If you want wired, over-ear headphones for focused listening and one-ear monitoring, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M50X; if you need a wireless headset that can switch between one-ear calls and stereo listening, choose Rand McNally ClearDryve 220. For nurses, the key difference is whether you want a straightforward listening tool or a convertible headset built around calls and hands-free use.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50X: 45 mm drivers, a closed-back over-ear design, and swiveling earcups; the trade-off is its wired connection.
• Rand McNally ClearDryve 220: Wireless, convertible single-ear or stereo use, and active noise cancellation; it has a narrower listed frequency range than the Audio-Technica.
• ATH-M50X is for: listeners who prioritize wired audio, passive isolation, and one-ear monitoring.
• ClearDryve 220 is for: people who need wireless calling, a switchable headset format, and up to 20 hours of battery life.
The ATH-M50X is a wired, over-ear headphone designed around 45 mm dynamic drivers. Its stated frequency range is 15–28,000 Hz, and the closed-back, circumaural cups are intended to help isolate the listener from surrounding noise. For someone listening to music, recorded audio, or other material where a wired connection suits the setup, that combination is the central appeal.
The swiveling earcups turn one side away for one-ear monitoring. That can be useful when you want to compare audio with the room around you or keep one ear open during a listening task. The design is also a reasonable fit for someone seeking the best lightweight headband headphones for nurses if “lightweight” means a wired over-ear model rather than a wireless call headset: the listed item weight is 0.29 kg. That number alone does not establish how comfortable it will feel over a long shift, though.
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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
Choose the ATH-M50X if sound isolation, a wired connection, and the option to monitor with one ear matter most. Skip it if wireless operation or a built-in call-focused headset is essential. Its listed features do not include a microphone or a battery, so it is not the natural choice for someone who wants a headset centered on phone calls without adding other equipment.
The ClearDryve 220 takes a different approach. It is a Bluetooth 5.0 headset that can be used with one ear or converted to stereo by swapping the headpad for the second ear cup. For someone who alternates between calls and listening, that changeable configuration is more useful than a conventional fixed pair of headphones.
The earcups use memory foam, which may appeal to shoppers searching for the best memory foam ear cushions gaming headphones for nurses. But the ClearDryve 220 is described as a convertible wireless headset, not specifically as a gaming headset; its useful distinction here is its memory-foam earcup material and call-oriented design. Consider it if those features match your routine. Choose another option if you specifically want a wired headphone with a broader listed frequency range or swiveling cups for one-ear monitoring.
• Best for wired listening → Audio-Technica ATH-M50X. It is the clearly specified wired model, with a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
• Best for wireless use → Rand McNally ClearDryve 220. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 and has a listed range of 10 meters.
• Best for one-ear monitoring → Audio-Technica ATH-M50X. Its 90-degree swiveling earcups make it possible to move one cup aside.
• Best for switching between calls and stereo listening → Rand McNally ClearDryve 220. Its design converts between single-ear and two-ear use.
• Best for a call-focused headset → Rand McNally ClearDryve 220. Its dual microphones are designed to reduce ambient noise during calls.
• Best for passive sound isolation → Audio-Technica ATH-M50X. Its closed-back, over-ear design is specified for sound isolation; the ClearDryve 220 instead lists active noise cancellation.
• Best for a longer listening session away from a charger → Rand McNally ClearDryve 220. Its average battery life is listed as 20 hours, though actual use can vary.
• Best for a broader stated frequency range → Audio-Technica ATH-M50X. Its range is listed as 15–28,000 Hz, compared with 20 Hz–20,000 Hz for the ClearDryve 220.
There is also a practical comfort distinction. The ClearDryve 220’s listed weight is lower, and it has memory-foam earcups, but product specifications cannot tell you how either model will feel on your head or ears over a full day. The ATH-M50X specifies professional-grade earpad and headband material, while the ClearDryve centers its design on wireless versatility. For nurses considering the best rotatable ear cups gaming headset for nurses, the Audio-Technica is the one with explicitly specified swiveling earcups—but it is a headphone, not a gaming headset. The Rand McNally is the more flexible choice for calls, not the one to choose for rotating-cup monitoring.
I would choose the Rand McNally ClearDryve 220 for a nurse who needs a wireless headset for calls and wants to switch to stereo listening without changing devices. Its convertible design, call-focused microphones, and listed 20-hour battery life make it the more adaptable pick for that routine.
I would choose the ATH-M50X instead for wired listening, passive isolation, and one-ear monitoring. For nurses, my recommendation comes down to the job the headset needs to do: calls and wireless flexibility point to Rand McNally; focused wired listening points to Audio-Technica.
The ClearDryve 220 is the clearer fit for calls: it has dual-microphone technology designed to reduce ambient noise and is convertible to single-ear use. The ATH-M50X’s listed features focus on wired listening and do not specify a microphone.
Yes. It uses Bluetooth 5.0, and its listed average battery life is up to 20 hours. The stated charging time is two hours; battery life in practice can depend on use.
They use different approaches. The ATH-M50X has a closed-back over-ear design intended to provide passive sound isolation, while the ClearDryve 220 lists active noise cancellation for listening and noise-reducing microphone technology for calls.
Choose the ClearDryve 220 if wireless calls and switching between one-ear and stereo use are the priority. Choose the ATH-M50X if a wired connection, passive isolation, and swiveling earcups better match the listening task.
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