We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wireless-capable, bass-forward over-ear headphone you can also use untethered, choose Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Headphones; if you need a wired, studio-grade monitoring tool built for critical listening and long sessions, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. That's the short version. The longer version is about what each one is actually designed to do — and that's what the rest of this article is for.
• Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Headphones — biggest strength: Dual wired/wireless connectivity with Bluetooth and Klipsch's balanced dynamic (kbd) driver design, tuned for deep, low-distortion bass in a metal-and-plastic over-ear frame.
• Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: It's a consumer listening headphone first. It has sound isolation and remote controls, but it isn't positioned as a neutral studio monitor, and it doesn't ship with the swappable cable kit the M50x includes.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest strength: A wired, closed-back professional monitor with 45mm dynamic drivers, detachable coiled and straight cables, a 6.3mm adapter, a carrying pouch, and extra H&A leather earpads for extended comfort.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — biggest trade-off: It's wired-only in practice, so there's no Bluetooth freedom, and the emphasis on sealed, accurate monitoring means it's less about casual untethered listening.
• Who the Klipsch is for: Listeners who want one over-ear headphone for music and everyday use, wired at the desk and wireless on the move.
• Who the M50x is for: Producers, mixers, musicians, and anyone who wants a rugged wired monitor that isolates well and travels flat.
The Klipsch Reference Over-Ear is built around a specific idea: a fully balanced driver that moves like a piston to cut distortion and deliver what Klipsch describes as authentic, deep bass. The 40mm kbd dynamic drivers sit inside a metal-and-plastic enclosure, and the impedance is rated at 32 ohms with a frequency response spanning 15Hz to 20Hz — that low-end figure tells you where the tuning leans. This is a headphone designed to make music feel full and weighty, not to flatten it into a clinical reference curve.
So who should buy it? In my opinion, the Klipsch Reference Over-Ear fits the person who wants a single do-everything headphone: streaming from a laptop over Bluetooth, plugging into a 3.5mm jack on a plane or a game controller, and enjoying a warm, bass-forward sound along the way. It's an adult-oriented, everyday listening headphone, not a specialist's instrument.
Who should skip it? If your priority is surgical accuracy for mixing, or if you want a locking, swappable cable system and a hard travel kit, the Klipsch isn't aimed at you. Its isolation is sound-isolation based rather than a sealed studio seal, and it doesn't come with the pro accessories a monitoring headphone needs. For casual and general listening, though, the feature set is genuinely broad.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: Who It's For
The ATH-M50x is a professional monitor, and everything about it says so. The large-aperture 45mm dynamic drivers cover a 20Hz–20,000Hz range and are tuned for clarity and accurate, deep bass — the kind of response you want when you're checking whether a mix actually translates. The closed-back design is there to cut ambient noise and minimize bleed, which matters when you're tracking or mixing in a room that isn't perfectly quiet.
The kit is what really defines this headphone. You get three interchangeable cables, including coiled and straight options, a 6.3mm adapter for pro interfaces, a carrying pouch, and a set of H&A high-frequency leather earpads for extra comfort over long sessions. The frame is aluminum, and the whole thing is collapsible, so it packs down and survives being thrown in a bag day after day. There's a volume control with push-button operation built in, and the warranty runs a year.
Who should buy it? Producers, engineers, musicians, podcasters, and serious listeners who want one wired headphone that isolates well, stays comfortable for hours, and can be repaired or reconfigured with a different cable instead of replaced. The detachable cable system is a real long-term advantage — if a cable fails, you swap it, not the headphone. The collapsible aluminum build reinforces that same buy-it-once logic.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for wireless freedom → Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Headphones. Bluetooth plus wired 3.5mm gives you both modes in one headphone.
• Best for pure wired monitoring → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. A closed-back wired design with 45mm drivers and a 6.3mm adapter for studio gear.
• Best for bass-forward casual listening → Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Headphones. The 40mm kbd drivers and 15Hz-rated low end point squarely at deep, weighty bass.
• Best for noise isolation and minimal bleed → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The sealed, contoured earcups are built to keep sound in and room noise out.
• Best for travel and packing → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. It's collapsible, comes with a pouch, and its aluminum build is meant to take a beating.
• Best for cable flexibility → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. Three interchangeable cables, coiled and straight, so you can match the setup.
• Best for extended-session comfort → Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The included H&A leather earpads are there specifically for long listening and studio work.
• Best for one-headphone-everything → Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Headphones. Wired at the desk, wireless on the couch, with remote controls and Play-Fi support.
If I were buying for myself and my priority were a flexible everyday headphone — wired when I want it, Bluetooth when I don't, with a bass-forward sound and over-ear cushions built for comfort — I'd take the Klipsch Reference Over-Ear Headphones. If I were buying for actual audio work, long isolated sessions, or a headphone I intend to keep for years and repair rather than replace, I'd take the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. In my opinion the M50x is the more purpose-built tool of the two, and the Klipsch is the more versatile one. Match the tool to the job and you won't second-guess either.
Both. It supports Bluetooth wireless operation and also has a 3.5mm jack for a wired connection, so you can switch depending on what you're plugged into. That dual-mode design is its main differentiator against the M50x.
Yes — it ships with three interchangeable cables, including coiled and straight options, plus a 6.3mm adapter, a carrying pouch, and a set of H&A leather earpads. The detachable design means you can swap cables rather than replace the whole headphone.
For monitoring, mixing, and tracking, the ATH-M50x is the more appropriate choice. Its closed-back, sound-isolating design, 45mm drivers, and 6.3mm adapter are all built for professional use. The Klipsch is aimed at general listening with a bass-forward tuning.
The M50x includes H&A high-frequency leather earpads explicitly for extended use, and its collapsible aluminum frame is designed for durability. The Klipsch also uses deep over-ear cushions, but I'd lean M50x if marathon sessions are the norm.
Decide by use case, not by hype. Want Bluetooth and a warm bass-forward sound for everyday listening? Go Klipsch. Want a wired, isolating, repairable monitor for real audio work? Go M50x. Then check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before you commit.
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