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Author Topic: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots  (Read 14185 times)

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Marvey

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Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots. This is a very nice entry level headphone.  A broad ridge at 4kHz, but resonances in this area tend to be more benign than those at say 8kHz. FR has a nice appearance and is neutral. Not the smoothest, but at $150 what do you expect?
« Last Edit: June 21, 2012, 06:26:14 AM by purrin »
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rhythmdevils

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2011, 06:10:42 AM »

That matches what I hear pretty well.  They're actually one of the only closed headphones I've ever liked.  I like them better than the Denons and people on HF have always thought I was bat crazy for that.  I don't think they're amazing, they seem to have a bit of a U shaped response and aren't the last word in resolution, but they sound really smooth to me. 
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jerg

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #2 on: November 02, 2012, 07:40:05 PM »

Ha! I was digging up some old Electri-Q parametric EQ configs I made long ago, and found my "ultimate M50 EQ settings", which I made 100% from by-ear perceived FR through some careful sinewave sweep listening and notes-taking. Turns out it correlates quite well, almost mirroring, the CSD measurements here, at least in terms of pattern.

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donunus

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2013, 11:45:00 AM »

I just heard the LE version and was really impressed. Much better than my old m50. I am buying a pair for sure. Anyone with an LE version here that can say if it is better than the standard m50 or is this the improvement that was made over time with these cans?
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Anaxilus.

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2013, 12:31:52 PM »

Likely running revision as the varying impressions started their divergence long before the LEs came out.  My old M50s had a slight upper mid suckout that affected female vocals and string tonality, but the rest of the mids were fine.  Nothing like the exaggerated V-shape earlier users complained about.  I'll have to remember to ask them next time I see them at CES.  They actually came out w/ a decent IEM that reminded me of the M50 at a decent price but it was only for sale oversees.  I'd have to dig up the model number from a pic I took.
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Solderdude

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2013, 05:58:42 PM »

The measurement I took of my (old type) ATH-M50 superimposed on Purrin's plot



Hearing these I could not understand why so many people liked them and thought they sounded pretty 'flat' and accurate as this very old version is nothing like that.
It sounds the way the plot shows.
Humongous (fat) bass with an 'overly warm' signature with the upper mids (clarity) lacking a bit.

The later models have changed quite a bit from the 'old' version.

Earlier I made an attempt to combine plots of different sites to see if they measured similar

the green and thin blue line show a +5dB in the lows compared to other Tyll's plot


« Last Edit: June 02, 2013, 06:08:18 PM by Solderdude »
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donunus

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2013, 12:41:32 AM »

I dont hear that 4-5khz peak on the anniversary edition by the way. It was a short listening session but I was playing music that I knew so I would have easily noticed it since that area of frequency anomalies usually bother me.
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Deep Funk

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2013, 08:19:46 AM »

How many versions of the M50 are there now?

When Forrest Gump compares life with a box of chocolates it sounds like a nice story. When it applies to the ATH M50 I lose my interest...
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donunus

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2013, 08:46:57 AM »

From research around the web I think it has been tweaked at least once just like hd600s and hd650s for example. Now I am still looking for evidence whether the latest version is as good as the LE because i would avoid the silver colored cans if I could. I really wish that the standard version sounds just as good and has the same soft pads as the LE.
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Deep Funk

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Re: Audio Technica ATH-M50 Frequency Response and CSD Waterfall Plots
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2013, 02:37:47 PM »

Did you open up your M50?
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