Audio-Technica ATH-M30 Professional Studio Monitor Closed-back Dynamic Stereo Headphones

I have never owned a set of true headphones before. I never could have imagined using headphones on a daily basis for something like TV listening, but I reached the point where I wanted to experience better sound quality. I had a stereo hooked up to my TV, but it never became my standard way of watching TV, as it consumes too much power, is too noisy, and is another annoying step I must perform every time I want to watch TV. In short, I never bothered to really use it. I considered surround sound or even a sound bar, but that would be hard to set up in my bedroom and is expensive. I didn't think there were any other good alternatives besides the above options.However, being a gamer, I have heard of gaming headsets like the Turtle Beach Ear Force and how much they improve the audio experience. I was all set to drop $60 on the Ear Force PX21, but then I decided I wanted to see what my alternatives were and see if there were ones with better or on-par sound quality and a cheaper price. Fast forward quite a few hours later, and I'm more confused than when I started. Headphone prices range anywhere from $20 to $200, and all of the good ones say the same thing, no matter what the price. $20 headphones can say "amazing sound quality", while $200 headphones say "so much better quality than $20 headphones". How much better can better be than amazing? I didn't know, so I decided to try low-mid end, starting with the Audio Technica M30s. If they didn't suit me, I could return them and buy more expensive headphones. I will not be returning my headphones, luckily.If my scenario sound somewhat like yours, then I fully recommend these headphones. Below I'll include a pros/cons list.Pros:-Extremely comfortable. I have used these for up to 3 hour sessions and the headphones never caused any discomfort. I also wear glasses and have long hair. I can't feel my glasses and the headphones don't tug on my hair if it's over my ears. My hair does make my ears itch sometimes though.-Simple yet sleek design. Some headphones just look silly. These look great.-Long 11' cord. I watch on a 32" TV about 6 feet away, so you could probably watch up to a 42" TV without needing an extension cord.-Great sound quality. I'm not an audiophile, and I don't know if there is actually a difference between these and something like some Sennheiser 595s or if it's all in your head. I don't have a single complaint about the sound quality, though.-Great price. I got these for $44, and that doesn't seem to be a sale price, although Amazon lists MSRP over $100. These come just a bit more expensive than no-name entry level headphones.Cons:-Can't adjust the volume. This is not a problem for the product's intended use, but for those that want to use this for TV viewing, it's something I worried about. However, the standard volume level (at least for my TV, don't know if it would differ) was great, although maybe a bit too loud in games, which are usually adjustable anyway. If it's too low for you, you'll need to buy an amplifier for around $10-20. If it's too loud, you can buy a volume controller for $5-No RCA cables. Again, not a problem for the product's intended use, just mentioning it to help others. You'll need to purchase a 3.5mm female to RCA male adapter if your TV does not have the proper stereo output like mine. This purchase is a paltry $1.50 and free shipping, though. Just order before your headphones arrive.-Head size. I have a slightly small head for an adult I suppose. I use these headphones on their smallest size and it fits just about right, if not a tad too large. I'm not sure if they came smaller if smaller would be TOO tight, but for kids and teens, these headphones may be a bit too loose. If they're not in the perfect position and I tilt my head back to take a drink, the headphones will slip back.-No microphone. Not really a con as these are headphones and not a headset, but since they do the same thing and I'm using it for gaming, I'll go ahead and mention it. If you need a headset, it is easily fixable by getting a Zalman clip-on microphone for $12. If you want to use it with your PS3 or 360 though, you'll need to buy even more conversion cables.If the cons bother you and you're pretty sure you'll end up needing all of the other accessories I mentioned, you may want to consider a true gaming headset like the Ear Force PX21, which is a higher price, but pretty much has an amplifier, volume controller, and PC/PS3/360 microphone built-in and I believe has RCA cables. I can't comment if sound quality will be worse, and very likely won't be better, so if you think you can keep it simple, the ATH-M30s are a much better buy.

Our home has a rather open floorplan. Consequently our home theater area, my wife's computer area and my computer area are all within easy earshot of each other. All three systems are set up for Blu-ray and high def viewing and it isn't unusual for one of us to be watching the TV or a movie on the home theater system while the other is working, listening to music, or watching a different movie on their computer. We've used earbuds or open foam headphones to listen to our respective computers while the other is utilizing the main theater system. Unfortunately earbuds tend to give a rather flat sound experience and open headphones just don't block out any of the intruding sound.After a bit of research combined with a general unwillingness to spend a lot of money, I decided to experiment and purchase the Audio-Technica M30 headphones. Then I compared the M30s with my favorite earbuds, open headphones, and my desktop computer's dual speaker system to evaluate performance while listening to DVDs, Blu-rays, music, and Amazon Prime movie downloads. The M30s won hands down.My overall first impression was that the M30s added high def sound to the headphone experience. The depth and sound direction was like having a home theater system on my head. If you remember watching familiar movies on HD for the first time and how you noticed things you never saw before, the same thing happens with the sound on these headphones. The sound is crisp, rich, and alive with a nice depth, especially with movies.They are comfortable, and I wear wire rimmed glasses. I have avoided closed-back headphones because they tend to hurt my ears especially when I'm wearing my glasses. After wearing the M30s for three hours, there was minor discomfort that little positional shift eliminated completely. With closed-back headphones the skull bridge can often put excessive pressure on the ears, adding to the discomfort and pain. The M30's pressure is light yet keeps the headphones nicely in place.Others have said the headphones have no bass range. I didn't find that to be exactly accurate. I've always used The Eagles as is a good test of balanced bass in music. The bass is absolutely apparent in all their classics. What is missing is the thumping subwoofer experience, something we've become accustomed to over the years with movies and clubs. With the M30s the balanced low to high range is excellent but there's no thumping vibration. If thumping bass is what you desire, the M30s won't be for you. If balance is what you seek, you'll be happy, especially at the M30 price point.The M30s also did a nice job of eliminating about 80% of the intruding sounds from the home theater system and ambient conversations. It is very easy to mentally block out the remaining 20% as your focus shifts to the movie or music. One simple example; my wireless keyboard is rather noisy. I don't listen to music or movies at high volume levels, preferring about 40-50% max volume or less on my computer. Even at the 15-20% level I can't hear my keyboard at all as I type while listening to music.For the money, the M30's are a great value and purchase.Update: My wife came home from a business trip and after settling back home she saw the headphones sitting on my desk plugged into my computer. She put them on, listened to some music then a streaming movie for maybe 5 minutes while I was out of the room. When I walked back in she asked "How much are these?" When I told her she said "buy me a pair, now." A second set for her is on the way.