Philips Fidelio X2?!

xylin6 said:

you don't need an amp for the A15/A17 to drive the X2's to loud enough levels by any means
(i just like my music louder than i should) :basshead:
plus the sound quality,user interface and battery life on the A15/A17 is incredible.

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Thanks for the reply however, the confusion between loudness & drivability still remains... As [@]bestula[/@] comented, were you facing drivability issues or just loudness ?

tamal said:

Thanks for the reply

however, the confusion between loudness & drivability still remains... As @bestula comented, were you facing drivability issues or just loudness ?

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The X2 is VERY easily driven.  Mobile sources will have no problem with powering it.

tamal said:

Thanks for the reply

however, the confusion between loudness & drivability still remains... As @bestula comented, were you facing drivability issues or just loudness ?

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the Sony A10 series (which includes the A15 and A17) can drive the X2's effortlessly to levels that are more than loud enough even though Sony's line out is lower than most other DAPs.
 
but the bottom line is that no, you don't need an amp to enjoy them.i do feel that other headphones in my collection that have the same amount of resistance or are very close (such as my Grado's which are 32 ohms) are perceivably louder than the X2 - but the more my ears acclimate to the X2's i am beginning to think that's because i've never owned any headphones with such great soundstage.
 
Grado's tend to focus a lot of energy in the midrange ,whereas the X2 have a more three dimensional presentation, and for me this is a relatively new experience (as i just got my Fidelio X2's a few weeks back,and since they arrived I haven't used anything else) ,but yeah go ahead and get the A15 without any worries,it pairs with the X2 wonderfully with or without an amp.

Thanks for conferming I'm assured. I'll definitely get the A15...

These things are amazing.
 
Even powered by a Fiio X5 2nd Gen, with Muddy Waters, Folk Singer in high res, it's amazing balanced and rich, I think when one gets used to listening to these, everything else will sound a tad lean!
 
Over and out.
 
I'm not a serial headfi poster - so I'm off to listen and buy music

migasson said:

  These things are amazing.
 
Even powered by a Fiio X5 2nd Gen, with Muddy Waters, Folk Singer in high res, it's amazing balanced and rich, I think when one gets used to listening to these, everything else will sound a tad lean!
 
Over and out.
 
I'm not a serial headfi poster - so I'm off to listen and buy music

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I can run mine off the X3 G2 (low gain) and they sound pretty fantastic... gets better with the E12a.   That's more because I find the HO a little warm and slightly congested than anything to do with the X2.  It really is the swiss army knife of full size open headphones.  Any genre, any activity, darn near any source/amplification!  ...with that single caveat I mentioned earlier in this thread  

Ten days since I received my X2's and after a guestimated 100 hours of use and/or burn in, my latest impressions.
Overall tonal balance is still improving,
bass has really tightened up f.i. O'Jays: For the Love of Money,  very rarely colouring a bit too much on low-fi recordings.
mids are natural and well centered and lush,
treble: a bit more dependent on source: mostly good, occasionaly a bit too velvety/rolled off, never sibilant or fatigueing.
The soundstage is simply stunning, timing is dynamic.
And I can listen for hours simply bathing in their lyrical presentation.
 
My music ranges from low-fi fifties & sixties jazz/ blues/ pre-soul / r&b and rocksteady to soul// ska/ reggea/ funk/ underground/ psychedelic rock/metal & classical.
The X2's have proven to be a great allrounder.
 
I am listening ALAC 41kHz/24bit through my Audiolab 8200CDQ, mostly on Optimal Transient XD filter setting, because of the almost analogue sound reproduction, great timing & superior soundstage through this filter.
This filter is measured for early highs roll-off & bad alias suppression. The combination of the X2's and Optimal Transient XD is responsible for early treble roll-off @ f.i. Grinderman 2 - Palaces of Montezuma.
Despite all that i keep coming back to this particular filter, it has this magic fairy dust.
Same goes for the X2's, they are not entirely linear in their reproduction, but so musical / lyrical, you are hooked.
 
 

I wish I never sold mine!!

canthearyou said:

I wish I never sold mine!!

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Yeah, what made you come to that decision???

black dog said:

Yeah, how did you come to that decision???

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I had a growing collection of headphones and they were the first (real)ones I bought. First in first out, I guess. But I'll soon have 4 headphones for no sane reason. So I guess I'll have to pick up another X2. Or wait and see if Philips releases a X3.

Waiting for X3's will be for an undetermined (and possibly long) time.

Just bite the bullit and rejoice!
 

 
 

eurobeat said:

 

Thanks for the info, when did you get your HPs?  It seems that this ink issue was about 5 months ago +, but not sure when it started, and when it was fixed...

I figure I would wash the pads from the start (also since people say it makes them even more comfortable), but don't want to deal with dyes and shizz...

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 I just washed mine.  I have an earlier release.  I had tested them for ink bleed when I first got them and thought they were ok.  I recently noticed they weren't.  Started noticing some ink where I routinely set them down. 
 
After washing, they are a bit softer.  I washed just one first and dried it.  I took them both to my wife and ask her if there was any difference between the two.  She didn't know what I had done.  She said the one was a little softer.  (the one I washed)  It felt softer to me too but I wanted unknowing confirmation. 
 
After washing and drying the other one and putting the HPs on, I could tell the difference.  They are a bit softer and less scratchy. So, even more comfortable.
 
I just used a little bit of Woolite laundry detergent in a bowl of warm water.  Pinched around the pad several times to work it in... rinsed the same way under the faucet.. blotted them on a towel to get most of the water out.. let dry in front of a fan. Worked nice.
 
 

rgmffn said:

   
 
 I just washed mine.  I have an earlier release.  I had tested them for ink bleed when I first got them and thought they were ok.  I recently noticed they weren't.  Started noticing some ink where I routinely set them down. 
 
After washing, they are a bit softer.  I washed just one first and dried it.  I took them both to my wife and ask her if there was any difference between the two.  She didn't know what I had done.  She said the one was a little softer.  (the one I washed)  It felt softer to me too but I wanted unknowing confirmation. 
 
After washing and drying the other one and putting the HPs on, I could tell the difference.  They are a bit softer and less scratchy. So, even more comfortable.
 
I just used a little bit of Woolite laundry detergent in a bowl of warm water.  Pinched around the pad several times to work it in... rinsed the same way under the faucet.. blotted them on a towel to get most of the water out.. let dry in front of a fan. Worked nice.
 
 

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crazy stuff man....  I'm just afraid of getting ink on me or whatnot.  It doesn't seem like people have, but there were reports of the inner ear part getting inky too...  ugh.....

eurobeat said:

 

there were reports of the inner ear part getting inky too...  ugh.....

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Err ..what now?
 

 
 
And did these reports bother sharing how this was verified ?
M.