Review: Audio Technica M50x

I usually don't write product reviews because I have a strange set or parameters that never meets most people's needs. However, this time I am writing one for Audio Technica M50X studio monitor headphones, which I have been using from last one month. 
I don't qualify as an audiophile, but I do have average understanding of music and sound. I don't create music myself, but I appreciate ones which have been created already. I can differentiate between good, bad and ugly sound and can find the breaking point of most sound systems easily. 

The Hunt:
In year 2013, I visited an audio zone in a mall where they had all kinds of headphones to experience. It was first time I saw something like that and was excited to gets a hands on. I tried almost all headphones and noted the ones I liked. 
Among them, Audio Technica M50 ticked all boxes except the price point. It demanded a premium ₹24000 and made me wonder if I would be able to afford one ever. 
Later in 2014, I bought Sony XB400 which served me well until few months back. It's in working condition, except torn earpads due to their age and others using it without my permission. I also got Beats Solo for gaming in an amazing deal and MTV SoundLogic for calling and light music. 
Even got two pair of Audio Technica On300BK just for fun, and trust me they sound amazing!

It would be clear by now that I prefer headphones over earphones due to their superiors performance and my preferred way to appreciate music. 
Even after having these many headphones I missed a pure sound. One headphone that can cater my strange taste of music that varied from Jazz, Ghazal, Indian Classical to EDM and Metal Rock.

Criteria and Contenders: 
Wired Headphones, Wireless only when they have wired connection option as well, Noise Cancellation optional, Under 15000 Rupee.

SONY XB950: Loved it always, only point was Xtra Bass! 
XB400 was still subtle, but this one is a monster!

BOSE QuietComfort: Nice fit and finish, lightweight, active noise cancellation. Only issue I had was poor acoustic performance. Not upto my liking.

Marshall Major II: No unit available for test.

Beyerdynamic DT770: Good Sound. Close to neutral, with good build quality. I found sound in 80ohm unit was better than 32ohm unit and that's an issue since 80ohm unit would require an active amplifier which I don't intend to invest on as of now.

Audio Technica M40x/M50X: On paper both performs pretty close. I won't lie, I was biased towards M50X since the beginning. Apart from large sound driver and added audio cable M50x wasn't offering anything more if you read the specs. But in terms of sound quality, there is difference. 

The Purchase: 
I found a good deal on Paytm and got them under 10K with about 2k cashback which can be used for recharges etc. Effective price ~8000 rupees, 1/3rd of original price I saw first.

Experience: 
I got to listen sounds that's were not audible in music before, that little beat or non existent violin melody that kicked in right about my favorite part came, or the little shake in the voice of singer that went unnoticed before and now I can't listen to that song ever without noticing the terrible shake. 
Bass is subtle and unlike the Sony XB series that literally thumps with the bass. It's deep, but doesn't feel like small subwoofer on ears.
Treble is fine and almost flat to make the listening a pleasant experience. Vocals are clean, and ensures there is absolute clarity in every kind of songs. Instruments sound accurate and best is acoustic sound.

Headphones look bulky and huge in flesh, but they don't look too big once you wear then. Feels a bit heavy at first, but got used to it after few usage. Cushioning is nice and well padded for my ears. Wearing them for long time does cause some warming on ears, but 90 degree swivel earcups can take care of it with simple twist of the wrist. Also, headphones fold nicely to keep in the bag for my weekend travels. There is a leather bag as well, which is ont intend to use as of now. 
Three audio cables are good in quality and has proprietary connector to ensure their are no aftermarket cables ruining the frequency delivery.

After a month's worth of use, I can say I am satisfied with the long awaited headphones and probably get a portable amplifier too. These require high quality audio files and listening to anything below 320kbps bit rate is terrible for ears. FLAC and Wave format is preferred for best quality and experience.