What You Need to Know
Priced at $159.00, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Studio Headphones is Audio-Technica's entry in the open back headphones category. With 33,300 buyers rating it at 4.6 stars, it currently sits at #2 of 46 in our rankings. Sitting in the top 3 means it's competing directly with the OneOdio Hi-Res Studio Monitor Headphones ($37.99, 4.4★) for the category lead.
Fit and Build
Headsets live or die on long-session comfort. The high rating suggests the clamp force and ear cushion design work for most heads.
The Numbers
- Brand: Audio-Technica
- Price: $159.00 (slightly below the $169.00 category average)
- Amazon rating: 4.6 of 5.0
- Reviews: 33,300
- Category rank: #2 of 46 in open back headphones
- Cheaper in category: 24 products
- Higher-rated in category: 0 products
- More-reviewed in category: 1 products
From the Reviews
33,300 reviews and a 4.6-star average is a strong signal. At this scale, manufactured reviews would have to be unrealistically pervasive to move the score this much, which means the satisfaction is real for the typical buyer.
How It Stacks Against the Top
At $159.00, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Studio Headphones sits slightly below the $169.00 category average. 24 options are cheaper and 21 are more expensive.
The category leader is the OneOdio Hi-Res Studio Monitor Headphones ($37.99, 4.4★, 73,430 reviews). It's $121.01 more expensive than the top pick despite ranking lower, which is a hard combination to justify unless a specific feature swings the decision.
Higher-rated options in this category:
- beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro Headphones - $199.99, 4.6★ (19,824 reviews) · Roughly comparable
- beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250 Ohm - $179.99, 4.6★ (19,824 reviews) · Roughly comparable
- Sennheiser HD 599 SE Open-Back - $135.90, 4.6★ (10,020 reviews) · Cheaper If pure price is the filter, the cheapest is the Eigsupia Open Ear Bluetooth Headphones at $14.99.
Should You Buy It?
Yes - high rating, below-average price, healthy review volume. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Studio Headphones is the kind of choice that's hard to regret. The only reason to skip it is if a specific feature you need is missing.
Best fit for:
- Quality-first buyers who prioritize a track record of satisfaction over saving a few dollars
- First-time buyers who want a safe, well-vetted choice without doing extensive research
Bottom Line
9.4/10
Top-3 in the category. Close enough to the leader that personal preference (color, design, brand loyalty) is a fair reason to pick it.