If you want to record, stream or podcast — including voiceover and engine audio for motorcycle videos — choose M-Audio M-Track Duo; if you need one dependable pair of closed-back headphones for monitoring, editing and quiet listening, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M20x. One of these is a recording front end with a headphone bundled in. The other is a headphone, full stop, and that single difference settles most of this comparison. Decide which job you actually have before you read another line.
• M-Audio M-Track Duo — biggest strength: it is a whole recording chain in one box. Two combo XLR/line/instrument inputs, phantom power, 48 kHz USB audio, a direct-monitoring switch, and a pair of closed-back studio headphones included.
• M-Audio M-Track Duo — biggest trade-off: it is a computer accessory, not a standalone listening device. No computer, no sound. Its 48 kHz sample rate is the ceiling, and the bundled headphone's 2.7 m cable is fixed in place.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M20x — biggest strength: focused closed-back listening from 40 mm dynamic drivers rated 15–20,000 Hz at 47 Ω and 96 dB — a load almost any phone, laptop, mixer or interface can drive comfortably.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M20x — biggest trade-off: it does exactly one job. No microphone, no interface, no wireless, and that 9.8 ft straight cable stencils it to a desk rather than a jacket pocket.
• Who each one is for: M-Track Duo → anyone who has to capture sound (podcaster, moto-vlogger, singer-songwriter, streamer). ATH-M20x → anyone who has to hear sound accurately and quietly without spending much.
Strip away the marketing and this is a two-channel USB interface with a pair of headphones thrown into the same package. The interface half gives you two combo XLR / line / instrument inputs, phantom power for condenser mics, and M-Audio's Crystal preamps, which the spec sheet frames as a transparent front end for whatever microphone you plug in. There's a dedicated line-versus-instrument switch — the detail that matters when you alternate between a condenser on a boom and a guitar or bass run straight in. Recording happens at 48 kHz over USB on Mac or Windows, and the whole thing is powered by the USB bus, so there's no power brick to lose.
Monitoring is where it earns its desk space. You get a 1/4-inch headphone output, stereo 1/4-inch outputs for powered speakers, and a USB/Direct switch for zero-latency monitoring. In plain terms: you hear yourself while you perform instead of hearing yourself a beat late. A copy of MPC Beats is included in the software suite, which is a reasonable place to start programming drums or sketching an idea.
The bundled HDH40 headphones are not an afterthought. Closed-back, 40 mm neodymium drivers, 32 Ω impedance and 95 dB sensitivity — an easy load that even a phone can drive, so they're useful well beyond the interface. The frame rotates 180 degrees, the arms are stainless steel with a scale so you can return to a fit you liked, and the cushioning is leather. The cable runs 2.7 m and is fixed, terminating with a ¼-inch adapter for mixers, interfaces and digital pianos. M-Audio covers it with the bundle rather than selling the headphone separately as an accessory.
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
Buy it if you have a microphone and nothing to plug it into, or you're building a one-person recording setup for narration, podcasts, streams or music. Skip it if you only ever want to listen — you'd be paying for two preamps and phantom power you'll never switch on, and you'd be chained to a computer every time you want to hear something.
This is the entry point of Audio-Technica's M-Series, and the spec sheet reads like a monitoring tool rather than a lifestyle product. Closed-back dynamic design, 40 mm drivers, a 15–20,000 Hz frequency response, 47 Ω impedance and 96 dB sensitivity. The closed back is the important part: it keeps sound in and ambient noise out, which is precisely what you want when you're judging whether a vocal take sits right or whether the low end of a mix is muddy.
Comfort gets real attention here. Audio-Technica lists these at 6.7 oz, which is light for an over-ear monitor, and the design is aimed squarely at extended wear. That matters more than it sounds — a headphone that pinches after forty minutes quietly ruins long editing sessions, and light weight is the simplest defence against it. The 9.8 ft (3 m) straight cable exits on the left side, long enough to reach across a desk to an interface or the back of a mixer without a tangle of extensions.
Connectivity is straightforward: a 3.5 mm jack that takes a ¼-inch adapter for pro gear. Build quality is described as robust enough for daily professional use, and there's a 1-year limited warranty behind it. This particular package also throws in a desktop stand for storage and display, which is a small thing that keeps the headphones off the floor.
Buy it if you already own something to plug into — a laptop, an interface, a mixer, a digital piano — and you want an honest, isolating pair of headphones for editing, tracking or just listening without distraction. Skip it if you need a microphone in the same purchase, or if you want wireless freedom; there is nothing here but a cable.
• Best for recording an actual microphone → M-Audio M-Track Duo. Two combo inputs with phantom power beat a headphone jack every time you need to capture a voice.
• Best for zero-latency tracking → M-Audio M-Track Duo. The USB/Direct switch lets you monitor straight from the interface instead of through the computer.
• Best for blocking out a noisy room → Audio-Technica ATH-M20x. Closed-back isolation is the whole point of the design, and it's the reason this works in a garage or a shared space.
• Best for plugging into almost anything → Audio-Technica ATH-M20x. 47 Ω and 96 dB with a 3.5 mm plug and a ¼-inch adapter covers laptops, phones, mixers and interfaces.
• Easiest to drive from a weak source → M-Track's bundled HDH40. At 32 Ω and 95 dB it asks even less of a phone or a budget laptop than the M20x does.
• Best for long sessions → Audio-Technica ATH-M20x on weight (6.7 oz); M-Track's HDH40 on adjustability. The 180-degree rotating frame and scaled telescopic arms are genuinely handy if you share the desk.
• Best for starting from zero → M-Audio M-Track Duo. Interface, preamps, headphones and recording software in one purchase closes three gaps at once.
• Best if you already own an interface → Audio-Technica ATH-M20x. Adding a second interface buys you nothing; adding a proper monitoring headphone buys you better decisions.
My Verdict
No. Both are wired, over-ear designs — the M-Track bundle's HDH40 with a fixed 2.7 m cable, the ATH-M20x with a 9.8 ft straight cable. If you're shopping for the best neckband headphones for motorcycle riding, or the best fast charging neckband headphones for motorcycle use, neither of these fits that brief.
Yes. At 47 Ω and 96 dB it plugs straight into a laptop, phone or mixer through its 3.5 mm jack, with a ¼-inch adapter for pro gear. An interface only becomes necessary when you want to record a microphone.
For spoken word, streaming and video work, 48 kHz over USB is a standard, workable rate — it's the rate most video platforms expect. The M-Track Duo caps out there, so buy it knowing you're not chasing high-resolution studio formats.
Neither is a riding headphone: both are wired over-ear designs that don't belong under a helmet. But as a garage or editing desk tool for engine sound, interviews and voiceover, the ATH-M20x has the wider frequency range and the stronger isolation, while the HDH40 is easier to drive from low-power devices.
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