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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want studio-grade mixing headphones with detachable cables and a closed-back design that isolates your mix, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M50x; if you need a complete recording and mixing hub with mic preamps, Bluetooth and a USB-C interface that happens to include headphones, choose Mackie ProFX6v3+.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest strength: purpose-built monitoring headphones with 45mm large-aperture dynamic drivers, a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, and three interchangeable cables for tracking, mixing and casual listening.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest trade-off: it is a headphone only. There are no mic preamps, no inputs, no effects, no wireless — you still need an interface or mixer to record anything.
• Mackie ProFX6v3+ — biggest strength: a 6-channel analog mixer with 2 mic preamps, single-knob compressors, built-in effects, Bluetooth and a USB-C audio interface, plus two 25ft XLR cables and a set of closed-back headphones in the box.
• Mackie ProFX6v3+ — biggest trade-off: the included headphones use 40mm drivers and are a monitoring accessory rather than the main event, and the mixer's effects and routing are aimed at small setups, not a full studio console.
• Pick the ATH-M50x if your priority is the headphone itself — accurate, isolated listening for mixing, tracking or DJ work.
• Pick the ProFX6v3+ if you need to plug in microphones and instruments, capture to a computer over USB-C, and start recording a podcast or small session right away.
The ATH-M50x is the headphone half of this comparison, and it is built like it. The 45mm large-aperture dynamic drivers paired with a 20Hz–20,000Hz frequency range are the core of what you're buying: a monitor tuned for clarity and deep, accurate bass response rather than a boosted, consumer-friendly smile curve. The closed-back enclosure is the other half of the story. Because the contoured earcups seal tightly, ambient noise gets pushed down and bleed stays minimal — which matters when you're tracking a vocalist who needs to hear the click without the mic picking up the headphone bleed.
Buy the ATH-M50x if you already own an interface, mixer or amp and your real problem is hearing your mix accurately — especially in a noisy room. Skip it if you're starting from zero and need to actually get audio into a computer. On its own, this is a wired, 6.35mm-jack headphone with no microphone, no preamp and no USB. It is the monitoring end of the chain, not the chain itself.
Mackie ProFX6v3+: Who It's For
The ProFX6v3+ is a different animal: it's a small-format studio in a box. The centerpiece is a 6-channel analog mixer with 2 mic preamps, USB-C audio interface capability, Bluetooth streaming, and a built-in effects engine covering reverbs, delays and choruses. Two of the channels carry single-knob compressors, which is a genuinely handy feature for spoken word and vocals — you turn one knob and the dynamics get controlled without a deep menu dive. Connectivity runs across 1/4", XLR and USB-C, with XLR and TRS outputs, so it can feed monitors, a PA or a computer depending on the job.
What makes this a bundle rather than just a mixer is what ships with it: two 25ft XLR cables in 16AWG shielded construction, plus a set of closed-back studio mixing headphones with 40mm drivers, a padded headband and padded ear bands. That's a deliberate choice — the moment the box arrives you can plug a mic into a preamp with one of the cables, monitor on the headphones, and be recording or rehearsing. The headphones are the monitoring tool here: accurate enough to hear your mix and make adjustments, comfortable enough for extended sessions, but not the flagship of the kit.
Buy the ProFX6v3+ if you're a podcaster, solo musician, streamer or small-venue performer who needs mic preamps, effects, Bluetooth playback and a USB-C path into a computer — and you want cables and headphones included so there's no second shopping trip. Skip it if you already have a full interface and mixer setup and only need better headphones; in that case you're paying for channels and routing you won't use. Also note it's USB powered, which keeps the setup simple but ties it to a USB source.
• Best for accurate mixing and monitoring → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The 45mm drivers, 20Hz–20,000Hz range and closed-back isolation are all pointed at critical listening.
• Best for recording microphones and instruments → Mackie ProFX6v3+. 2 mic preamps, XLR inputs and single-knob compressors on two channels.
• Best for a complete start-from-nothing setup → Mackie ProFX6v3+. Mixer, headphones and two 25ft XLR cables arrive together.
• Best for cable flexibility on the headphones themselves → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Three interchangeable cables plus a 6.3mm adapter and a carrying pouch.
• Best for wireless playback and streaming audio → Mackie ProFX6v3+. Bluetooth is built into the mixer.
• Best for one-ear cueing and DJ-style work → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The 90-degree swiveling earcups make that easy.
• Best for computer-based recording → Mackie ProFX6v3+. USB-C audio interface connectivity, USB powered.
• Best for long mixing sessions → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Professional-grade earpads and headband padding built for extended wear.
• Best for portability → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. It collapses and comes with a pouch; the mixer is a desk or tabletop unit.
In my opinion, the honest answer depends on where your chain is broken — but I said I'd pick, so I will. If you already have an interface or mixer and your mixes aren't translating, I'd buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The 45mm drivers, closed-back isolation, swiveling earcups and three-cable kit are exactly what a mixing headphone should be, and nothing in the box is filler. If you have nothing to plug a microphone into, I'd buy the Mackie ProFX6v3+, because preamps, effects, Bluetooth, USB-C and the included cables and headphones get you recording in one purchase. Buy the M50x for the ears; buy the ProFX6v3+ for the whole desk.
FAQ
how to connect studio headphones
how to test studio headphones
Test them by playing material you know well and listening for balance across the range — the ATH-M50x is specified at 20Hz–20,000Hz with 45mm drivers, so check that bass is present but not bloated and that nothing sounds muffled. Also check isolation by playing at a moderate level and seeing how much outside noise gets through; the ATH-M50x's closed-back design is built to reduce ambient sound.
how to bluetooth studio headphones
You can't add Bluetooth to the ATH-M50x directly — it's a wired, 6.35mm-jack headphone, and its versatility comes from three interchangeable cables, not wireless. Bluetooth in this comparison lives in the Mackie ProFX6v3+ mixer, which can receive a Bluetooth audio source and route it through your setup. If you want wireless headphones specifically, neither product here is that.
can you mix with just headphones
Yes, and plenty of people do — a closed-back monitor like the ATH-M50x with 45mm drivers and a 20Hz–20,000Hz range is designed for exactly that. The catch is that headphones remove the room from the equation, which is a benefit in an untreated space but means you should check your mix on other speakers when you can. The ProFX6v3+ bundle's closed-back headphones serve the same monitoring purpose for its mixer.
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See also: Jabra Evolve2 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Audio-Technica ATH-R50X vs QYNIQIAN Neckband, Audio-Technica ATH-M40x vs OneOdio Monitor 60