If you want closed-back sound isolation for webinars, choose Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x; if you need an open-back planar design for spacious listening at home, choose FiiO FT1. The ATH-M50x is the more practical fit for calls where you want less surrounding sound coming through. The FT1 is aimed at focused listening in a quiet room, not blocking noise.
Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x vs FiiO FT1 at a Glance
• FiiO FT1: Open-back planar magnetic design with a stated frequency range up to 40 kHz; its trade-off is that it has no noise control and is less suited to noisy surroundings.
• ATH-M50x fit: A sensible pick for webinars, calls, and listening when you want a wired over-ear headphone with sound isolation.
• FT1 fit: A better match for home listening where an open-back presentation and planar driver matter more than isolating yourself from the room.
The ATH-M50x is the more straightforward choice if you need headphones for webinars and other wired listening. It has an over-ear design, a 3.5 mm jack, and sound isolation listed as its noise-control feature. That combination makes it a more plausible fit than the FT1 when a room has ordinary background activity and you want your headphones to provide some separation.
Its listed frequency range is 15–28,000 Hz, and it uses a dynamic driver. Those details describe its audio design, but they don’t establish that it will make speech clearer in every call setup or cancel noise electronically. The product information lists wired connectivity, so I wouldn’t choose it expecting Bluetooth convenience.
The ATH-M50x is for someone who values a conventional, closed listening setup and wants one wired pair for calls and music. Skip it if your priority is an open-back planar design or a specification reaching 40 kHz. And if you’re searching for the best noise cancelling sleep headphones for webinars, note the distinction: this model lists sound isolation, not active noise cancellation, and the supplied information does not describe sleep-specific features.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
The FiiO FT1 is an over-ear, open-back headphone built around a planar magnetic driver. Its stated frequency range runs from 20 Hz to 40 kHz. FiiO also describes a large 95 × 86 mm flat unit and a thin diaphragm with sapphire and aluminum coatings. For a buyer interested in the design behind planar headphones and a wide presentation for music at home, those are the FT1’s defining points.
That open-back construction is also the key limitation for webinars. The FT1 lists no noise control, so it doesn’t offer the sound-isolation feature specified for the ATH-M50x. I’d reserve it for a quiet room where sound escaping from the headphones and surrounding noise are less of a concern. It is wired, has a 3.5 mm jack, and lists a remote as its control method.
Choose the FT1 if your main goal is home listening and you specifically want an open-back planar model. Skip it if you need a headset-like choice for calls in a shared or noisy space. Its over-ear design does not, by itself, make it a noise-blocking headphone.
• Best for webinars in a room with background activity → Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. It lists sound isolation; the FT1 lists no noise control.
• Best for an open-back planar design → FiiO FT1. It uses a planar magnetic driver, while the ATH-M50x uses a dynamic driver.
• Best fit when you want a stated range up to 40 kHz → FiiO FT1. The ATH-M50x’s listed upper limit is 28,000 Hz.
• Best for a more isolating over-ear setup → Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. That is the only one of these two whose noise-control field specifies sound isolation.
• Best for quiet-room listening where openness is the priority → FiiO FT1. Its open-back layout is a meaningful part of its intended listening character, but it does not block room noise.
• Best if you want a conventional dynamic driver → Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The FT1’s defining driver type is planar magnetic.
• Best for a straightforward wired call setup → Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. It is wired with a 3.5 mm jack, though the provided details do not specify a microphone.
• Best memory foam ear cushions headphones for webinars → neither is confirmed by the supplied details. Cushion material is not specified for either product, so I wouldn’t assume either has memory foam.
For calls, the important distinction is not which model has the more ambitious driver description. It is whether the headphones suit the room. The ATH-M50x’s sound-isolation listing gives it the more relevant feature for blocking some surrounding sound from the listener’s experience. The FT1’s open-back design and lack of noise control make it a less practical call companion when other people are nearby.
Neither product is listed as wireless, and neither fact sheet confirms a microphone. If your webinar setup depends on Bluetooth or a built-in mic, check those requirements separately rather than inferring them from the headphones’ other features. Both list a 3.5 mm jack, which makes a wired connection the supported comparison point here.
The warranty information also differs: the ATH-M50x listing specifies a 90-day limited warranty, while the FT1 lists a one-year warranty. That may matter if warranty coverage is one of your deciding factors, but it doesn’t change the core use-case difference: isolation-oriented versus open-back listening.
My Verdict
I would choose the Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x for webinars because its over-ear design and listed sound isolation better suit calls than the FT1’s open-back, no-noise-control setup.
It is the more practical of these two for someone who wants wired headphones with some separation from the room.
I’d choose the FiiO FT1 instead for quiet-room listening if its planar magnetic, open-back design is the priority.
For webinars, my pick is the ATH-M50x—not because it promises active noise cancellation or a built-in microphone, but because its stated isolation makes it the closer fit.
FAQ
It can be connected by wire through its 3.5 mm jack, but it is open-back and lists no noise control. I’d favor it for a quiet room rather than for calls where blocking surrounding noise matters.
They also describe it as wired, so don’t assume it offers Bluetooth or electronic noise cancelling.
The FiiO FT1 lists 20 Hz–40 kHz, while the ATH-M50x lists 15–28,000 Hz. A wider stated range alone doesn’t establish which headphone will sound better to you.
The available product details do not specify cushion material for either model. If memory foam is essential to your decision, verify that feature before choosing rather than assuming it from the over-ear design.
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