Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS-USB StreamSet Streaming Headset

As an absolute chad gamer i need to be able to wear my headset at least 6 hours a day. But unfortunately the ear cushions are small and uncomfortable. Maybe i just have big ears idk but i ended up taking some cushions off my old headset which are way better even though they aren’t the right size. I also wear a beanie because i can literally feel the skin on. the top of my head being indented due to lack of cushion on the top part as well. With that being said i am very pleasantly surprised by the audio quality and the loudness. To be fair the best headset i’ve ever had was razer so this was a huge upgrade to be fair but yeah dope headset. I also love the feature that allows you to hear yourself talk very nice stuff.

This headset definitely has the absolute best microphone, no doubt about that. I’ve tried it during my conference calls and it works about as well as dedicated mics going through an audio interface. All other headset mics I’ve tried have much worse sound & a lot more noise.

However,… this headset is expensive. Very expensive. If you can justify the price or can wait for a sale, and you really want the convenience of a headset, you can buy it & you’ll be happy with your purchase. Normally Audio Technica products don’t go on sale very often, and even when they do, the price reductions are small.

I bought mine for ₹ 21,500. No regrets.

When I was starting my audio production career, I did a mountain of research, spanning weeks. I finally settled on an Audio-Technica M50. This is before the M50x came out with the disconnecting audio cable.

I used that headset for 11 years. I still have it, it still works great. But I switched to another career path (became a burned out professional statistic) and started working from home. My new career involved a lot of zoom meetings and I bought some crappy usb condenser mic.

The mic started fuzzing out so I decided after 8 years of doing this I should invest in a good mic setup. The ATH 2020 condenser mic, which this head set uses in it’s capsule is a really good condenser mic. The fact this headset came out just a couple months ago was definitely some kind of divine intervention lol.

It sounds fantastic. Crystal clear audio for both listening and speaking. I plugged it in, and it just worked. There was 0 work.

I am absolutely in love with this headset. I look forward to 11 years of use. I’m unsure if the mic will hold up for as long as the headset will but I trust Audio Technica. It’s pricey but this is worth it.

DO NOT get it if you work in a loud/busy call center. The mic’s sensitivity is both it’s great strength and it’s weakness. It picks things up really well and does not isolate ambient noise that well. No true condenser mic will unless you’re using a shotgun mic. But they’re not building those into headsets.

For the last 5 years or so I’ve been using the HyperX Cloud II wired headphones, but time is catching up with them, and they’re a bit worn out. I saw the unboxing of this headset on Short Circuit and decided to pick up a pair for myself. I always ran my Cloud II’s with Dolby Atmos spacial surround, but these are not Dolby Atmos certified. At first I figured I’d just use it anyway, but they honestly sound better stock than the Cloud II’s did with Atmos turned on. The microphone quality is fantastic, and the monitor switch, where you can hear the mic input in real time, is a nice touch. I find that when I have that turned on I don’t talk as loudly, which is probably nice for my neighbors.

Gaming is what I do the most on this PC, and in my main game, Destiny 2, things are clearer and more precise than they were with the HyperX. My other big uses are music and ASMR videos while I work, and my favorite tunes sound better than ever on this headset.

As far as comfort goes, they’re quite comfortable. Not quite as comfy as the HyperX, but still something I don’t mind wearing all day.

I still love my Cloud II’s, and would recommend them for the price, but if you’re looking for a step above most gaming headsets then this one is hard to fault. They get a recommend from me for sure.

Buenos materiales. Excelente audio y micrófono ! Recomendable !

I’ve been using these since April and, this is exactly like my old pair of regular M50x. It comes with a different set of ear pads attached but also comes with a set of the old style pads as well because, yes, using one or the other will decide how the headphones will sound to your ears. So, if you want them to sound like your old pair of M50x, then, switch the pads up!

The microphone sounds really darn good but it’s quiet. I know I had to boost the volume by 9 to 12db in OBS to not sound faint. There’s also a function to allow you to listen to yourself when talking through the mic for testing which can be turned off with the rocker switch on the left side. The fact that you just need to rise the mic up to deactivate it is a great touch!

The USB connection finally got rid of an issue I always had with my desktops. With my old pair of M50x, I could literally ear the noise of the electricity when doing things like downloading a file or using my GPU intensively… This would not be present if there was any other sound present but, when no sounds were playing, it was really audible and annoying; especially for the GPU sound since it has was high-pitched. The USB cable is a god-send.

The only thing though… it’s the included USB-A to USB-C cable. It’s really darn cheap and can cause interference because it’s made of thin metal. If you have to route cable through somewhere, I suggest you invest in a good USB-3 extender or use a much better adapter. I recommand UGREEN’s products for this.

The cable itself cannot be detached which is a huge bummer – that’s something you lose from the regular M50x. It also has the same issues with all other AT headphones i had: the rubber will get stiff if handled regularly and, in my case, I had to buy cable sleeving so it would stop coiling on itself…

Tested with Windows 11, no issues whatsoever. Detected immediately.
Despite the negative, I still give it a 5-star review. Purcahsed after LinusTechTip’s channel SHortCircuit featured this product. Oh, and, there’s also an XLR version for the mic if that’s your thing.