Audio Technica M40x - Review (Final Thoughts)

Somehow, without warning, my internet service provider has cut off access to the internet for the houses in my area until the 1st of November (cries) and has also managed to not inform us that it was going to do so. Like no heads up or official letter. Not even a "Hi, we're the people responsible for your internet service, yes the people you (your parents) throw your money at every month so you can binge watch YouTube videos all day, yea, just sending this letter to you to let you know that the internet will be down for sometime because *insert cleverly thought out excuse here* and sorry for the inconvenience caused (although we all know how sorry you are, since you are the only internet service provider in Malaysia so basically you can do anything you want and people will just have to live with that). But at least TELL US!!! Don't make us go up to one of your technicians and ask them what is actually happening. A simple letter would suffice, you can use the example I posted up there. Doing so shows us that you actually care about your customers and that you actually have the decency to inform your customers on the current situation of the service in which you are providing them.

TM... ughhh (While I'm basically using their service right now, irony~)

So going back to what this post is supposed to talk about, I've spent quite some time with the ATH-M40X's and here are my final thoughts on the headphones. I'm not calling this a review because I highly doubt I am qualified enough to judge these like a reviewer would since I both lack the experience and also amount of headphones to give you an accurate comparison. The Audio Technica M40x are Studio Grade Closed Overear headphones that have a balanced sound, meaning the equalizer's flat, it's older brother, the M50x's have a V-curve to the sound meaning the treble and bass are more prominent. So here's what I have come to love about these headphones so far:

The Audio Technica M40x

The detail is impeccable, you really have to listen to these headphones yourself to truly appreciate the extent of detail you can hear using these. And anyone should be able to tell the difference because I've asked my siblings to try them on and at first they were skeptical but after a quick listen, it was unanimous, these really do make a difference when in comes to sound quality. Another thing I'd like to add is that 'detail' in this sense does not only mean how well it reproduces the sound, but also in a sense that you can distinguish each and every instrument playing, be it the main instruments or the ones in the background. You'll be able to hear when the sound starts playing (for example a snare roll) and when it ends. Basically, nothing can hide from these earphones, another experience that you will only understand if you try these out yourself.

The amount of quality you're getting, that's a gold plated 3.5mm headphone jack

Continuing on the fact that it can simultaneously, accurately reproduce rich and detailed sound, these headphones don't hold back on intensity either. Intensity here means that for example, when a singer sustains a high note, (like in Whitney Houston - I will always love you) the sound should resonate in your skull, the reason why singers sound better in real life than in recording (usually, the good singers). Another example is in the drums, you can sort of 'feel' the force at which the drums are struck, not just the sound the drums make when struck (it will all make sense if you listen to them). So the fact it can deliver detail and not skimp on intensity really amazed me. Something I'd like to add here regarding intensity, usually when people are listening to music on headphones or earphones, there are times when you keep increasing the volume but you still feel like something is missing, that's usually intensity, which can be achieved also by raising the volume. The only problem here is that the listening to music too loudly for long periods of time can damage your ears, so remember that, sometimes it's better to splurge a bit on a better pair of headphones for the sake of your ear health if you are an avid listener (I know I am).

That grin you have when the sound just hits the spot

I've touched on detail and intensity, so now let's talk about the sound it produces, singing voices sound incredible (although these are the easiest to reproduce so they amazed me the least when using these earphones). Voices with a touch of husk like Sara Bareilles sound so much better and Sia's rasp just sounds so beautiful~ Treble sounds like the acoustic guitar, chimes and cymbal crashes are delivered wonderfully. I was really impressed by the chimes, you can hear each ring to the point you can imagine the person's hand running through them. The only complaint I have so far is that very high-pitched sounds can sound a bit over-sharpened that I couldn't recognize them anymore, they just sound like they were digitally produced. These headphones do not slouch on producing the lower end sounds as well like bass, the bass is forceful with the right amount of intensity that it sounds pleasant and not overbearing. The thump is direct and precise, which I really loved cause I hate it when the bass sounds overblown and muddy. Sounds at the end of either spectrum are harder to reproduce given their nature so when I used these headphones, there were times where I could hear instruments I've never heard before. I tried using my old headphones to relocate those instruments and they were there all along, but they were so recessed that you had to know they existed to look for them. Which I have to applaud Audio Technica for, their cans managed to deliver sound from every single instrument without needing you to look for them, everything was there front and center. Another thumbs up for these headphones!

That moment when you discover other instruments in your favourite song

And lastly, comfort. Let me just say that these aren't the lightest pair of headphones, so you'll certainly recognize their presence. You won't get lost in the music and the whole world disappears, no, you'll get lost in the music while you have two giant foam cups stuck on your ears. That being said though, they aren't headphones I'd call heavy as well, they just have a heft to them which works in their favour cause it makes the product feel more premium despite the all plastic build. At the same time, these won't tire you out after using them for a long time. The foam cups are very soft, not the softest but soft enough to ease them onto your ears without much pressure. The foam cups don't prevent your ears from breathing too, but they can build up heat over time, so I'd recommend you use these on a cold day or in an air-conditioned room especially since its really hot now in Malaysia. The grip they have on your ears it strong enough to keep them in place, but not so that it hurts. They did, however, hurt after using them for 2 hours after I just took them out of the box but now they're ok. The part of the band that sits on your skull is padded and it didn't hurt after using the headphones for 4 hours straight when I was playing games. Seriously though, use these to play games, I never thought ice crashing to the ground could sound so nice. And hearing the scrunch shoes make when walking on grass was so crisp it entertained me while I was laning, haha (dota 2 reference).

Those foam cups, I'd sleep on a pillow made of them

I seem to have forgotten about isolation. These appear to isolate noise only partially when I wore them without any music on but when I started playing music, you won't be able to hear the person next to you or the ceiling fan spinning so I don't recommend wearing them while walking around om the street (be safe people, that's where your ears come in handy) but if you're on a plane and would like to make that crying baby go away, you can imagine the baby flying out the window while listening to Taylor Swift hate on her ex-boyfriends (you know, cause you won't be able to hear it? You evil person you~) These block out sound pretty well so use them with caution. And remember that when you're showing these to your friends so that you don't make a fool out of yourself while they're listening to them to see what all the fuss is about. (I'm guilty for this one too many times)

Whatchu say?

I repeat what I have said again and again in this post, in the end, you really have to listen to these yourself to really understand what I've been going on and on about in this post. If you don't like them, that's fine, these are balanced headphones and maybe you like a bit more punch in the bass and treble sections. But I must add that I've read many reviews while searching for the perfect pair of headphones, and there are very few headphones that cost this little while still being able to deliver the detail and clarity these headphones are known for. And since these headphones are meant to be worn for long periods, they don't tire your ears or your eardrums in long sessions but manage to do so while pumping out the desired intensity, so these are a good consideration if you want to listen to music but also not risk damaging your hearing. A quality all Audio Technica buds seem to have, they don't hurt your ears =)

If you don't know already, I really love these headphones and don't regret buying them.
I've posted my unboxing and first thoughts before this here
I bought mine at Lelong.com, from CastleIt here, they have a lot of good reviews and they've delivered mine on time so no complaints from me~ Although I bought mine for cheaper, the price seemed to have gone up (I bought mine for RM330+RM15 for postage, compared to RM400++ when buying from a shop, so I could save around RM50)

As an end note, have fun listening to music and enjoy discovering new ones, but sometimes you might just need the right pair on your expedition =D