Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Review

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless Headphones have been considered the wireless evolution of the great Audio-Technica ATH-M50x loved for both audiophiles and professionals. As always, these headphones declared the quality sound, advanced wireless functionality, and a comfort-oriented design that made me impatient to try them on. So having worn them approximately several dozen times for different activities, starting from a day trip at work, long work hours and music listening at home, I am now prepared to give my in-depth review. We should consider each such aspect in detail – first the design and comfort and then the sound quality and the relevant features.

Design and Aesthetics

What was most remarkable about the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is the fact that the modifications did not affect the classic look of the wired predecessor. Audio-Technica did not redraw so dramatically the line of their headphones, and this, in my opinion, is no cheap trick. Like its wired version, the ATH-M50xBT2 looks professional, clean, no frills, but just a bit of modernized version features. This design is little bit different from its brother Audio-Technica ATH-ANC700BT

Encasing these headphones in a rough matte black is tough and considerate, which is usually a difficult marriage for consumers. It has that studio way of using equipment no nonsense with almost no logos and clean edges. If that is too boring for you, there’s even a silver and black version, which I did not get, because the regular black looks so professional, whether at work or at home.

The cuffs also have located the best known emblem of the Audio-technica and most likely, the device is bulky but proficient. All of the elements of the procedure are proficient, there are no attempts to show off with extravagant and even ultramodern looking headphones. The earcups can be rotated and folded inwards so that they do not occupy unnecessary volume. The folding design is very helpful for those who want to put these headphones into a backpack or traveling case, in the process of packing I never have to worry if they take too much space.

Aesthetically, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 doesn’t look to improve on what has been done so far, but rather remains loyal to its origins. Some would say that the design is not as progressive or polished as some of the more modern rivals, but it is functional and attracts people with conservative tastes in professional headphones.

Materials and Build Quality

With respect to materials and build quality, Audio-Technica has always resolved to make durable and well-built headphones and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is one of them to say the least. The very first time I held them up, I could tell right from the quality of construction. There are made of good quality plastics which allows the headphones to be lightweight but also sturdy like Sony WH-1000XM5 and Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2.

The earcups and headband are covered with a leather-like material that is soft to feel yet tough enough to endure constant wear. The plastic limb and joint, however, does not seem to be made out of metal, is not flimsy but very strong instead. I’ve let these headphones hit the floor like, twice. Each time I was worried they were going to shatter, but they haven’t, which is a good sign of how they are constructed.

One thing that I am thankful for is that Audio-Technica did not go to extremes on the soft-touch surfaces and needless glitzy finishes. Instead, the matte plastic and metal bushes that surround the earcup seem to serve the simple but sleek look of the headphones while also augmenting sturdiness of the headsets.

Moving on, the foldable design is another feature which deserves mention as far as the build quality is concerned. The hinges are of decent quality and the ear cups fold in quite seamlessly. I have not come across any slackness or rattling in the joints which is something that I usually observe in less expensive foldable headphones.

However, while the build is robust and functional due to the use of plastic, it lacks in appeal compared to other high-end headphones built using more metallic or premium materials. Well, for the cost, it does quite a good job of getting the ideal combination of strength and cost-effective weight.

Comfort and Fit

Comfort is a critical aspect that must be considered about the headphones, especially because they would be worn for a long time, either at work or while traveling. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 performed well in this regard as well.

The areas around the hydraulic cylinders are filled with soft molding memory foam for the ear’s shape. The soft ear cushions are made of synthetic leather and to my surprise, were very kind to my ears even after several hours of continuous use. On the other hand, I found that the size of the ear-pads was a little smaller than I had anticipated and hence people with big ears might not find them comfortable over extended use.

The inside part of the strap holding the head phones is also cushioned, but most likely not to the same degree as the ear side. So the all-round weight balance of the headphones was very good. They do weigh 307g and so though these are not the lightest headphones I have ever used, I couldn’t feel any pressure on my head or neck after using them for long periods.

I would like to note the clamping force. For example, the ATH-M50xBT2 was a little overly clamped during first use with an adjustment period required especially relative to other less clamping looking headphones, stretchy everywhere. However, I noted that after a few days or so of wearing it, the headband appeared to have relaxed somewhat so that there was comfort without compromising on stability. In fact, I could move around, walk or even light jog without having the headphones come loose or feel too loose.

On the whole, the comfort was great like Sony WH-CH520, although perhaps not the most posh. If you are the type to wear headphones for long hours, about 4 or 5 are necessary for you to get used to the closer fit but the ear cushions and padding make it comfy when broken in.

Sound Quality

And with this M80ATH-M50xBT2, listeners will appreciate it if they listen to more electronic music genres. And as we know Audio-Technica is well known as Simple and mixing. After these thorough tests, I can safely say that they meet the expectations.

Beating with energy. Too much bass in Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2, but on the right side, it does not Surf all the frequencies. It is evenly distributed which gives a good low end without sounding too much or artificial in any way. Whether it was noshing on surfeiting beats rap or banging on bass heavy EDM, the bass was clean and tight but never excessive.

However, this is the closest, and what really stands out after this Audio-Technica wireless headphones. Guitars and pianos and other instruments are clean and so are the voices of the people who are not screaming. I observed their ability of headphones to reproduce voices in tracks which emphasized vocals. For understanding speech in podcasts, this including all its subtleties was excellent. If all the above was blurring the hissing mids were thankfully never present in more complicated songs with several instruments layered making the M50xBT2 suitable for both audiophiles and casual listeners.

I want to point out the fine tuning of ATH-M50xBT2 regarding the treble note. Treble is well-presented and very clear like Technics RP-DJ1200. Still, I want to alert, that extreme levels might be annoying for some listeners. However, at least for most of the use-case of these headphones, the treble is well-defined, but does not go into painfully bright territory.

There is one more area that completely surprised me and that was the soundstage. Being a pair of closed-back headphones, the soundstage was surprisingly good. It is the production quality of a track which allows me to mentally position instruments and move sounds through an environment. Yes, they do not deliver that open spacious feel of open back headphones, but such convenience comes quite close for a pair meant for regular usage.

Last but not least, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is LDAC enabled, which allows HD audio from compatible devices. The detail that came back when listening to lossless audio through LDAC was quite stunning. Lossless streaming such as FLAC or ALAC was beautiful given the headphones provided enhanced detail and less distortion than any compressed form.

Smart Features

The genres of wireless headphones available in the market are many, but the ATH-M50xBT2 does not take full advantage of features such as smart ones. However, it lacks features that would elevate the general usability with only a few.

Firstly, the headsets can incorporate the Amazon Alexa technology to enable voice control which in most instances is handy rather than fiddling with your phone to adjust the music or the weather. Go to Settings on the app, find Amazon Alexa, and set it up; it worked like a charm and was pretty responsive.

There are physical controls located on the left side of the ear cup that carry out functions like play, pause, volume, and receiving phone calls. While touch sensitive controls are modern, they may prove difficult especially in the case of my preference as I hate user inputs trying to ignore invasions; some things are really just simpler. The controls of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 are minimal yet efficient. The tactile buttons for most functions including volume are great. I also enjoyed the direct buttons for relevant tasks even without trying to get the gadget out.

No features have appeared in the features of the Audio Technica eq except the mention of the battery level. The Application is not as functional as others due to the lack of the option of versatile functions, but it serves the purpose especially when one needs to change the sound aspect to match the changing preferences.

One of the negative aspects that I found with the ATH-M50xBT2 is that it lacks functionality for active noise canceling (ANC), which is now common in many headphones of this range. This may turn out to be a deal breaker for some if going out in loud places or commuting is a necessity. Even so, the passive noise isolation is pretty good, especially because of the aver ear style and tight back pressure of the cups.

Connectivity and Usability

To connect wirelessly, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 employs Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology, and in all the tests, I found the connection to be stable. Connecting the headphones to my phone and laptop was both quick and straightforward, with very few dropouts or connectivity troubles, even when walking about the home or around the office.

One of the remarkable features of these headphones is their multipoint functionality which lets the users connect two devices at the same time. I found this useful while listening to music over my phone and attending video calls over my laptop, as I could easily switch over from one device to the other. The changeover was smooth and I did not have any issues regarding lag or connectivity while switching from one device to the other.

The latency allowed me to watch movies and play games without having any synchronizing problems to worry about. These are more than good enough for light video or games, with the AAC codec working quite well on iPhones without the need for LDAC.

The only slight issue I have with it is that the ATH-M50xBT2 does not come with the auto-pause functionality when you take off the head headphones. It is not a deal-breaker but it is something that I have come to expect with some other brands of wireless headsets. Having to pause the music for example whenever I took off the head phone was quite inconvenient.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)   N/A (No ANC)

In my opinion, this absence of active noise canceling function on the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is its greatest shortcoming given the fact that most of its competitors in this price range do have some form of active noise cancellation. The snug-fitting earcups do passively isolate noise quite well, but they do not perform as well as proper ANC does.

In the real-world evaluation on locating myself in a noisy cafe or traveling in a public transport system, the ATH-M50xBT2 relatively failed to eliminate low-frequency sounds such as free-field background noise specific to the engine or an air conditioning duct. Based on their behavior during active noise canceling, they were particularly aimed at urban users of anti-noise devices but the marketing strategy failed in the office or at home situations where I sat.

Should you feel that portable active noise cancellation ANC is indeed the deal feat when taking the headphones on, then perhaps these headphones don’t live up to your ideal level of performance. On the other hand, if your main purpose for using them will be in less noisy places, or you are not too bothered with noise canceling the ATH-M50xBT2 still will deliver good performance in other aspects.

Battery Life

Above all, it is the battery life of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 that impresses most users. Audio-Technica offers a battery that lasts up to 50 hours and in reality, this expectancy seems quite realistic. I wore them for long hours at a time on multiple days and never had to plug them in for an entire week of work.

When the battery finally does run low, the headphones support USB-C fast charging, which is yet another welcome feature. Also thanks to fast charging, I was able to get roughly 3 hours of playback after charging the device for just 10 minutes which helps if you’re in a hurry.

ATH-M50xBT2 is the best in class respects battery backup in this wireless earbuds range, well in excess of most of the competition which just scrapes through the edge of 30 hours, despite the price range of wireless headphones being above this class.

Mic Performance and Call Quality

The quality of the calls on the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is astonishing. The embedded microphones utilize beamforming signal technology which enhances the user's ability to be heard while diminishing the noise and to my knowledge, people who I spoke to during. The test reported that my voice was quite audible without any flattery.

I did the call testing out in Open Expanse and in the indoor noisy environment at a crowded cafe while testing the latter if the mics work and yes they do. They just don’t filter out all the noise pollution that is occurring in the background of what’s being filmed and made into video acumen through audible waves. Some components of noise did slip into the recordings when the surroundings were very loud, but to a decent level or day-to-day usage, the mic performance was more than enough.

When it came to virtual meetings or conversations over the phone, the ATH-M50xBT2 handled it with appropriate ease. Not that it belongs in the same category as professional headsets, but it is more than capable for casual use and most work situations.

Durability and Portability

Like the wired variant ATH-M50x, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is very durable. Though the majority of the materials are plastic, they nonetheless have a substantial quality, and the mineral impression creates trust in the overall quality of construction. In addition, the headphones are expected to endure normal wear and tear without any major physical damage.

The foldable style and swiveling ear pads enhance portability, although they can be considered bulkier in terms of their size. Audio-Technica provides a lightweight carrying bag as an accessory, which is useful when you stuff the products into a bag though it does not offer the protection of a hard case. I would recommend purchasing a hard case if you intend to take them with you on your travels because the joints are plastic and may become loose in a bag filled with heavy things.

Final Verdict

This time and after using the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 for several weeks and testing them, I am confident that these can be a great option for people who love their music quality over everything else. Although these ones do not come with some other high-end features such as ANC and auto-pause, sound-wise these are fantastic value for the price. The bass, mids, and treble are reasonably balanced and make these over-ear headphones suitable for many types of music and other types of content too.

Comfort is average but takes a little getting used to as the ear cushions have a rather snug fit. The headphones are rugged and flexible and the battery life is very good as well which means that the headsets can be used at home and even when going out.

For those who don’t want to splurge too much yet still have the sound quality up to the market standards, the ‘Ath M50xbt2’ is the choice to consider. Just bear in mind one thing, these LSE headphones lack ANC and premium build quality materials but other than that, they are fantastic value for money.