Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet is a wired streaming headset with an excellent XLR condenser mic and the same 45mm drivers as the ATH-M50x. Mic quality is top-tier, sound is well above average, but comfort is poor and you'll need an audio interface. Best for streamers who prioritize mic quality over everything else.

The mic is the star here. It's a cardioid condenser based on the 20 Series studio mics, mounted on a flexible boom arm. The cardioid pattern helps reject background noise, and flipping the boom up mutes it instantly. That's a nice touch for streamers who need to cough or talk to someone off-camera without fumbling for a button. In our database, the mic quality lands in the 91st percentile, which means it beats the vast majority of headset mics we've tracked. If you're comparing this to a typical gaming headset mic, there's no contest.

Sound quality is solid but not class-leading. The 45mm drivers deliver the M50x signature: extended highs, detailed mids, and deep bass that stays controlled. The 78th percentile sound ranking puts it well above average, but a few competitors edge it out. The closed-back design gives good isolation, which matters if you're monitoring in a room with a loud PC fan or AC unit. Battery life is a non-issue since this is a wired headset, but our battery metric still lands at the 47th percentile because it's compared against wireless products too. Connectivity is limited to a 3.5mm headphone jack and XLR mic output, so don't expect Bluetooth or USB-C.

Compared to the Sennheiser MOMENTUM M5AEBT, the ATH-M50xSTS is a completely different animal. The Sennheiser is wireless, has ANC, and is built for music listening on the go. But it has no boom mic, so it's useless for streaming without a separate microphone. The Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/B is similar, a wireless ANC headphone with no mic arm. The Technics EAH-A800 is another wireless option with excellent sound but again, no streaming mic.

Against the JBL Tune 670NC and TOZO HT3, the Audio-Technica wins on mic quality by a landslide. Those budget wireless headphones aren't even in the same conversation for streaming. But they're lighter, more comfortable, and have ANC. The ATH-M50xSTS comfort score of 6th percentile is a serious red flag. If you stream for four or five hours at a time, the weight and clamp might drive you crazy. The trade-off is clear: best-in-class mic, solid sound, but you pay for it in comfort and connectivity.

At $219 USD, the ATH-M50xSTS sits in a weird spot. You're paying for the mic quality and the M50x driver pedigree, but you're also giving up wireless, ANC, and any kind of USB convenience. For comparison, the Sony ULT WEAR and Sennheiser MOMENTUM are wireless Bluetooth headphones in a similar price range, but they don't have a boom mic at all. If you already own an audio interface and you want a single headset for streaming, this makes sense. If you're just looking for good headphones to listen to music, you can get the regular ATH-M50x for less and skip the mic entirely. The value proposition hinges entirely on whether you need that XLR condenser mic.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet is a wired, closed-back, over-ear headset aimed squarely at streamers and content creators. It takes the well-known ATH-M50x studio headphone formula and bolts on a cardioid condenser boom mic borrowed from Audio-Technica's 20 Series. At around $219 USD, it's not a casual gaming headset. It's a tool for people who want one device for monitoring and talking on stream without juggling separate headphones and a desktop mic.

If you're searching for a streaming headset with an XLR mic, this is one of the few options that doesn't feel like a toy. The 45mm dynamic drivers are the same large-aperture units from the M50x, with rare earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils. The frequency response runs from 15Hz to 28kHz, and impedance sits at 38 ohms, so it's easy to drive from most interfaces or even a laptop jack. The mic output is XLR, which means you'll need an audio interface or mixer. This is not a USB plug-and-play headset.

Is the ATH-M50xSTS good for streaming? For audio quality, yes. The mic ranks in the 91st percentile among similar products in our database, which puts it near the top of the charts for headset microphones. Sound quality is also strong, landing in the 78th percentile. But comfort is a real problem, sitting all the way down in the 6th percentile. At 454 grams, this thing is heavy, and the clamp force plus weight adds up over long sessions.

Skip the ATH-M50xSTS if you don't have an audio interface or mixer, since the XLR mic won't work without one. It's also a bad fit for commuters or travelers, with a commute score of 27 out of 100 and no wireless or ANC. If you want a comfortable all-day headphone for music, the Sony ULT WEAR or Sennheiser MOMENTUM are better picks. And if you're a console gamer looking for a simple plug-and-play headset, the lack of USB or a single combined jack makes this a hassle. This is a desktop streaming tool, not a general-purpose headset.

Should you buy the ATH-M50xSTS? If you're a streamer or podcaster who wants a single headset with a genuinely good XLR condenser mic, and you already have an audio interface, this is one of the best options out there. The mic quality is the main event, and it delivers. The sound is also very good, with the M50x DNA clearly present.

But if you don't need an XLR mic, or you value comfort and wireless convenience, look elsewhere. The comfort score is bad enough that we'd hesitate to recommend this for marathon streaming sessions without trying it first. The lack of USB connectivity also means it won't work with a console or a phone without adapters. This is a niche product for a specific kind of user, and for that user, it's great. For everyone else, it's a pass.