Features

Active Noise Cancelling

Android App

Optimized for Android

Optimized for Apple

Performance

Battery life buds (reviews)

Bluetooth Version

Manufacturer

Build Quality

Build and Design

Build Quality (Rescaled)

Cable length (m)

Calls Score

Calls Score (Rescaled)

Battery life case

Charging time

Color

Comfort

Comfort (Rescaled)

Connectivity

Durability

Dustproof Certified

Dustproof Rating

Earbud Size

Exercise Score

Exercise Score (Rescaled)

Form Factor

Gaming Score

Gaming Score (Rescaled)

Includes Eartips

iOS App

Lossless Codec

Low Latency

Mic Quality (Rescaled)

Mic Style

Music Score

Sound

Music Score (Rescaled)

Noise Isolation Quality (Rescaled)

Book/Podcast Score

Book/Podcast Score (Rescaled)

Portability Score (Rescaled)

Price

filter:Replaceable wires

Sound Profile

Sound Quality

Sound Quality (Rescaled)

Soundstage / Imaging

Soundstage / Imaging (Rescaled)

Sweatproof Certified

Travel Score

Travel Score (Rescaled)

TV and Video Score

TV and Video Score (Rescaled)

Virtual Surround

Waterproof Rating

Weight

Wired

Wireless

Wireless charging

Music lovers, young or old, frugal or affluent, deserve to hear music as it was meant to be heard, as the artist intended it to be heard. Everyone deserves to hear more. That’s how 1More, a China based company, describes their mission. Their products are all tuned by Luca Bignardi, a sound engineer who’s worked side by side with artists such as Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini and Andrea Bocelli, in an effort to offer premium quality audio devices at midrange prices.

Antlion Audio is an American company based in Oregon. Founded in 2011 by Jimmy Console, an engineer and physician, in order to create and offer better solutions for voice communication, specifically a microphone which could be used with any set of headphones which materialized in the very popular ModMic. The company has since expanded to include a wide variety of wired and wireless products.

Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.

Audeze is an, award-winning, American premium headphone manufacturer based in California. Founded in 2008, their products are developed around aerospace materials technology first used by NASA and are widely used by enthusiasts and professionals alike, not only in the fields of music and sound engineering but also in e-sports and the health industry.

Audio Technica is a 60-year-old, Japan-based, professional audio equipment manufacturer. They started off making phonograph cartridges and have expanded their scope of products ever since to include extremely popular models of microphones and headphones. They have been the official audio equipment supplier of several editions of the Summer and Winter Olympics and every edition of the Grammy Awards since 1998.

Bang and Olufsen is an almost century-old electronic goods manufacturer based in Denmark with a very special focus on design. Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen created the first AC radio in 1925 and went on to develop televisions, telephones and, of course, headphones and loudspeakers. Today, they are partnered with several companies, like Audi, BMW and Aston Martin, to provide very high-quality audio solutions.

Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.

Beyerdynamic is a German, family-owned, century-old, audio system manufacturer. They produce a wide array of professional-quality products such as microphones, aviation headsets, conference systems and headphones. The company has served as the main provider of audio equipment for German entertainment events like tours by the Beatles and Elton John and even government entities like the German Parliament.

Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.

Bowers and Wilkins is a British audio equipment manufacturer with a focus on innovation and product development. It was founded by a couple of real-life James Bonds, the co-founders John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, who met while working for MI6 during World War II. The company keeps being favored by enthusiasts due to their sound quality, craftsmanship and signature aesthetics.

Creative Labs is a Singaporean technology company specialized in the manufacture of multimedia products. They created the world-famous Soundblaster soundcard back in 1989 which was a staple of the gaming community for a long time. Nowadays, besides still marketing their discrete audio systems, they offer a wide array of headphones, gaming headsets and speakers that still preserve that same heritage.

Earfun is an audio equipment manufacturer, headquartered in California, that specializes in producing quality, very affordable earbuds and wireless speakers. According to their site, their mission is to provide high-quality sound that the general public can hear, perceive, and afford.

EPOS is a relatively new company with a very long heritage. Previously known as Sennheiser Communications, EPOS is the result of the joint venture between the German headphone manufacturer Sennheiser and the Danish Demant that sought to develop premium audio communication solutions. They specialize in two main product groups, enterprise communications and gaming communication headsets and processing devices.

Etymotic Research is an American based research, development and manufacturing company founded in 1983. They invented the first insert earphones that were used for the diagnosis and research of hearing loss and other auditory disorders. They went on to pioneer the market of high fidelity, isolating, in-ear earphones.

Mainly known as the most popular search engine on the planet, Google is a multinational technology company that also offers a variety of audio-oriented products. Beside their smart speakers under the Nest product line, Google offers several models of true wireless earbuds under the Pixel line, some of which happen to be an affordable but very powerful option for those already in the Android ecosystem.

Grado Labs is a small, family-owned, business based in Brooklyn New York that specializes in high-end, boutique, dynamic headphones and turntable cartridges. They boast a particular house sound, that is to say their products have a particular sound signature unique to Grado, that some audiophiles seem to really like and are unable to find anywhere else. Their high-end headphones are all hand made, completely in house, from a variety of exotic woods and materials going so far as to making one of their most popular products out of hemp.

HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.

Starting originally as a high-performance and gaming line of memory modules within Kingston and later acquired by HP, HyperX is a dedicated esports and gaming division focused on developing peripherals, microphones and headsets. Providing budget-friendly, comfortable and highly functional products, HyperX has become the go-to for many gamers around the world, resulting in sales of over 20 million headsets throughout the years.

Jabra is a subsidiary of GN Store Nord, a 150-year-old Danish company that specializes in the manufacturing of hearing aids, headsets and earphones. Jabra has a focus on fit and comfort and quality control over everything else. According to Peter Karstromer, Jabras CEO, they “design and engineer technology that frees people to work, live and communicate how and where they want to, equipping them with the tools to live their life to a new rhythm”.

Jaybird is an American headphone and activity tracker manufacturer focused on the exercise and sports market. The company was founded in 2006 by Judd Armstrong who sought for a product that was thoroughly sweatproof and that wouldn’t get in the way during physical activity. Jaybird is a part of the Swiss company Logitech International, since 2016.

JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.

Moondrop is a Chinese brand of smart audio equipment, portable audio players, earbuds and headphones started in 2015. During the last few years they have become one of the major players in what is lovingly referred to as the Chi-fi market, the bulk of Chinese companies that have managed to actually compete with the western manufacturers in both prices and superior quality. Products such as the Blessing II, Chu and Kato are among the most popular offerings of the brand, more popular among those users that wish for good quality audio that won't break the bank. Besides audio, the brand also works in what they call the ACGN field (Animation, Comics, Games and Short Novels).

Yes, Nothing’s the name of the brand! Nothing is a British consumer electronics manufacturer founded in 2020 by the co-founder of the smartphone manufacturer OnePlus. The company has developed and released 3 different pairs of earbuds, 2 models of smartphone and even their own brand of beer.

Philips is a Dutch conglomerate and electronics manufacturer with over 130 years of history. Philips makes the Fidelio audio line which includes several models of full-sized wired and wireless headphones, true wireless earbuds. soundbars and wireless speakers.

Razer is an American-Singaporean hardware manufacturer aimed specifically toward the gaming market. They manufacture a very wide array of gaming laptops, tablets, phones, peripherals and, of course, headphones and earbuds both wired and wireless. Since 2016, Razer has owned the THX suite, aimed at quality assurance of audiovisual systems such as speaker sets, video game consoles and even movie theaters.

Rode is an Australian audio equipment manufacturer. Rode was founded in 1967 as Freedman Electronics, transitioning into its modern brand in 1990, and it’s mainly known for their high-end microphones and audio production equipment. In 2022 they entered into the headphone market with their NTH-100 closed back headphone which was received with very good reviews from the community.

Samsung is a multinational conglomerate with over 85 years of history. They are mostly known to consumers for their high-end smartphones and TVs, however they are invested in many other markets like semiconductors and automotive. Samsung owns Harman International which itself owns other audio specialized companies like Harman Kardon, JBL and AKG who help engineer most, if not all, of Samsung audio products of their Galaxy line.

A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.

Skullcandy is an American, consumer-oriented, earbuds and headphones manufacturer with 20 years of market experience. They sell a wide variety of, budget-friendly and unique, wired and wireless products that are sure to please the vast majority of users. Among their most popular offerings, the Crusher headphones, includes a pair of actual subwoofers inside the cups which makes the bass extra prominent for a unique and extra fun sound.

Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.

Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.

Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.

Thieaudio is the in-house brand of Linsoul Audio, a Chinese earbud and headphone retailer specializing in what the community lovingly calls Chi-fi, that is high fidelity brands out of China. Thieaudio was established in 2019 as the creative engineering branch of Linsoul. As of today, they market three different lines of earbuds, Voyager, Legacy and the extremely well-received Monarch.

headphones

Do you prefer using earbuds or headphones?

Would you rather have wired or wireless earbuds?

Would you rather have wired or wireless headphones?

Would you rather have a wired or wireless product?

Would you like your earbuds to reduce outside noise?

Would you like your headphones to reduce outside noise?

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Which mobile devices will you use with your earbuds?

Which mobile devices will you use with your headphones?

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Have you had trouble with earbuds feeling too big?

Backlit Keyboard

Battery Capacity

BATTERY

Battery Life

CPU Score

Creative Use Score

Dimensions (W x D x H)

Display Outputs

Display Technology

Ethernet

Fan Noise Score

General Use Score

GPU Score

Graphics

Keyboard Quality Score

Mobility Score

MUX Switch or Advanced Optimus

Number Pad

Operating System

INTERNAL

Processor

RAM Slots

Refresh Rate

SCREEN

Resolution

Screen Aspect Ratio

Screen Quality Score

Screen Size

Speaker Quality Score

Special Features

Storage

Storage Slots

Thickness

Thunderbolt

Total GPU Power

Touchscreen

USB-C

USB-C Charging

PORTS

USB Type-A

OTHER HARDWARE

Webcam Resolution

Year Released

Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.

Apple, an American technology company, is the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.

ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, was the fifth largest personal computer vendor by market share in 2022. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.

Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and the third-largest personal computer vendor by market share in 2022. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.

Eluktronics is a relatively new American gaming laptop company, founded in 2011. They are a reseller for the Taiwanese brand Clevo, who manufacture laptops exclusively and ship them to resellers like Eluktronics who customize them. Eluktronics laptops generally have great hardware specifications for the money, including the CPU, GPU, and RAM. They also feature a relatively clean design by gaming laptop standards, with few logos and discreet colors.

Framework is a new American laptop manufacturer, specializing in modular and repairable laptops with the goals of promoting longevity and reducing electronic waste. They are a strong proponent of the right to repair movement. Framework laptops have replaceable RAM, storage, ports, keyboards, display bezels, mainboards, and more, making them a great choice for repairability-oriented individuals.

Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.

Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.

HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.

Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.

LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.

Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.

MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.

Samsung Electronics is the second-largest technology corporation by revenue. Based in South Korea, they are very well known for their wide range of phones, tablets, TVs and appliances. Their main line of laptops is the Galaxy Book series, launched in 2017. This range includes 2-in-1 convertible devices and standard notebooks, with a focus on portability and value for money.

Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.

Sound
Music Score
Music Score	9^/10
Phone Calls Score
Phone Calls Score	4.4^/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score	6.3^/10
TV and Video Score
TV and Video Score	7.9^/10
Podcast / Audiobook Score
Podcast / Audiobook Score	7^/10
Sound Profile
Sound Profile	Bass, Neutral

Audio Technica M50x

About Audio Technica

About Audio Technica