Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones

My Experience: Hearing What's Actually There

Most consumer headphones boost the bass to make music sound "fun." When I started editing my podcast, I realized those bass-heavy headphones were lying to me. I grabbed the ATH-M20x because they are widely cited as the best flat-response headphones under $50.

Putting them on, the difference is clarity. You hear mistakes. You hear the breath before a singer starts. You hear the background hiss you need to remove. They aren't "exciting" like Beats, but they are honest. And for editing video or audio, honesty is exactly what you pay for.

Comfort for Long Edits

The ear cups are large and cover my ears completely, which provides decent passive noise isolation. I can wear them for about 3-4 hours before the top of my head starts to feel the pressure from the band. They are lightweight, mostly plastic, but they've survived being thrown in my drawer every day for a year without a scratch.