[Salvatore]

  I'm also on deliberation on buying the Aune T1 or matrix mstage to replace E17 for my X1.
You say that the Aune T1 is not a good pairing with X1 or is it just overkill?
Aune T1 is even cheaper (usd110) than E17 (usd 130) here in China. The matrix is 200usd and 250usd for the usb version.
Note, I will use either amp for my future cans, probably HD650 or k712.

 
Because T1 is practically an ss amp with tube DAC, the tube rolling doesn't have as significant effect to the sound as the dedicated tube amps do. Therefore, to get the best out of tube rolling, more refined cans are recommended. If you're not planning on upgrading your headphones I'd stay with the E17. With E17 you can also EQ if needed. Other than that T1 is simply fantastic amplifier for the price.
 
I pair T1 with K702 anniversaries because the anniversaries hit the sweet spot for me. They are so balanced I can use them very long periods without any major fatigue. The X1 bass can overpower lower mid detail and feel fatiguing in the long run. It also makes the mids feel slightly recessed (especially when A/Bing against anniversaries). X1 sounds very good straight from sandisk sansa clip so I don't think much amplification is needed. To conclude, X1 are imo very good for portable / unamplified use because they don't benefit as much from amplification as some higher end cans do. I use X1 to play games and watch movies and now to listen music both at work place and on the go.
 
E: Anniversaries have great synergy with T1. Especially with right tubes. T1 has plenty of juice to drive anniversaries. I use 0 gain, but there are options to go for +10db or +16db gain if needed.

 

[widdyjudas]

   
Because T1 is practically an ss amp with tube DAC, the tube rolling doesn't have as significant effect to the sound as the dedicated tube amps do. Therefore, to get the best out of tube rolling, more refined cans are recommended. If you're not planning on upgrading your headphones I'd stay with the E17. With E17 you can also EQ if needed. Other than that T1 is simply fantastic amplifier for the price.
 
I pair T1 with K702 anniversaries because the anniversaries hit the sweet spot for me. They are so balanced I can use them very long periods without any major fatigue. The X1 bass can overpower lower mid detail and feel fatiguing in the long run. It also makes the mids feel slightly recessed (especially when A/Bing against anniversaries). X1 sounds very good straight from sandisk sansa clip so I don't think much amplification is needed. To conclude, X1 are imo very good for portable / unamplified use because they don't benefit as much from amplification as some higher end cans do. I use X1 to play games and watch movies and now to listen music both at work place and on the go.
 
E: Anniversaries have great synergy with T1. Especially with right tubes. T1 has plenty of juice to drive anniversaries. I use 0 gain, but there are options to go for +10db or +16db gain if needed.

Yes, I will update my cans to HD 650 or K712 sometimes next year. That is why now I'm considering updating my amp first to either matrix m-stage or Aune T1.
The X1 is good already, even straight from my laptop.

 

[georgelai57]

Went from the X1's which I liked sound wise, but could not get a comfortable fit to the Sony MDR-MA900. Holy moly, most comfortable headphones I have ever owned not even close. Such a value too. Truly overachiever status sound wise, I really liked how the X1 sounded but love how the MA900 sounds.

Funny how I'm about to get rid of the X1 for the same reasons. I just can't get a comfortable fit with them. I have bent the metal headband, I have cut the elastic straps from the lower headband, I have removed the earpads and experimented with LCD2 vegans, alpha pads, Beyer velours.

Some lucky friend is going to get a free headphone in the next few days

 

[anodyne]

You guys are making me worried about me and my big noggin...
 
But I guess I'll see for myself tonight or tomorrow. The package has arrived at the local terminal and the tracking page also says it will be available at my pickup point late this afternoon.

 

[Oregonian]

Funny how I'm about to get rid of the X1 for the same reasons. I just can't get a comfortable fit with them. I have bent the metal headband, I have cut the elastic straps from the lower headband, I have removed the earpads and experimented with LCD2 vegans, alpha pads, Beyer velours.

Some lucky friend is going to get a free headphone in the next few days

Wish I was your friend! I couldn't believe how comfy they were to me!

 

[kcee]

Funny how I'm about to get rid of the X1 for the same reasons. I just can't get a comfortable fit with them. I have bent the metal headband, I have cut the elastic straps from the lower headband, I have removed the earpads and experimented with LCD2 vegans, alpha pads, Beyer velours.

Some lucky friend is going to get a free headphone in the next few days

 
Yeah the whole elastic lower headband thing didn't work for me at all, still sat too high on my ears. I was really debating doing some mods that would make them not returnable but once I tried those sony's it was no question that the x1's were expendable for me.

 

[anodyne]

Wish I was your friend! I couldn't believe how comfy they were to me!

 
I've had mine on for an about hour now, and I'm already starting to forget they are on my head.
 
Been spending that hour skipping between parts of favorite tracks... but the initial impression soundwise is that they are keepers.

 

[kcee]

   
I've had mine on for an about hour now, and I'm already starting to forget they are on my head.
 
Been spending that hour skipping between parts of favorite tracks... but the initial impression soundwise is that they are keepers.

 
Take that feeling and multiply it by 10 and you have the sony's comfort level.
 
Having had the x1's along side the ma900's it is not even close for me and others. The Ma900's take the "not even there" feeling and ratchet it up a ton.

 

[anodyne]

   
Take that feeling and multiply it by 10 and you have the sony's comfort level.
 
Having had the x1's along side the ma900's it is not even close for me and others. The Ma900's take the "not even there" feeling and ratchet it up a ton.

 
I've mostly preferred dual headbands in general, but the Sony design looks different enough to make them worth a try. I'll make sure to check the fit when I spot them in the wild.

 

[anodyne]

A few initial subjective impressions of the X1's:
 
Sound is comfortable and laid back but still incredibly rich. Bass extension is just enough to give a roomy, non-directional lower end without affecting soundstaging very much in general. Expected just a little more of the very high end, but that could be dulled by lack of proper amplification. Not that they need that much power to produce sound, and are enjoyable when connected to my phone as well. Or maybe they just need to be played a few hours more to loosen up fully.
 
So, with the sound, comfort and design/build I'd say that were worth each one of the £185 I paid – and would probably have felt like a very decent buy at the £280 RRP as well.

 

[widdyjudas]

Take that feeling and multiply it by 10 and you have the sony's comfort level.

Having had the x1's along side the ma900's it is not even close for me and others. The Ma900's take the "not even there" feeling and ratchet it up a ton.

If someone wants to praise and compare ma900, please make its own appreciation thread.
This thread is for the x1, not to appreciate the ma900.
Please respect the thread starter.
Sorry for being rude, but i just saying my opinion.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

This isn't an appreciation thread. This is an X1 thread, and discussing how it compares to other headphones is still discussing the X1.

That being said, while the comfort on the Sony far outweighs the X1's comfort for me PERSONALLY, the X1 is still an overall better sounding headphone, though with different emphasis/frequency response. I just wish it had less mid bass and more sub bass... since mid bass is an area I'm a bit too sensitive in most of the time.

 

[widdyjudas]

This isn't an appreciation thread. This is an X1 thread, and discussing how it compares to other headphones is still discussing the X1.

Yes i also aware this is not x1 appreciation thread. However, when i saw someone talks about the ma 900, they sounds like bashing the x1.
Sorry for my english, i dont know how to say it correctly. Just saying my opinion, if someone wants to appreciate the ma900, bettr to make it own thead.
If someone disagree, feel free to ignore my opinion.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I don't think he was bashing the X1 anywhere. He was just stating that he feels the MA900 to be more comfortable (which I agree). He didn't say the X1 was horrible in comfort or crap, etc. That'd be bashing. Someone discussing about some dislikes about a headphone is just as viable as expressing what they like. Either way, there hasn't been anything remotely close to bashing FWIR on this thread.

I find the X1 to be very comfortable overall. I just wish it breathed a little more, and weighed less. Also have heard some friends complaining about it's slight clamp which can put pressure on the jawbone. The memory foam does heat up a bit next to pads like the non-Anniversary AKG Q/K70x models.

 

[chicolom]

Comparisons to other headphones are fine, and welcome. 
 
That's what one of major points of these threads, so it's not like it's derailing the thread.  People usually come in to threads like these to learn about the headphone and look for comparisons to other headphones they know.  So the more comparisons to other headphones the better.  It doesn't help anyone trying to learn about the headphone if they come and everyone is just saying "X1 is the BEST!!"  Imagine if you were trying to learn about a new headphone in another thread and you couldn't find any comparisons to any other headphones.  I know I've had that problem.
 
Would you prefer we get back to the horrible third-party-cable arguing instead?