Corry BanksIn advance of the 32nd annual NAMM TEC Awards, being held Saturday, January 21 in Anaheim, Audio Technica’s ATH-M50xMG is nominated for Outstanding Technical Achievement in the category of Headphone/Earpiece Technology.
As Answered from Gary Boss, Audio-Technica Marketing Director, Professional Products.
I’ve personally recommended these headphones to many beatmakers and producers. What makes the ATH-M50x so critically acclaimed for mixing and monitoring?
First off, Thank You. We are genuinely appreciative of folks like you who effectively spread the word about these headphones. Much of their success has to do with key influencers adopting these phones as one of their favorite production tools and passing that information on to friends and followers. Headphones are one of those unique products that can’t really be described fully by specs and bullet points. For many people it is a bit of a leap of faith when purchasing new headphones and authentic recommendations like yours go a long way.
The M50x headphones hit that perfect sweet spot of comfort, features and sound quality that has earned them quite a loyal following. They have a sonic signature which includes a very pleasing high end extension and a low frequency response which is weighty without being boomy. Many customers feel they are a very good translation of their studio monitor speakers.
What makes the ATH-M50xMG a limited edition?
We decided that even though these are true tools for sound professionals, everyone likes a little style so we did a smaller run of special ATH-M50x in an attractive matte grey and black theme (ATH-M50xMG). The ATH-M50xMG headphones were only produced during 2016.
The ATH-M50x specs have a frequency response range (15hz-28khz) that is beyond human hearing range. What is the significance in terms of feature set for ATH-M50xMG?
Many pieces of audio equipment extend beyond human hearing. Often through engineering design, equipment is able to reproduce frequencies beyond the 20Hz to 20KHz. Many times it would actually affect the overall sound profile of the equipment to limit the frequency response. Also, many harmonic frequencies are beyond the limits of human hearing but can be felt or are said to be missed when not present. Good question and this is a source of much research and debate.
How have the ATH-M50x headphones expanded since the first iteration?
The “M50” headphones have undergone a few changes over the years. Initially the headphones were available with a fixed cable with 2 different models. The first ATH-M50 included a coiled cable. We had so many requests for a straight cable the ATH-M50s was launched. Those models were then discontinued to make way for the current ATH-M50x which was updated with a detachable cable feature and includes 3 cables: a long straight, a long coiled and a short straight cable for personal listening. The one thing we never changed was the hallmark sonic signature which has remained consistent in every iteration!
More about ATH-M50xMG on Audio Technica’s website.
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About NAMM TEC Awards
Presented annually by the NAMM Foundation at The NAMM Show, the NAMM TEC Awards recognizes the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and other media. Award categories span 25 Technical Achievement Categories and 8 Creative Achievement Categories. Two new categories were added this year, Audio Education Technology, and DJ Production Technology.