If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The original ATH-M50xBT got full marks when reviewed in HFC 450 and was descended from Audio-Technica’s popular M50x wired headphone. So this second-generation Bluetooth update focuses on bringing its digital features up to date while additionally cutting the price.
The basic design is the same as its predecessor. It’s not the lightest, but the earpieces and adjustable headband are thickly padded and the hinges allow you to rotate the earpieces to find a comfortable position. The headphone is mostly plastic, but seems sturdy enough, and there’s a carrying pouch bundled. The BT2 model has also been updated with a USB-C charging port, so a cable is provided, along with a 3.5mm cable.
There’s no change to the 45mm drivers or their impressive 15Hz28kHz frequency response, but there’s a new Bluetooth chip to handle the wireless audio and a new AK4331 DAC/amp as well. The battery life is improved too, from 40 to 50 hours, and you can use the BT2 in wired mode if the battery runs flat.
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Baffle stations
Rogers has done the unthinkable - taken a deep breath and improved the iconic LS3/5A. David Vivian checks out the Special Edition
A RECORDING TECHNOLOGY SHOWDOWN
What's the best way to record music? Half-speed mastering? 33 or 45rpm? Analogue or digital? Mike Valentine has produced an audiophile recording that allows you to decide for yourself . Neville Roberts attends the session
Pure and simple
Wireless earphones from Shoreham-By-Sea
Klipsch The Fives McLaren Edition £1,350
The original Fives were decent enough, if lacking a little glamour. Enter McLaren to change that...
To the Max
Can the AirPods Max become the apple of Jake Day Williams' eye or will the US company's shortcomings hold it back?
Quiet riot
Grell might be a new arrival in the world of wireless audio, but the pedigree is impeccable notes
Space race
Less hefty on his wallet than the company's previous Peacock offering, Cliff Joseph takes flight with Sendy Audio's Apollo
KEF LS50 Wireless Il £2,500
The original caused a sensation back in 2016, can this latest update continue the good work?
Joy revision
It's taken seven long years, but Chord has finally retired its phenomenal Mojo. David Vivian welcomes the sequel
Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation £1,450
The soundbar on steroids returns in its mark two guise, but can it make the updates count where it matters?
Sony reveals its Game Pass alternative… and Microsoft has nothing to worry about
PlayStation Plus is still heavily invested in console hardware.
FASTER, FASTEST
Zenith built the El Primero, the world's most accurate chronograph, in 1969. But now the manufacture has increased its beat frequency from 1/10th to 1/100th of a second. We took a look at what the fastest mechanical watch can do with its many facets.
Langen Two-Stroke 250 Back to the Future
First ride on the debut model produced by Langen Motorcycles, the limited edition 250cc Two Stroke repli-racer produced by Britain’s newest manufacturer that’s now in production
MEDIA ROOM INSIDER: SEDONA PARADISE
An open-plan viewing/ listening space grows in the Arizona desert, with equipment choices guided by Sound & Vision reviews
After You Die, You Could Be Resurrected as a Chatbot. That's a Problem
No one knows where we go when we die. Or for that matter, what happens to our most intimate thoughts, dreams, and desires when the nerve cells in our brains fire for the very last time. But it looks as though Microsoft may have some ideas.
Someday, a Pig-to-Human Organ Transplant Could Save Your Life
Kidneys aren't the first pig part to enter a human body. Doctors routinely transplant pig heart valves into human patients.
To Trinitron and Beyond
Man, oh, man. Can this really be happening? Over these many years, I have purchased all manner of excellent Sony products: radios, televisions, tape recorders, receivers, amplifiers, turntables, Betamax, CD, DVD, Blu-ray, Mini-disc, headphones, boomboxes, speakers, soundbars, videogame consoles, phones, camcorders, cameras—you name it. But will my next Sony purchase be...a car?
TV Trends of CES 2022
After going fully online in 2021 due to the global pandemic, CES 2022 was an in-person event, with both manufacturers and attendees required to provide proof of vaccination and don masks prior to entering the show floor.
4K All the Way
Sony's Projector
Next-Gen Virtual Reality
Sony’s latest PSVR 2 device is here!