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.
So I love my Audio Technicas, but for the longest time I was annoyed at the non detachable cable. Right around the same time 2 things were happening:
I was bit by the bug and got a second hand set of Sundara (which I still have)
Started messing with AutoEQ
Long story short:
I don’t want to listen to my PC without a DAC, because the internal DAC is kind of a pain to use. I love the big Volume knob with Gain switches (convenience).
While the Sundara sound slightly better than my AD-900 (Both after EQ), I consider the Sundara a little clunkier to put on, take off and more fragile. It’s less of a hassle to use my Audio Technicas as a daily driver and bring out the Sundara on occasion.