How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want to record vocals, guitar or a podcast into a computer with clean, high-gain studio conversion, choose Focusrite Scarlett 2i2; if you need headphones for mixing, tracking, DJing or just critical listening, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. These two products get compared because they live on the same desk in most home studios — but they do completely different jobs, and the "which one" question only makes sense once you split them apart.
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 — biggest strength: a 2-in/2-out USB interface with 69dB of mic gain, 120dB dynamic range and 192kHz max sample rate, so it's the box that actually turns sound into a recording.
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 — biggest trade-off: it makes no sound on its own. No speakers, no drivers in the box beyond what you plug into it, and the bundle's headphones are a utility pair, not a monitoring reference.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest strength: 45mm large-aperture dynamic drivers in a closed-back, over-ear design with a 15Hz–28kHz range, detachable cables and 90° swiveling earcups for one-ear monitoring.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest trade-off: it's wired only, with no built-in mic, no wireless and no active features — and it can't record anything by itself.
• Buy the Scarlett 2i2 if you need to get a microphone or instrument into your computer.
• Buy the ATH-M50x if you need to hear what you recorded — accurately, and without the room bleeding in.
The Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen) is a two-input, two-output USB audio interface, and everything about it is built around capture. Two 4th-generation mic preamps give you a 69dB gain range, which is the number that matters if you're running a dynamic mic like an SM7-style broadcast mic or a quiet ribbon — plenty of headroom to get a healthy level without cranking a cheap preamp into hiss. On the instrument side there are Hi-Z inputs for electric guitar and bass, plus line inputs for synths and keyboards, so you can track a DI guitar and a vocal at the same time.
The conversion specs are the other half of the story. A 120dB dynamic range from studio-grade converters and a maximum sample rate of 192kHz put this squarely in "serious home studio" territory rather than "cheap dongle." Air Mode adds harmonic character to vocals and instruments, which is a nice shortcut when a take sounds flat, and Auto Gain plus Clip Safe handle the two most common beginner disasters: levels set too low and levels slammed into distortion. The Dynamic Gain Halos give you a visual read on your input level, which matters more than people admit when you're recording alone and can't watch a meter and play at the same time.
The bundle is worth understanding for what it is. You get the interface, a USB-A to USB-C cable, a pop filter, a 10-foot XLR mic cable and a pair of closed-back monitor headphones. That's a complete "mic to computer" chain minus the microphone itself — plug in an XLR mic, put the pop filter in front of it, and you're tracking. Drivers cover Windows, macOS and Linux, and it works with a PC, laptop, electric guitar or keyboard.
Buy it if you're starting a home studio, recording vocals or guitar, streaming, podcasting, or you need a reliable two-channel front end for a laptop. Skip it if you already own an interface, or if what you actually need is a monitoring tool — the 2i2 is the door into recording, not the window into your mix.
The ATH-M50x is a closed-back, over-ear studio monitor headphone, and its design brief is accuracy plus isolation. The 45mm large-aperture dynamic drivers use rare earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils, and the rated frequency range runs from 15Hz up to 28kHz — the low end is where these are best known, with deep, accurate bass rather than boosted, one-note thump. If you're mixing, that difference shows up immediately: a bass-heavy consumer headphone flatters your kick drum, while an accurate one tells you when it's actually too loud.
The circumaural (around-the-ear) fit is the practical feature most people underestimate. Because the cups seal around your ears, external noise is pushed down, which means you can track a vocalist while a backing track plays and not bleed much into the mic, or monitor a DJ set in a loud room and still hear the cue. The 90° swiveling earcups let you flip one side off your ear for single-ear monitoring — the standard move when you're cueing a live set or checking a room while tracking. The earpad and headband material is described as professional grade for durability and comfort, and the ABS/polycarbonate construction keeps the whole thing light enough to wear through a long session.
Cabling is unusually flexible here. The box includes a coiled cable (3.9 to 9.8 ft), a 9.8 ft straight cable, and a 3.9 ft straight cable, all detachable, plus a 1/4" screw-on adapter for interface and mixer outputs, and a carrying pouch. The bundle adds a headphone stand and a microfiber cloth. The jack is 3.5mm and the connection is wired only — no Bluetooth, no built-in microphone, no noise cancellation beyond the passive isolation of the closed cups.
Buy it if you're mixing, producing, tracking, DJing, podcasting, or you want one honest pair of headphones for critical listening across laptops, desktops, tablets, phones, consoles and music production gear. Skip it if you want wireless freedom, need a headset mic for calls, or you're looking for a bass-boosted consumer sound — these are deliberately the opposite of that. The limited 2-year manufacturer warranty is worth noting as a baseline.
• Best for recording audio → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. It's the only one of the two that captures sound; the M50x can't input anything.
• Best for accurate monitoring and mixing → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Closed-back isolation plus a 15Hz–28kHz range and 45mm drivers make it the listening tool.
• Best for a complete starter setup → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. The bundle includes the USB cable, XLR mic cable, pop filter and a pair of headphones, so you're one microphone away from a working chain.
• Best for silent practice and loud rooms → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The circumaural seal and swiveling earcups are built for noisy environments and one-ear cueing.
• Best for guitar and synth tracking → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Hi-Z instrument inputs and line inputs are exactly what electric guitar, bass and keyboard players need.
• Best for high-resolution work → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Up to 192kHz sample rate and 120dB dynamic range give you the headroom for detailed capture.
• Best for travel and everyday listening → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Detachable cables, a carrying pouch and a compact over-ear design travel far better than an interface.
• Best for a low-hassle plug-in-and-go experience → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. A 3.5mm jack and three included cables mean nothing to install and nothing to configure.
• Best choice if you must pick one first → Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, in my opinion, because it unlocks recording — and you can monitor through its bundled headphones until you add a better pair.
If I had to buy one of these two today, I'd buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. It's the piece that turns a laptop into a studio: two preamps, 69dB of gain, 192kHz conversion and a bundle that already includes the cables, pop filter and a monitoring pair. In my opinion, the ATH-M50x is the better product for pure listening, but it can't record a single note on its own — and if you own no interface yet, that's the gap that stops you. Buy the 2i2 first, then add the M50x when you want to hear your mixes properly. If you already own an interface and just need honest monitoring, flip the order and take the M50x.
Both are beginner-friendly, but they solve different problems. The 2i2 is the better first purchase if you have nothing to record with, since it includes the cables, pop filter and headphones. The M50x is the easier first purchase to use — plug it into a 3.5mm jack and it just works.
For a real home studio, yes — that's the classic pairing. The 2i2 handles input and conversion, and the closed-back M50x handles monitoring with isolation. They're complementary, not competing. If budget only allows one, start with whichever half of the chain you're missing.
No. It's a wired, passive monitoring headphone with a 3.5mm jack and detachable cables — no built-in microphone, no wireless, no active noise cancellation. Its isolation comes purely from the closed-back circumaural design.
The 2i2 is a desktop interface you set up once and leave connected via USB-C, with drivers for Windows, macOS and Linux. The M50x is built to move, with ABS and polycarbonate housings, 90° swiveling earcups, three detachable cables and a limited 2-year manufacturer warranty. Different jobs, different wear patterns.
Check the current price on Amazon for whichever role you're missing. If you have no way to record, price the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 first; if you only need monitoring, price the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The page's button will show you the latest figures rather than a number I'd have to guess at.
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