RATING: 3.5 ★ |
At a glance...
- Quality: 3.5/5
[Decent entry-level monitoring headphones. Substantial clarity. Lacks bass.]
- Value: 5/5
[Value for money, for its quality.]
- Comfort: 4/5
[Hardly any discomfort after wearing for long hours.]
- Suitability: Beginners in audio mixing and monitoring. Those on a tight on budget looking for decent quality headphones. Listeners who value clarity over bass.
REVIEW:
Overall, it's a pair of fairly solid and basic monitoring headphones. I bought this specifically for audio mixing and monitoring, so I already expected it to be wired, and without a noise-cancelling function. These are not flaws to me.
Well, my first pair of monitoring headphones were from a lesser-known brand called Maono. The earpads and plastic of the headphones degraded very badly, and so I needed to get a new one. This time, I was sure that I wanted to get it from a renowned brand.
I did a fair bit of research and came across people saying that the ATH-M20x offers good value for money and is suitable for beginners. Since I’m still relatively new to audio work and wasn’t sure if I wanted to invest more in a higher-end model, I decided to go with this entry-level option.
In terms of sound...
It's treble-heavy straight off the bat. Clarity is there. I find the brightness in the highs a bit subdued, but it's decent enough for mixing. The lows are where it's lacking.
For context, I use the Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Airpods for casual listening, and these are bass-heavy devices.
In contrast, the Audio Technica ATH-M20x severely lacks bass, especially in the sub-bass area. It's marketed as a pair of monitoring headphones after all, so it isn't meant to be a pair of bassy headphones or lean towards a particular sound profile.
For casual listening,
If you enjoy audio with a prominent bass, I don't recommend the ATH-M20x at all.
For monitoring and mixing,
I found that I overcompensated my bass when I was mixing my track with the ATH-M20x! While it's true that the ATH-M20x lacks bass, I think I was also too used to my Sony headphones, which are significantly more bassy.
I got a shock when I checked my mix through my Sony headphones and realized how much I overly boosted the bass. I thought it wasn't bassy enough when listening through the ATH-M20x.
I was mindful not to make my mix too bassy, since I'm so used to bass-heavy devices. Still, the final mix ended up sounding too bassy, which really made me feel that the ATH-M20x lacks bass, relatively speaking.
It's why having a reference track is so important! It becomes even more important in my case since I'm jumping between different headphones with very different sound profiles! A reference track acts as an anchor point and guidance, to let my ears know what a complete mix is supposed to sound like, when I'm on headphone A or B.
In terms of physical quality...
The headphones are made of plastic, but I don't have much to say about that, as audio quality matters more to me. I just hope that it won't degrade like my old pair. 😅 (I have faith in Audio Technica!)
I'm just saying, I'm not against a plastic build myself. I saw reviews and comments saying that they would prefer a more sturdy material - totally understandable. From my point of view, the plastic feels adequately solid and fine. The quality of the headband and earpads are good as well.
I've worn it for long hours without an issue - didn't notice any discomfort or find them hot. I've come across reviews mentioning these points before I bought it.
Oh, one thing I didn't like about the ATH-M20x is that its cable is non-detachable and irreplaceable.
In conclusion, if you're new to mixing, I think it's fine to start with a pair of basic headphones like this. It's best to mix and monitor with headphones or monitors that offer a neutral sound, but if you're on a budget, I think it's worth giving this a shot. It's a decent pair of entry-level monitoring headphones!
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Personal Takeaways
My experience with the ATH-M20x so far has made me realize three important things in mixing and monitoring:
- Be very familiar with your monitoring headphones’ sound profile. Know which frequencies tend to be lacking or exaggerated, and adjust accordingly.
- VERY IMPORTANT: Always refer to your reference track!
- Always check your final mix across all types of listening devices; especially one that you're familiar with, to make sure that it sounds okay to you.
Certainly. you shouldn't base your mix on your usual listening device, unless it already has a balanced sound profile. In my case, since I already knew that my Sony headphones are boosted in bass, when I'm mixing with the ATH-M20x, I need to make sure that I'm not tuning it to the level of bass that I'm accustomed to.
Good luck to anyone who's new on this journey! :)
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