The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT are a decent pair of wireless headphones with good sound. They’re similarly designed to other models in the Audio-Technica M Series with the same comfort and durability of their wired variant, the ATH-M50x. Though they don’t sound as great as the M50x, the wireless M50xBT are more practical since you won’t have to bother with a cable being in your way. Their excellent wireless range and battery life mean you can easily leave your phone at your desk or in your bedroom and walk around the office or your apartment with clear, uninterrupted audio. Like all Bluetooth headphones, you will experience some latency while gaming or watching videos, but you can overcome this issue by using the included audio cable, even if the battery is dead. The M50xBT are a well-rounded pair of headphones that casual and critical listeners alike will appreciate for their versatility.
Pros
+ Good audio reproduction
+ Sturdy and comfortable build
+ Excellent battery life
Cons
- Poor noise isolation
- Long charge time
- Slightly inconsistent in the bass range, especially if you wear glasses
Design
Type: Wireless Over-Ear
Enclosure: Closed-Back
The wireless Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT are almost identical in design to the wired ATH-M50x. They have an all-black studio design with silver accents that looks good, but some may find a bit bland. What they may lack in style, however, they make up in comfort and build quality. Like the M50x, they are made of dense plastic large enough to suit bigger ears all while still being fairly lightweight. What makes the M50xBT stand out from the other models in the M Series, are the controls on the ear cups. You can control volume, manage calls and even access your smart device’s voice assistant on-the-go. However, there is no dedicated Bluetooth switch and holding the power button does not put them in pairing mode, like most other Bluetooth headphones. If you want to connect to another device, you’ll have to manually disconnect the first device before the headphones will search for new available devices. This may be a deal breaker for those who use multiple devices. That said, they’re still as stable as the M50x but are now slightly more portable, which is a welcome improvement for audio enthusiasts on-the-go.
Sound
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT is a good sounding pair of closed-back over-ear headphones. The bass is great, the mid-range is fairly well-balanced, and the treble performance is very good. These headphones provide extra thump and rumble that will delight fans of bass-heavy genres, like EDM and hip-hop. However, it’s worth noting that the bass range is prone to inconsistencies, especially for people who wear glasses. The recessed mid-range makes vocals and lead instruments sound thin as well as lacking in detail due to a dip in the low-treble. A peak in the high treble also results in S and T sounds sounding a bit sharp on already bright tracks. All things considered though, these headphones are still well-balanced enough to be suitable for a wide variety of music genres. From rock, to classical, to dubstep, these headphones have good sound quality and will please critical listeners who want to enjoy their favorite tracks while they’re out and about.
Isolation
Noise canceling: No
Like the wired M50x, the wireless M50xBT have sub-par noise isolation performance. Because they do not sport an Active Noise Canceling (ANC) feature, they only block ambient noise passively. This means they don’t block lower frequencies like the rumbling of a bus or plane engine. If you’re often commuting in noisy environments, keep in mind that these headphones won’t do a great job at masking the hustle and bustle of the outside world. They are not bad at keeping sound from leaking though, so you can cover up more background noise by raising your listening volume. Just be careful not raise it too loud as to not bother others if you’re travelling, at work or in public.
Microphone
Mic type:
The Audio-Technica M50xBT have an average microphone. Like most Bluetooth microphones, this mic is prone to muffled speech that lacks detail. You can expect a thin, ordinary-sounding microphone in quiet rooms, but the mic is prone to lower frequency noise and pops. In noisy situations, however, this microphone won’t sound very good. If you try taking a call on a busy street for example, the microphone will struggle to separate speech from ambient noise and will not sound as clear to the receiver. That said, this microphone is above-average in quiet conditions and will be fine for most home leisure use. Since these headphones also feature an in-line microphone, we do recommend using the in-line mic when possible, as you should get better performance.
Active features
Battery Life: 37.6 hrs
Charge Time: 5.3 hrs
App Support: Yes
Passive Playback: Yes
These headphones have great battery life with about 38 hours of continuous playback. Even the most avid listeners should be able to get a few days use of the M50xBT before needing to charge. However, it takes about 5 hours to fully charge these headphones, which might be quite long for some users, and there is also no power-saving mode to extend battery life. The Audio-Technica Connect app is also rather lackluster. It shows you the last known location of the headphones along with the battery life and Bluetooth codec connection type but does not let you customize your listening experience. On the upside, the M50xBT can be used over Bluetooth while they are charging with the USB cable, or they can be used passively, which means that they can still be used with an audio cable even if the battery is dead.
Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes
Wired: Yes
Wireless range: 69 ft
Latency: 224 ms
The Audio-Technica M50xBT are wireless Bluetooth 5.0 headphones that also support wired use with an audio cable. They cannot connect to multiple devices at the same time and you will need to manually disconnect and reconnect Bluetooth every time you want to change devices. This may be a deal breaker for some, especially if you have a lot of Bluetooth sources in your home or office and like and often switch between multiple devices. On the other hand, the wireless range is excellent, even when obstructed, meaning you should be able to leave your phone at your desk and walk away from it without losing what you’re listening to. Like most Bluetooth headphones, latency is an issue when playing games or watching video, but you can always use the M50xBT with an audio cable to improve lag problems.
Who Should Buy Them?
If you’re an audio enthusiast or critical listener looking for a pair of headphones that sound good but are also versatile enough to wear on-the-go, then get the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT. They are almost identical in design and build quality to the wired Audio-Technica M50x, except the M50xBT are wireless. They have an excellent battery life and although they take a while to charge, they can be used while charging as well as passively with an audio cable. They’re good for critical listening, with remarkable thumpy bass, an even mid-range and well-balanced treble. Although the most dedicated listener may find the related M50x to have better sound, the M50xBT definitely stand out for those who want to enjoy good-sounding audio without being tethered to their headphones. They isolate noise quite poorly, so they don’t perform best in noisy environments, but they remain a decent choice for commuters and office workers. These well-balanced headphones are suitable for a wide variety of music genres and are likely to please casual and critical listeners looking for comfortable, well-built and good sounding wireless headphones.
To see all our measurements and our test results of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT, please go here.
