such things. when you consider the cost of things like televisions (which often cost $1000+) computers (again which often cost $1000+) game consoles (often $400+) and various other connected devices dropping $500+ on a good surround system really isnt much at all.

 

[TheTenaciousOtaku]

Good sound quality. Not the most comfortable pair of phones though.

 

[Oakley999]

I love the comfort, the earcups are so soft and padded, and while maybe the headband isnt too padded, it isnt that heavy that you realise its there anyway, when i first wore them they felt normal to me after half an hour.

 

[Oakley999]

Also, a question ssddx, why do you have the m50's when you could get a better pair worth the money you spent on the receiver you got?

 

[ssddx]

the receiver i bought has nothing to do with my headphones and was not bought to power my headphones. i bought the receiver to power my speakers only. the only reason i use it at home with my headphones is because i happen to have it on my desk and it happens to have a powered headphone jack. in fact i may have had the headphones first... not sure which i bought first.

i purchased my headphones while i was away on a business trip as the cost was covered by the excessive overtime i was working at the time (basically i bought it as a little extra to myself). since this was my first leap into higher level headphone audio (i used to use cheapies before) i only wanted to spend about $100-150 which is why i bought the m50s a few years ago and not something more expensive. they were bought primarily for use at work with my portable devices not for home use as well.

when i bought my headphones i wasnt really actively involved in the hifi world... that sort of jumpstarted me into it. at the time i wasnt as familiar with the other options available. however, none of them would have worked for my budget, listening preferences and need for no amplifier when on the go so the m50s were a good solid choice for me.

 

[Oakley999]

You said you have had the headphones for a long time, will you only get a new pair after the m50's break or if you have the need to get better ones? (Sorry if this has become a thread about me asking you questions)

 

[ssddx]

if i had to guess i would say i've had them 4-5 years now so yeah it has been awhile. i dont see them breaking any time soon either so expect at least another 2-4 from them.

would i upgrade? that entirely depends on budget at the time.

i would of course buy another m50s for $100 without much thought given how i've been happy with them if i only had that much money at the time.

as far as upgrades if i had more money to spend...

given my listening preferences i'd look at the dt770-250, or perhaps the dt990 (though i'd need to tweak the high end down in eq since they are a bit sharp for my preferences) or perhaps sennheiser hd600 or hifimans.

of course much depends on how often i'm using them at the time and if i feel better headphones are warranted or not. right now the cans i have are more than good enough for my needs and are certainly durable enough (perhaps more durable than other cans).

basically...it comes down to a few ideas and alot of maybe and what ifs.