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If you want a single pair of wired over-ear studio headphones you can put on and forget about, choose Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH; if you need a modular in-ear monitoring setup built for stage and studio work, choose BASN Bmaster5. That's the short version. The long version — who each one actually fits, where each one falls short, and which I'd personally buy — is below.
• Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH — biggest strength: over-ear studio-monitor design with an aluminum enclosure and a very wide 5 Hz–35,000 Hz frequency range, plus a 3.5 mm wired connection and media controls on the cable.
• Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH — biggest trade-off: it's a renewed unit covered by a 90-day limited warranty, and it's a one-piece headphone — no detachable cables, no swappable tips, no case accessories.
• BASN Bmaster5 — biggest strength: a 1DD+4BA hybrid five-driver in-ear system with two included cables, twelve pairs of tips, memory foam, and a hard aluminum case.
• BASN Bmaster5 — biggest trade-off: it's an in-ear monitor with a narrower 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range and a 12.5 ohm impedance, so it's fussier about fit and seal than a big over-ear cup.
• Who each pick is for: Amazon Renewed ATH-M50xWH for desk, mixing and everyday wired listening where you want to just put headphones on; BASN Bmaster5 for musicians, drummers, singers and anyone who wants a tailored in-ear fit with a replaceable cable.
This is a professional studio monitor headphone — that's the theme Audio-Technica assigns it — and the spec sheet backs the label up. Dynamic drivers, an over-ear design, an aluminum enclosure, and a frequency range that runs from 5 Hz all the way to 35,000 Hz. In plain terms: this is a headphone built to sit on your head for long sessions and cover the whole audible spectrum without asking you to fiddle with anything.
What it does best is simplicity and coverage. There's a 3.5 mm wired jack, so it plugs into an interface, a laptop, a mixer or a phone without adapters or pairing rituals. There are media controls on the cable, which is a small thing that stops being small the moment you're tracking a part and want to hit stop without reaching for the keyboard. The over-ear cups with sound isolation are the reason this design still dominates studios: the seal is created by the pad pressing around your ear, not by a tip jammed into your canal, so hours pass more comfortably for most people.
Who should buy it: producers, editors, podcasters, students doing coursework in audio, and anyone who wants one honest wired headphone for a desk. If you record vocals or play an instrument and want to hear yourself without a separate monitor setup, over-ears like these work fine for that too.
BASN Bmaster5: Who It's For
The Bmaster5 is a different animal entirely. It's an in-ear monitor, and the headline is the driver count: one 10 mm diamond-like carbon composite dynamic driver handling the low end, plus four balanced armatures for treble and mids. That's a hybrid five-driver setup, and BASN's stated goal is fast transient response and dynamic bass from the dynamic driver, with warm mids and detailed highs from the armatures. The frequency range is listed as 20 Hz–20,000 Hz with a 104 dB sensitivity and 12.5 ohm impedance — that low impedance means it's easy to drive from a phone or a laptop, not just a dedicated amp.
Where it really separates itself is the accessory and connector story. The cables are detachable and you get two: a 4-core silver-plated OFC cable for pure listening and monitoring, and a mic cable with in-line volume control for phone use. The connectors are PE-type (Pentaconn-branded), chosen specifically because they resist the intermittent dropouts that plague MMCX and 2-pin connections when a performer moves their head. That's a genuinely practical design decision for anyone who has ever had a cable cut out mid-song.
Then there's fit. Twelve pairs of tips in silicone and memory foam, plus adjustable ear hooks, in an in-ear shape designed to hook around the ear. For a drummer or a singer, that combination is the whole ballgame — a secure seal is what gives you isolation and bass. Add an aluminum case for the full kit, a leather pouch for pocket carry with one cable, a 1/4-inch adapter and a cleaning brush, and it's a complete system in one box.
Who should buy it: gigging musicians, worship band players, drummers, bassists, singers using in-ear monitor systems, and studio folks who prefer IEMs over over-ears. Also anyone who wants to swap between a critical-listening cable and a phone cable without buying anything extra.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for long desk sessions → Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH. Over-ear pads, no tip fatigue, put them on and work.
• Best for stage and live performance → BASN Bmaster5. Ear hooks, secure seal, and a connector design explicitly built to survive movement.
• Best for cable flexibility → BASN Bmaster5. Two detachable cables and replaceable connectors versus a fixed cable.
• Best for widest rated frequency range → Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH. 5 Hz–35,000 Hz against 20 Hz–20,000 Hz.
• Best for easy drive from a phone or laptop → BASN Bmaster5. 12.5 ohm impedance and 104 dB sensitivity make it undemanding.
• Best for accessory completeness → BASN Bmaster5. Twelve tip pairs, two cables, hard case, pouch, adapter, brush.
• Best for warranty comfort → BASN Bmaster5. Twelve months versus 90 days limited on the renewed ATH-M50xWH.
• Best for no-fuss everyday wired listening → Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH. One cable, one jack, media controls, done.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: do you perform, or do you sit at a desk? If you sit at a desk — mixing, editing, writing, listening — I'd buy the Amazon Renewed Audio-Technica ATH-M50xWH. The over-ear design, aluminum build and wide frequency range suit that job, and I'd simply accept the shorter renewed warranty as the cost of going that route. If you play, sing, drum or mix on the move, I'd buy the BASN Bmaster5. Two cables, twelve tip pairs and a connector built for movement make it the more complete working tool. I'd lean Bmaster5 overall for anyone whose use case is even slightly portable.
FAQ
Yes — that's what the second cable is for. It ships with a 4-core OFC cable for monitoring and a separate mic cable with in-line volume control for phone use. The 12.5 ohm impedance and 104 dB sensitivity mean it doesn't need a headphone amp to get loud.
Both list sound isolation, but they achieve it differently. The ATH-M50xWH seals around your ear with over-ear pads; the Bmaster5 seals inside your ear canal with silicone or memory foam tips. In-ear seals usually block more outside noise when fitted correctly — which is exactly why getting the right tip size matters so much.
For long mixing sessions I'd lean toward the ATH-M50xWH, because the over-ear fit and wide rated range suit extended critical listening. For tracking or monitoring in a loud room, the Bmaster5's in-ear seal and detachable cables are more practical. Many engineers own both and use them for different stages of the job.
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