****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I primarily use headphones for my desktop, so bear with me.My M50X's finally broke (a structural piece - nothing electronic) after more than 6 years of use. I really liked those headphones, so I figured I might as well get this newer model since it has Bluetooth built in and alleges more bass.Quality of "renewal":I was a bit concerned buying them "renewed", but they seem totally fine. I missed the cables in the bag at first because they were wrapped in the packing material, not actually in the plastic bag the headphones come in. Whatever initially failed on the headphones that caused them to need "renewal" seems to have been completely replaced - I will update this review if something stops working prematurely. The 3.5mm cable is a bit short (3.3ft I think), so unless you're right up on your computer, you'll probably want a longer 3.5mm cable with a 90 degree head at one end. It DOES just use a standard 3.5mm aux cable, not the weird 3.5mm to 2.5mm with a lock that the normal M50X's used.Connectivity:Uses BT5.0 standard. I'm not huge on wireless stuff, but as I understand, this means it can transmit data over a significantly longer range than previous standards. It sounds fine, though I probably couldn't tell a difference between BT2.0 and BT5.0 (or even a physical connection) in terms of audio quality. I don't have a Bluetooth 5.0 receiver on my desktop computer, but I do on my phone. Frankly, I intend to use the 3.5mm aux cable far more than the Bluetooth functionality. I will hopefully remember to update this after I've fully charged the battery in regards to battery life. Unfortunately, it uses USB2.0 instead of USB3.0 for charging, which doesn't inspire confidence about the longevity of the charging port.Earcups:Earcups are the same somewhat shallow depth as on the M50X's. I have fairly large ears, so while the earcups do fit naturally AROUND my ears, the earcup face presses directly on to my ear lobe. I use Brainwavez earcups because they push the earcups out around 5-6mm, which are compatible with these headphones.Treble:The treble range, even in the high end, sounds good. These are based on M50X's, which are studio monitor headphones, so they have a fairly neutral sound profile. Maybe not the best for people who want extreme bass or treble, but if you want a centered perspective on the treble and bass profiles of a song, something the audio engineer hears as they mix the tracks to sound the best they can, this will give it to you.Bass:The bass on these headphones is so-so - not the worst I've experienced, not the best. It's enough to remind you the bass is there, but isn't going to rattle your eardrums. It seems quite adequate to me, especially below $200 (this product brand new costs $180-$190).M50XBT vs. M50X:Where I really feel these shine is as a successor to the M50X line. The M50X are basic studio headphones, which - as previously mentioned - means they have a neutral sound profile, so things in the high end are as audible as things in the low end. The XBT's sound JUST like the X's, except someone woke up the bassist. Even with the throatier bass, it seems none (at least, not much) of the treble was sacrificed. Higher pitched tones don't have that "underwater" quality compression you tend to get with heavily bass-biased headphones.Conclusion:Mild step up from the M50X's - a good pick if you felt the bass on the M50X's was lackluster. BT5.0 compatible and doesn't seem to lose much quality while doing so. Same really nice build quality and aesthetic of the M50X's.Update:-Battery lasted ~38-40 hours after being fully charged. It does the fairly typical "intelligent standby" thing where the headphones turn off if audio hasn't played in the past few seconds, which also means they "turn back on" when audio starts, with a slight delay.
