No way M50/M40 sound-alikes. Much flatter - less crispy, no mid-bass bloat, not dipped in mids. Slight apparent recess somewhere around 3-4khz. That combination results in a warmer and less "snappy" sound than something like the M50, etc. While some might wish for more upper mid definition, it also results in one of the more acoustically trustworthy 'phones for mixing and reasonably accurate monitoring. Depending on preferences, pleasant but not exciting for general listening.