[paulguru]

After 3 days of burn in my X2 being to have an highter volume in the bass compared than treble and bass is boomy and a slightly crackly at the end of bass effects.

im using the integrated 1150 now, but also with notebook and smartphone its the same.
 
the general volume is high.
I test it with game like BF4 and MP3 320kbs and the situations is the same.
 
Defected ?


 

 

[SP Wild]

 
I measured for the following purpose (as written}: "I did some measurements to see if I could equalize it properly". The graphs are for analysis purposes, not to determine how a headphone sounds. You can explain some characteristics though, and explain why equalizing the phone with an ordinary parametric equalizer has its limitations.  
 
I initially tried to tune the headphone based on what I heard, I didn't manage, so I measured a couple of weeks later to see if I could fall back to measurable properties (sometimes - or even many times - your ears are fooling you). The measurements explain some items that I hear:
- Treble somewhat unnatural sounding
- Hollow sound characteristic, voices disappear somewhat into the music, missing energy in the fundament region. 
 
Many people say the X2 is not a bass monster. This you can also explain from the measurements, it has a dip in the fundament region. So there is relative more bass compared to where the fundament of most instruments is situated, but not in an absolute sense! I design loudspeakers myself, and there it is very obvious that the relative magnitude of frequency regions of about on octave matters a lot to how a speaker sounds. Lowering the frequency spectrum of a very narrow frequency range with 0.3dB is hardly audible, lowering a whole octave is easy to spot. Here we talk about 4 dB in the fundament region. I tried to lift it, but then the sound starts to get shut-in. This phenomenon can be explained by the resonance that is present at 220Hz. It might even be that Philips deliberately lowered the energy in that region to compensate for that resonance of the enclosure. 
 
What is not explained with the on-ear graphs immediately is why the Philips sounds more hot in the treble region. There is only a small peak at 9kHz. So I also did a few more measurements with different distances to see which peaks-dips are due to geometric properties of the phone (also explaining why phone characteristics are so different when measuring on-ear), and which ones are intrinsic. You see that the peak at 2kHz shifts, and completely disappears when put on-ear, so it is a reflection. The ones at 5 and 9kHz are certainly there intrinsically. 
 


Looking at the different between the on-ear and near-field measurements, you can see that the Philips has some issues in its treble, where the Sennheiser is pretty clean. 
 
X2: (on-ear is yellow, near-field purple, observe the peaks that remain at 5kHz and 9kHz)

 
HD650 (on-ear green, near-field blue; a small peak at 2.5kHz, which is assume is on purpose and diffuse field adjustment):

 
 
Whether at the end you like the tuning (overall timbre) is a completely different story, and something of personal preference. Records are also mixed differently, so trying to go for an "absolute reference" phone is not a guarantee for ultimate music performance; a reference may work better with some records, and worse with others. So a better measurement does not mean "better sound to you". To give an analogy; suppose you have a time machine, and can go to the 17th century where Rembrandt is painting his famous painting "de Nachtwacht" (Nightwatch). You are there with the best camera equipment, and make a photo of the same setting, go back, and let it print at the same scale as the painting. The photo will probably be more accurate in color, contrast, dynamic range etc. Nevertheless, most people will probably prefer the painting, as the deliberate effects of the light and contrast is what creates a more intense emotion with most observers. I.e., I understand the limitations of a measurement graph, it is for analyzing purposes only, not to claim it creates a better reference headphone. 
 
Overall I think the X2 is a very nice headphone, and I could certainly recommend it to many people. If you like acoustical music, and appreciate it for the wide field of colors and timbre, then go for the HD650. If you prefer the ticking of a plectrum against guitar strings above the resonance of the guitar enclosure, go for the X2. If you look for a headphone that you can tune with a graphical equalizer to tast (and have a decent amplifier to steer it), the HD650 is a better choice, as is supported by measurements. 
 
So, you would never use graphs (which is fine of course), and as an answer I give you even more graphs in return 

 This is probably the fun of a forum. 

 
Hifivoice, it is refreshing to hear your perspective.  I have been particularly interested in the X2s, and coming from the HD650 I could not agree more with your assessment of these tonally precise headphones.  What are some of your speaker designs, as it seems very difficult to obtain commercial speakers with this kind of accuracy that the HD650 delivers.  As with yourself, I seek to be within the music and not as an observer.  I tire of the common practice for audio gear designed to throw me out of the music.

 

[Hifivoice]

  What are some of your speaker designs, as it seems very difficult to obtain commercial speakers with this kind of accuracy that the HD650 delivers. 

 
My main speaker design can be found here: http://www.hifivoice.altervista.org/audio/milestones/index.html .The newest status of the speakers can be found at the htforum, if you want to discuss the speakers please do it at that forum, so that we can keep this forum topic focused on the X2.
 

 
To specifically answer your questions, I once made a filter, that made the speakers almost identical to the HD650; it was as follows, where you see like a 1dB roll-off in treble (the dip at 4kHz is a reflection that is only visible on-axis):
 

 

[SonicWarrior]

 
Indeed
 
I am sensitive to treble. Most hifi equipment is a bit "hot" in treble. We tend to like it. I visit classical concerts with big orchestras often (no ear damage for those who may think...), and there it is always apparent how little treble you hear in most of the performance. Sure, if metalic instruments like copper or triangles step in, there is a lot of treble. But I find that a lot of hifi equipment magnifies the brilliance of those instruments, at the expense of the harmonic structure (in the mid and presence area; say from 500 to 2000 Hz). 
 
The HD650 has been given a diffuse field response as much as possible based on measurements, and after that has been tuned with the bass as if you would listen to loudspeakers in a practical situation - to make it closer to a reference that is used for final mixing music in recordings. For a lot of people (without giving it a judgement!) that means it has too much energy in the high-bass/fundament region. If you take a graphic equalizer, tune down the HD650 with 2 dB on the 125Hz and 250Hz, and add diagonally an increasing curve from 4kHz, via 8kHz to 16kHz, you get a headphone that emphasizes the pluck of a guitar instead of the guitar enclosure. A record engineer could do the same BTW, by putting the microphone closer versus further away from an acoustical guitar. It's all a matter of preference, and there is no absolute reference. So, at the end, it depends on the records that you like to use as a reference. 
 
I do disagree with you on the mids (from 500 to 1000Hz), there I find the headphones even pretty equal, supported by the measurements. It's more like how the mid is relative towards the fundament area (125-400Hz) and the treble (4kHz) which are the biggest differences. 

Very well explained Hifivoice. I think feel the inverse of what you feel about the bright headphones. For me HD650 does have definite treble roll off and it probably accentuates the presence of mids. I am a sucker for well resolved treble

 

[depleted]

By the way I never tried the HD650, but Hifivoice has perfectly described my feelings about the X2, I couldn't describe them better.

 

[MarcelE]

  I did some measurements to see if I could equalize it properly. If you look at the on-ear performance, the look pretty similar, where you see the lack of energy in the fundament area of the X2 (yellow) and a nasty peak at 9kHz. You also see a resonance (of the enclosure) at 220 Hz. (measurements have been aligned at 1kHz). 
 

 
Hi Marc - if you compare this graph with the one from X1 (from innerfidelity) wouldn't you say that the
frequency response of the X1 is nicer/smoother at the treble?
 

 
I have equalized/upped the freq around 7.5kHz with 3dB as I'm personally missing some brightness, but that
could also be my hearing/personal taste. Or would it be better to down the freq around 9 a little bit.
When I just bought the X1, there were only rumors about the X2 and couldn't wait buying one.
I haven't heard the X2 but I'm sure both are great phones.
 
 
 

 

[Donnyboy98]

How does this stack up against the HiFiMAN HE-400 as they are the same price.

 

[Hifivoice]

 

Hi Marc - if you compare this graph with the one from X1 (from innerfidelity) wouldn't you say that the
frequency response of the X1 is nicer/smoother at the treble?

 
This is hard to say from a curve only. If I would go from the curve, I would say it makes sense to attenuate the fundament @ 250Hz by 3 to 5dB, and to increase the treble at 4kHz wit 2 to 4 dB. 
 
But this is a matter of experimentation, without near field measurements it is difficult to guess. 

 

[MattTCG]

  How does this stack up against the HiFiMAN HE-400 as they are the same price.

 
I will have a pair in a few days and will makes some remarks on how they compare to the he400/400i/560 and hd650.

 

[Donnyboy98]

I will have a pair in a few days and will makes some remarks on how they compare to the he400/400i/560 and hd650.

Can't wait, thanks I'm glad someone is comparing the main 1s I've been looking at (hd650, he 400 and 500 if it goes to 500 dollars that is and the x2)

 

[KFHph]

OK so I just exchanged mine with Amazon and the new pair is sounding much better. Seems like there are duds. Though I still get a weird faint hiss in my right ear when a specific drum hits or a cymbal like sound occurs. Anyone else have this sort of issue? I'm beginning to think that there's something wrong with my right ear. I can flip the headphone around (Left ear to right earcup) and not hear the sound in either ear, though the X2 drivers are tilted so flipping the headphone doesn't exactly reverse the sounds.

 

[vertical]

   
I will have a pair in a few days and will makes some remarks on how they compare to the he400/400i/560 and hd650.

 

[Busta Uppa]

I want a good stand to go with these. They deserve to be on display when not in use!

  Anyone got a recommendation that works particularly well with X2?

 

[MattTCG]

Any good universal stand should work fine. Any of the Omega knock offs or the Woo Audio stands would be nice.

 

[Busta Uppa]

^^^ thanks for the recommendation!
 
So last night I used my X2 for the first time, and I just have to say that the soundstage is SHOCKINGLY good!  This is my first pair of high-quality headphones, so I'm not qualified to make comparisons.  But the proof for me was when I plugged the jack into my receiver - with phones already on my head and the audio source (Xbox 360 game) already playing - for the first time.  I honestly thought that I hadn't inserted the plug correctly, because I could still hear the sound all around me.  I increased the volume and realized I was definitely getting sound through the phones, but I thought it was still playing through my speakers as well.  I took the headphones off my head to check, and was shocked to realize that 100% of that room-filling audio was in fact from the X2.
 
I wish I had a video recording of that initial reaction, because it would make a good commercial.

 I literally had to take the headphones off to make sure that the 7.1 home theater sound was properly being cut off - that's how effective the X2's soundstage is.  I wanted "open", I wanted "airy", and by golly I got it!!
 
Now I've got a quick question for you X2 owners.  What should I look for in replacement cables?  There is a certain impedance I should look for, correct?  It seems that some product pages don't even include that information, so I wonder if there is a particular brand that is known to be good.  I need a slightly longer cable (12-15') to reach my main seating position, and a shorter cable for portable gaming.  Thanks!