Yeah, sorry . More accurately the treble, high mids are a bit peaky and somewhat sibilant. This may lead to the impression of more detail when honestly its pretty close.

The X1 have a great , if somewhat overwhelming low end while retaining good detail retrieval. I'd give the HE400i 4 out of 5 for fun factor. You can use EQ to boot the bass and it's pretty similar without the bass bleeding all over the place. The soundstage on the X1 is a bit wider IMO Vs the...

I find the HE400i to be a great compromise open can. I have the AKG 701, Fidelio X1 , Denon D2000 and SennHD700.   My Fidelio X1 and D2000 are my fun cans and the HD700 are my more analytical cans that throw down an awesome image and sense of placement. The HE400i are a bit more narrow...

400i fir the best all around the be headphone. Have not heard the x2 but would imagine it's a close call. Both have been said to slightly best the HD600

Own the X1 and the 400i. They are fairly similar but the 400i has a more controlled but well extended bottom and a bit more natural sound all around. The X1 may image a little better but I've only had the he400i for a few hours. The 400i is definitely faster and more accurate for metal...

I have a pair of HD700s, Grado 325i (modded), Fidelio X1s and Denon D2000. My two favorites are the X1s and the HD700s. The HD700s are slightly more resolving, have tighter more impactful bass although less in quantity but can get peaky up top. They each do their own thing differently and I...

1)Sennheiser HD700 2)Denon AH-D2000 3)Fidelio X1 4) Modded Grado SR325i   Really depends on the music I'm listening to and my mood. Sometimes I want the warm and bassy X1 or the hard hitting and more V shaped D2000. Through my main listening setup the HD700 makes me the happiest. Looking...

Sounds like you settled already but here's my 2 cents. I own the D2000s and love them. I got the Fidelio X1s and consider them to be in the same ballpark tonally. Both very fun sounding with great impact. The X1 is a bit more rolled off up top but still gives a good amount of detail with a more...

As a stand alone amp, not an amp/dac, I like the Asgard 2. An Objective 2 should do the trick as well at well under $300. I've never listened to an O2 but from everything available it should do tge trick for you

Agree with this. The Fiio setup is good for the money. The Objective 2 and ODAC would be superior and a ton of people make them ( well... Not a ton) . I never went O2 because I didn't like the ins/outs of the ones I saw. That being said, they are somewhat customizable. Having started with the...

I never considered myself a bass head but I really do enjoy the visceral thump of a somewhat bass boosted headphone. I really enjoy my Fidelio X1 for that reason. Warm, decently detailed and open and they can kick. I can appreciate a neutral and lean sounding set of cans but I like a somewhat...

I've been underwhelmed by some great headphones due to the music I listen to as opposed to my gear. Some headphones excel at certain things and leave me wanting in others. For example, I bought a pair of sennheiser hd700. Somewhat underwhelming for a lot of the rock and metal I listen to...

The E17 should be enough in itself and be a pretty versatile unit. I run my E17 from and optical out from my macbook and appreciate tge improved sound quality. You can also use it to amp a portable player for mobile use with harder to drive headphones. The E09K is a pretty good amp for the...

When I'm out and about it's generally my iphone 5 running can opener and my Shure 535Ltd or IE80s. I have a fiio E17 but don't really find it necessary with the IEMs. I'll run optical out from my laptop to the E17 which helps a little. I think you're right... Shut up and enjoy the music. I'm...

If you haven't already try the CanOpener App from the App store. Made a pretty substantial difference with my 535LTDs. If it's not your cup-o-tea you're only out like, $5. It's pretty cool and as mentioned above, you should be getting plenty of volume, you're just looking for tweakability, yeah?