In this review, I’ll be taking a look at some of the most popular headphones available, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. Owned and loved by many, these are respectable budget headphones for beginners and professionals alike.
Final verdict
While these aren’t the best studio headphones by any stretch of the imagination, for those of you on a budget the ATH-M40x are capable of most everything you need out of a pair of headphones.
Their comfortability, detailed sound, and portable design make them a great first step towards serious music production.
What I like
- Detailed imaging and fairly flat response.
- Comfortable.
- Affordable.
What I don’t like
- Enhanced bass can be slightly muddy.
Why you should trust this review
I’ve been producing and engineering for over 15 years.
During that time, I’ve had hands-on experience with a wide array of monitoring setups – from high-end monitors and studio headphones to crappy earbuds and repurposed car speakers.
I know how to stretch a budget, and I know when a piece of gear doesn’t perform up to its asking price.
This experience, along with years of problem-solving in a variety of recording environments, has taught me what gear is worth your investment – and what isn’t.
Sound quality 4.0
These headphones have a frequency response of 15 Hz – 24 kHz, which is standard fare for most of the cans out on the market. The highs are clean, the mids are fairly detailed, and the low end is slightly enhanced.
It seems that Audio-Technica was trying to rope in a bit of the EDM crowd with these, but they’re still workable. While the low end still isn’t as deep as the ATH-M50x, it’s more than enough to help you get an accurate-sounding mix.
In my opinion, there are smoother studio headphones in the world, but for $100 it’s pretty hard to complain.
Build and design 4.0
The build overall is rather nice, the collapsing headband and swiveling earcups make them extremely portable and space-saving.
They do feel a bit dainty, as if any mishandling could snap them, but I have yet to experience any issues with this myself.
Comfort 4.4
The ATH-M40x are quite comfortable, and can easily be adjusted to your needs. This makes them great for long listening sessions when fatigue might pose an issue. However, you won’t have to worry about that with these.
One gripe I do have is with the padding, which is a bit rigid – if the weather is hot you might feel the sweat behind your ears feeling a bit nasty. Besides that, these are just shy of perfect.
It should be noted that these headphones were not made for sport, so they’ll slip off while running and the like. However, for simple monitoring they’re perfectly stable.
Isolation 2.0
The ATH-M40x don’t have the best isolation, and at levels above 90 dB you’ll begin to experience significant amounts of bleed.
These are headphones meant for studio monitoring. If you plan on wearing these on the train, be prepared for the noise of the outside world to obliterate any peaceful listening. Likewise, you should hope that the passengers next to you enjoy your taste in music because they’ll certainly hear it.
This becomes a problem when it comes to tracking, as you may experience a significant amount of headphone bleed leaking into what would’ve otherwise been a perfect take.
So just to reiterate, these are best for studio monitoring, preferably in a quiet confined space.
Accessories 5.0
The ATH-M40x comes with two 1/8-inch cables, a carrying pouch, as well as a 1/8 to 1/4-inch adapter. This is everything you need to get started and I have no complaints here.
Compared to other headphones
The ATH-M40x are probably the best budget studio headphones you can buy. But here are a few alternatives to consider in comparison.
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x vs ATH-M50x
The ATH-M50x is the slightly more expensive, older sibling to the ATH-M40x. Wider frequency response, deeper bass, and far more isolation make these a great option if you have the means.
However, all of this comes at a price as the ATH-M50x suffer more coloration than the M40x. For music production, the ATH-M40x is the winner.
See Audio-Technica ATH-M50x’s current price
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x vs Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
The trade-off here is that the Sennheisers are objectively better-sounding headphones, but they’re far less comfortable. This can be a nuisance for longer sessions, but is a trade-off only you can decide upon.
Read the full Sennheiser HD 280 Pro review
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x vs Shure SRH440
In my opinion, the Shures are the more comfortable and flatter-sounding headphones in comparison to the ATH-M40x. However, the ATH-M40x has far more to offer in the low bass region.
Read the full Shure SRH440 review
Who are the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones best suited for?
The ATH-M40x are best suited for producers looking for an affordable and comfortable pair of headphones for studio monitoring.
See current price at: SweetwaterAmazon
