[New] Philips Fidelio X1
Mar 28, 2015 at 11:26 AM Post #5,356 of 5,962
Well, my personal opinion is that You don`t need those "effects" for gaming when You have headphones with that kind of soundstage like X1 and have somekind of amp/dac better than onboard audio but this is only me...
 
Mar 28, 2015 at 7:32 PM Post #5,358 of 5,962
  Well, my personal opinion is that You don`t need those "effects" for gaming when You have headphones with that kind of soundstage like X1 and have somekind of amp/dac better than onboard audio but this is only me...


Same. Like I said, if the positioning and effects are in the code, then it wouldn't matter to run it through a soundcard instead of a DAC/amp, which would be good for everything in addition to the gaming use. Built in soundcards aren't terrible, but I still don't think they're the best all-around solution. The soundstage of the X1s really are just fantastic though.
 
Mar 29, 2015 at 6:54 PM Post #5,359 of 5,962
agooh - Did those pads change the sound? They look like the Brainwavz HM5 pads. I had a ZMF t50rp for awhile and the Brainwavz pads were on it. 
 
I have had these headphones for about 2 weeks and totally love the sound! I have them hooked up to a Digizoid ZO FS and Dell Laptop. The synergy is amazing! The combination of the X1 soundstage and the Smart Vektor Technology of the ZO really makes for some magical sound dimension. It's very immersive and musical. I listen to mostly EDM - progressive house and trance with some pop and hip hop every now and then. Oh - no problems with leaky ink.
 
Mar 29, 2015 at 11:09 PM Post #5,360 of 5,962
  agooh - Did those pads change the sound? They look like the Brainwavz HM5 pads. I had a ZMF t50rp for awhile and the Brainwavz pads were on it. 
 
I have had these headphones for about 2 weeks and totally love the sound! I have them hooked up to a Digizoid ZO FS and Dell Laptop. The synergy is amazing! The combination of the X1 soundstage and the Smart Vektor Technology of the ZO really makes for some magical sound dimension. It's very immersive and musical. I listen to mostly EDM - progressive house and trance with some pop and hip hop every now and then. Oh - no problems with leaky ink.


I've still gotta check mine for leaky ink over tonight. I traded my X1s for my friend's K7XXs for the past week and just got them back. I like these more than the K7XXs.
 
Mar 30, 2015 at 12:54 AM Post #5,362 of 5,962
Update: the cheap cable I bought finally came in. It does sound better than the stock cable. Vocals are a little clearer, bass response is less muddy, there's slightly more detail in the mids, and the soundstage grew a little. I'll provide updates on pad dye after I leave it on a paper towel tonight and maybe a short (and very sparse probably) comparison to the HD600s (which admitted sound so different since I've been going off of the CA S30s and K7XXs for the past week (during which I had more listening time cuz it was spring break).
 
Mar 30, 2015 at 12:22 PM Post #5,363 of 5,962
agooh - Glad to hear that because I really love the comfort of HM5 pads. I had them on my Q40s and they made a world of difference in both comfort and sound quality. Plus I think they look great on your phones.
 
Mar 30, 2015 at 1:48 PM Post #5,364 of 5,962
well i dunno, i really just like the sound effects i guess.
 
Im really tempted with the schiit stack but again, i want the surround effects.
So now im not quire sure what would work well with the x1.
 
SB Z + Magni2? im kind of worried about double amping, but people say a good amp really makes a big difference
SB ZxR. Some say not as good amp, but better DAC, would it balance out?
 
Either way, they both cost the same amount of money.
 
Mar 30, 2015 at 4:00 PM Post #5,365 of 5,962
  well i dunno, i really just like the sound effects i guess.
 
Im really tempted with the schiit stack but again, i want the surround effects.
So now im not quire sure what would work well with the x1.
 
SB Z + Magni2? im kind of worried about double amping, but people say a good amp really makes a big difference
SB ZxR. Some say not as good amp, but better DAC, would it balance out?
 
Either way, they both cost the same amount of money.


I'm minded to think that the DAC would be more important in your case. I honestly don't think there will be a huge difference in the amps on sound cards, but the DAC could make a lot of difference. It's true, for many other headphones, a good amp really will make a difference. But the X1s aren't difficult to drive anyway so even if the ZxR has an average amp, I don't see a problem with that choice. I'm not here to push external DACs/amps on you. If those are the two options you've kinda narrowed it down to with using the X1s in mind, then I would say pick the ZxR. I would like to mention if you don't already have the X1s.....get a different cable. Even not factoring in that an aftermarket cable does sound a little better (IMO even though I bought a super cheap Chinese cable), you really should swap out the cable cuz once you add in the adapter from 1/4" to 3.5mm, the jack is absolutely MASSIVE. It's like a good 3" long I'd say so it would really stick pretty far out of your system.
 
 
Also, another update: HOORAY!!!! I left the right pad out on a paper towel overnight and didn't see any dye leakage. I'll try out the left pad tonight but so far so good!
 
Mar 30, 2015 at 4:14 PM Post #5,366 of 5,962
  ...i want the surround effects...

X1 with its soundstage and imaging kinda is like "surround effect´"! 
biggrin.gif
 Of course, source must be also good.
 
Mar 30, 2015 at 4:52 PM Post #5,367 of 5,962
  well i dunno, i really just like the sound effects i guess.
 
Im really tempted with the schiit stack but again, i want the surround effects.

 
"Surround Sound" is a marketing ploy to get you to buy poor quality gaming headsets.
 
You do not need software or "effects" built into the headphones to get surround sound.
 
The X1's are very good at surround sound naturally because they have a wide soundstage.
 
But, if the source you're using wasn't created with surround sound capabilities, you aren't going to get it out of the headphone.
 
Mar 31, 2015 at 10:57 AM Post #5,369 of 5,962
If anyone wants more bass out of the X1, just remove the stocks pads and put on some Shure 1540 Alcantara pads. 
basshead.gif

 
Mar 31, 2015 at 11:08 AM Post #5,370 of 5,962
I think most of us rather want less bass from X1 but good to know.
 

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