Audio-Technica’s Affordable Bluetooth Studio Headphones Are Legit

Do the M20XBT’s live up to their legacy?

Photo taken by the author.

I’ve been a fan of Audio-Technica’s headphone products for a long time. Their venerable M50X’s are still stalwarts of both the production and enthusiast worlds, even though their many years on the market have not been totally kind to their public perception.

The M50X’s much cheaper cousins, the M20X’s, have quietly racked up thousands of sales thanks to their low price and relatively easy-to-stomach sound signature. They’re good headphones to throw in a production kit, or quickly check some audio for flaws…and not the worst thing ever if you just want to listen to some music. I reviewed them five years ago, and weirdly enjoyed how they seemed like a coiled spring that just wanted to crunch themselves down into a ball in my hand.

Audio companies have chased after the ever-growing wireless market for many years now, and Audio-Technica successfully broke in with the more expensive M50XBT’s. I wasn’t as positive on the original release of those as some other critics, because I didn’t totally love that they tweaked down the strident upper midrange that helped make the original pair so popular and polarizing. They’ve since released a version two, which added a better amplifier and some EQ modes, alongside better mics — but I didn’t rush out to buy one.

After my totally fine and competent M50XBT experience, I ignored the M20XBT’s when they first launched. Then I found a pair in my local Barnes and Noble bookstore this past summer for some reason, and the novelty of buying studio headphones in a book shop pushed my brain into an instant purchase.

Photo taken by the author.

After spending a couple of months with the M20XBT’s, I can tell you this: they’re such an easy recommendation, even at their full price of $79. You can find their official product page right here. In the box, you get the headphones, a too-tiny USB-C charging cable, a thin 3.5mm analog backup cable, and some documentation.

Right away, I noticed that the BT version of these headphones is built differently from their wired…