Audio-Technica ATH-M20xSTS – Studio Monitoring Built for Streaming

The ATH-M20xSTS folds the ATH-M20x studio monitor and a 20 Series-derived cardioid condenser microphone into a single lightweight headset, so streamers, podcasters and gamers can hear the mix honestly and be heard clearly without a separate microphone taking over the desk. It runs plug-and-play over USB or a 3.5 mm connection and stays light enough to forget after a four-hour session.

Key Features

• 40 mm CCAW drivers: Rare-earth magnets and copper-clad aluminium voice coils give the wide, flat monitoring the M-Series is built on.
• Cardioid condenser boom mic: 20 Series microphone technology stays on your voice and keeps the room out of the broadcast.
• Flip-to-mute boom arm: Lift the arm and the microphone mutes instantly, with no switch to hunt for mid-sentence.
• USB-C, USB-A and 3.5 mm: One 4-pole cable plus two USB adapters cover PC, Mac, mobile and game consoles.
• On-earcup control: Microphone mute and headphone volume sit under your fingers, not buried in software.
• 236 g with mesh earpads: Breathable padding and oval earcups hold isolation without clamping through a long stream.

Customer Benefits

Most headsets tune for spectacle; this one starts from a monitoring headphone, so footsteps, dialogue and your own voice land where they actually are in the mix. The condenser capsule gives listeners speech with body instead of the thin, compressed tone of a typical headset mic, and the boom arm doubles as the mute control. Because the cable detaches and the earpads are replaceable, the headset stays serviceable long after a sealed gaming pair would be finished.

Quick Specs

• Headphone type: Closed-back dynamic, over-ear
• Driver: 40 mm, rare-earth magnet, CCAW voice coil
• Frequency response: 15 – 20 000 Hz
• Sensitivity: 96 dB/mW
• Impedance: 47 Ω
• Maximum input power: 700 mW
• Microphone: Back-electret condenser, cardioid
• Microphone frequency response: 50 – 20 000 Hz
• Microphone sensitivity: –44.5 dB (0 dB = 1 V/Pa, 1 kHz)
• Cable: Detachable 2 m, 3.5 mm gold-plated 4-pole mini plug
• USB audio (via adapter): 48 / 96 kHz input, up to 384 kHz output
• Weight: 236 g without cable

What's in the Box

• ATH-M20xSTS streaming headset
• Detachable 2 m cable with 3.5 mm 4-pole mini plug
• 3.5 mm to USB Type-A adapter
• 3.5 mm to USB Type-C adapter

Ideal For

• Live streaming and podcast recording on PC or Mac
• Console and PC gaming that needs accurate positional cues
• Video editing, voice chat and remote meetings

Compatibility

Compatible with: Windows 11 and macOS via the included USB Type-A and Type-C adapters, and with game consoles, laptops and mobile devices over the 3.5 mm 4-pole connection.

Pros & Cons

• ✅ Monitor-grade tuning instead of a hyped gaming curve
• ✅ Condenser boom mic well beyond typical headset microphones
• ✅ Light 236 g body with breathable mesh earpads
• ✅ Detachable cable and replaceable earpads keep it serviceable

• ⚠️ Wired only — no Bluetooth or wireless dongle option
• ⚠️ A sensitive cardioid capsule will pick up an untreated, echoey room
• ⚠️ No carrying pouch or case included

If you want streaming audio that starts from a studio monitor rather than a gaming EQ curve, the ATH-M20xSTS is the shortest route there.