Some people don't like honest critical reviews, that's pretty clear. If that's you, and you'd rather I fully agree with you and help you justify your purchase, then you ain't getting that here. Sorry Not sorry. This review is just this one TH-camrs opinion and is based on my experience with this one specific unit of X2HR.
I really appreciate your honest review. It's hard to dig through all of the hype for headphones. I want a good set to listen to my records, can you provide your top 3 list?
I still have mine but i agree they are far from perfect. They are just fun. At 100$ I would still buy them, but I have several others headphones pairs. I think most people would enjoy them with their V shape sound. I didn't find any sibliance in the highs contrary to the opinion of the reviewer but he has some point about the mids and the imaging, they are weak in this regard.
@@alexvikendi1768 I still really like them. These aren't as sibilant as the beyerdynamics. For $100, they are really good. They are just hyped a little too much.
the X2 is grainy as shit, bass was so boomy as well no idea how i was able to enjoy that thing, lol. enjoying HD 650, waaaaay better headphone imo. Porta pro > X2 imo
I own one of this, and I love it. I use it to listen jazz, particularly Bill Evans piano, Miles Davis (Kind of Blue) Sonny Rollins and so on and I find it extremely pleasant with all those my old recordings, but I agree with most comments of yours.
Certainly, very much agree with the above comment as to how well the X2HR perform when listening to jazz. For me the textured or grittiness as some refer to the sound quality, bides well with brass instruments whilst the warmer bass enhancement fills out double bass nicely without digressing into deep subbass as you may find synthesized in EDM. I would suggest you listen to Charles Mingus, 'Ah Um' album (stereo version) with this headphones. (No, I was not born when it was released 👍😁). Personally, I have no complaints about the X2HR ability at soundstage and imaging listening to this album. However, in my opinion, that which makes the Philips Fidelio XH2R, excellent for jazz cannot be said for classical music and thereafter is rather hit-and-miss in other genders of music as was implied in the video review.
I appreciate an alternate viewpoint from my own, thanks for the review! I like how critical you are of it, that's a good thing. That said I feel opposite on almost every point you make. I think they are absolutely gorgeous with the leather and metal meshing, like some old mashup of old vintage studio gear. I love the cable and am grateful its not short for when I'm changing records. Sound wise it's been great, not spectacular, but a decent upgrade from my 9500s which is what I wanted. I haven't noticed any harshness at all in mine, and even added some treble frequency. I agree with you on imaging, it's just okay which is kind of a let down.
Very in depth and detailed review. I personally own these headphones and I understand what you mean by how the bass can sound bloated at times, but during most of my use I found the bass to be very enjoyable. Personally as someone who has owned multiple recessed and forward headphones in the mids category I found it interesting how you found the mids to be shouty. I personally really enjoy the mids and think they have a nice tone to them. I also found that these headphones to me personally were not that exceptionally bright, but I found that there was occasionally sibilance in some tracks. Personally I enjoy the treble most of the time but I can understand how some people might find them overly bright though. I love these headphones so I’m very happy with them but everyone hears sound a little differently so some people might not enjoy these. Overall though I found these headphones to be very pleasant in the bass and soundstage department and I found the mids and treble to be really quite good. Thanks for the review though, it was enjoyable to see someone else’s perspective on these headphones.
I am not finding the headphones harsh or overly bright. Its a little heavy on the bottom but a couple db reduction at 40Hz fixed it. Its possibly the headphone was paired with a headphone amp/dac which was already a bit bright.
To be quite honest. I always very much liked the Fidelio X1/X2 Cables. And throwing a cable in the bin is really disrespectful to nature and any recycling effort on copper especially. I really dont get why people get so pissed off, because they dont find the cable perfect that comes with the headphones... I mean i get pissed of when a cable isnt removable... that doesnt make me throw the headphone in the bin or rip the cable out... Otherwise i guess a solid review. I dont share your opinion on the sound. But thats just how it is. Not everyone likes every headphone. But i am also a HD599/598 fan. I love them more than most of my headphones. The HD599 sounds more natural than most other headphones though. That isnt really a problem of the X2 in opinion. Rather a problem in generell brands other than Sennheiser at least to my ears just CAN NOT get a really natural tone. Beyerdynamic Sharp, X2 sometimes a tad sharp but nice bass and soundstage (Some EQ and i love them), AKG K712 plasticy, thin, unnatural, Monolith M1060 (Idk there is just something wrong even though they sound farily flat to me). LCD 2s i loved but i really dont want to afford them especially when i find the HD599 almost as good. Really dont get the people that say HD599 are HD600/HD660 for poor people... The HD599 has a tad more grain in the sound but to me much better stage and a better integrated bass. Its just different to me and not about a "quality level". Sometimes a bit of grain in the sound isnt the worst thing when its a trade of for someting like soundstage, timbre, basically getting a room feeling.
It was hyperbole to illustrate that I really didn't like the cable. I think for the price point they could have done much better but instead, they chose to braid it with a stiff braid for form over function. I'm not literally suggesting people throw it away, I'm mocking it.
@@WheezyTech I get that^^ Just i really find that to much sometimes. But i guess if id review stuff id sometimes even suggest throwing the headphones in the bin. I get your point.
@@m.g.i2480 I mean you do raise a good point. I couldn't tolerate using that cable long term. It's too stiff too long and too microphonic. If people have to replace their cable with a soft flexible rubber-coated or custom soft paracord cable what happens with the OEM one? Probably goes in that deep drawer of tangled unwanted cables we all have and probably most of them eventually end up in landfill. I'd say its worth complaining about companies supplying bad cables. (I get that some people like braided cables but at least make it a soft paracord style braid).
I was going to comment about the dramatic bin throwing skit and how it's rather wasteful, but you beat me to it. Thanks for being proactive in pointing it out.
X2HR headphones are designed for an experienced listener (who know how it sounds in concert halls), I like these so much especially for symphonic music (try Shostakovich, Mahler or Bruckner), fantastic for jazz too. Avoid 599 for classical orchestral music, they're destroying it. But to be honest, 599 are sooo good for voice with piano and chamber music. Overall sound X2HR vs. 599? 90% vs. 60%. But I like your reviews.
@@aleksandarstojceski3139 these are SHITTY for classical yet jazz ecc. These are funny, colored cans decent for metal, rock and electronic. The lack of midrange, the not revealing highs are a total NO for classical yet acustic music or voices in general. These are pretty much total V shaped headphones.
@@aleksandarstojceski3139 Its a lie! They are not that bright at all. Probably the source apparture is so bad this reviewer uses than it is a bad test as well. These Philips are highly efficient en are very open but also flat neutral completely natural sounding. Much more natural than other headphones. So they expose bad source material apparatus better than other headphines do. Just get the right source apparatus and you will enjoy these much more than the overhyped Sennheisers 5XX or 6XX
It's really strange. It's a very personal opinion but I really like the Fidelio. Of all the helmets I have it is the one that gives me the most chills, the most wow effect! I saw your test of the Hifiman HE4XX (which I really like). You say that his sound stage is excellent. Ok. When I compare with my Fidelio X2HR I find it much more efficient than the Hifiman, their soundstage is incomparably larger, precise, captivating. It even surprised me several times when I compared them. On the Hifiman the singer is between our ears and the instruments spread over a fairly flat line on both sides. A bit like the DT 770 Pro despite everything very good on this point for a closed helmet. I find the spatialization of the Hifiman more confused. On the Fidelio the singer is often more in front and the instruments on the left, on the right, in front on the left, in front on the right, the reverberations are much more sensitive, finer, more audible and the separation of the instruments more understandable, less clutter. It's a bit like going from a large living room to a church. For example, on "Driftwood Seat" by Mighty Oaks from 30 seconds, when the cymbal arrives at about 36 seconds, the detachment of the sticks which tap on the edge of the snare drum, etc. On "Oh! Euphoria!" by Twin Atlantic, very spatial, everything stands out better on the Fidelio. It goes in all directions, the voices are separate, we could follow the little sounds of the gaze, it's ultra precise. with the Hifiman it is less obvious, more confused, tighter. I could also talk about the beginning of Annabelle by Macy Gray ... We don't all have the same ears, of course, but there the difference seems so obvious to me ...
I do agree actually in terms of soundstage and imaging. Whilst I don't necessarily think the X2 has particularly good imaging, its probably more accurate than the He4xx. I do think the X2 has good staging tho. The Hifiman I think has a vast soundstage with decent depth and verticality and it seems to image well because you're hearing sounds coming from all sorts of positions but it doesn't feel right, and that becomes more obvious when you get into a game where it gets disorientating to me. It just feels spacy and reverberant rather than having pin-point imaging accuracy. Which is why I suggested it might not be good for competitive gaming. So yeah on that front, I agree the X2 is better.
@@WheezyTech I believe you! I have never played with headphones, I have never tested this use of headphones. I don't have your experience and I haven't tested as many headphones as you have either. I only have mid-range headphones. HD 598 (I don't like it), AKG K242 HD (not precise enough, boring), Hifiman HE4XX, DT 770 Pro and DT 990 Pro (sold because too high treble, to mix it is a disaster). The others have been sold or are too old in my memories. So I only react through what I have been able to test lately. The Fidelio gave me the chills, The Hifiman seems well balanced, good everywhere but never surprising as the Fidelio can be. I love it however, it is currently on my head! The DT 770 is very good for its price but, even if I really love it, it exaggerates the bass too much. Impactful, deep, but unreal. In short, if I had to go to a desert island with one of these headphones, I would take the Philips;) What headphones do you think offer a truly extraordinary soundstage? Sorry for my english. I'm french and I use Google Translate ;)
I first tried these out on a headphone amp and was in agreement with you on the problems with the treble. But then I tried plugging them into a Marantz amp and it was like listening to a different headphone - all the harshness and sibilance went away. So I'm very happy with them.
Interesting, which Marantz amp are you using? I suspect what's happening there is the output impedance of the Marantz is considerably higher than your headphone amp. This likely is causing a tilt in the frequency response to a much warmer and bassier sound sig. This could mask some of the peakiness and grain in the upper frequencies somewhat. Sort of like running on a tube amp.
Sorry, I should have said what it is in the first place. I'm running the DAC/amp output into a Marantz CD Receiver M-CR610, then into the headphones. It may not be a setup that finds favour with everyone, particularly as the CR610 was discontinued quite a while ago!
What do you make of Tyll's review of these. He loved them and he does not like bright headphones. That's what I find so confusing about the differing opinions on these. People's views are all over the map, moreso than other headphones it seems. Do you think this is because some people judge headphones as critical listening devices and others just judge them for non critical musical enjoyment. I own these, among many other pairs, and don't particularly find them harsh. I do think there is some sparkle in the high end, which may be sibilant for some. But I don't find it any harsher than my DT 770s (80 ohm) I would never pick it for critical listening or mixing as I agree the mid bass is a bit boomy and separation isn't on par with my Beyer cans. Compared to a Beyer the presentation is warmer and more mid-forward but less clean and precise. I do find it has good value as an all purpose headphone for music, movies, games.
I was actually pretty surprised hen I saw Tyll's review but then he did review the X2 not the X2HR and I fear there may have been some kind of change even if only consistency in QC between those models and move away from Gibson manufacturing. Having said that, Tyll also really liked the M50x which everyone loves to hate on these days for being too bright and grainy in the treble, so I dunno what that says lol. But anyway I am a big fan of the Harman interpretation of neutral so this headphone is really bright for my tastes. Having said that I like me some Beyerdynamics so I'm no stranger to a bright headphone. I could get on board with a v-shaped "fun" headphone but even as a 'fun' headphone this still fails for me because the treble is too peaky and grainy. It just overpowers the bass. All I can say is that this pair I have here is murderously bright on a lot of tracks and even as a "fun" headphone I find this is just way too harsh.
I can accept flaws in a headphone as long as it does everything else good or has a more specific use case like being more analytical or having excellent imaging. However, with the X2HR it only does bass good and is let down by everything else. I don’t like the headband, the cable, the earpads, the imaging, the mids or the treble. It doesn’t have much to redeem itself. Whereas most of the bright Beyerdynamics that I enjoy have something else going for them, in overall sound sig, build, comfort or the detail at the higher frequencies are actually useful for more critical listening etc.
I have an idea about the variety of opinions on this X2HR. some are built in Ireland, some in China (mine is) some others in Thailand. could it be right?
Tyll is also not always perfect, not every reviewer is going to agree with him. Especially on crap like the Aeon Flow Closed that he hyped up but is hugely compressed and not very detailed.
I may be blind in the offending frequencies but I don’t find these harsh or sibilant. I do prefer the treble on the 6XX, and yes sometimes these seem slow and flabby in the bass.
I think you've already described precisely why these have been so popular. For many people, bass amount is leading in their sound preference, and many people will reject a bass-light headphone instantly, without ever considering to use an EQ to boost it manually. I own an HD 660S myself, and with a Harman target EQ (which does include a decent bass boost), the bass that comes out of them is honestly better than any other headphone I've had before. Not just in quantity, but also in quality. I know there are plenty of headphones with much better bass quality, but I was highly surprised when I found out that even a bass-light open back headphone can be EQ'ed to deliver a better bass performance than a lot of closed back headphones. Since I've learned to EQ properly, I haven't had an itch to purchase new headphones anymore. And I truly think that so many people could save so much money long-term if they just learn to EQ properly, and get a headphone with superb comfort, solid technical capabilities and excellent EQ flexibility, instead of primarily looking at the stock sound signature.
Agreed, I EQ pretty much everything to Harman whenever I want to listen to music. DT 1990 Pro handles EQ superbly so I echo what you say about the 660s there. On the other hand not everyone wants to EQ and it is quite liberating finding a headphone that you don't feel the need to EQ. In this specific case tho, the X2HR have too many other points of concern for me to consider EQ enough to fix its flaws. The cable, headband, earpads, imaging, size and weight on the head, misses the mark by far for me.
@@WheezyTech Not everyone wants to EQ, and I can respect that, but often their excuse will be something like when they EQ the bass by a few DB it'll start clipping and the entire signature messes up, or the claim that EQ'ing a headphone changes the sound of your music to be not what the artists intended. And like that, I feel like there are many more people who avoid EQ for the wrong reasons. Valid reasons would be that not every device people plug their headphones into has access to good free/cheap EQ software, or they use their headphones with analog audio sources for example. I actually didn't purchase the 660 S with the immediate intention to EQ it to fix what I didn't like about it. In fact I really like the stock sound signature of them for a large chunk of my music library. I accepted that I wouldn't get great bass performance, and planned to purchase a complementary headphone with solid bass performance later on. But after learning about the Harman target and EqualizerAPO, that plan to buy a complementary bass-focused headphone was quickly forgotten and I spent that money on a THX 789 and SDAC-B instead. So I guess I didn't actually save money lol, but I'm happy with where its gotten me. For now, at least. :) And I agree with you about the X2HR as well. During BF and with the $20 new account discount on Drop, an HD 58X Jubilee was available for $115/€140, which like you also said about the HD 599, defeats the X2HR in most aspects. I'm sure some people just prefer that rough/raw character of the X2HR, I just can't appreciate it. Btw, especially now that we won't see much from metal571 anymore, I'm glad to see that you're making good progress with your channel. I've watched most of your reviews, and it seems like I can relate to your reviews really well. And I haven't been able to bust you on any bullshit yet. So keep this up! And if you're able to get your hands on an Elex some time, I'd love to hear your perspective on those. My wallet is in no rush for that though.
based on your measured frequency response, here the APO Equalizer settings for those who like (I don't) to use equalizer for flattening (alternatively to the toilet-paper - polyurethane mod) Preamp: -2.6 dB Filter: ON PK Fc 270 Hz Gain -3 dB BW Oct 0.2442 Filter: ON PK Fc 1750 Hz Gain -3.7 dB BW Oct 0.521 Filter: ON PK Fc 3200 Hz Gain 3 dB BW Oct 0.6442 Filter: ON PK Fc 4500 Hz Gain -3 dB BW Oct 0.2442 Filter: ON PK Fc 5800 Hz Gain 5 dB BW Oct 0.1442 Filter: ON PK Fc 8600 Hz Gain -4 dB BW Oct 0.1442 Filter: ON HS Fc 10000 Hz Gain 3 dB Filter: ON PK Fc 12000 Hz Gain 3 dB BW Oct 0.1442 Filter: ON PK Fc 14000 Hz Gain -3 dB BW Oct 0.1442
Great honest review thank you! I have just ordered a pair of these. But I've always been interested on how reviewers get their sound! For instance I use a fiio BTR 5 dac/amp and connect it to my A&K SR25 (DAP) so my experience would probably be different to yours!! However , you were spot on about the HD 599 and the Sundaras . So I might be sending these back!!??
Critical but not unfair. I can agree with the two-faced nature of the headphone because it's all over the place, but I also think it's a lot more fun than you gave it credit for. I remember I had an X2 a few years ago and it gave me the same impression that you had with these. Fast forward to now, and I purchased the X2HR for the sale price of $115. I find that the treble doesn't bother me in the same way anymore, and I can enjoy them much more now than I did then. I'm not sure what caused this as I can still hear to 16k-17kHz but, I wonder if it has to do with listening to other bright headphones? My daily driver is a Utopia which many people find to be a little shouty in the upper midrange and bright in the treble. Maybe I just got used to the sound or I am just not sensitive to sibilance in the region that the X2HR has peaks. FWIW I find the HD700 really sibilant but the peak that causes it is a bit lower. It could also be that I don't listen very loudly, or at least less loudly than I used to. The added bass and treble help make it sound fun, even at lower volumes. My point is that it may not bother everyone and that it could really depend on their specific ears and volume preference. Personally, for the price I paid, I am really happy with them and I think a lot of others will be too, even if they are flawed. I think that $150-$160 is a bit much but I'd be happy to recommend them at the $100-$115 sale price if someone is looking for a headphone with a v-shaped response in that budget range.
Seeing that graph over 1k made me realize why I've been cringing half the time when listening to my week old X2HRs - sometimes they literally hurt me with the treble. Just found a decent used pair of 599s on Reddit. Returning the Philips. Thanks for the thoughtful review - you and metal571 are the best headphone reviewers on TH-cam.
It's Maaa 🐮? Ok I'll make my opinion in a couple of days when I receive them. 👍 Just got them and compared to my HD6XX. They are larger fuller more detailed, very good bass and very enjoyable indeed despite the snares that are a bit too high/present. My HD6XX sound more muddy in the mids, like there was a veil and they need more DBs to be driven.
For anyone curious. I'm not an audiophile but I bought X2's about 3 years ago for 300$ At $140 got another pair for fathers day. Pros: ~Super fun headphones to listen to. ~Wide sound stage ~buttery smooth bass to my ears. ~insanely comfy, wear them for literally 12 hours at a time and forget they're on (I'm 6' with avg sized head) ~great for movies/single player gaming ~no amp/dac required ~easily found under 200 bucks now ~3.5mm removable jack, easy to hook up a mic ~durable, well-built Cons: ~Not great imaging for gaming. But in games like Overwatch with built in Dolby Atmos ingame, still work well enough just not as good as the audio technica ADH500's i've tried. Still like the X2's more for gaming. But for serious FPS competitive focus only, there are better options. ~Open back, none of that super low sub-bass rumble u can find in closed backs (personal taste, I've found not having sub-bass makes them less fatiguing during long gaming sessions) ~After listening for a while and hearing audiophiles talk about them, Mids do sound a little recessed ~prolly gonna be bad for studio monitoring/mixing music at $140 I love em I do own the Audio Technica M50s and the treble on those is very fatiguing to me, for years didnt know why I didn't like listening to them at higher volumes.
I do like the M50s, but they feel too "clinical" to my ears after getting used to the X2's. The M50s sound is right up against my head and blast me with super accurate sound. Almost to a fault? audios weird
@@LandsPlanes I've never tried them with an amp/dac. I still really enjoy the smooth bass and wide soundstage just plugging them into my phone or computer. At under 200$ price now I think they're the best headphones for non-audiophiles, my dad loves em too. Good without spending more money on amp/dac
@@LandsPlanes cable plugged in all the way? volume knob on cable turned down? bad cable? bad audio source? maybe got broken headphones? They are open back headphones so do not hit sub-bass frequencies. Plugged into any modern smartphone they should get loud.
I've heard miniDSP can be very sensitive to headphone positioning and give inconsistent results that do not correspond to what the person actually hears on the headphones (as a control when applying the resulting eq profile to neutral headphones). One person tried using a different recording method using binaural microphones inserted into their own ear canals to capture the sound as close as possible to actual human ear structure and headphone positions. He reported the results were much much better than miniDSP and provided accurate results without any corrections.
So I've watch several reviews of these headphone...every one of you reviewers describes the sound profile in terms that contradicts each other. who do you listen to?
There must be some quality issues or differences in manufacturing, since I also found them pretty bad but for the opposite reason. My pair the treble was super recessed and the low end extremely boomy. This ended up drowning out vocals and just making them very unpleasant to listen to compared to the HD 599s that I also bought at the same time. Kept the HD 599s and I’m very happy about that decision.
Why do so many reviewers forget that equalisers exist! High treble can be sorted using them. Mac and Windows have good apps for this. I always use them to fine tune.
They're hyped because it's basically the only open-back 'basshead' headphone. Planars don't count because they don't emphasize bass, so don't even try to argue the point. "yeah, but my LCD-2 has soft treble so the bass is more emphasized" - NO.
Thats the thing, the bass is really good on these for an open back, I find them really enjoyable for a lot of EDM. But as soon as theres anything going on in the upper frequencies it just gets ruined. I'm all for a good sounding V-Shaped "Fun" headphone, but this just kills it with the bright tilt it has. So even for EDM, usually theres a lot of bright synth leads etc going on in the lead up to a drop and this headphone is like a buzz saw buzz kill at that point.
i bought x2hr on black friday and i was unhappy with the trebles. Then i took a HD599 for comparing and finally shipped back the x2xr and kept the 599. Totally agree. Solid construction and universal jack are not enough to hide the true sound of these cans.
I have/had both. The X2HR are voiced for consumers, not audiophiles. It's great for what it is. The 599 have the most BASS out of any Senn. I like them for EDM but sometimes too much bass. I'll probably pick up hd600, 6xx next.
All these reviews just make the buying decision more difficult. I have now heard every single variation of sound described for theses. Some say gooey and warm with nothing offensive others say detailed with nice bass and no signs of sibilance and now I get the bright and harsh headphone. Is this the first headphone to have every single audio trait good and bad?
@Adrian DeRose I'm not surprised to hear your experience. I have had similar experiences with other headphones, one in particular was the m570. First pair was nearly beyerdynamic levels of bright with mediocre bass and tinny sounding. The second pair was a completely different headphone and actually more towards warm. I did end up buying the X2/HR though. They arrived 2 days ago and my particular pair has some of the best imaging I have heard and it is one of my cheapest headphones. My pair doesn't seem to be a warm gooey pair either but a surprisingly detail oriented pair with a fun and unique sound stage. Mine sound wonderful with well recorded stuff but poorly recorded stuff like a lot of what I listen to sounds bad. Those tracks can sound grainy and sibilant. I don't find the bass all that special on mine but part of that has to do with those annoying pads and the fact the X2 seems to be designed for people much larger than myself. I'm 5'9" and roughly 165lb with glasses and these things hurt. They are either jamming my glasses in my temples or sliding down my head.
Yes, I have now heard it all, the good, the bad and the ugly reviews of the X2HR. What are we to think when theres no real consensus. I think for a flat $100, itd be a good buy for many. Better than the 9500, but not as good overall as the 58x for gaming. This model by philips, sennheiser, akg and other companies, we should be able to demo In Stores. But I have a hard time finding basically any hifi cans on demo in any of my metropolitan area audio stores. Super lame. i def want to try before I buy - most audio equipment.
@@DeepishMoog I own the 58x and I would game in the x2/hr 100% of the time over the 58x. My particular pair has imaging that rivals my T1's. Telling distance, elevation, and direction is incredibly easy with these. It caught me by surprise. I was expecting something only good for casual gaming but they turned in to my #1 tryhard fps cans.
Great review; first time here. Though as a non-audiophile I don't get half the superlatives you're using. I'll see how they are tomorrow when they arrive :)
Just found out about your channel, awesome and detailed reviews! I wanted to know if you have tried out the Philips SHP9500? If so, what's your take on them?
I'm sure metal approves of this review :P. I'm not an audiophile, but as a gamer, I was also very disappointing with the x2hrs, mainly because of their piss poor imaging, way worse than even my astro a40s for gaming IMO. I'm so happy i returned them and got hd 599s, great for gaming (imaging), music, movies and for £90 i dont think i could've done much better :). The only downsides to the 599s is that I'm still getting used to front and back imaging, and the ear pads are only 2cm deep so my left ear slightly touches the driver cover. Another downside of buying the x2hrs is that the company that made them went bust so if anything goes wrong you won't be able to claim on the warranty. Do you plan on doing a review on the x3s when they come out next year?
@@WheezyTech Would be nice to have reviews on the x3 from people that don't hype shit up (not going to name and shame), so ignorant gamers like myself don't fall in the trap :P. Lucky amazon has a flexible return policy.
I enjoyed the review. I will be testing these out because there are also plenty of reviewers who have the opposite reaction. I think the reality probably lies somewhere in the middle, unless it ends up correct that the QC is the biggest problem, in which case, here's to hoping for a top quality instead of a low quality.
Thanks for your review! I've found it descriptive and useful. I'm currently "researching" for replacing my cans, and these ones and the Fidelio L2 are in my list. Have you heard the L2s? Could you care to share how do they compare? Thank you!
I'm a rather casual "audiphile" and I rarely have super strong opinions on these topics but I definitely noticed that the high frequencies on these sounded quite piercing and unpleasant when compared to my previous headphones. It really made me feel like the sound was penetrating my brain in a bad way. Fortunately I have a DAC (ES100) with an EQ so I was able to tone it down a bit and now they sound awesome. I was quite surprised that none of the reviews I read before buying them mentioned this issue although it is so glaringly obvious to even an amateur like me.
Thank you very much for the analytical review, perhaps one of the few I have seen, I was about to buy these fidelio headphones on this 11.11 of AliExpress, but your review has made me think twice, I have a budget of approximately $ 200, and I wanted a headset open that does not fatigue and that allows me long hours of use, I will use them with a dac / amp topping mx3, which do you think should be a better option, apart from the HD599, I am looking for non-flat V sound to be open, many thanks for your sincere work.
If i have to choose model for single-player (Witcher, Gothic) specifically, X2HR or Hyperx Alpha ?? My budget is $100-300, there are so many other models though I'm stuck by confusing.
Thank you for being honest. I won't mention any names, but I feel a lot of the hype comes from certain TH-camrs who are most likely being paid to review products. Or just simply hyping things up for more views and clicks.
I myself is looking to purchase a new set of Bluetooth headphones. What would you recommend based on durability, comfort and mainly sound. Sound wise... Something like my Tin Hifi 4. Clean and clear with some bass to it.
Sony H900n, 1000xm3 are my usual pick if you're looking for BT noise cancelling. I have a couple of BT headphone reviews on my channel but as for earphones, I will have some TWS earphone reviews coming up soon, stay tuned.
If I may ask. What would you recommend for around the same price point? Maybe even around 200. Something that you consider better that the X2HR and would be great for comp gaming.
Totally agree with harsh sibilance and too bright highs. Also expected more soundstage from being open back. Compared to my sennheiser true momentum wireless 3 in-ears there wasn't really a difference. Kinda strange when another reviewer called this soundstage king. Unfortunately I don't have other open backs to compare, maybe the sennheiser are just too good 🤷
Thanks for the honest review! I've owned those for over a year and I can't say I like them... 😕 They're not comfortable (too much pressure on the jaw) and the trebles are way too harsh! Granted everyone's hearing is different, but now I know we have that in common, so I'll make sure to check your other reviews. 👍
Your the only person who kind of crapped on these headphones, especially for gaming. What do you recommend for gaming then? I have these coming tomorrow.
599 560s 58x man I'm confused as which to get, wondering if for my first "audiophile" entry level openback I should just get the 560s for a reference point, I do like some bass, not a bass head though but listen to a lot of pop, edm, urban, modern punk/alternate/indie whatever u want go call t not much acoustic or classical or jazz where is that 3 headed coin 🤔?
I've owned these headphones they're far from Bright I don't know where he's getting that from they're not bright at all their dark warm. I saw some people canceled their order because of this review don't cancel your order because of one person gave them a bad review . They've got 999 positive reviews you cant go off of one bad review. Everybody's taste is different put them on your head for yourself take every review that every person gives with a grain of salt. Headphones you do not know until you put them on your own head if they're going there work for you.
Or maybe this unit I reviewed was exactly like I described whether that is down to unit variance or its normal for these I cant say. I did discuss that in the video. This headphone is overhyped so of course its going to have many positive reviews, some people just don't know any better so they just follow the crowd. Just because a lot of people like it, doesn't mean I have to.
@@WheezyTech I think you over extended the other way. Hyper or not your critic was skewed to be on the exact opposite spectrum. Finding fault because others liked them is just being a contrarian.
@@HayleyPond You can think that if you want, this is exactly how I felt about them. I don't know why people have to justify ignoring my take on them by trying to discredit me and my take. You don't have to listen to me, you dont have to agree with me, audio is subjective. I'm not the only one who thinks the same as me, I'm just one of the few who actually published this opinion. I'm not here telling anyone how to think. This video is MY opinion, take it or leave it.
I own these and definitely agree about the treble being unbearable, especially with older music and metal tracks. Try listening to led zeppelin on these. Torture without some serious EQing on the treble. The soundstage seems "wide but inaccurate" maybe just a result of the below average imaging not being able to keep up with the spaciousness provided from the angled driver design and deep cups? I am not sure. Tracking footsteps was not easy on these, even after some time adjusting to them I still misjudged enemies distances from me. Bought them with gaming in mind but much prefer my DT770 80Ohms for that purpose still thanks @metal571. I definitely find the treble much more bearable on the DT 770 80Ohms, in fact they are the only headphones I only slightly EQ to reduce the sub bass and treble peaks around 5.5k/9.5k/14.5k, but even without any EQ I still find them a very tolerable and enjoyable v-shaped headphone and the best I have tried for gaming so far. Still yet to find some open backs with good soundstage + imaging + sub bass for gaming, haven't tried DT990s yet but am a bit worried about the treble on them also and am thinking DT1990s might be the way to go.
I'd be lying if I said that gaming wasn't one of the primary reasons I bought my 1990's they are pretty good for that. They are, as with all Beyers, a little bright up top. I've never found that to be a problem in games but I do EQ them when I want to listen to music. 990's, 880's should be a good alternative but you'll probably want that EQ for music though. HD599 too, I don't find they need much if any EQ for music but they do really well for gaming, great staging and imaging.
I reviewed these quite critically (the non-HR, but yeah) on my channel also and got lots of flack (dislikes) for it, though much more so - maybe because the hype was way stronger back then. That was a bit of a surprise to me. Especially when no one cared to put into words where I went wrong in my estimation.
Hi Wheezy, OK im not sure what headphones you were listening too but i simply can't agree with your findings. I do know headphones are very subjective and its all down to persoanl taste but im just putting my opinion out there to give a balanced view. I bought my X2's second hand (but mint) and paid the princely sum of £80 , they are the Gibson models with the Non HR version (although they are the same iam sure) says 2014 on the box so iam guessing they are one of the earlier versions, ear pads not glued but removable. I do know there are many who talk about QC issues, channel balance etc but iam gussing i must have struck lucky with these. Now onto the sound, to put into context iam amping these babies with a Dark voice with non standard tubes (Tung sol and GE electrics). Warm, smooth NO harshness in treble, wide soundstage with precise imaging, detailed , to my ears the midrange seems perfect i was concerned the vocals might be recessed but no, superb clarity, and of course the BASS, best bass i have heard from any headphone, i have owned the whole of the Senn 600 series, AKG 7 series, Grados up to the PS 500, shp 9500, plus my current Go to headphone the DT1990 pro, this stomps all over them. The bass is tight, solid , not overblown but goes deep when it is in the mix. As i say its all subjective as this is only my opinion as its yours in the review. I know there are many happy X2 users out there and it doesn't really need me to put my views out there on these superb (IMO) headphones. I would willingly pay what i paid new for my DT1990's (£380). Will i be selling my 1990's? Yes, i think that speaks volumes. Keep safe in these Covid times.
Great review! I like the honest ones! I guess there are too many different opinions because sound is very a subjective experience. We have loss off perceptions, genetics variations and all off these influences in our feelings about sound. The bad is having to buy several headphones to find what u like. In Brazil they all cost the DOUBLE cause of the tax to import them!!!!! I paid the the corresponding to 350 dollars to the X2hr!!! But wtf can i do? How compare without testing? Hope they are at least enjoyable! Thank you! Great review!!
@@lazaroborlot3457 Eles são bons para ouvir musica, mas percebi assistindo milhares de videos que as opiniões são divergentes porque a percepção do som também é. Tem pessoas que vão amar e pessoas que vão odiar. Pra mim são agradáveis mas como importei na amazon e paguei caro não tiveram bom custo benefício. Preferia ter gastado com um verdadeiro alta fidelidade. E, pra jogos, achei que tem péssima precisão de localização. Tenho um senheiser game one que pra jogos é bem melhor, apesar do som não ser bom pra músicas. Se vai vai gastar bem teste antes. O que pra nós brasileiros é muito dificil..... 🤦🏻♂️
It should be noted the pins that hold the heavy ear cups to the headband are made of plastic and will snap at the base of the ear cup. this is not covered under the warranty by philips. beware, or you will have an expensive paperweight.
Just got a pair in the Amazon sales not impressed, have 6xx and shp560 and wanted some siu stage and bass, would the 599 meet these criteria, these are going back
If you want staging and bass, the AKG K712 Pro is hard to beat. 599 staging is good but both the X2HR and the K712 beat it and whilst its a great headphone when on sale its not really worth its usual retail price. HD560S is superb, great bass extension, but very neutral tuning. K712 Pro gonna be hard to beat for staging, great fun sounding headphone too, good detail and dynamics. Worth a try.
That's nice because i just bought them XD I'll use it for piano, listen to classical music and cinematic orchestral music production. We'll see. However if it may help there's a nice site called "rtings", take a look if you want more specific details about headphones. The X2HR are rated 8.2 and the HD599 8.0, they are very equivalent but yes, the Sennheiser has slightly better treble accuracy.
You really nailed the ''sound'' that I've experience with these headphones. I love them but on the higher end it's so ''harsh''. Code Orange's ''Swallowing the Rabbit Hole'' has this sound that while I love the track, I Couldn't enjoy due to how piercing the treble end is.
@@modelotime3608 I've had them for about a year my friend and the sibilance hasn't changed at all for me. I do LOVE these set of cans but I do recognize the sibilance there. That being said, I'll listen to these on concert tracks, and tribal type artists like The Hu, Heilung, Skald, etc etc and a few hip hop/rock tracks that aren't cymbal heavy. I've always been skeptical of the ''breaking in'' process. Just seems as if people become accustomed to the sound over time versus actual modification of the drivers via extended usage.
@@WheezyTech 😁 btw, it would be interesting if you had any chance to test the new MSR7b (B underlined). I received one days ago, playing it with a Fiio M11 in balanced mode. I do believe that's one of the most surprising headphone nowaday. stating that's not fully neutral, but has a remarkable clarity and unbelievable details in mid and mid-highs together with controlled and extended lows. this could be an "out of the ordinary." review if I may say so, because very few testers did it. furthermore, it's in a relatively depopulated range of price (200\250€)
Of all the reviews I've seen here on youtube your the only one who said they're shouty & bright most of them say their warm I think your amp DAC giving you those results
Objectively speaking the X2HR should be good. I've seen 2 objective reviews. One is from Rtings, the other is an independent blog and the writer have bought one sample (of 3) himself. For sound, between them they've measured frequency response, distortion, and even the CSD plot. Scientifically they should be as advertised and shouldn't be as harsh/sibilant as described. The reviews that favour them reflect the measurements. I build speakers and measure them. I trust measurements more than any human ears. For education purposes only I compare my listening experience to measurements. It's either a QC issue (prominent with the Gibson-era FIdelios), or poor placement on the head/ears (which can be blamed on the headphone's ergonomics, not necessarily the user). Measurements don't always reflect how you'd like the sound either. My only headphone now is a Grado SR60i (10 years and still going!). If I had seen its measurements before buying I think I would've dismissed it. However, after some time with it I'm glad I didn't. Its sound is an acquired taste and a sound I've 'tolerated', but they work so well with Rock. But, after a decade my library has expanded and its range becomes more limited. For now, everything else my Grado can't handle I have my speakers. Now I want something to complete the spectrum in headphone form. "Better" headphones for the price usually recommended as alternatives are not similarly priced where I am (the cheapest costs 20% more). It's an advantage when you don't have something else more "refined" to compare to. You have a lower benchmark. I'm buying the X2HR, because other than the scientific evidence and reasonable price I think it looks AWESOME! There's just no attempt at fashion whatsoever with the Grado. I'm almost embarrassed to hang it for display on my desk. I'm holding off a little bit longer just in case there's a silly little sale coming (like 8.8 sale, Halloween sale or whatever).
I bought a pair of the 'better build' of the X2HRs for £200 as they were said to be perfect for both music and gaming, and thanks to the removable 3.5mm jack I could use them with basically every platform with a mic. They were actually heavenly to wear, no noticeable weight or sore clamping force, not heat build-up or fatigue from long use. Wore them and loved them right through my first day with them. Then at night compared them with my cheap £10 JVC HA-S160 Flats with the expectation that I'd be astonished with the sound difference only to be immensely disappointed that the X2HR sounded worse, even through a stack. They didn't have this nice fullness to the sound and the bass and mids just sounded mushed together with no detail or texture (best way of describing it). Quickly returned them recently, but really wish I saw this video earlier instead of all the other videos and posts online absolutely overhyping these headphones. Great video and review!
I have the 599's and the Head pad sucks lol I stuck on a after market one and wow made a difference maybe just my head. But I returned my X2's twice and I admit they were kinda great but the clamp was no bueno. Overall The 599s are decent coming from 58xs and 4xxs now I can see that it is def a mid ranged option for me anyways. I keep the 599s cause I got them for like 68$ like new and I luv the 70's Ivory dark brown look on them, By no means a bad set of cans but after hearing the 58x I can see what they lacked in detail.
So, you say 58x is a good option for someone who likes open cans with neutral sound on a budget? I myself haven't heard any of these options. I have Samson SR850 and they are breaking apart after three years of use, so I'm looking for a replacement and improvement (which for me means neutral sound, true to the original recording). Unfortunately, 58x are difficult to get in Europe and they will cost me about 250 EUR (and some nerves dealing with customs) when imported. I'm not sure if there aren't better options for the same or even lower price. Shame on Sennheiser for not making 58x available in Europe.
@@camelCased I wouldn't say they are Neutral, More intimate and more into vocals aka mids their soundstage is decent but have detailed highs and detailed low end but not anywhere near bassy. They have great imaging more soundstage If you remove the foam but that removes all bass mostly. I'd say try mass drop the 4xx need an amp but they are close to neutral and have a good sound stage and clarity. I ordered another pair of X2HRs to keep this time cause the bass is to die for and I'll just have to stretch them to get them comfy. I got mine for 104$ on amazon try to look for some the x2s are not neutral but are in the Hires cert and have great detail in highs and don't distort and have fun boom in low end.
@@teshx9x9x40 Thanks, looked at some measurements, demos and reviews of HE4XX - seem really great, although might need getting treble down a bit, and then they become better than 58x. Will try to find them on this side of the ocean for a reasonable price.
@@camelCased Your welcome and good luck I'm not a pro at this but If your got an amp and can EQ the treble and put up the low end a bit the 4xx are great and come with good stock pads decent construction for Hifiman and I personally luve the look and build and for 2 hours they feel like nothing on my head then i need a break for 10 mins lol. (Update): I just saw HIFIM came out with the 2020 revision of the 400i on Amazon at 169.99$ which is pretty good they eased up the treble I heard but u need a amp with these. The 4xx are 160$ on drop and said they are having trouble keeping up in stock cause they are so popular. Happy Hunting!.
That unit variance is what I was getting at in my review. I think it goes a long way to explaining why so many people have wildly differing experiences with these.
Another alternative during BF/CM was the HD58x. Just $115 during Cyber Monday in the US with the $30 instant discount with another $20 with a new account.
i got the x2hr and 598sr you cant rly compare them cuz they sound totally different When making a review you shouldn"t tell people whats better its up to them to decide what they prefer Comparing audio its not like comparing a phone or something that can clearly show better quality or performance
I mean I basically spent the whole video saying how this was my opinion. I'm not telling people what to think. You do you, feel free to review them on your channel so I can see how to do it properly ;)
@@WheezyTech didn't mean to sound like an ass but you did say 599 is better and to get that one instead, btw what happen to that pro 700 and 900 review tho
My friend.. the aftermarket pads are FAAAAAAAR from "Negotively affecting the sound"(as you mentioned). SURE..of course there Are Some pads..that do that..and there Are some specific headphones which are becoming to sound like....well sh*t when you out aftermarket pads on them.But man.. it is Faaaar from been the case on everything.Simply because there are some Specifically engineered/designed pads by a Really GOOD aftermarket pad makers that are made for a specific headphones/brands... that *ACTUALLY IMPROVE the sound quality by a noticable amount(as crazy as it might sound... but its 110% truth.Yous trully - have been GREATELY experimented with this "topic" togeathet with my friends thst own a Pro.Gear and HiFi music store here in Toronto(GTA) soo...yea,hope no Offence but I just Had to correct you on this one..). Keep up the good work man.Good luck!
I never said that aftermarket pads ALWAYS degrade sound but in the vast majority of cases do negatively affect the sound sig of any given headphone. I've never seen a Dekoni pad that does anything but make any headphone darker and bassier. Same goes for Brainwavz. It has been my experience on a number of different headphones and a number of different brands of pads that they never make the headphone sound better. More comfortable yes, very often, but never sound and that has 110% been my experience. But I don't want to argue with you, "better" or "worse" is all subjective. You have your experience and I have mine. I don't need to be corrected.
I really like braded cable most of the time but hate it for headphones ! I find really annoying the sound that I hear when I move my head and can hear the cable scrubbing on my clothes...
Everything is subjective and that is fine. But you can't say that the x2 it's ugly when on the other hand you're holding that plasticky sennheiser which looks like a ground control operator kind of headphones. You are really losing credibility here.
@@WheezyTechaudiophiles make sports fans seem like the most well-balanced and non-confrontational people lmao When world war 3 does eventually begin, it'll be between Sennheiser, Hifiman and AKG fans
I'm returning my Philips Fidelio X2HR, your review is spot on and explains what I found when listening to them, some tracks sounded ok, others sounded bad / distorted. For me they sound very similar to M50X's, which are good as a starter headphone but have sound quality issues when you compare them to something better in the same price bracket. I didn't really hear any openness, for me the mids seem squashed / distorted just like the M50's and happens when there's lots of instruments in the mix, as you say the bass is good but I found some tracks where it sounded mushy / flappy. Wish I'd seen your review before I bought them to save me the hassle of returning them, these headphones are not good at all.
@@rayhananthaaa - no I'm not kidding, M50X's are well known for big bass, the Fidelio's had roughly the same bass, I liked the bass, in fact I've been looking for some bass head cans recently for gaming with clarity but couldn't really find any, bass yes = clarity no or bass yes, clarity yes = insane price tag, I kind of regret selling my M50X's a little, great for gaming. I'd say the highs on the M50X's were clearer / better defined compared to the Fidelio's, I'd call the Fidelio's highs as splashy i.e. the highs were present but with no real clarity. It's just the mids that let down the M50X's just in the same way as the Fidelio's. If the mids on the M50X's weren't so squashed / distorted then the M50X's would be the best all round headphone for music and gaming. So I now have the AKG702, I can easily hear the openness and sound detail, nothing is squashed, complete night and day difference to the Fidelio's in terms of sound quality. As expected the AKG702 are bass light, the bass is there, it's clear, it extends quite low but it's not as punchy as I'd like, although you get used to it and swapping back to my MSR7's made these sound like bass head headphones, which they're not. The AKG702 sound signature is addictive for me, so I'm not missing the big impactful bass, it's a small trade off for the open and detailed sound, the AKG's have been my go to headphone now, I'm keeping my MSR7's if I need to reduce external sound bleed from the 702's. So my ideal headphone would be the openness and clarity of the AKG 702's with the M50X / Fidelio bass, no idea what headphone fits that requirement if any, perhaps some hifiman planar headphones ? in other words 1 headphone that works well for music and gaming, perhaps combining what someone might call a fun headphone but with openness and clarity, alternatively perhaps a HD600 / 650 with bass. Also a big requirement would be some high power drivers, the 200mW on the AKG's are just a shade too weak, so if I want to really go loud which I do on occasion I hit some distortion simply because the drivers aren't able to handle the power being thrown at them. Interestingly the crazy expensive AKG K8 series use 300mW drivers - I reckon that power level would do the job i.e. go loud enough with no distortion. I think headphones opinions are subjective and relative, if I'd come from some cheap rubbish headphones straight to the Fidelio's I'd probably be blown away by the difference. So my comparison was with my ATH MSR7's which produce a very detailed and clear sound, the Fidelio's just didn't compare well with the MSR7's, if the Fidelio's had a bit of detectable openness, with the bass they provide plus the MSR7's clarity / detail I'd have been well happy with the Fidelio's. I do find it frustrating why some company can't just make 1 decent haedphone at a sensible price, I mean it's just 2 tiny speakers that 'work', it's a complete minefield regarding choosing headphones, I've spent way too much time looking at specs and headphone details, drives me insane, also I find it hard paying silly money for headphones, how can a pair of headphones cost upwards of £500 to make ? Overall possibly the Fidelio's would have probably done well with EDM and gaming i.e. been enjoyable, I just can't be bothered with continually swapping headphones every 30 mins based on what music or activities I choose to listen to or do. As said this is my opinion and what I found, I don't expect everyone or anyone will agree, clearly there are fans of the Fidelio's, if they enjoy them that's all that matters. Personally I will continue searching for my ideal headphone but without the requirement of having to re-mortgage my house to buy one :) I'm happy with where I'm at and what I've got in terms of headphones but they'll always be something better in the future, of course at the right price and not a shaft you price...
no idea whats wrong with my ears i bought these 2 years back and just upgraded to focal clears they cost 10x the price and i swear if you blind test me id struggle to tell you which are which
@@WheezyTech Sorry about my other comment earlier. Good, fair review. Look forward to your future work. I revisited the tweet that made me feel like your opinion was influenced by his, but I re-read it and saw it wasn't closely as problematic as i remembered it to be. Still, considering how large an enemy expectation bias is to reviewers, i wonder how much his tweet (and your desire to fit his expected narrative) affected your final opinion. Still dumb of me to have said it in an antagonizing way rather than an inquisitive way.
@@tisg5432 Thanks. I put my opinion out there on Twitter first and a few people agreed including metal. But that didnt influence me, thats how I was already feeling. Sure its hard to not be influenced by others but actually I think its often more difficult to be honest when so many people feel one way and you feel different, you dont want to be attacked for stating an opinion. I was actually nervous to post this one considering the hype its been getting, it would be easier to just ignore the flaws and hype this up. But I just can't get on board with the X2HR so thats the video I made. I try not to deal in absolutes and be as balanced as possible and most of all be true to how I feel, thats all I can do.
I love these sennheiser fan boys they talk about a headphone- discus, critizeise ... at the end of the show:Sennheiser, it's always the same result, the only alternive is a sennheiser. There is no headphone for all, if you want bass you lose something quite simple, but sennheiser is for all- industrial cheese,no fun but flat
Why jump immediately to fanboy accusations. I'm offering an alternative at the same price point that I believe to be better. You don't have to agree and its not some Sennheiser conspiracy. Jeez
While I agree with the description of the sound, my subjective response to that sound is different from yours. As you say each person will have thier own subjective opinion. Talk talk by a perfect circle where the grungy guitar drops, I agree is harsher and edgier on the x2, but I didn't find it as awful as you did Also the x2 is more mid-bass emphasized, whereas the 6xx is more upper bass emphasized. I found it to have more authority on the x2. Um, okay maybe a bit muddy but nothing I found distracting. Automaton, I didn't find harsh, perhaps a bit more sibilant and yes sharper than the hd 6xx, but many many headphones are more piercing and sharper than the hd 6xx. The Beyer dt 990 and dt 770 as two examples. I didn't find anything at all annoying leading up to the drop on deep jungle walk. My opinion is that the hd 6xx is a smoother, mellower headphone, with a slightly recessed mid treble as compared to many headphones. That is, It's sonic signature, if you will. The x2 are not that for sure. Imo, they have a more authoritave bass, and they're nowhere near as smooth or refined in the treble as the 6xx. However I don't find them as irritatingly harsh and piercing as you did. Yes, they do sound more hashy and rough in the treble, and a bit more piercing, but I still find them more exciting than the 6xx. I go back and forth between the two, depending on my mood.
Thanks for your comment, this is excellent, well thought out and incisive. Its good to get an objective view from someone with opposing subjective preferences. I try to give my objective take as much as I humanly can and give my subjective opinion, so as people learn my subjective tastes (which are closer to the 6xx than the X2) they can understand where something lines up versus my reference point and my tastes.
I see that there are many inconsistencies of opinion regarding the X2HR, some love them, others do not, some say that it sounds metallic an disrorted. Currently I have 2 Fidelios X2HR, the sound is similar in both, but one feels drier, more metallic and the bass slightly more pronounced. While the other sounds more open and natural, the treble is softer, and the bass is not annoying. When I play the piano, it is more evident since I compare note by note. There must be quality control problems with Philips, I think it depends a lot on how lucky you are, some of them have the most neutral sound, and others have the most Vshape sound. I love my Fidelio X2HR but only the one I mention that sounds more natural. And I hate the other V shape, my ear gets tired very quickly due to the excess of high and bass
Was pretty set on these for gaming with occasional music listen, then I find this. Leaving me second guessing and to make it worse you tease the HD599 but won't drop the review for weeks when the 599s are back up at $99. Killin' me here.
All these reviews of headphones are useless until the reviewer can get a bigger sample. I read the review of these headphones on Rtings.com and if you compare that to the other headphones they reviewed you would be under the impression that these are one of the best headphones for the price, given its score on neutral sound. Also, their review says that imaging and soundstage are well above average. However, they probably have a low sample as well. Then again I saw youtube reviews that say for the price of 150 USD this is an okay headphone, but not something special. Until there are reviewers that can get their hands on multiple samples and use professional-grade equipment for testing with quantifying the results such as rtings do but also adding a subjective comment on how they feel/sound, the conclusions will be all over the place.
Some people don't like honest critical reviews, that's pretty clear. If that's you, and you'd rather I fully agree with you and help you justify your purchase, then you ain't getting that here. Sorry Not sorry.
This review is just this one TH-camrs opinion and is based on my experience with this one specific unit of X2HR.
I really appreciate your honest review. It's hard to dig through all of the hype for headphones. I want a good set to listen to my records, can you provide your top 3 list?
I'm pretty sure that most people appreciate honesty
listening to this on my x2hr
And, how do you agree ir disagree with the review?
I still have mine but i agree they are far from perfect. They are just fun. At 100$ I would still buy them, but I have several others headphones pairs.
I think most people would enjoy them with their V shape sound. I didn't find any sibliance in the highs contrary to the opinion of the reviewer but he has some point about the mids and the imaging, they are weak in this regard.
@@alexvikendi1768 I still really like them. These aren't as sibilant as the beyerdynamics. For $100, they are really good. They are just hyped a little too much.
How's it sound?
the X2 is grainy as shit, bass was so boomy as well no idea how i was able to enjoy that thing, lol. enjoying HD 650, waaaaay better headphone imo.
Porta pro > X2 imo
I own one of this, and I love it. I use it to listen jazz, particularly Bill Evans piano, Miles Davis (Kind of Blue) Sonny Rollins and so on and I find it extremely pleasant with all those my old recordings, but I agree with most comments of yours.
Certainly, very much agree with the above comment as to how well the X2HR perform when listening to jazz. For me the textured or grittiness as some refer to the sound quality, bides well with brass instruments whilst the warmer bass enhancement fills out double bass nicely without digressing into deep subbass as you may find synthesized in EDM.
I would suggest you listen to Charles Mingus, 'Ah Um' album (stereo version) with this headphones. (No, I was not born when it was released 👍😁). Personally, I have no complaints about the X2HR ability at soundstage and imaging listening to this album.
However, in my opinion, that which makes the Philips Fidelio XH2R, excellent for jazz cannot be said for classical music and thereafter is rather hit-and-miss in other genders of music as was implied in the video review.
I appreciate an alternate viewpoint from my own, thanks for the review! I like how critical you are of it, that's a good thing. That said I feel opposite on almost every point you make. I think they are absolutely gorgeous with the leather and metal meshing, like some old mashup of old vintage studio gear. I love the cable and am grateful its not short for when I'm changing records. Sound wise it's been great, not spectacular, but a decent upgrade from my 9500s which is what I wanted. I haven't noticed any harshness at all in mine, and even added some treble frequency. I agree with you on imaging, it's just okay which is kind of a let down.
Would these be a good first time open back? Or are there better options (like the shp9500)? Thanks
Very in depth and detailed review. I personally own these headphones and I understand what you mean by how the bass can sound bloated at times, but during most of my use I found the bass to be very enjoyable. Personally as someone who has owned multiple recessed and forward headphones in the mids category I found it interesting how you found the mids to be shouty. I personally really enjoy the mids and think they have a nice tone to them. I also found that these headphones to me personally were not that exceptionally bright, but I found that there was occasionally sibilance in some tracks. Personally I enjoy the treble most of the time but I can understand how some people might find them overly bright though. I love these headphones so I’m very happy with them but everyone hears sound a little differently so some people might not enjoy these. Overall though I found these headphones to be very pleasant in the bass and soundstage department and I found the mids and treble to be really quite good. Thanks for the review though, it was enjoyable to see someone else’s perspective on these headphones.
I am not finding the headphones harsh or overly bright. Its a little heavy on the bottom but a couple db reduction at 40Hz fixed it. Its possibly the headphone was paired with a headphone amp/dac which was already a bit bright.
To be quite honest. I always very much liked the Fidelio X1/X2 Cables. And throwing a cable in the bin is really disrespectful to nature and any recycling effort on copper especially. I really dont get why people get so pissed off, because they dont find the cable perfect that comes with the headphones...
I mean i get pissed of when a cable isnt removable... that doesnt make me throw the headphone in the bin or rip the cable out...
Otherwise i guess a solid review.
I dont share your opinion on the sound. But thats just how it is. Not everyone likes every headphone.
But i am also a HD599/598 fan. I love them more than most of my headphones. The HD599 sounds more natural than most other headphones though. That isnt really a problem of the X2 in opinion. Rather a problem in generell brands other than Sennheiser at least to my ears just CAN NOT get a really natural tone. Beyerdynamic Sharp, X2 sometimes a tad sharp but nice bass and soundstage (Some EQ and i love them), AKG K712 plasticy, thin, unnatural, Monolith M1060 (Idk there is just something wrong even though they sound farily flat to me). LCD 2s i loved but i really dont want to afford them especially when i find the HD599 almost as good. Really dont get the people that say HD599 are HD600/HD660 for poor people... The HD599 has a tad more grain in the sound but to me much better stage and a better integrated bass. Its just different to me and not about a "quality level".
Sometimes a bit of grain in the sound isnt the worst thing when its a trade of for someting like soundstage, timbre, basically getting a room feeling.
It was hyperbole to illustrate that I really didn't like the cable. I think for the price point they could have done much better but instead, they chose to braid it with a stiff braid for form over function. I'm not literally suggesting people throw it away, I'm mocking it.
@@WheezyTech I get that^^ Just i really find that to much sometimes. But i guess if id review stuff id sometimes even suggest throwing the headphones in the bin. I get your point.
@@m.g.i2480 I mean you do raise a good point. I couldn't tolerate using that cable long term. It's too stiff too long and too microphonic. If people have to replace their cable with a soft flexible rubber-coated or custom soft paracord cable what happens with the OEM one? Probably goes in that deep drawer of tangled unwanted cables we all have and probably most of them eventually end up in landfill. I'd say its worth complaining about companies supplying bad cables. (I get that some people like braided cables but at least make it a soft paracord style braid).
I was going to comment about the dramatic bin throwing skit and how it's rather wasteful, but you beat me to it. Thanks for being proactive in pointing it out.
The auties are at it again
I love the reviews! I've been watching since your K371 review. The quality of the vids is just amazing!
Awesome thanks
X2HR headphones are designed for an experienced listener (who know how it sounds in concert halls), I like these so much especially for symphonic music (try Shostakovich, Mahler or Bruckner), fantastic for jazz too. Avoid 599 for classical orchestral music, they're destroying it. But to be honest, 599 are sooo good for voice with piano and chamber music. Overall sound X2HR vs. 599? 90% vs. 60%. But I like your reviews.
If they are that bright how r they good for classical?
@@aleksandarstojceski3139 these are SHITTY for classical yet jazz ecc. These are funny, colored cans decent for metal, rock and electronic. The lack of midrange, the not revealing highs are a total NO for classical yet acustic music or voices in general. These are pretty much total V shaped headphones.
@@aleksandarstojceski3139 Its a lie! They are not that bright at all. Probably the source apparture is so bad this reviewer uses than it is a bad test as well. These Philips are highly efficient en are very open but also flat neutral completely natural sounding. Much more natural than other headphones. So they expose bad source material apparatus better than other headphines do. Just get the right source apparatus and you will enjoy these much more than the overhyped Sennheisers 5XX or 6XX
It's really strange. It's a very personal opinion but I really like the Fidelio. Of all the helmets I have it is the one that gives me the most chills, the most wow effect!
I saw your test of the Hifiman HE4XX (which I really like). You say that his sound stage is excellent. Ok. When I compare with my Fidelio X2HR I find it much more efficient than the Hifiman, their soundstage is incomparably larger, precise, captivating. It even surprised me several times when I compared them. On the Hifiman the singer is between our ears and the instruments spread over a fairly flat line on both sides. A bit like the DT 770 Pro despite everything very good on this point for a closed helmet. I find the spatialization of the Hifiman more confused. On the Fidelio the singer is often more in front and the instruments on the left, on the right, in front on the left, in front on the right, the reverberations are much more sensitive, finer, more audible and the separation of the instruments more understandable, less clutter. It's a bit like going from a large living room to a church. For example, on "Driftwood Seat" by Mighty Oaks from 30 seconds, when the cymbal arrives at about 36 seconds, the detachment of the sticks which tap on the edge of the snare drum, etc. On "Oh! Euphoria!" by Twin Atlantic, very spatial, everything stands out better on the Fidelio. It goes in all directions, the voices are separate, we could follow the little sounds of the gaze, it's ultra precise. with the Hifiman it is less obvious, more confused, tighter. I could also talk about the beginning of Annabelle by Macy Gray ... We don't all have the same ears, of course, but there the difference seems so obvious to me ...
I do agree actually in terms of soundstage and imaging. Whilst I don't necessarily think the X2 has particularly good imaging, its probably more accurate than the He4xx. I do think the X2 has good staging tho. The Hifiman I think has a vast soundstage with decent depth and verticality and it seems to image well because you're hearing sounds coming from all sorts of positions but it doesn't feel right, and that becomes more obvious when you get into a game where it gets disorientating to me. It just feels spacy and reverberant rather than having pin-point imaging accuracy. Which is why I suggested it might not be good for competitive gaming. So yeah on that front, I agree the X2 is better.
@@WheezyTech I believe you! I have never played with headphones, I have never tested this use of headphones. I don't have your experience and I haven't tested as many headphones as you have either. I only have mid-range headphones. HD 598 (I don't like it), AKG K242 HD (not precise enough, boring), Hifiman HE4XX, DT 770 Pro and DT 990 Pro (sold because too high treble, to mix it is a disaster). The others have been sold or are too old in my memories. So I only react through what I have been able to test lately. The Fidelio gave me the chills, The Hifiman seems well balanced, good everywhere but never surprising as the Fidelio can be. I love it however, it is currently on my head! The DT 770 is very good for its price but, even if I really love it, it exaggerates the bass too much. Impactful, deep, but unreal. In short, if I had to go to a desert island with one of these headphones, I would take the Philips;)
What headphones do you think offer a truly extraordinary soundstage?
Sorry for my english. I'm french and I use Google Translate ;)
You are simply amazing reviewer! its sheer joy to watch ur genuine, unbiased reviews!
Awesome, thanks
I first tried these out on a headphone amp and was in agreement with you on the problems with the treble. But then I tried plugging them into a Marantz amp and it was like listening to a different headphone - all the harshness and sibilance went away. So I'm very happy with them.
Interesting, which Marantz amp are you using? I suspect what's happening there is the output impedance of the Marantz is considerably higher than your headphone amp. This likely is causing a tilt in the frequency response to a much warmer and bassier sound sig. This could mask some of the peakiness and grain in the upper frequencies somewhat. Sort of like running on a tube amp.
Sorry, I should have said what it is in the first place. I'm running the DAC/amp output into a Marantz CD Receiver M-CR610, then into the headphones. It may not be a setup that finds favour with everyone, particularly as the CR610 was discontinued quite a while ago!
What do you make of Tyll's review of these. He loved them and he does not like bright headphones. That's what I find so confusing about the differing opinions on these. People's views are all over the map, moreso than other headphones it seems.
Do you think this is because some people judge headphones as critical listening devices and others just judge them for non critical musical enjoyment.
I own these, among many other pairs, and don't particularly find them harsh. I do think there is some sparkle in the high end, which may be sibilant for some. But I don't find it any harsher than my DT 770s (80 ohm)
I would never pick it for critical listening or mixing as I agree the mid bass is a bit boomy and separation isn't on par with my Beyer cans. Compared to a Beyer the presentation is warmer and more mid-forward but less clean and precise.
I do find it has good value as an all purpose headphone for music, movies, games.
I was actually pretty surprised hen I saw Tyll's review but then he did review the X2 not the X2HR and I fear there may have been some kind of change even if only consistency in QC between those models and move away from Gibson manufacturing.
Having said that, Tyll also really liked the M50x which everyone loves to hate on these days for being too bright and grainy in the treble, so I dunno what that says lol.
But anyway I am a big fan of the Harman interpretation of neutral so this headphone is really bright for my tastes.
Having said that I like me some Beyerdynamics so I'm no stranger to a bright headphone. I could get on board with a v-shaped "fun" headphone but even as a 'fun' headphone this still fails for me because the treble is too peaky and grainy. It just overpowers the bass.
All I can say is that this pair I have here is murderously bright on a lot of tracks and even as a "fun" headphone I find this is just way too harsh.
I can accept flaws in a headphone as long as it does everything else good or has a more specific use case like being more analytical or having excellent imaging. However, with the X2HR it only does bass good and is let down by everything else. I don’t like the headband, the cable, the earpads, the imaging, the mids or the treble. It doesn’t have much to redeem itself.
Whereas most of the bright Beyerdynamics that I enjoy have something else going for them, in overall sound sig, build, comfort or the detail at the higher frequencies are actually useful for more critical listening etc.
I have an idea about the variety of opinions on this X2HR. some are built in Ireland, some in China (mine is) some others in Thailand. could it be right?
Tyll is also not always perfect, not every reviewer is going to agree with him. Especially on crap like the Aeon Flow Closed that he hyped up but is hugely compressed and not very detailed.
@@metal571 I agree, but his review of the X2 (not HR) is accettable IMHO
I may be blind in the offending frequencies but I don’t find these harsh or sibilant. I do prefer the treble on the 6XX, and yes sometimes these seem slow and flabby in the bass.
I think you've already described precisely why these have been so popular. For many people, bass amount is leading in their sound preference, and many people will reject a bass-light headphone instantly, without ever considering to use an EQ to boost it manually. I own an HD 660S myself, and with a Harman target EQ (which does include a decent bass boost), the bass that comes out of them is honestly better than any other headphone I've had before. Not just in quantity, but also in quality. I know there are plenty of headphones with much better bass quality, but I was highly surprised when I found out that even a bass-light open back headphone can be EQ'ed to deliver a better bass performance than a lot of closed back headphones. Since I've learned to EQ properly, I haven't had an itch to purchase new headphones anymore. And I truly think that so many people could save so much money long-term if they just learn to EQ properly, and get a headphone with superb comfort, solid technical capabilities and excellent EQ flexibility, instead of primarily looking at the stock sound signature.
Agreed, I EQ pretty much everything to Harman whenever I want to listen to music. DT 1990 Pro handles EQ superbly so I echo what you say about the 660s there. On the other hand not everyone wants to EQ and it is quite liberating finding a headphone that you don't feel the need to EQ. In this specific case tho, the X2HR have too many other points of concern for me to consider EQ enough to fix its flaws. The cable, headband, earpads, imaging, size and weight on the head, misses the mark by far for me.
@@WheezyTech Not everyone wants to EQ, and I can respect that, but often their excuse will be something like when they EQ the bass by a few DB it'll start clipping and the entire signature messes up, or the claim that EQ'ing a headphone changes the sound of your music to be not what the artists intended. And like that, I feel like there are many more people who avoid EQ for the wrong reasons. Valid reasons would be that not every device people plug their headphones into has access to good free/cheap EQ software, or they use their headphones with analog audio sources for example.
I actually didn't purchase the 660 S with the immediate intention to EQ it to fix what I didn't like about it. In fact I really like the stock sound signature of them for a large chunk of my music library. I accepted that I wouldn't get great bass performance, and planned to purchase a complementary headphone with solid bass performance later on. But after learning about the Harman target and EqualizerAPO, that plan to buy a complementary bass-focused headphone was quickly forgotten and I spent that money on a THX 789 and SDAC-B instead. So I guess I didn't actually save money lol, but I'm happy with where its gotten me. For now, at least. :)
And I agree with you about the X2HR as well. During BF and with the $20 new account discount on Drop, an HD 58X Jubilee was available for $115/€140, which like you also said about the HD 599, defeats the X2HR in most aspects. I'm sure some people just prefer that rough/raw character of the X2HR, I just can't appreciate it.
Btw, especially now that we won't see much from metal571 anymore, I'm glad to see that you're making good progress with your channel. I've watched most of your reviews, and it seems like I can relate to your reviews really well. And I haven't been able to bust you on any bullshit yet. So keep this up! And if you're able to get your hands on an Elex some time, I'd love to hear your perspective on those. My wallet is in no rush for that though.
based on your measured frequency response, here the APO Equalizer settings for those who like (I don't) to use equalizer for flattening (alternatively to the toilet-paper - polyurethane mod)
Preamp: -2.6 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 270 Hz Gain -3 dB BW Oct 0.2442
Filter: ON PK Fc 1750 Hz Gain -3.7 dB BW Oct 0.521
Filter: ON PK Fc 3200 Hz Gain 3 dB BW Oct 0.6442
Filter: ON PK Fc 4500 Hz Gain -3 dB BW Oct 0.2442
Filter: ON PK Fc 5800 Hz Gain 5 dB BW Oct 0.1442
Filter: ON PK Fc 8600 Hz Gain -4 dB BW Oct 0.1442
Filter: ON HS Fc 10000 Hz Gain 3 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 12000 Hz Gain 3 dB BW Oct 0.1442
Filter: ON PK Fc 14000 Hz Gain -3 dB BW Oct 0.1442
It seems that its your very very personal view.
That's why its critical.
Great honest review thank you! I have just ordered a pair of these. But I've always been interested on how reviewers get their sound! For instance I use a fiio BTR 5 dac/amp and connect it to my A&K SR25 (DAP) so my experience would probably be different to yours!! However , you were spot on about the HD 599 and the Sundaras . So I might be sending these back!!??
Critical but not unfair. I can agree with the two-faced nature of the headphone because it's all over the place, but I also think it's a lot more fun than you gave it credit for.
I remember I had an X2 a few years ago and it gave me the same impression that you had with these. Fast forward to now, and I purchased the X2HR for the sale price of $115. I find that the treble doesn't bother me in the same way anymore, and I can enjoy them much more now than I did then.
I'm not sure what caused this as I can still hear to 16k-17kHz but, I wonder if it has to do with listening to other bright headphones? My daily driver is a Utopia which many people find to be a little shouty in the upper midrange and bright in the treble. Maybe I just got used to the sound or I am just not sensitive to sibilance in the region that the X2HR has peaks. FWIW I find the HD700 really sibilant but the peak that causes it is a bit lower.
It could also be that I don't listen very loudly, or at least less loudly than I used to. The added bass and treble help make it sound fun, even at lower volumes.
My point is that it may not bother everyone and that it could really depend on their specific ears and volume preference. Personally, for the price I paid, I am really happy with them and I think a lot of others will be too, even if they are flawed. I think that $150-$160 is a bit much but I'd be happy to recommend them at the $100-$115 sale price if someone is looking for a headphone with a v-shaped response in that budget range.
Seeing that graph over 1k made me realize why I've been cringing half the time when listening to my week old X2HRs - sometimes they literally hurt me with the treble. Just found a decent used pair of 599s on Reddit. Returning the Philips. Thanks for the thoughtful review - you and metal571 are the best headphone reviewers on TH-cam.
Awesome, thanks
It's Maaa 🐮? Ok I'll make my opinion in a couple of days when I receive them. 👍
Just got them and compared to my HD6XX. They are larger fuller more detailed, very good bass and very enjoyable indeed despite the snares that are a bit too high/present.
My HD6XX sound more muddy in the mids, like there was a veil and they need more DBs to be driven.
For anyone curious. I'm not an audiophile but I bought X2's about 3 years ago for 300$ At $140 got another pair for fathers day.
Pros:
~Super fun headphones to listen to.
~Wide sound stage
~buttery smooth bass to my ears.
~insanely comfy, wear them for literally 12 hours at a time and forget they're on (I'm 6' with avg sized head)
~great for movies/single player gaming
~no amp/dac required
~easily found under 200 bucks now
~3.5mm removable jack, easy to hook up a mic
~durable, well-built
Cons:
~Not great imaging for gaming. But in games like Overwatch with built in Dolby Atmos ingame, still work well enough just not as good as the audio technica ADH500's i've tried. Still like the X2's more for gaming. But for serious FPS competitive focus only, there are better options.
~Open back, none of that super low sub-bass rumble u can find in closed backs (personal taste, I've found not having sub-bass makes them less fatiguing during long gaming sessions)
~After listening for a while and hearing audiophiles talk about them, Mids do sound a little recessed
~prolly gonna be bad for studio monitoring/mixing music
at $140 I love em
I do own the Audio Technica M50s and the treble on those is very fatiguing to me, for years didnt know why I didn't like listening to them at higher volumes.
I do like the M50s, but they feel too "clinical" to my ears after getting used to the X2's. The M50s sound is right up against my head and blast me with super accurate sound. Almost to a fault? audios weird
do you think they need amp? i feel withou soundtage, bass...very falt all.
@@LandsPlanes I've never tried them with an amp/dac. I still really enjoy the smooth bass and wide soundstage just plugging them into my phone or computer. At under 200$ price now I think they're the best headphones for non-audiophiles, my dad loves em too. Good without spending more money on amp/dac
@@LuLzezRoflcopter Enyoy It!! Mu Fidelio are without soundstage,bass ... I dont undertand.
My mobile phones at Max volume!!?
@@LandsPlanes cable plugged in all the way? volume knob on cable turned down? bad cable? bad audio source? maybe got broken headphones?
They are open back headphones so do not hit sub-bass frequencies. Plugged into any modern smartphone they should get loud.
I've heard miniDSP can be very sensitive to headphone positioning and give inconsistent results that do not correspond to what the person actually hears on the headphones (as a control when applying the resulting eq profile to neutral headphones). One person tried using a different recording method using binaural microphones inserted into their own ear canals to capture the sound as close as possible to actual human ear structure and headphone positions. He reported the results were much much better than miniDSP and provided accurate results without any corrections.
So I've watch several reviews of these headphone...every one of you reviewers describes the sound profile in terms that contradicts each other. who do you listen to?
🤷
Listen to the people with smaller channels. it will be more than likely that they are not being paid to promote average & garbage products
There must be some quality issues or differences in manufacturing, since I also found them pretty bad but for the opposite reason. My pair the treble was super recessed and the low end extremely boomy. This ended up drowning out vocals and just making them very unpleasant to listen to compared to the HD 599s that I also bought at the same time. Kept the HD 599s and I’m very happy about that decision.
Thanks the very honest review almost bought this one because of the hype
And you have lost one of the best cans unde 200 of all time
@@luigismilazzo AKG K371 & HD 599 destroys them
Why do so many reviewers forget that equalisers exist! High treble can be sorted using them. Mac and Windows have good apps for this. I always use them to fine tune.
Reviewing a product, not an EQ curve
They're hyped because it's basically the only open-back 'basshead' headphone.
Planars don't count because they don't emphasize bass, so don't even try to argue the point.
"yeah, but my LCD-2 has soft treble so the bass is more emphasized" - NO.
Thats the thing, the bass is really good on these for an open back, I find them really enjoyable for a lot of EDM. But as soon as theres anything going on in the upper frequencies it just gets ruined. I'm all for a good sounding V-Shaped "Fun" headphone, but this just kills it with the bright tilt it has. So even for EDM, usually theres a lot of bright synth leads etc going on in the lead up to a drop and this headphone is like a buzz saw buzz kill at that point.
@@WheezyTech Those treble peaks do look horrible, thanks for sharing the graphs :)
i bought x2hr on black friday and i was unhappy with the trebles. Then i took a HD599 for comparing and finally shipped back the x2xr and kept the 599. Totally agree. Solid construction and universal jack are not enough to hide the true sound of these cans.
I have/had both. The X2HR are voiced for consumers, not audiophiles. It's great for what it is. The 599 have the most BASS out of any Senn. I like them for EDM but sometimes too much bass. I'll probably pick up hd600, 6xx next.
All these reviews just make the buying decision more difficult. I have now heard every single variation of sound described for theses. Some say gooey and warm with nothing offensive others say detailed with nice bass and no signs of sibilance and now I get the bright and harsh headphone. Is this the first headphone to have every single audio trait good and bad?
@Adrian DeRose I'm not surprised to hear your experience. I have had similar experiences with other headphones, one in particular was the m570. First pair was nearly beyerdynamic levels of bright with mediocre bass and tinny sounding. The second pair was a completely different headphone and actually more towards warm. I did end up buying the X2/HR though. They arrived 2 days ago and my particular pair has some of the best imaging I have heard and it is one of my cheapest headphones. My pair doesn't seem to be a warm gooey pair either but a surprisingly detail oriented pair with a fun and unique sound stage. Mine sound wonderful with well recorded stuff but poorly recorded stuff like a lot of what I listen to sounds bad. Those tracks can sound grainy and sibilant. I don't find the bass all that special on mine but part of that has to do with those annoying pads and the fact the X2 seems to be designed for people much larger than myself. I'm 5'9" and roughly 165lb with glasses and these things hurt. They are either jamming my glasses in my temples or sliding down my head.
Yes, I have now heard it all, the good, the bad and the ugly reviews of the X2HR. What are we to think when theres no real consensus. I think for a flat $100, itd be a good buy for many. Better than the 9500, but not as good overall as the 58x for gaming. This model by philips, sennheiser, akg and other companies, we should be able to demo In Stores. But I have a hard time finding basically any hifi cans on demo in any of my metropolitan area audio stores. Super lame. i def want to try before I buy - most audio equipment.
@@DeepishMoog I own the 58x and I would game in the x2/hr 100% of the time over the 58x. My particular pair has imaging that rivals my T1's. Telling distance, elevation, and direction is incredibly easy with these. It caught me by surprise. I was expecting something only good for casual gaming but they turned in to my #1 tryhard fps cans.
hey wheezy, which gaming headphones would you recommend then?
Actually they are good for gaming if you play open world games, stuff like far cry etc. because of the soundstage...
Great review; first time here. Though as a non-audiophile I don't get half the superlatives you're using. I'll see how they are tomorrow when they arrive :)
Just found out about your channel, awesome and detailed reviews! I wanted to know if you have tried out the Philips SHP9500? If so, what's your take on them?
I'm sure metal approves of this review :P.
I'm not an audiophile, but as a gamer, I was also very disappointing with the x2hrs, mainly because of their piss poor imaging, way worse than even my astro a40s for gaming IMO. I'm so happy i returned them and got hd 599s, great for gaming (imaging), music, movies and for £90 i dont think i could've done much better :). The only downsides to the 599s is that I'm still getting used to front and back imaging, and the ear pads are only 2cm deep so my left ear slightly touches the driver cover.
Another downside of buying the x2hrs is that the company that made them went bust so if anything goes wrong you won't be able to claim on the warranty.
Do you plan on doing a review on the x3s when they come out next year?
I might pick up the X3 depending on what kind of price they launch at
@@WheezyTech Would be nice to have reviews on the x3 from people that don't hype shit up (not going to name and shame), so ignorant gamers like myself don't fall in the trap :P. Lucky amazon has a flexible return policy.
Honest Detailed Review.
Practice the truth..
( Please Review the Sennheiser HD 599)
I enjoyed this video. Does she still own the X2HR?
0:26 this part actually made me laugh! Good job.
They do look so wierd on the head, nothing like how they look in pictures :D
That was hilarious :)
HAHHAA I laughed so hard at the intro.
I enjoyed the review. I will be testing these out because there are also plenty of reviewers who have the opposite reaction. I think the reality probably lies somewhere in the middle, unless it ends up correct that the QC is the biggest problem, in which case, here's to hoping for a top quality instead of a low quality.
Thanks for your review! I've found it descriptive and useful.
I'm currently "researching" for replacing my cans, and these ones and the Fidelio L2 are in my list.
Have you heard the L2s? Could you care to share how do they compare?
Thank you!
I'm a rather casual "audiphile" and I rarely have super strong opinions on these topics but I definitely noticed that the high frequencies on these sounded quite piercing and unpleasant when compared to my previous headphones. It really made me feel like the sound was penetrating my brain in a bad way. Fortunately I have a DAC (ES100) with an EQ so I was able to tone it down a bit and now they sound awesome. I was quite surprised that none of the reviews I read before buying them mentioned this issue although it is so glaringly obvious to even an amateur like me.
Thank you very much for the analytical review, perhaps one of the few I have seen, I was about to buy these fidelio headphones on this 11.11 of AliExpress, but your review has made me think twice, I have a budget of approximately $ 200, and I wanted a headset open that does not fatigue and that allows me long hours of use, I will use them with a dac / amp topping mx3, which do you think should be a better option, apart from the HD599, I am looking for non-flat V sound to be open, many thanks for your sincere work.
HD560S sounds perfect.
@@dannybos7024 i bought my hd6xx :)
@@hernanaqp25 Even better :)
If i have to choose model for single-player (Witcher, Gothic) specifically, X2HR or Hyperx Alpha ?? My budget is $100-300, there are so many other models though I'm stuck by confusing.
this one is pretty great for single player, wide soundstage and bassy for more cinematic games.
Thank you for being honest. I won't mention any names, but I feel a lot of the hype comes from certain TH-camrs who are most likely being paid to review products. Or just simply hyping things up for more views and clicks.
I myself is looking to purchase a new set of Bluetooth headphones. What would you recommend based on durability, comfort and mainly sound. Sound wise... Something like my Tin Hifi 4. Clean and clear with some bass to it.
Sony H900n, 1000xm3 are my usual pick if you're looking for BT noise cancelling. I have a couple of BT headphone reviews on my channel but as for earphones, I will have some TWS earphone reviews coming up soon, stay tuned.
If I may ask. What would you recommend for around the same price point? Maybe even around 200. Something that you consider better that the X2HR and would be great for comp gaming.
If its for comp gaming, then HD599, DT990/880/1990. Perhaps K702/K712, I LOVE the K712 for casual gaming but I prefer my 1990 for comp.
Totally agree with harsh sibilance and too bright highs. Also expected more soundstage from being open back. Compared to my sennheiser true momentum wireless 3 in-ears there wasn't really a difference. Kinda strange when another reviewer called this soundstage king. Unfortunately I don't have other open backs to compare, maybe the sennheiser are just too good 🤷
Very informative review and funny at the same time, well done
Thanks for the honest review!
I've owned those for over a year and I can't say I like them... 😕
They're not comfortable (too much pressure on the jaw) and the trebles are way too harsh!
Granted everyone's hearing is different, but now I know we have that in common, so I'll make sure to check your other reviews. 👍
Your the only person who kind of crapped on these headphones, especially for gaming. What do you recommend for gaming then? I have these coming tomorrow.
For films, What do you think?
599 560s 58x man I'm confused as which to get, wondering if for my first "audiophile" entry level openback I should just get the 560s for a reference point, I do like some bass, not a bass head though but listen to a lot of pop, edm, urban, modern punk/alternate/indie whatever u want go call t not much acoustic or classical or jazz where is that 3 headed coin 🤔?
I've owned these headphones they're far from Bright I don't know where he's getting that from they're not bright at all their dark warm.
I saw some people canceled their order because of this review don't cancel your order because of one person gave them a bad review . They've got 999 positive reviews you cant go off of one bad review.
Everybody's taste is different put them on your head for yourself take every review that every person gives with a grain of salt. Headphones you do not know until you put them on your own head if they're going there work for you.
Or maybe this unit I reviewed was exactly like I described whether that is down to unit variance or its normal for these I cant say. I did discuss that in the video. This headphone is overhyped so of course its going to have many positive reviews, some people just don't know any better so they just follow the crowd. Just because a lot of people like it, doesn't mean I have to.
@@WheezyTech I think you over extended the other way. Hyper or not your critic was skewed to be on the exact opposite spectrum. Finding fault because others liked them is just being a contrarian.
@@HayleyPond You can think that if you want, this is exactly how I felt about them.
I don't know why people have to justify ignoring my take on them by trying to discredit me and my take.
You don't have to listen to me, you dont have to agree with me, audio is subjective. I'm not the only one who thinks the same as me, I'm just one of the few who actually published this opinion.
I'm not here telling anyone how to think. This video is MY opinion, take it or leave it.
@@WheezyTech Exactly, most likely their first decent-ish pair of phones. Also the placebo effect is very real!
I own these and definitely agree about the treble being unbearable, especially with older music and metal tracks. Try listening to led zeppelin on these. Torture without some serious EQing on the treble. The soundstage seems "wide but inaccurate" maybe just a result of the below average imaging not being able to keep up with the spaciousness provided from the angled driver design and deep cups? I am not sure. Tracking footsteps was not easy on these, even after some time adjusting to them I still misjudged enemies distances from me. Bought them with gaming in mind but much prefer my DT770 80Ohms for that purpose still thanks @metal571. I definitely find the treble much more bearable on the DT 770 80Ohms, in fact they are the only headphones I only slightly EQ to reduce the sub bass and treble peaks around 5.5k/9.5k/14.5k, but even without any EQ I still find them a very tolerable and enjoyable v-shaped headphone and the best I have tried for gaming so far. Still yet to find some open backs with good soundstage + imaging + sub bass for gaming, haven't tried DT990s yet but am a bit worried about the treble on them also and am thinking DT1990s might be the way to go.
I'd be lying if I said that gaming wasn't one of the primary reasons I bought my 1990's they are pretty good for that. They are, as with all Beyers, a little bright up top. I've never found that to be a problem in games but I do EQ them when I want to listen to music. 990's, 880's should be a good alternative but you'll probably want that EQ for music though. HD599 too, I don't find they need much if any EQ for music but they do really well for gaming, great staging and imaging.
Hello, i have a question... Do I need an amp for the Fidelio X2HR? and if so which one is a good choice?
Nope.
I reviewed these quite critically (the non-HR, but yeah) on my channel also and got lots of flack (dislikes) for it, though much more so - maybe because the hype was way stronger back then. That was a bit of a surprise to me. Especially when no one cared to put into words where I went wrong in my estimation.
Would you say your sound knowledge/opinions/preferences are simular to metal571?
man this is so stupid
how any two people can have similar knowledge
@@nonenothing4412 what u mean?. Also i was asking wheezy, not the general public
@@tisg5432 you phrase it as if it is
@@antyvirusuk8056 then write him email))
@@nonenothing4412 dude chill
Hi Wheezy,
OK im not sure what headphones you were listening too but i simply can't agree with your findings. I do know headphones are very subjective and its all down to persoanl taste but im just putting my opinion out there to give a balanced view. I bought my X2's second hand (but mint) and paid the princely sum of £80 , they are the Gibson models with the Non HR version (although they are the same iam sure) says 2014 on the box so iam guessing they are one of the earlier versions, ear pads not glued but removable. I do know there are many who talk about QC issues, channel balance etc but iam gussing i must have struck lucky with these.
Now onto the sound, to put into context iam amping these babies with a Dark voice with non standard tubes (Tung sol and GE electrics).
Warm, smooth NO harshness in treble, wide soundstage with precise imaging, detailed , to my ears the midrange seems perfect i was concerned the vocals might be recessed but no, superb clarity, and of course the BASS, best bass i have heard from any headphone, i have owned the whole of the Senn 600 series, AKG 7 series, Grados up to the PS 500, shp 9500, plus my current Go to headphone the DT1990 pro, this stomps all over them. The bass is tight, solid , not overblown but goes deep when it is in the mix.
As i say its all subjective as this is only my opinion as its yours in the review. I know there are many happy X2 users out there and it doesn't really need me to put my views out there on these superb (IMO) headphones. I would willingly pay what i paid new for my DT1990's (£380). Will i be selling my 1990's? Yes, i think that speaks volumes.
Keep safe in these Covid times.
Why when I listen to music or TH-cam it automatically enters my phone's address book once every 2..3 minutes. My phone is Huawei p30 pro😮😢😢
Great review! I like the honest ones! I guess there are too many different opinions because sound is very a subjective experience. We have loss off perceptions, genetics variations and all off these influences in our feelings about sound. The bad is having to buy several headphones to find what u like. In Brazil they all cost the DOUBLE cause of the tax to import them!!!!! I paid the the corresponding to 350 dollars to the X2hr!!! But wtf can i do? How compare without testing? Hope they are at least enjoyable! Thank you! Great review!!
O que você achou deles?
@@lazaroborlot3457 Eles são bons para ouvir musica, mas percebi assistindo milhares de videos que as opiniões são divergentes porque a percepção do som também é. Tem pessoas que vão amar e pessoas que vão odiar. Pra mim são agradáveis mas como importei na amazon e paguei caro não tiveram bom custo benefício. Preferia ter gastado com um verdadeiro alta fidelidade. E, pra jogos, achei que tem péssima precisão de localização. Tenho um senheiser game one que pra jogos é bem melhor, apesar do som não ser bom pra músicas.
Se vai vai gastar bem teste antes. O que pra nós brasileiros é muito dificil..... 🤦🏻♂️
Agree with the review, the highs are too harsh. Also the clamping force is too tight and the headband pressure gets uncomfortable for me.
It should be noted the pins that hold the heavy ear cups to the headband are made of plastic and will snap at the base of the ear cup. this is not covered under the warranty by philips. beware, or you will have an expensive paperweight.
is this better than the hp9500??
These or dt770 80ohms for gaming and bass heavy deep dub music?
Apparently Philips changed factories from I don't remember where to Gibson (the guitar maker), thus the problems with quality control.
Gibson owned the right to produce these for a while. When they did they glued the pads. Any produced by Philips will have removable pads
Just got a pair in the Amazon sales not impressed, have 6xx and shp560 and wanted some siu stage and bass, would the 599 meet these criteria, these are going back
If you want staging and bass, the AKG K712 Pro is hard to beat. 599 staging is good but both the X2HR and the K712 beat it and whilst its a great headphone when on sale its not really worth its usual retail price. HD560S is superb, great bass extension, but very neutral tuning. K712 Pro gonna be hard to beat for staging, great fun sounding headphone too, good detail and dynamics. Worth a try.
it's so frustrating how everyone says different things about the same headphone. How is one supposed to choose like that :S
Go with the majority opinion - this guy is one of the minority.
That intro music always makes me jam
That's nice because i just bought them XD I'll use it for piano, listen to classical music and cinematic orchestral music production. We'll see.
However if it may help there's a nice site called "rtings", take a look if you want more specific details about headphones. The X2HR are rated 8.2 and the HD599 8.0, they are very equivalent but yes, the Sennheiser has slightly better treble accuracy.
Did you liked the fidelio.
@@aleksandarstojceski3139 yes I did, very solid frame and nice clear sound.
You really nailed the ''sound'' that I've experience with these headphones. I love them but on the higher end it's so ''harsh''. Code Orange's ''Swallowing the Rabbit Hole'' has this sound that while I love the track, I Couldn't enjoy due to how piercing the treble end is.
Lets them break in, thats what i thought about mine 6 months ago they sound fuller and more controlled after a month of break in tracks
@@modelotime3608 I've had them for about a year my friend and the sibilance hasn't changed at all for me. I do LOVE these set of cans but I do recognize the sibilance there.
That being said, I'll listen to these on concert tracks, and tribal type artists like The Hu, Heilung, Skald, etc etc and a few hip hop/rock tracks that aren't cymbal heavy.
I've always been skeptical of the ''breaking in'' process. Just seems as if people become accustomed to the sound over time versus actual modification of the drivers via extended usage.
@@ArisenMind hmm try adding a thing piece of cloth over the drivers
@@modelotime3608 I might try that my friend, thank you.
I put a thumbs up because I'm italian but I do really like your british sense of humour 😆😆 👍
I had a bit of fun with this video
@@WheezyTech 😁 btw, it would be interesting if you had any chance to test the new MSR7b (B underlined). I received one days ago, playing it with a Fiio M11 in balanced mode. I do believe that's one of the most surprising headphone nowaday. stating that's not fully neutral, but has a remarkable clarity and unbelievable details in mid and mid-highs together with controlled and extended lows. this could be an "out of the ordinary." review if I may say so, because very few testers did it. furthermore, it's in a relatively depopulated range of price (200\250€)
I havent tried them but I would like to
Of all the reviews I've seen here on youtube your the only one who said they're shouty & bright most of them say their warm I think your amp DAC giving you those results
u mad bro?
@@WheezyTech bewildered lol
Objectively speaking the X2HR should be good. I've seen 2 objective reviews. One is from Rtings, the other is an independent blog and the writer have bought one sample (of 3) himself. For sound, between them they've measured frequency response, distortion, and even the CSD plot. Scientifically they should be as advertised and shouldn't be as harsh/sibilant as described. The reviews that favour them reflect the measurements. I build speakers and measure them. I trust measurements more than any human ears. For education purposes only I compare my listening experience to measurements.
It's either a QC issue (prominent with the Gibson-era FIdelios), or poor placement on the head/ears (which can be blamed on the headphone's ergonomics, not necessarily the user).
Measurements don't always reflect how you'd like the sound either. My only headphone now is a Grado SR60i (10 years and still going!). If I had seen its measurements before buying I think I would've dismissed it. However, after some time with it I'm glad I didn't. Its sound is an acquired taste and a sound I've 'tolerated', but they work so well with Rock.
But, after a decade my library has expanded and its range becomes more limited. For now, everything else my Grado can't handle I have my speakers. Now I want something to complete the spectrum in headphone form. "Better" headphones for the price usually recommended as alternatives are not similarly priced where I am (the cheapest costs 20% more).
It's an advantage when you don't have something else more "refined" to compare to. You have a lower benchmark. I'm buying the X2HR, because other than the scientific evidence and reasonable price I think it looks AWESOME! There's just no attempt at fashion whatsoever with the Grado. I'm almost embarrassed to hang it for display on my desk. I'm holding off a little bit longer just in case there's a silly little sale coming (like 8.8 sale, Halloween sale or whatever).
They were $100 dollars near Black Friday in the US
Hi, can i ask you a question? i have the x2hr but all my friends suggested me to change the wire.. Is the wire so bad?
The wire isnt bad at all, in fact its pretty good.
Yes there are much better wires to combine with this headphone. This reviewer is totaly wrong upon these headphones.
I bought a pair of the 'better build' of the X2HRs for £200 as they were said to be perfect for both music and gaming, and thanks to the removable 3.5mm jack I could use them with basically every platform with a mic. They were actually heavenly to wear, no noticeable weight or sore clamping force, not heat build-up or fatigue from long use. Wore them and loved them right through my first day with them.
Then at night compared them with my cheap £10 JVC HA-S160 Flats with the expectation that I'd be astonished with the sound difference only to be immensely disappointed that the X2HR sounded worse, even through a stack. They didn't have this nice fullness to the sound and the bass and mids just sounded mushed together with no detail or texture (best way of describing it). Quickly returned them recently, but really wish I saw this video earlier instead of all the other videos and posts online absolutely overhyping these headphones. Great video and review!
I have the 599's and the Head pad sucks lol I stuck on a after market one and wow made a difference maybe just my head. But I returned my X2's twice and I admit they were kinda great but the clamp was no bueno. Overall The 599s are decent coming from 58xs and 4xxs now I can see that it is def a mid ranged option for me anyways.
I keep the 599s cause I got them for like 68$ like new and I luv the 70's Ivory dark brown look on them, By no means a bad set of cans but after hearing the 58x I can see what they lacked in detail.
So, you say 58x is a good option for someone who likes open cans with neutral sound on a budget? I myself haven't heard any of these options.
I have Samson SR850 and they are breaking apart after three years of use, so I'm looking for a replacement and improvement (which for me means neutral sound, true to the original recording).
Unfortunately, 58x are difficult to get in Europe and they will cost me about 250 EUR (and some nerves dealing with customs) when imported. I'm not sure if there aren't better options for the same or even lower price. Shame on Sennheiser for not making 58x available in Europe.
@@camelCased I wouldn't say they are Neutral, More intimate and more into vocals aka mids their soundstage is decent but have detailed highs and detailed low end but not anywhere near bassy.
They have great imaging more soundstage If you remove the foam but that removes all bass mostly. I'd say try mass drop the 4xx need an amp but they are close to neutral and have a good sound stage and clarity.
I ordered another pair of X2HRs to keep this time cause the bass is to die for and I'll just have to stretch them to get them comfy. I got mine for 104$ on amazon try to look for some the x2s are not neutral but are in the Hires cert and have great detail in highs and don't distort and have fun boom in low end.
@@teshx9x9x40 Thanks, looked at some measurements, demos and reviews of HE4XX - seem really great, although might need getting treble down a bit, and then they become better than 58x. Will try to find them on this side of the ocean for a reasonable price.
@@camelCased Your welcome and good luck I'm not a pro at this but If your got an amp and can EQ the treble and put up the low end a bit the 4xx are great and come with good stock pads decent construction for Hifiman and I personally luve the look and build and for 2 hours they feel like nothing on my head then i need a break for 10 mins lol.
(Update): I just saw HIFIM came out with the 2020 revision of the 400i on Amazon at 169.99$ which is pretty good they eased up the treble I heard but u need a amp with these. The 4xx are 160$ on drop and said they are having trouble keeping up in stock cause they are so popular. Happy Hunting!.
Have you tried Fidelio X3?
To read : diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-philips/fidelio-x2hr/
That unit variance is what I was getting at in my review. I think it goes a long way to explaining why so many people have wildly differing experiences with these.
Another alternative during BF/CM was the HD58x. Just $115 during Cyber Monday in the US with the $30 instant discount with another $20 with a new account.
Thats a pretty good deal
i got the x2hr and 598sr you cant rly compare them cuz they sound totally different
When making a review you shouldn"t tell people whats better its up to them to decide what they prefer
Comparing audio its not like comparing a phone or something that can clearly show better quality or performance
I mean I basically spent the whole video saying how this was my opinion. I'm not telling people what to think. You do you, feel free to review them on your channel so I can see how to do it properly ;)
@@WheezyTech didn't mean to sound like an ass but you did say 599 is better and to get that one instead, btw what happen to that pro 700 and 900 review tho
thumb down for the review of the cans but thumb up for YOU being YOU. Cheers!!!
Glad I bought DT 770 Pro instead.
glad i didnt
Yes, a far better headphone my friend.
My friend.. the aftermarket pads are FAAAAAAAR from "Negotively affecting the sound"(as you mentioned). SURE..of course there Are Some pads..that do that..and there Are some specific headphones which are becoming to sound like....well sh*t when you out aftermarket pads on them.But man.. it is Faaaar from been the case on everything.Simply because there are some Specifically engineered/designed pads by a Really GOOD aftermarket pad makers that are made for a specific headphones/brands... that *ACTUALLY IMPROVE the sound quality by a noticable amount(as crazy as it might sound... but its 110% truth.Yous trully - have been GREATELY experimented with this "topic" togeathet with my friends thst own a Pro.Gear and HiFi music store here in Toronto(GTA) soo...yea,hope no Offence but I just Had to correct you on this one..).
Keep up the good work man.Good luck!
I never said that aftermarket pads ALWAYS degrade sound but in the vast majority of cases do negatively affect the sound sig of any given headphone. I've never seen a Dekoni pad that does anything but make any headphone darker and bassier. Same goes for Brainwavz. It has been my experience on a number of different headphones and a number of different brands of pads that they never make the headphone sound better. More comfortable yes, very often, but never sound and that has 110% been my experience.
But I don't want to argue with you, "better" or "worse" is all subjective. You have your experience and I have mine. I don't need to be corrected.
Heads up!
metal571 gave Your channel a shout out in his latest video! grats !
F's in the chat for metal571
I don't understand your language right now.
I really like braded cable most of the time but hate it for headphones ! I find really annoying the sound that I hear when I move my head and can hear the cable scrubbing on my clothes...
Everything is subjective and that is fine. But you can't say that the x2 it's ugly when on the other hand you're holding that plasticky sennheiser which looks like a ground control operator kind of headphones. You are really losing credibility here.
Riiiight
@@WheezyTechaudiophiles make sports fans seem like the most well-balanced and non-confrontational people lmao
When world war 3 does eventually begin, it'll be between Sennheiser, Hifiman and AKG fans
I'm returning my Philips Fidelio X2HR, your review is spot on and explains what I found when listening to them, some tracks sounded ok, others sounded bad / distorted. For me they sound very similar to M50X's, which are good as a starter headphone but have sound quality issues when you compare them to something better in the same price bracket. I didn't really hear any openness, for me the mids seem squashed / distorted just like the M50's and happens when there's lots of instruments in the mix, as you say the bass is good but I found some tracks where it sounded mushy / flappy. Wish I'd seen your review before I bought them to save me the hassle of returning them, these headphones are not good at all.
GamingPowa M50X? You kidding right? This is not similar to M50X.
@@rayhananthaaa - no I'm not kidding, M50X's are well known for big bass, the Fidelio's had roughly the same bass, I liked the bass, in fact I've been looking for some bass head cans recently for gaming with clarity but couldn't really find any, bass yes = clarity no or bass yes, clarity yes = insane price tag, I kind of regret selling my M50X's a little, great for gaming. I'd say the highs on the M50X's were clearer / better defined compared to the Fidelio's, I'd call the Fidelio's highs as splashy i.e. the highs were present but with no real clarity. It's just the mids that let down the M50X's just in the same way as the Fidelio's. If the mids on the M50X's weren't so squashed / distorted then the M50X's would be the best all round headphone for music and gaming. So I now have the AKG702, I can easily hear the openness and sound detail, nothing is squashed, complete night and day difference to the Fidelio's in terms of sound quality. As expected the AKG702 are bass light, the bass is there, it's clear, it extends quite low but it's not as punchy as I'd like, although you get used to it and swapping back to my MSR7's made these sound like bass head headphones, which they're not.
The AKG702 sound signature is addictive for me, so I'm not missing the big impactful bass, it's a small trade off for the open and detailed sound, the AKG's have been my go to headphone now, I'm keeping my MSR7's if I need to reduce external sound bleed from the 702's.
So my ideal headphone would be the openness and clarity of the AKG 702's with the M50X / Fidelio bass, no idea what headphone fits that requirement if any, perhaps some hifiman planar headphones ? in other words 1 headphone that works well for music and gaming, perhaps combining what someone might call a fun headphone but with openness and clarity, alternatively perhaps a HD600 / 650 with bass. Also a big requirement would be some high power drivers, the 200mW on the AKG's are just a shade too weak, so if I want to really go loud which I do on occasion I hit some distortion simply because the drivers aren't able to handle the power being thrown at them. Interestingly the crazy expensive AKG K8 series use 300mW drivers - I reckon that power level would do the job i.e. go loud enough with no distortion.
I think headphones opinions are subjective and relative, if I'd come from some cheap rubbish headphones straight to the Fidelio's I'd probably be blown away by the difference. So my comparison was with my ATH MSR7's which produce a very detailed and clear sound, the Fidelio's just didn't compare well with the MSR7's, if the Fidelio's had a bit of detectable openness, with the bass they provide plus the MSR7's clarity / detail I'd have been well happy with the Fidelio's. I do find it frustrating why some company can't just make 1 decent haedphone at a sensible price, I mean it's just 2 tiny speakers that 'work', it's a complete minefield regarding choosing headphones, I've spent way too much time looking at specs and headphone details, drives me insane, also I find it hard paying silly money for headphones, how can a pair of headphones cost upwards of £500 to make ?
Overall possibly the Fidelio's would have probably done well with EDM and gaming i.e. been enjoyable, I just can't be bothered with continually swapping headphones every 30 mins based on what music or activities I choose to listen to or do. As said this is my opinion and what I found, I don't expect everyone or anyone will agree, clearly there are fans of the Fidelio's, if they enjoy them that's all that matters. Personally I will continue searching for my ideal headphone but without the requirement of having to re-mortgage my house to buy one :) I'm happy with where I'm at and what I've got in terms of headphones but they'll always be something better in the future, of course at the right price and not a shaft you price...
no idea whats wrong with my ears
i bought these 2 years back and just upgraded to focal clears
they cost 10x the price
and i swear if you blind test me id struggle to tell you which are which
I wonder if you'll hate the hd800 treble for being too sharp for your taste too.
Mybe we'll find out one day, you can be sure whatever I say about it will be my own thoughts tho.
@@WheezyTech Sorry about my other comment earlier. Good, fair review. Look forward to your future work. I revisited the tweet that made me feel like your opinion was influenced by his, but I re-read it and saw it wasn't closely as problematic as i remembered it to be. Still, considering how large an enemy expectation bias is to reviewers, i wonder how much his tweet (and your desire to fit his expected narrative) affected your final opinion. Still dumb of me to have said it in an antagonizing way rather than an inquisitive way.
@@tisg5432 Thanks. I put my opinion out there on Twitter first and a few people agreed including metal. But that didnt influence me, thats how I was already feeling. Sure its hard to not be influenced by others but actually I think its often more difficult to be honest when so many people feel one way and you feel different, you dont want to be attacked for stating an opinion. I was actually nervous to post this one considering the hype its been getting, it would be easier to just ignore the flaws and hype this up. But I just can't get on board with the X2HR so thats the video I made. I try not to deal in absolutes and be as balanced as possible and most of all be true to how I feel, thats all I can do.
I love these sennheiser fan boys they talk about a headphone- discus, critizeise ... at the end of the show:Sennheiser, it's always the same result, the only alternive is a sennheiser. There is no headphone for all, if you want bass you lose something quite simple, but sennheiser is for all- industrial cheese,no fun but flat
Why jump immediately to fanboy accusations. I'm offering an alternative at the same price point that I believe to be better. You don't have to agree and its not some Sennheiser conspiracy. Jeez
While I agree with the description of the sound, my subjective response to that sound is different from yours.
As you say each person will have thier own subjective opinion.
Talk talk by a perfect circle where the grungy guitar drops, I agree is harsher and edgier on the x2, but I didn't find it as awful as you did
Also the x2 is more mid-bass emphasized, whereas the 6xx is more upper bass emphasized. I found it to have more authority on the x2. Um, okay maybe a bit muddy but nothing I found distracting.
Automaton, I didn't find harsh, perhaps a bit more sibilant and yes sharper than the hd 6xx, but many many headphones are more piercing and sharper than the hd 6xx.
The Beyer dt 990 and dt 770 as two examples.
I didn't find anything at all annoying leading up to the drop on deep jungle walk.
My opinion is that the hd 6xx is a smoother, mellower headphone, with a slightly recessed mid treble as compared to many headphones. That is, It's sonic signature, if you will.
The x2 are not that for sure. Imo, they have a more authoritave bass, and they're nowhere near as smooth or refined in the treble as the 6xx.
However I don't find them as irritatingly harsh and piercing as you did. Yes, they do sound more hashy and rough in the treble, and a bit more piercing, but I still find them more exciting than the 6xx.
I go back and forth between the two, depending on my mood.
Thanks for your comment, this is excellent, well thought out and incisive. Its good to get an objective view from someone with opposing subjective preferences. I try to give my objective take as much as I humanly can and give my subjective opinion, so as people learn my subjective tastes (which are closer to the 6xx than the X2) they can understand where something lines up versus my reference point and my tastes.
I see that there are many inconsistencies of opinion regarding the X2HR, some love them, others do not, some say that it sounds metallic an disrorted.
Currently I have 2 Fidelios X2HR, the sound is similar in both, but one feels drier, more metallic and the bass slightly more pronounced. While the other sounds more open and natural, the treble is softer, and the bass is not annoying.
When I play the piano, it is more evident since I compare note by note.
There must be quality control problems with Philips, I think it depends a lot on how lucky you are, some of them have the most neutral sound, and others have the most Vshape sound.
I love my Fidelio X2HR but only the one I mention that sounds more natural. And I hate the other V shape, my ear gets tired very quickly due to the excess of high and bass
@@snakeleon Yeah I'm fairly certain there are wild unit variances with these. It would certainly explain the huge variances in opinion on them.
Should I use an amp when playing on PS4 via the controller?
I like the honesty. Good review. I don’t agree much, but I like your reasoning and sticking to your guns
Was pretty set on these for gaming with occasional music listen, then I find this. Leaving me second guessing and to make it worse you tease the HD599 but won't drop the review for weeks when the 599s are back up at $99. Killin' me here.
These are excellent for rap/hip-hop/pop/edm. They don't sound nearly as good for rock music though.
So funny with these headphones, all the over analyzing audiophile nerds hate them while people who like listening to music love them
exactly lol, I've owned these for quite a few years and till this day I still enjoy them. But hey each to their own ig
All these reviews of headphones are useless until the reviewer can get a bigger sample. I read the review of these headphones on Rtings.com and if you compare that to the other headphones they reviewed you would be under the impression that these are one of the best headphones for the price, given its score on neutral sound. Also, their review says that imaging and soundstage are well above average. However, they probably have a low sample as well. Then again I saw youtube reviews that say for the price of 150 USD this is an okay headphone, but not something special.
Until there are reviewers that can get their hands on multiple samples and use professional-grade equipment for testing with quantifying the results such as rtings do but also adding a subjective comment on how they feel/sound, the conclusions will be all over the place.
You're voice is so calming
Cany ou use a vmoda with the hd599?
Unfortunately not, its a 2.5mm with a twist to lock mechanism