Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black
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From the manufacturer
Features
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Durable designCutting-edge engineering and robust construction |
For studio & field recording useTuned for enhanced detail, with excellent mid-range definition |
Offers excellent sound isolationCircumaural design contours around the ears for sound isolation in loud environments |
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For in the studio and on-the-roadCollapsible for space-saving portability |
Convenient single side cable exit3.0m (9.8’) straight cable for professional applications |
Included accessoriesProtective carrying pouch; 6.3 mm (1/4″) screw-on adapter |
Specification: Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black
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Photos: Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black
10 reviews for Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black
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$72.38
Timerius –
I can’t justify spending triple digits on headphones. I work in the audio field, live prod. mainly, AT is always my first choice next to Shure (mics). AT has never let me down, not once. They’re the only company (I’ve ever used) that delivers increasingly good products while keeping prices realistic in times where everyone else charges a liver to sell a brand. Yea JBL I’m lookin at you. You too Fender. PRS, can’t even look at you, sad. I know I’m bouncing from mics-guitars-headphones, the point’s still valid. The other big dogs are the YETI’s of the audio world, you pay for a logo. Just slap a decal on your car and call it a day, then go buy some AT’s. They KNOW the human ear, they respect the frequency spectrum and don’t hard knee an HPF/LPF, their low end kicks like a buck shot, unlike the other whale emulators out there. I’ve been having eargasms ever since I plugged em in. Great for recording, essential really. If you want your recordings to sound good in your car, you need these so you’re not playing the EQ more than the guitar itself. Lightweight, comfortable, amazing quality in material, design and sound.
ThePlantedTankTVThePlantedTankTV –
I read up a lot about these before buying them for gaming. Everyone said these would be terrible for gaming, which didn’t make much sense to me as these are professional grade studio monitors. I said screw it. I’ll try them. Boy I’m glad I did because these take a big fat poo poo on my 240$ gaming headset. The lows are very nice and the highs are very nice ( very easy to hear footsteps while explosions are happening ). The Mids seem maybe a bit hollow sounding but I can’t complain for the price. Sound overall is absolutely fantastic.As for comfort. I have a medium sized head and they fit me great. They are a bit snug but not uncomfortable for long gaming sessions in my experience.Build quality is great and they are very lightweight!If you are thinking about buying these for gaming don’t think twice!
NathanDetr0it –
My pair came from Amazon’s Warehouse Deals, and the condition note said “minor aesthetic damage” to packaging. My purchase price was something like $46 (shipped!), which I thought was too low to resist. I took the gamble.Upon receipt I scoured the well-packaged (unopened) original box, but I couldn’t find the alleged damage; meanwhile the product inside appears brand new and has met my high expectations, living up to the excellent reputation of the ATH-M series.I bought these after 5+ years of using a beat-up pair of M35’s in my volunteer role as FOH Engineer at my church. That pair of M35’s was the first pair of professional-caliber headphones I ever put on, and that was a game-changer for me. I read reviews and considered Sony’s MDR7506 and Superlux’s 668 but settled back on what i have hands-on experience with.So far, I find that the sound of my M30Xs is a joyous thing to experience, rivaling or perhaps surpassing the old M35’s. I am no headphone-phile, but I can tell that a similar contour/EQ philosophy is employed in both sets; dead-flat tone with emphasis in the mids to draw out minute detail in voices and, I find, acoustic instrument character and voicing.In particular, I have been loving these cans for electronica due to the fantastic middle details. Bass tones are extremely clean and legible; but in contrast to pairs of bass-boosted buds and cans will seem quite subdued. These will certainly and effortlessly expose poor bitrates and/or bad source material.Things I love:- Build Quality; in a word, ‘Solid’.- Sound Quality; to my ears, perfection.- Design Aesthetic; functional, no-nonsense matte black.Things I do not love (but knew going in):- Cord is long (yay!) but hard-wired (boo!); non-interchangeable.Surprises:- I have huge ears, and the stock pads are too small for me. The cans actually sit on top of the tips of my ears, and after an hour can cause some pretty significant discomfort. The sound is so great that I didn’t care, for years- see the update below.Overall: Two thumbs way up (especially for $46!), and a positive experience with Amazon’s Warehouse Deals to boot.UDPATE after four years: Wow, these just keep rocking. The sound is just incredible, and the build is holding up great. The pads started to crack last year (so that’s three years of normal use) and they were always too small for my ears, so I replaced them with these: Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads – Suitable For Many Other Large Over The Ear Headphones – AKG, HifiMan, ATH, Philips, Fostex (Black) . Beautiful, comfortable, and no noticable depreciation to the majestic sound of these headphones. After four years and trying many rivals, I now believe that these are simply the greatest headphones in the world at their price point,Thanks for reading!
JJG –
The Audio Technica ATH-M30x are excellent sounding headphones in the sub $100 range. I’m using the M30x as a second pair of headphones to listen to music and when watching movies or TV shows on an iPhone, iPad, or through an AV receiver. I wanted headphones that would sound great, be well built, be portable, and yet be affordably priced. In those regards, the M30x delivers.The M30x is a nicely designed successor to the popular M30 headphones which they are replacing. I really like Audio Technica’s styling update for the M30x, giving it a look similar to the iconic M50 and newer M50x headphones. Like the M50 and M50x, the M30x now features a collapsible design for space saving portability. Both of those are welcome changes from the dated looking and clunkier M30. A few months back I purchased a pair of M30 headphones, used them for a couple of weeks before returning them, and then purchased the M50 headphones. The design and feel of the M30x is much improved from the M30.—–SPEC COMPARISON BETWEEN ATH-M30x & ATH-M50x:The M50 and M30 were the most popular headphones in Audio Technica’s Professional Studio Monitor Headphone lineup so my guess is that the M50x and M30x will be also so I’ve written a spec comparison between models.1. The M30x has a 40mm driver compared to a 45mm driver in the M50x.2. The M30x has a frequency response of 15-22,000Hz compared to 15-28,000Hz with the M50x.3. The M30x has a maximum input power of 1300mW at 1kHz compared to 1600mW at 1kHz with the M50x.4. The M30x has a sensitivity of 96dB compared to 99dB with the M50x.5. The M30x has an impedance of 47 ohms compared to 38 ohms with the M50x.6. The M30x weighs 7.8oz compared to 10oz with the M50x.7. The M30x has a built in cable compared to detachable cables with the M50x. The straight cables are both 9.8′.With a higher sensitivity, lower impedance, and higher maximum input power the M50x are a little easier to drive, are a little louder, and can handle more power before clipping than the M30x.—–COMPARING AUDIO TECHNICA’s PROFESSIONAL STUDIO MONITOR HEADPHONE LINEUP:If looking at other models in Audio Technica’s lineup, the M20x, M30x, and M40x all have 40mm drivers whereas the M50x has 45mm drivers. All have a frequency response on the low end of 15Hz but as the headphone models get better so do the higher end of the frequency response, 20,000Hz with the M20x up to 28,000Hz with the M50x. The M40x and M50x feature detachable cables whereas the cable in the M20x and M30x is built in to the headphones. The M20x isn’t collapsible while all the other models are. When examining sensitivity, impedance, and maximum input power, as the models get better the headphones tend to increase in dB’s, become easier to drive with a lower impedance, and are able to handle more power before clipping.—–SOUND QUALITY OF M30x & COMPARISON TO M50:The M30x offers excellent sound quality for its price. The headphones produce a rich, clean, and detailed sound with a good amount of bass. I’m really impressed with the sound they are able to produce.Having the M50, I was able to do a comparison between the two headphones. Since many reviewers who own both the M50 and M50x headphones state that the two models sound identical, my sound comparison between the M50 and M30x should provide a good comparison in sound between the M30x and newer M50x headphones.The M50 headphones are a little louder. They produce better bass as a result of the 45mm drivers compared the 40mm drivers in the M30x. The sound from the M50’s is also fuller and has better separation. You do get what you pay for but when considering sound to price the M30x offers great bang for your buck.—–PROS:1. Produce a rich, clean, and detailed sound with good bass.2. Affordably priced, great bang for your buck.3. Comfortable to wear.4. Attractive design and lightweight.5. Collapsible for space saving portability. When collapsed they are noticeably smaller than my M50’s collapsed.6. Comes with protective carrying pouch and 1/4″ adapter for headphone plug. The 3.5mm plug allows the M30x to plug into smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. The 1/4″ adapter allows the headphones to plug into receivers, mixers, and other audio equipment.CONS:1. The “L” & “R” indicators for the cans are inside the headband area and are hard to see in dim lit areas. I much prefer their placement on the can swivel mechanism with the M50/M50x. I know its minor especially if you just remember that the cable comes out of the left side but I thought I’d mention it.—–SUMMARY:The ATH-M30x headphones continue Audio Technica’s legacy of producing amazing headphones. At the price point of the M30x, they are very hard to beat. If you are looking for a pair of headphones that sound great, are well built, are portable, and yet are affordably priced as I was, I highly recommend the M30x. If considering other Audio Technica models I recommend spending a little extra money and purchasing the M30x over the M20x. The collapsible design is very nice and the M30x allows almost double the maximum input power than the M20x. If sound quality is your concern over price, the M50x is superior with better bass, separation, and a fuller sound. The build quality is also nicer with the M50x. My M50’s feel sturdier, the headband extender feels more durable, and I like the swivel feature of the M50 cans. That’s not to take away from the M30x because they are well built headphones for the price.
@Rock.Doll –
Have the 30’s and 50’s, huge fan, great quality audio, comfortable for extended wearing. Wonderful, professional grade headphones, affordable too!
mike heath –
These are much better than expected for the price and fit my big head. I’m running a Scarlett Focusrite 6i6 with Yamaha HS8 speakers on acoustic stands. And to keep the noise down for my neighbors, run these new headphones from my comp, through the Focusrite. Great fit, great sound,and they don’t seem to get hot/sweaty like other studio headphones can. I’m a professional drummer, and in checking familiar recordings, can hear the differences in drums makes, etc Pearl Masters (Nile – Lashed to the Slave Stick) and vintage Gretsch (The Jesus Lizard – Then Comes Dudley). Hope this helps. 🙂
Nisha kanhye –
– Unique structure: Unlike other headphones, the ability of the side cups over the ears to rotate based on head shape is amazing. And the way this pair folds in makes it amazingly great for transpiration.- Great look: The design is overall sleek, and can go with any look which isn’t the main priority but suck a nice plus.- Sound and Feel: the cups over the ears creates such a sound proof and enclosed atmosphere. Not to mention the sound quality is top notch. Both these reasons make this a great pair for listening to music or just to block out distracting noises in a public space.- Price: Expensive but justified for it’s great quality, this is for sure a pair that won’t break easily in the long run and makes the listening/focusing experience most casual users will use this headset for brilliant.- Add-ons: the bag that’s used for transporting and the extra jack size that doubles as a cover for the smaller jack are both great additions to the headset.
Amazon Customer –
I had received the ATH-M30x and was so impressed with the sound and comfort, I decided to upgrade to the ATH-M50x. However my use case is critical listening not studio work. My primary goal was to hook a wired headphone to my Mac Air M1 2020, take advantage of a half-decent 32bit/96K DAC on the M1 and be able to stream and listen to higher resolution music than is streaming from my high quality bluetooth headphones.I achieved that with the M30X. However to be honest, I can’t discern a significant difference between the 30X and 50X in my setup. And while the 50X has a slightly lower impedance and higher sensitivity- this made no subjective difference in loudness- with both sets being fine in that department.This is not too surprising given they are in the same AT product line and have a similar purpose. It also may reflect the limitations of my audio equipment. However, despite not being an audiophile- I seem to have some ability to detect differences in sound realism, musicality, sound stage and dynamics.I don’t have the inclination to do a lot of A/B testing within or between brands/product lines. What I would say is that if you buy or own the 30X, I can assure you that in terms of sound quality for general listening- you are sacrificing little by owning the 30X versus the 50X.As far as studio work, some the say the 40X (and even 30X) is more neutral across the board and is better than the 50X. Others swear by the 50X. For this, I have no opinion…In sum, the 30X is a good value.
D. Phillips –
In the past I would get headphones that were inexpensive and did the job, I’m just a guy using these for personal enjoyment, listening to music and playing games. After unboxing I plugged them up and got some Nightwish (If your like me, I had never heard of this group, they are amazing) cue up and hit play. First thing I noticed the volume I used to listen at was WAY to high, I had to go down to half of what I used to listen at, next thing you notice is things that the old headphones just didn’t give you, you hear everything…clearly. FWIW I use in ear hearing aids. Comfort, just amazing how comfortable they are, I read some users found them uncomfortable…..I’m not seeing that at all. If you are looking for a paid of headphones that does the job at a price that is reasonable this is it. Just AMAZING !!
Hype miHype mi –
Great gift idea to give to someone who likes music or is an aspiring musician. Great for late night practice and not waking up my family. The ATH-M30x are fantastic headphones; crisp vivid sound I prefer to use them even when no one is home because they sound better then my speakers. Would recommend 5/5.