I got my first two sets of Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones back in 2009. Mary and I were recording our first album together and my aging (and discontinued) Fostex T-20 headphones (purchased new in 1986) were dying hard. Frantic, I did what many in LA do, I went to a Guitar Center store because I needed replacements for that days recording session. Back in the 80’s Audio-Technica microphones were a personal favorite so, even though I had no experience with AT headphones I took a chance on buying two, new M50 headphone sets. These were the only model of headphones that Guitar Center had two matching pieces of, I did not want us to be hearing different things so these were the only choice.
The M50 headphones felt different to wear and sounded different from my trusty old Fostex headphones but the AT headsets quickly grew on me and in 2010 I ordered more for general studio use. The only problem I’ve ever had with the AT headphones is the vinyl parts disintegrating after just a few years of use. The Fostex lasted over 20 years before they rotted-apart, so AT cans — that cost twice as much — should stay whole for at least 10 years IMO. I’ve read stories online from other users who love the sound but they also had problems with the vinyl rotting away prematurely.
In audio forums some users praise the ATH-50 and some slander them like they’re cheap trash. At their current pricing, they’re not inexpensive. The headphone portion of my M50xSTS (headphones with mic) sound very similar to my 10-year old ATH-50. I am happy with their sound reproduction overall. I did A-B comparisons between older AT headphones and the streaming headset using my Little Labs Monotor headphone amp, it has two identical amplifiers and just to be thorough I reversed the connections and confirmed their reproduction again, still the same.
AT2020 MICROPHONE
The AT2020 is a side address, electret condenser microphone with a 16mm diaphragm. It requires 48-volt phantom power to function. In 1989 I told the rep from Audio-Technica that they should put the element from one of their handheld electret mic’s into a body shaped similar to a U-87 (upright, side address shape), and sell it for $100. They finally did and this is it, the AT2020 (except this one is made in China instead of Japan like all their mics were back then).
I had one of the AT2020 in my mic locker for quite a while and I’m intimately aware of how it sounds on a variety of sources. As a low cost professional microphone intended for a variety of recording and sound applications the AT2020 excels at being inexpensive. It’s not a bad sounding microphone but the genre of inexpensive microphones have upped their game a LOT in the last 15 years. I can’t point to any similar priced model in particular that betters the AT2020 on a consistent basis but I have purchased no-name electret condenser models (also from China) which have richer tone on vocals. I have an odd little blue colored mic I bought on Amazon for $16 about five years ago — also electret condenser — which sounds pretty amazing when it is plugged into a good preamp. I’ve also owned some MXL microphones which are low priced and not horrible sounding (like the MXL 2001 reviewed here on High on Technology).
The AT2020 is a good reliable microphone and it is well built. I never really found any sounds that the AT2020 excelled on, during it's time here I tried it on a number of sources like drums, cymbals, vocals, and acoustic guitar. It sounded a little thin mic’ing up a bass amp. Overall I’d say it’s a consistently decent sounding microphone that does not excel on any source. With all that said, Finneas O’Connell confirmed in interviews that he used an AT2020 microphone to record the album that won five Grammy Awards for Billie Eilish.
ATH-50xSTS STREAMING HEADSET- Combination of ATH-50 headphones and AT2020 mic
I bought the ATH-50xSTS, headphone and mic combination, about 1.5 years ago and have used it for special applications around the studio. Originally the marketing for this headset made a big deal about the microphone being the same element they use in the AT2020 microphone. While preparing for this review I noticed they’ve toned that reference way down, it’s currently referred to as “based on reliable 20 Series mics” (it's a 16mm electret condenser element). In use, on vocals I’m very familiar with, I thought the mic sounded good but not great. It’s not full sounding, the bass sounds a little thin and the upper range lacks high frequency zing, zest and vibrancy — lets call it sterile, not bad but not what I would use on an album.
The headphone portion of the ATH-50xSTS is classic Audio-Technica, ATH-50 sound, if you like the original headphones, you’ll like this one. They have very punchy bass performance without sounding bass heavy, blurry or swampy. These would not be my first choice for mixing on headphones but they do sound really good IMO and I could use them easily for tracking. There is no problem using the headphones without using or terminating the microphone XLR plug, the headphone and microphone functions are completely independent electronically. While engineering recording sessions I found the integrated headphone and mic on the STS to be very handy for talkback functions with the musicians.
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| Integrated mic "mute" switch |
UNIQUE MIC ON-OFF SWITCH
The microphone on the Streaming Headset is mounted on a flexible, miniature gooseneck, so you can easily position the mic cartridge for optimum voice pickup. Being a pro microphone at heart it has much better response than other bargain priced mic-headset combinations. Besides the gooseneck adjustment, the mic has an on-off switch built into the arm, you simply rotate it all the way up, out of your way, and the mic is muted without any pops or clicks. In the UP position, the microphone cartridge is completely out the users way and it can easily be reactivated by simply rotating the mic down to the use position. The on-off function works well but the implementation seems a bit fragile, only time and use will tell if it is a robust build, after 1.5 years mine is still working fine.
HEADPHONE AND MICROPHONE CONNECTIONS
For professional users, AT got the connections right, the microphone output has an industry standard, full size XLR 3-pin connector, which requires phantom power for the microphone to function. The headphone input is presented on a standard 1/4” TRS male plug. You can unscrew the gold 1/4” TRS revealing a 1/8” TRS inside, so you can plug this into either of these two popular size output jacks. The cable to the headphone is a little over six-feet in length and breaks out on the end to two, four-inch long leads, which feed the XLR and TRS connections.
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| Integrated, convertible !/4" headphone input |
LIKES
- Classic ATH-50 headphone sound quality
- Solid Audio-Technica build quality (good)
- Good (not great) sounding microphone element
- Real XLR and TRS input/output connections
- Straight cable - fixed, not detachable
- Headphone input plug: 1/4” and 1/8”
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| Integrated headphone adapter revealed |
- Short 4” leads on XLR and TRS connectors
- The price is high for headphones
- Lack of bass on microphone pickup
SPECIFICATIONS FOR ATH-50xSTS STREAMING HEADSET
Type of headphones: Closed back
Headphone Driver Size: 1.7” (45mm)
Headphone Frequency Response: 15Hz-28kHz
Microphone Frequency Response: 50-20kHz
Headphone Impedance: 38Ω
Microphone Pickup Pattern: Cardioid (unidirectional)
Cable Length: 6.6 feet
Microphone connection: XLR 3-pin
Headphone connection: convertible from 1/4” to 1/8”
EPILOGUE
I can’t comment on using these in online streaming games other than to say, the mic sounds good and the headphones rock. The XLR mic-connection and full size TRS headphone-plug present the biggest challenge for gamers — getting the M50xSTS connected and correctly powering the mic with 48 volt phantom should be no problem for professional mixer systems. I would not have bought this headset if it did not have these connections, I have zero interest in adapting an 1/8”-four conductor, combo-plug, like many gaming-focused headsets use.
With the microphone connected to a Neve 1073spx preamp, the headset’s mic sound can be significantly enhanced with EQ and the convenience of having the mic right on the headset can’t be beat. It’s not what I would choose to record music with but I’ve used worse, a lot worse (remembering an old Teac/Tascam electret condenser studio mic I had back in the 70’s :-).
I’m glad Audio-Technica made the M50xSTS streaming headset, I wish I’d had these available back in 2010 when we were performing live on the internet. I like the set I have here in the studio, they are a handy option and if they broke I’d immediately buy another — that’s the strongest endorsement I can give.
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music To You!
©August 2025 by Mark King, it is NOT ok to copy or quote without written permission from the author.
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