I saw the new DMS video where he says at around the 1 minute mark that people with audio technica headphones "don't really care if their headphones sound good". While I think this is true for M50x users, I don't think it is generally true. I've never owned a pair of headphones worth more than $500, but I feel like I've had a respectable amount to the point where I know what I do and don't enjoy in a headphone. I've gone down this rabbit hole of a hobby about a decade ago, and no matter how hard I try I cannot escape the grasp of the MSR7b. It simply has the best sound signature that suits my taste in music.
I've owned 1 pair of open back headphones and hated them because I felt like they didn't have nearly enough bass to suit my needs and that I have a fair amount of white noise in my room at all times. While the M50x are absurdly popular, every person who I've heard talk about their open backs has been singing their praises, even Z. I've been watching DMS for at least a few years now and I don't think I've ever seen him review an AT open back, and yet he goes out of his way to disrespect people who like their headphones. Interesting.
Tbh I do commend AT for making headphones with solid build quality that can take a solid beating while also being foldable in the age of planned obsolescence. A guy once told me people who still use the m40x are stuck in the 2010s, then my response was that the reason the m40x is still relevant today is because they last so freaking long that people who bought it on release back in 2010s are still using them today lmao, and I see why people swear by them.