Greetings mate and Welcome aboard. Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
Introduction & Sound
After owning the M50 for quite a number of years, I decided to pick up a pair of 40xs and compare the 2.
I was curious about the sound signature and if it’s as neutral as everyone says it is.
In short, kind of? But not really.
Let’s delve into a couple of massive issues with these headphones. Then we’ll take a look at build, comfort, amplification needs, and so forth.
By the time you’re done reading this, you’ll know why you should steer clear of the 40x and what to buy instead.
Ready?
Let’s get rolling.
Sound
Bass
Despite countless websites claiming the 40x is neutral, it’s not. One huge reason why is the bass.
In short, it’s a mess. Let’s first address what they sort of got right:
Roll off below 40-50Hz
This is mostly good since we cannot hear frequencies around this area and below.
200-300Hz dip
This decision is also commendable, as these areas are incredibly prone to bloat and are called the “mud regions” for a reason.
Most companies boost this general area and it makes for a horrificly tuned response. The 40x, like its 50x counterpart, instead opts for a cut.
Bravo.
Now let’s address the issues.
It’s not that boosting the bass is bad per se, but here it simply doesn’t sound clean. It’s jagged, fuzzy, bloated, unrefined, unprofessional, and feels gimmicky.
Insert the word salad term here ____________.
Contrast that with the 50x. Even despite clearly being targeted at consumers, the bass on the 50x is done very tastefully; there’s a 5dB boost across much of the low end, but it hits with authority and sounds punchy without the artificiality that the 40x has.
It’s important to keep in mind that these impressions didn’t manifest immediately. It took some time with the headphones and comparing them to other products before I ultimately came to this conclusion.
In short, I have no idea why these are marketed as “studio monitor headphones” because they clearly aren’t. That said, the bass is the biggest problem, but does it bleed into the mid-range?
Mid-Range
I would say yes. On its own, the mids aren’t bad. The presence is there, vocals and instruments are mostly accounted for, and there aren’t any glaring cuts or dips to speak of.
But, because of the bass shelf, everything still takes a backseat. This isn’t what we’re looking for when mixing down a track since the mids are arguably the most important to get right.
This is why the 40x works much better as a casual listening headphone with incredibly good source files as its resolution isn’t anywhere close to where it needs to be for production work.
Treble
The treble is another problem spot as well.
You’ll notice it starts to sound Sibilant, essy, and metallic after a while, and there’s an air of artificiality that I can’t quite reconcile here; both in terms of the high end and the overall sound at large.
Hi-hats tend to sound papery and thin, and the sound signature, while exciting in a sense, doesn’t feel genuine at the end of the day.
In other words, it feels like it’s trying too hard to impress you, and certainly comes off as a consumer product.
Overall, the 40x is somewhat of a wonky sound signature that only rears its ugly head over time and lots of hours of listening.
SOUND SCORE: C-
Build & Design
Basking.
The build on these is a bit of a mixed bag.
On one hand, they do fold and rotate similar to a 50x, but they are certainly cheaper and feel flimsier. That said, if portability is a concern, the 40x has you covered and then some. It’s incredibly compact and excellent for any on-the-go situations you may encounter.
The provided drawstring carry bag is also a nice touch.
Leaf Not Included.
That said, the main gripe in reading reviews over the years seems to be the hinge where the headphones are supposed to rotate.
With the 50x, they can move completely around. On the 40x, they kind of stop mid-way.
In other words, they twist and contort in many of the same ways as the 50x, but don’t actually rotate towards you. With the 50x, they rotated inwards and outwards.
It’s a bit odd that Audio Technica would neglect to include this range of motion, and because of the poor design decision, the headphones unfortunately have been known to snap under pressure like Henry Hill in Goodfellas.
In my experience, they also just don’t seem to feel as durable in your hands, but this is more of a minor nitpick.
Both headphones are made of mostly plastic, but the 50x feels more robust and took quite a bit of abuse from me for 5 years.
My 40x never broke, but I also wasn’t all that rough with it.
The 40x, like the 50x, utilizes metal for the headband adjustment which is a nice added touch at the price point.
Pad Composition
Compositionally, the cups themselves are memory foam encased in protein leather.
This “faux” leather material will harden and start to crack over many years of use, but it happens gradually. Again, plan on finding some good replacements beforehand and save yourself the trouble later.
Portability
Rounding out build, the 40x’s detachable cable mechanism is excellent, and one of the main highlights. This twist-lock configuration feels and performs wonderfully and they even include a couple of white lines so you know when the 2.5mm jack is lined up properly.
In addition, the
Pad Swapping
As Alex Rowe pointed out in his 40x review, pads are incredibly important to the integrity of the drivers and overall tuning. In other words, different pads can have monumental effects on what you’re hearing; for better or worse.
Some headphones are pretty forgiving and allow you to freely swap without altering the sound signature too much. Unfortunately, the M40x and M50x are not forgiving at all. They are incredibly sensitive to the types of pads used.
I experienced this firsthand after replacing my old M50 pads with some aftermarket velours. In short, they completely ruined the sound signature, making the 50x sound thin, tinny, and completely lacking bass.
So if you’re going to purchase replacements for the 40x, proceed with caution. If you can’t get them directly from Audio Technica, I’d plan on at least finding the closest replica available and nothing else.
With that, let’s get into comfort.
BUILD SCORE: C+/B-
Comfort
Up close and personal.
As with build, comfort is hit and miss.
You’ll find that over time, the 40x is about average; maybe slightly below.
Clamping force is a little tight, as they tend to dig into the sides of my head more than I would like and cause me to want to rip them off at times.
The pads will also get hot and sweaty after a while depending on how much you perspire.
In other words, they don’t breathe very well and the material is rather cheap even though it initially feels nice to the touch.
They don’t dig too hard into the top of your head, but you’ll still notice them after a while and will be itching to make some sort of adjustment, whether minor or otherwise.
The main problem I have with the 40x is the force accrued over time on your ears.
Because the pads are faux leather and somewhat cheap, they tend to get very hot and collect perspiration over extended sessions.
I don’t sweat very easily and I still found them to produce small droplets/beads on the pad – easily wiped away with your finger or a towel but EAR-itating nonetheless.
I’m sorry. xD
COMFORT SCORE: C/C-
Video Review
Keep in mind when this was recorded in relation to the updated article!
Amp/DAC requirements
Hit the road, jack.
In terms of amplification, I wouldn’t plan on investing in anything more than a BTR3K, Go Link, or something similar.
With an Impedance of 35 Ohm and a Sensitivity of 98dB, the 40x is incredibly easy to drive and pretty efficient.
In other words, you can even run it out of a phone if you have nothing else lying around.
Closing Thoughts
The M40x is a fairly uncomfortable headphone with a decent build and below-average overall sound. It’s easy to drive and the inclusion of 2 detachable cables is nice, but in terms of sound, you’ll come to resent these over time.
If you’re looking for this type of sound, I would just get a 50x or have a look at my best headphones for hip-hop guide which goes into some fantastic options (including the 50x). If in doubt, contact me or comment below as I’m always here to help.
If you’re after some sort of mixing headphones, also have a look at my complete guide:
Audio Technica ATH-M40x
Price: Check Amazon | Check Sweetwater | Check eBay
At A Glance
In The Box
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Closed-Back Monitor Headphones (Black)
Coiled Cable (3.9 to 9.8′)
Straight Cable (9.8′)
1/4″ Screw-On Adapter
Carrying Pouch
Limited 2-Year Warranty
Specifications
- Type: Closed-back. Closed back vs. Open back headphones.
- Driver Size: 40mm.
- Frequency Response: 15Hz – 24kHz.
- Impedance: 35 Ohms. What is Headphone Impedance?
- Cable Type: Straight & Coiled.
- Cable Length: 9.8′
- Plug Size: 1/8″ (1/4″ adapter included).
- Weight: 0.53 lbs. (without cable & connector).
- Manufacturer Part Number: ATH-M40x.
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Audio Technica ATH M40x Review.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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What are YOUR personal experiences with the 40x? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
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Audio Technica ATH M40x
Pros
- Decent mid-range
Cons
- Uncomfortable after a short time
- Prone to break in certain areas
- Treble a bit metallic/artificial sounding
- Bass bloat
4 comments
Can’t believe that nobody has replied to you yet.
Hate to disagree but M50Xs is worse than the M40Xs, which are amazing headphones, and even more when your replace its pads with some Brainwavz HM5, super comfy.
M50Xs aren’t good headphones, regardless of their price point.
Please Read: https://linustechtips.com/topic/898207-heres-why-the-audio-technica-ath-m50x-is-a-terrible-headphone/
Greetings.
Max,
This is a loaded topic, but I’ll first clarify that all of the following viewpoints are from the perspective of a producer who actually EQs sound and understands frequency response; arguably the most important ingredient to how headphones or speakers are ultimately going to sound. Not to say that you don’t understand, and of course there are other factors, but I think a lot of “audiophiles” (I use that term loosely) are completely out of touch with basic engineering principles and thus tend to overhype bad products or generally have no idea what they’re talking about when it comes to evaluating sound properly.
Going off of your review and (and yes, I read it all) as well as the rec’s that followed it seems we probably agree on most things having to do with headphones/sound (9500,CB-1 specifically). So I agree that the 50x is in no way a “studio” headphone as it was/is marketed, but neither is the 40x. Both are strictly for enjoyment purposes only, but yes, I did use a 50x for mixing back in the day and, like most decently tuned headphones, it can work as long as you understand how to over/under compensate based on the curve of what you’re using.
That said, to me, the 40x was a pretty badly tuned headphone with an overblown, fuzzy, uneven bass and artificial, metallic overall sound that I couldn’t reconcile. Clammy, boxed in, bleedy, blown out, etc. Insert word salad here _____. It’s all there. They sounded significantly worse than a 50x per my experience, but I will also admit that it’s been quite a long time since I owned one. Based off of your comment, I’m willing to try it again and see if my impressions have changed any, but I’m still firmly of the mindset that The 50x was unfairly trashed over the years and represents a snapshot in time of where headphones were at in 2012 when I first received one.
That is to say that yeah, it may not be a main recommendation in 2024 and beyond, but I still believe it’s a great headphone for general hip-hop enjoyers and its bass response is tuned mostly correct despite a barrage of haters jumping on the “let’s shit on the 50x” bandwagon.
Are there headphones I would recommend over the 50x now that are better? Absolutely. FiiO’s FT1 is excellent and certainly more resolving, the DT990 is a masterclass in tuning for true bass heads, but the kicker is that the 50x follows a similar trajectory and correctly uses a mud cut around 200-300Hz which is arguably the most important area NOT to f**k up (which most consumer companies do). There are a few correct ways to tune bass, and the 50x, for the most part, understands this.
Closed headphones are admittedly harder to recommend because so many are just so bad, but there are more good ones that I’m forgetting for sure. My main point is that yes, the bass shelf could come down a couple dB (esp. between 100-200Hz), but it’s still tuned very well and that’s something I’ll never back down from. So I disagree that it’s “not focused and very loose” as you claim, and I also didn’t think the mid-range was muddy. I thought the bass was very tight and had impact in the right areas, but again, I would like to hear it now because I think this could be an interesting discussion. This graph, to me, accurately represents their overall sound and what someone can expect FWIW.
The treble issue you mention in your review was also rectified in the 50x, and I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on your other points. I do think Soundstage is mostly dependent on the source, but I got plenty of those “out of your head moments” with it and thought resolution was rather good; especially for a consumer product.
Overall, I respect your opinion and hope to continue the dialogue. In the meantime I will take a look at some used options for the 50x and see if I can’t snag one again.
-Stu
The very good headphones I had were the AKG141. I’m thinking of trying the ATH-M40x to see how good they are. A detailed review helps me in this.
Thank you for stopping by! I didn’t even know the K141 existed haha. Going to have to check them out! As for the 40x, just don’t. They’re awful xD