Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Review: Affordable Studio Headphones For Every Creator
Retail Price: $99.00
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I’ve always been a Bluetooth headphones kind of girl because I value convenience and freedom. However, while the Bluetooth headphones I have are great for casual use, they really don’t cut it when it comes to studio use. So, The Sypnotix sent me the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones to try out. They retail at about $99 and thus could be considered a budget option, at least when it comes to studio headphones. Just because the ATH-M40x aren’t bank-breaking doesn’t mean they don’t deliver. Move over, Bluetooth headphones; you have a new rival.
Comfortable Cushions Cup Your Ears
I’m starting to notice a trend with headphones which is that you really do get what you pay for. Whenever I buy cheap headphones, I struggle to find ones that are comfortable, and I have to return multiple pairs before finding something that feels good.
These Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones are the second pair (the other being the Razer Kraken BT Kitty headphones) I’m trying that are in the $100 range. For headphones, that isn’t especially expensive, but compared to the myriad of choices on Amazon for under $50, it may be a bit of a splurge for some.
I’ve found both the Razer and Audio-Technica headphones to fit well out of the box and be pretty comfortable once they’re broken in. So, it seems to me that these more expensive headphones are just made better and are much more likely to be a one-size-fits-all than cheap headphones are. That said, let’s focus on my experience with the audio-technica ATH-M40x headphones.
How Do They Fit?
Out of the box, the Audio-Technica headphones are extremely tight. Painfully tight. This is relatively common for headphones, and they will loosen up with wear. Of course, you can also put them around a box to stretch out.
Once they loosened up, they still fit snugly but were a lot more comfortable. I don’t have especially big or small ears, and the ATH-M40x headphones fit around them perfectly. Because my ear sits inside the cup instead of being squished by the cushion, the headphones feel pretty good. As expected, the cushions are also nice and soft. I would say the comfort and fit are worth the price tag.
Wear Time
Like all of my headphones, I do get tired of these after about three hours or so. I don’t see this as a fault of the Audio-Technicas, but rather a personal problem. If you’re like me and can’t stand having something attached to your head for more than a few hours, then these aren’t going to be any different. I do wonder if I’ll ever find the holy grail of headphones that I could wear endlessly. I don’t think it exists, but I’d love to be proven wrong.
Super Sound
In the past, I didn’t care if the sound of my headphones wasn’t top-notch as long as they were comfortable. This is probably because I had so much trouble finding comfortable headphones. Now that I’ve been able to experience the best of both worlds, I can definitely appreciate sound quality a bit more. So, now that we know the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x meet my comfort needs, let’s see how they stack up in terms of sound.
High-Quality Playback
Of the myriad of different earbuds and headphones I own (Apple and Google earbuds, Razer Hammerheads, Razer Kraken Kitty headphones, and $10 junk from Target), these probably have the best sound quality. The sound that comes through these is really crisp and high quality.
Because of this, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones are great for a myriad of uses: watching movies, listening to music, gaming, listening to ASMR, recording audio. I especially love them for listening to ASMR. Because the sounds used in ASMR are so quiet and unique, a good pair of headphones makes a recognizable difference in the quality of an ASMRtist’s sounds.
I also think these are great for recording. I’ve plugged these into my PC to listen to my Blue Yeti mic, and they really help me pick out erroneous or sudden sounds. This helps me to eradicate whichever noises I can and make any other necessary adjustments, like reducing the gain on my mic or pausing during a recording until random noises cease. I would definitely say that the sounds you hear through the headphones are pretty accurate to what’s going on around you.
Noise Reducing but Not Noise Cancelling
These headphones do not have any active noise cancellation, but they do dampen the noises around you simply because your ears are inside them. I found that when I had music playing, I could hardly hear what was going on around me.
In fact, one time when I was listening to a song called Soft Cloud by Isabella Levan, I couldn’t even hear my phone’s alarm going off. I’m not the type to blast my music, either, because I do not like loud music.
No Sound Leakage
I absolutely adore my Razer Kitty BT headphones, but they aren’t good for professional use whatsoever because they leak a lot of sound. When using them to record a podcast, the Kraken headphones leaked enough that my mic picked up my co-host’s speech through them, causing an annoying echo that must have been a pain to edit out (thankfully, I didn’t have to do the editing!).
The Razer headphones were not made for studio use, but these Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones are. I’m happy to report that they do not leak sound! I believe the sound leakage from the Razer headphones was due to how loose they were. Because the Audio-Technica headphones are nice and snug, they essentially “seal” around the ear and keep noise from leaking.
Final Thoughts
The Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones are comfortable, have quality sound, and are fairly priced. All in all, they are a fantastic set of headphones that can be used for pretty much anything. However, unlike headphones meant for casual use, these do claim to be made for studio usage. As someone who recorded a podcast as well as other personal projects, I’ve found that they were exactly what I needed. Not only do they play back crisp and accurate sounds, but they also don’t leak any noise, which is very important when you’re recording something. Overall, I think they are well worth the price tag and are great for anyone interested in video or audio recording on a budget.
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Seri
A writer by day and gamer by night, Seri’s most prized possession is her computer. In fact, she built her desktop PC herself and repaired her college laptop with nothing but Google, Reddit, and determination to guide her. This do-it-yourself attitude was born from frugalness, so if you see Seri raving about something, it’s probably worth the price.