Audio Technica is known for producing some of the finest headphones on the planet. The M-series in particular have become one of the most popular headphones because of how great they sound and how well built they are for the money. The ATH-M30X stands out because it’s hard to find headphones that sound this good for under $50. That being said, they won’t be the perfect choice for everyone which I’ll discuss in this review as well.
ACCESSORIES
The M30X comes with a nice carrying pouch and a gold-plated 1/4″ adapter plug is also included which is helpful if you want to plug these into something like a receiver.
DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY
The audio cable is 10 feet (3 meters) long and is non-detachable. It terminates in a gold-plated adaptor.
Even though these are budget headphones, they still used professional grade components for the headphones. For example, the earpads are very plush and made of a soft foam padding that doesn’t lose it’s comfort after several hours of use.
The headband stretches out quite a bit and is very flexible. The earcups even pivot a bit left to right as well as up and down (see video for visual example), which can help to give you a more comfortable fit. A slide adjustment is used to make the headphones larger or smaller.
The M30X is also great for portable use because the earpads can fold upward which makes these easier to take with you.
COMFORT
When you first put these on, you’ll find they’re immediately comfortable and can be worn for hours without any discomfort. The leather ear pads feel just a bit stiff though initially but the longer you wear them, the softer and more comfortable they become. What’s interesting is that these are even more comfortable than the M50’s from the previous generation. The padding is a bit softer and as a result, they feel better while wearing them.
The clamping force is moderate but not so much that it creates any discomfort. There’s just enough to keep the headphones from sliding around.
Now the longer you wear these, the more warmth can build up around your ears. So if you’re wearing these in warmer environments that’s something to keep in consideration. But that’s not so much a criticism of the headphones as this is something that naturally happens when you have leather earpads surrounding your ears.
NOISE ISOLATION
These form a nice seal around your ears which does an excellent job isolating you from outside noise. In fact, these are one of the best headphones available if noise isolation is a top priority.
COMPARISON TO THE PREVIOUS GENERATION ATH-M30
The M30X have several upgrades over the previous generation, the M30. The frequency response of the M30X is 15hz – 22,000hz whereas the M30 is 20hz – 20,000hz. The M30X is easier to drive (47 ohms) and takes less power to make them sound great compared to the M30 (65 ohms). What this means is that the M30X will sound better when you’re using something like a phone or portable mp3 player because they take less power to drive.
The cable on the M30 is 3.4 meters long which could be an improvement or a problem depending on what length of cable you prefer. But the M30 does not allow the headphones to fold up for portable use and doesn’t include a carrying bag which are both included with the M30X.
Comparing the sound quality wise you get a touch more bass with the M30X and a little clearer presentation overall.
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SOUND QUALITY
Overall the M30X provides a well-balanced sound signature. It’s a fairly neutral sounding headphone with a lot of detail and clarity, particularly in the midrange. The benefit of this type of sound signature is that you’ll be able to hear things in your music that you’re not used to hearing. Subtle details and sounds are more accurately portrayed as well.
A lot of headphone manufacturers will “adjust” the way music is presented through their headphones by doing things like boosting the bass or rolling off the treble. They do this in order to create their own unique sound experience. But what happens is you can lose some of the detail in your music as a result. What’s nice about the M30X, is that all of that detail is brought back to the listening experience. You’re able to hear all those nuances and you’ll hear it with such clarity.
These actually sound so good that they sound similar to the previous generation ATH-M50’s (even though they cost over twice as much). What’s so fun about these headphones is they will bring your music to life. There’s nothing quite like hearing new details and sounds in your music that you’re not used to hearing. It’s like the difference between looking at stars in the city and looking at them high-up in the mountains where it’s pitch black. It’s the same stars, but in the mountains, you can see so much more detail in brilliance in the sky.
That’s how it is with these headphones. Even though you’re listening to the same music, your same favorite songs. You’re getting to hear all the detail in your music that was there all along but you just didn’t have the right headphones to reveal it. In fact, these headphones do such a good job of bringing music to life that songs you normally didn’t find all that exciting in the past, will now be very fun and enjoyable to listen to.
REASONS TO CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE
If you strongly prefer a coiled or shorter length cable, then these might not work out. Because the cable isn’t detachable, you’re not left with any other option than what you get initially with these headphones (vs something like the M50X which gives you different detachable cables to choose from).
Also, if you’re bothered by heat build up around your ears and if you’re planning on using these for long periods of time then you may want to consider something else. Realize this has more to do with the type of materials being used (leather ear pads) and the good seal you get with these which is what helps to provide such excellent noise isolation. But if noise isolation isn’t a top priority then you could consider headphones with microfiber ear pads which have less of an issue with heat build-up.
RECOMMENDATION
But otherwise, these headphones are such an amazing value because of how much value they offer. You’ll be able to hear the clarity and detail in your music that other headphones costing twice as much or more don’t do as good a job of. Professional grade materials are used and these are so comfortable they can be worn all day long if needed. The noise isolation is also incredible and the way the earcups fold up make these great for portable use. So whether you’re looking to purchase these for professional use or for enjoying at home, these are absolutely one of the best headphones you can buy at the price point and under.