Our Verdict
Good for neutral listening. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT have a good audio reproduction with a flat, but slightly overemphasized bass range, even mid-range, and well-balanced treble. Unfortunately, their companion app doesn’t have any presets or even an EQ for additional customization options to find the best sound signature for you. They aren’t better than the wired model for this use case but are still good sounding and versatile wireless headphones.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Sturdy and comfortable build.
- Excellent battery life.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Long charge time.
- Slightly inconsistent in the bass range, especially if you wear glasses.
Average for commuting. Their isolation performance isn’t the best, especially since they don’t have any noise canceling feature. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT practically don’t isolate noise in lower frequencies, where engine rumble sits. They also leak a bit at higher volumes, so you shouldn’t blast your music through these headphones if you don’t want to bother people surrounding you. On the upside, they are comfortable for long trips and their 38-hour battery life is more than enough for flights.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Sturdy and comfortable build.
- Excellent battery life.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Long charge time.
- Slightly inconsistent in the bass range, especially if you wear glasses.
Okay for sports. Over-ears aren’t recommended for sports since they trap heat inside the ear cup and could experience more sweating than usual. Also, they feel fairly loose on the head and move around during physical activity. The cumbersome over-ear design might also be too bulky for certain gym exercises.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Sturdy and comfortable build.
- Excellent battery life.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Long charge time.
- Slightly inconsistent in the bass range, especially if you wear glasses.
Above-average for the office. If you’re looking for background music while working, they don’t leak too much at moderate volumes and can reduce an average amount of ambient chatter. Their long battery life will last you a few work days without a problem and will be comfortable for long listening sessions.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Sturdy and comfortable build.
- Excellent battery life.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Long charge time.
- Slightly inconsistent in the bass range, especially if you wear glasses.
Sub-par for gaming. While the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT are comfortable, their latency is too high for gaming. If you plan on using them with the included audio cable to get rid of latency, you can expect a better microphone performance than the integrated one that was measured. However, they won’t be as customizable as other gaming headsets we’ve reviewed.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Sturdy and comfortable build.
- Excellent battery life.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Long charge time.
- Slightly inconsistent in the bass range, especially if you wear glasses.
- Good audio reproduction.
- Sturdy and comfortable build.
- Excellent battery life.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Long charge time.
- Slightly inconsistent in the bass range, especially if you wear glasses.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 20, 2021: Corrected measurement units from inches to centimeters in 'Portability'. We have also corrected measurements from feet to meters in 'Line of Sight', and 'Wired | Length'.
- Updated Sep 16, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Jun 23, 2021: Updated the 'Bluetooth' test with more detailed instructions for pairing the headphones.
- Updated Feb 14, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Audio-Technica M50xBT are good wireless headphones for critical listening. They have a good and well-balanced audio reproduction, suitable for a wide variety of music genres. They are the wireless equivalent of the very popular wired ATH-M50x, and their good build quality is practically the same. They also have wide and well-padded ear cups that should fit most ears. They have controls on the ear cup and can also be used wired with the included audio cable, even if the battery is dead. See our recommendations for the best wireless headphones, the best studio headphones and the best headphones under $200.
Both headphones have a similar design and performance, but the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT are better multi-purpose headphones than the regular wired Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, which are better for studio use. The M50xBT are wireless, which makes them more convenient to use, and they have a decent control scheme on the ear cups, while the wired model doesn’t have any. On the other hand, the regular M50x have a design meant for audio production with zero latency and no need to monitor battery levels.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless offer some improvements over the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT. Their continuous battery life is longer, they offer sound customization options and multi-device pairing, and they have an integrated mic with better recording quality. They also have a less boomy default sound profile. However, unlike their predecessor, they don't support the aptX codec. Some may also prefer the ATH-M50xBT's more bass-rich sound.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless are better headphones than the Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT. The Sony have a great noise cancelling feature that is suitable for loud environments like your daily commute, and they are also more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The Sony also feel better-built than the Audio Technica and their sound profile can easily be EQ’ed inside their app, which the Audio Technica don’t have. You’ll also get more battery life out of the Sony. On the other hand, the Audio Technica have a better default sound profile right out-of-the-box and some may prefer their physical button control scheme to the touch-sensitive one of the Sony.
The Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC are better headphones than the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT. The Sennheiser have a decent noise cancelling feature that the Audio-Technica lack and can connect to two devices simultaneously, which is convenient. However, the Audio-Technica have almost twice the battery life, a slightly better-balanced sound profile, a better microphone for calls, better wireless range, and are slightly more comfortable.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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