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1 / 7@mellow_maple_87 · Owner-reported
Owned over 2 years · Still using it: no, stopped · Posted
They are really good out of the box (used to be 50$ ~2019), the only problem is their fit, the earpads are really uncomfortable for long sessions so you must buy a 3rd party pair. Build quality is below average, if you sit on them by accident they will break for sure. 3D print em
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Can the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x live up to the expectations set by the more popular ATH-M50x?
A 3.6 puts its noise isolation in the bottom quarter of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 92 of the 242 we've cataloged.
Would not buy it again; has stopped using it.
Owned over 2 years.
What gave out: Headband / hinge (1)
Wired-3.5mm is the most common — on 47% of the 250 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 242).
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 200 of 242 we've cataloged.
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | -7.4 |
| 25 | -5.1 |
| 32 | -3.0 |
| 40 | -1.4 |
| 50 | -0.1 |
| 63 | -0.4 |
| 80 | -3.1 |
| 100 | 1.1 |
| 125 | 1.6 |
| 160 | 0.8 |
| 200 | -0.5 |
| 250 | -2.5 |
| 315 | -5.0 |
| 400 | -4.9 |
| 500 | -4.2 |
| 630 | -2.5 |
| 800 | -0.9 |
| 1000 | 0.1 |
| 1250 | 1.8 |
| 1600 | 3.0 |
| 2000 | 3.8 |
| 2500 | 4.8 |
| 3150 | 6.5 |
| 4000 | 8.3 |
| 5000 | 4.4 |
| 6300 | 5.1 |
| 8000 | 8.4 |
| 10000 | 4.3 |
| 12500 | -2.3 |
| 16000 | 2.3 |
| 20000 | -11.5 |
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 1.6 |
| 26 | 2.4 |
| 33 | -0.5 |
| 41 | -0.1 |
| 52 | -0.5 |
| 65 | 0.3 |
| 82 | 0.8 |
| 103 | -2.3 |
| 130 | -0.4 |
| 163 | 0.1 |
| 205 | 0.4 |
| 259 | 2.2 |
| 325 | 3.9 |
| 410 | 5.3 |
| 516 | 7.4 |
| 613 | 6.4 |
| 772 | 8.3 |
| 972 | 10.5 |
| 1220 | 9.3 |
| 1540 | 7.7 |
| 1940 | 4.1 |
| 2440 | 17.8 |
| 3070 | 26.6 |
| 3870 | 24.2 |
| 4870 | 32.6 |
| 6130 | 39.5 |
| 7720 | 41.5 |
| 9720 | 36.6 |
| 12200 | 33.5 |
| 15400 | 38.5 |
| 19400 | 26.9 |
The verdict
If you’re looking for an excellent pair of monitoring headphones and don’t want to drop a bunch of cash, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is a great pick. For less than $100 USD, you get clear sound quality, a sturdy frame, and multiple cables. Sure, there are plenty of headsets with a more accurate frequency response, but you need to spend a lot more for them.
✓Liked: Sound quality, Durable build, Verstile frequency response, Value
✕Could be better: Bulky, Ear pads heat up, Just okay isolation
What a reader who owns the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x reports after living with it. Owner-reported, checked before publishing; ordered photo-verified first, then newest.
Owner reviews are not paid for, not solicited from specific owners, and not rewritten by us: at most we proofread typos, which is shown on the review’s own page and which the author can undo. The commission SoundGuys may earn on this page comes from retail links, never from owner reviews.
1 owner review
Every author writes under a generated pseudonym. A signed-in author’s email is never shown. Read more · The reader says they own it. We have not seen proof, and we say so — no label here is proof of a purchase. Read more · Owned over 2 years · Still using it: no, stopped · Posted
Would not buy againThey are really good out of the box (used to be 50$ ~2019), the only problem is their fit, the earpads are really uncomfortable for long sessions so you must buy a 3rd party pair. Build quality is below average, if you sit on them by accident they will break for sure. 3D print em
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What readers ask about the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x, answered by the people who own it.
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Tom TriggsContributor
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Nothing surprising about comfort
2 of 3 would buy again
3 owners · owners report ~40 h per charge vs 40 h claimed
The battery beat their expectations
The noise cancelling beat their expectations
Expected more from comfort
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · 1 photo-verified
Expected more from comfort
0 of 2 would buy again
2 owners · 2 photo-verified
The noise cancelling beat their expectations
The battery beat their expectations
