When comparing Audio-Technica ATH-M40x vs Apple Airpods, the Slant community recommends Audio-Technica ATH-M40x for most people. In the question“What are the best headphones?” Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is ranked 17th while Apple Airpods is ranked 73rd. The most important reason people chose Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is:
Sound signature is quite accurate, almost flat. Bass is much more controlled instead of boomy, while there is a slight elevation on the highs, resulting in extra energy and detail up top. These offer a nice middle ground between a fun sound and a more reference/analytical sound signature. This sound quality makes the headphones quite versatile as music enjoyment headphones or studio-use cans.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Fairly neutral sound signature
Sound signature is quite accurate, almost flat. Bass is much more controlled instead of boomy, while there is a slight elevation on the highs, resulting in extra energy and detail up top. These offer a nice middle ground between a fun sound and a more reference/analytical sound signature. This sound quality makes the headphones quite versatile as music enjoyment headphones or studio-use cans.
Pro These have a high quality and durable feel
The M40xs feel solid and are known to be quite durable. The plastics used in the build do not easily flex or make creaks, giving the impression that these can last quite a long time.
Pro Can be used in noisy environments
The over-ear, closed back design along with the thick pleather ear pads can block out quite a lot of ambient noise, and will help users to focus in on the music. These make the headphones great for travel or for mixing/monitoring use.
Pro Comes with two detachable cables
The headphones come with a straight cable and a coiled cable, making them useful in the studio or while walking.
Pro Lightweight
These come in at only 4 grams per earpiece. The absence of a connecting cable further minimizes the weight.
Pro True wireless
There is no band or cable connecting the earpieces. You won't have to deal with the noise caused by a cable rubbing against your clothes or body.
Pro Bass-light sound signature with good clarity
These headphones do produce some low-end, but the bass does not come with a lot of power and oomph. The highs and mids are good though. They are not too forward and present a nice level of clarity. Most genres of music will sound good with these, though bass heavy tracks like dance, hip-hop, EDM and the like may sound lacking.
Pro Easy to connect with Apple devices
Thanks to the proprietary connectivity chip used, the Airpods sync to Apple devices without a hitch. This is a noticeable advantage over many third-party wireless headphones where you might need to go through a lot of steps just to get them synced properly.
Pro Signal stability and quality is great
The signal cuts-off only on very few occasions. Generally, you should have a stable wireless listening experience. Also, there is no noticeable lag between what is happening on screen and when you get to hear the sound from these headphones when watching videos.
Pro Microphone sound quality is good
Voices sound clear and full so conversations will not be an issue.
Cons
Con Incompatible with cables from other brands
Only Audio Technica cables can be used with these headphones.
Con Limited controls
There are only two control gestures (double tap on either one of the two Airpods), which is enough for basic running (where you might only skip a song once in a while), but less than any other headphones with inline controls.
Con If you get sweaty ears, there is a good chance these will fall out
Con Bass may be too light
If you listen to a lot of bass heavy tracks or if you want all of your music to have great low-end punch then the bass reproduction may be too thin for you.
Con Hard to acquire
In most places of the world, you need to wait about 6 weeks to get your hands on these.
