I have never owned a set of true headphones before. I never could have imagined using headphones on a daily basis for something like TV listening, but I reached the point where I wanted to experience better sound quality. I had a stereo hooked up to my TV, but it never became my standard way of watching TV, as it consumes too much power, is too noisy, and is another annoying step I must perform every time I want to watch TV. In short, I never bothered to really use it. I considered surround sound or even a sound bar, but that would be hard to set up in my bedroom and is expensive. I didn't think there were any other good alternatives besides the above options.
However, being a gamer, I have heard of gaming headsets like the Turtle Beach Ear Force and how much they improve the audio experience. I was all set to drop $60 on the Ear Force PX21, but then I decided I wanted to see what my alternatives were and see if there were ones with better or on-par sound quality and a cheaper price. Fast forward quite a few hours later, and I'm more confused than when I started. Headphone prices range anywhere from $20 to $200, and all of the good ones say the same thing, no matter what the price. $20 headphones can say "amazing sound quality", while $200 headphones say "so much better quality than $20 headphones". How much better can better be than amazing? I didn't know, so I decided to try low-mid end, starting with the Audio Technica M30s. If they didn't suit me, I could return them and buy more expensive headphones. I will not be returning my headphones, luckily.
If my scenario sound somewhat like yours, then I fully recommend these headphones. Below I'll include a pros/cons list.
Pros:
-Extremely comfortable. I have used these for up to 3 hour sessions and the headphones never caused any discomfort. I also wear glasses and have long hair. I can't feel my glasses and the headphones don't tug on my hair if it's over my ears. My hair does make my ears itch sometimes though.
-Simple yet sleek design. Some headphones just look silly. These look great.
-Long 11' cord. I watch on a 32" TV about 6 feet away, so you could probably watch up to a 42" TV without needing an extension cord.
-Great sound quality. I'm not an audiophile, and I don't know if there is actually a difference between these and something like some Sennheiser 595s or if it's all in your head. I don't have a single complaint about the sound quality, though.
-Great price. I got these for $44, and that doesn't seem to be a sale price, although Amazon lists MSRP over $100. These come just a bit more expensive than no-name entry level headphones.
Cons:
-Can't adjust the volume. This is not a problem for the product's intended use, but for those that want to use this for TV viewing, it's something I worried about. However, the standard volume level (at least for my TV, don't know if it would differ) was great, although maybe a bit too loud in games, which are usually adjustable anyway. If it's too low for you, you'll need to buy an amplifier for around $10-20. If it's too loud, you can buy a volume controller for $5
-No RCA cables. Again, not a problem for the product's intended use, just mentioning it to help others. You'll need to purchase a 3.5mm female to RCA male adapter if your TV does not have the proper stereo output like mine. This purchase is a paltry $1.50 and free shipping, though. Just order before your headphones arrive.
-Head size. I have a slightly small head for an adult I suppose. I use these headphones on their smallest size and it fits just about right, if not a tad too large. I'm not sure if they came smaller if smaller would be TOO tight, but for kids and teens, these headphones may be a bit too loose. If they're not in the perfect position and I tilt my head back to take a drink, the headphones will slip back.
-No microphone. Not really a con as these are headphones and not a headset, but since they do the same thing and I'm using it for gaming, I'll go ahead and mention it. If you need a headset, it is easily fixable by getting a Zalman clip-on microphone for $12. If you want to use it with your PS3 or 360 though, you'll need to buy even more conversion cables.
If the cons bother you and you're pretty sure you'll end up needing all of the other accessories I mentioned, you may want to consider a true gaming headset like the Ear Force PX21, which is a higher price, but pretty much has an amplifier, volume controller, and PC/PS3/360 microphone built-in and I believe has RCA cables. I can't comment if sound quality will be worse, and very likely won't be better, so if you think you can keep it simple, the ATH-M30s are a much better buy.
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This Item  Audio-Technica ATH-M30 Closed-Back Headphones |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | — | $1,250.00 | $79.00 | -17% $149.95 List: $179.95 | -8% $32.99 List: $35.99 | -24% $27.41 List: $35.99 |
| Delivery | — | — | — | Get it as soon as Monday, Jun 17 | Get it as soon as Monday, Jun 17 | Get it as soon as Monday, Jun 17 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Bass quality | ||||||
| Comfort | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | BrandsWalk | OneOdio USA | OneOdio USA |
| connectivity tech | Wired | Wired | Bluetooth 5.0, RF | Wireless | Wired | Wired |
| headphones form factor | Over Ear | In Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear |
| connector type | 3.5mm Jack | 3.5mm Jack | usb-c,wireless | — | plug in | plug in |
| noise control | — | — | sound isolation | hybrid noise cancellation | sound isolation | sound isolation |
| headphones jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm, 4.4 mm | 3.5 mm Jack | — | 3.5 mm Jack, 6.35 mm Jack | 3.5mm/6.35mm |
| cable feature | Without Cable | Detachable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Retractable, Detachable | Retractable |
| material | Aluminum | Leather | Aluminum | Plastic | — | Plastic |
Reviews with images
Great sound, but not designed for mobile use
I wanted headphones that sound better than $20 earbuds, but I'm not enough of a hard-core audiophile to pay $200 (let alone $2000) for cans. I'm very happy with this choice: they sound great, and are comfortable to wear for hours and hours at work.The main drawback with the headphones is the cord: it's long and the plug is huge. This is okay if you're listening to music sitting on your couch plugged into your receiver. But trying to use them with a mobile device is laughably awkward; I had to wrap up 2m of extra cord, and the plug won't fit into anything that has a case.So a few days ago, I cut the cord down to about 1.5m and soldered on a new plug — one designed to fit into a recessed plug through an iPod or phone case. Now a great set of headphones is a perfect pair of headphones. If you'd like to do the same, there are three thin (30 gauge or so) wires in the cord: the blue one connects to the tip (left channel), the red one connects to the ring (right channel) and the yellow one connects to the sleeve (ground).
Top reviews from other countries
dgpictures
Great all round head phones
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2012
