[xRaptorxPunisher]

Not a fan of Chord gear in general. I always find it rather thin sounding. I would take an SDAC over the Hugo 2 for example.

I've not heard their latest gear though. I did think the Mojo was better value than the Hugo line. Mojo sounds a bit too compressed sounding for my liking, similar to the LCD-2F and Aeon Flow
were everything is almost playing at the same volume with no sense if dynamics. I did find Mojo extended well at both ends but the bass while extended again sounded compressed.

I've got an SDA and Liquid Spark I use as a system in my bedroom and I think it easily best a lot of multi thousand quid systems I've bought over the years, very dynamic and impactful little with good bass weight. The Liquid Spark adds a bit of sweetness to the mids which is rare for a SS amp, not too much though.

 

[omniweltall]

Agreed with your assessment on the mojo. Still, I find it better than hugo 1 too, which was thin sounding and didnt like the treble. Hugo 2 is better than both of them though. My only problem with hugo 2 is the value.

I havent tried the sdac or spark. But I have my doubt that they will compete with good multi-thou gears. But some multi-thou gears are not worth the price tag. So that make sense.

 

[xRaptorxPunisher]

Thats is exactly why they compete with multi I gear because most aren't worth the price tag. The Liquid Spark is one of the best amp I've ever bought. It has a warm, engaging sound and pairs well with almost everything I've tried it on. It has good depth for a SS amp.

I very rarely see fair priced gear in this hobby. Value wise the Verum 1 and HD650 will always be the two best buys and actually sound like you underpaid.

 

[omniweltall]

Thats is exactly why they compete with multi I gear because most aren't worth the price tag. The Liquid Spark is one of the best amp I've ever bought. It has a warm, engaging sound and pairs well with almost everything I've tried it on. It has good depth for a SS amp.

I very rarely see fair priced gear in this hobby. Value wise the Verum 1 and HD650 will always be the two best buys and actually sound like you underpaid.

I can see from your past posts that you have good ears, raptor. The spark must be good. Sounds like it is really good value. Usd100, right? Have you compared it with the 789 or LP or Gillmore mk2? I wish I can give it a try.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

Have to mention this, but I think my 2C has been put on the side by an unlikely of headphones. ^^

After I got the RME ADI-2 DAC, I brought out most of my headphones and messed around with them. In combination with my Oppo HA-1 and directly from the RME, just tried everything. For a while I was swapping and EQ-ing depending on what I was listening to and what I was doing in general... It took some time, but I started to default only to one of my headphones. A lot to do with comfort, but also I noticed that it is the only headphone I have that doesn't actually do anything that bad or off. For me anyway. The Philips Fidelio X2. Originally I replaced them pretty quickly as they sounded muffled with a whole bunch of slow, bloated and muddy bass... However as it turns out if you burn them in and combine them with good gear, all that goes away and you get a surprisingly good headphone.

 

[omniweltall]

Have to mention this, but I think my 2C has been put on the side by an unlikely of headphones. ^^

After I got the RME ADI-2 DAC, I brought out most of my headphones and messed around with them. In combination with my Oppo HA-1 and directly from the RME, just tried everything. For a while I was swapping and EQ-ing depending on what I was listening to and what I was doing in general... It took some time, but I started to default only to one of my headphones. A lot to do with comfort, but also I noticed that it is the only headphone I have that doesn't actually do anything that bad or off. For me anyway. The Philips Fidelio X2. Originally I replaced them pretty quickly as they sounded muffled with a whole bunch of slow, bloated and muddy bass... However as it turns out if you burn them in and combine them with good gear, all that goes away and you get a surprisingly good headphone.

That is surprising. I was a big fan of the Fidelio X2 for the price. But as you said, it was muffled and bass was muddy. Not really audiophile standard. More for movies.

 

[betula]

That is surprising. I was a big fan of the Fidelio X2 for the price. But as you said, it was muffled and bass was muddy. Not really audiophile standard. More for movies.

Same here.

 

[omniweltall]

Same here.

Build quality is top-effin notch though. You can really who is a proper manufacturer and who is not, from build quality. It is Sony/Sennheiser standard imo.

 

[betula]

Build quality is top-effin notch though. You can really who is a proper manufacturer and who is not, from build quality. It is Sony/Sennheiser standard imo.

Build quality is pretty good, however when I owned my X2 (quite a few years ago) many owners had problems with a peeling metal ring. Perhaps it was solved since then. It is a really great hp for the price with good soundstage but bass is a bit muddy and muffled. Suffering from the same sub-bass roll off as most dynamic drivers do. It is a great first £100+ purchase for someone who wants a proper headphone with fun sound.

 

[omniweltall]

Build quality is pretty good, however when I owned my X2 (quite a few years ago) many owners had problems with a peeling metal ring. Perhaps it was solved since then. It is a really great hp for the price with good soundstage but bass is a bit muddy and muffled. Suffering from the same sub-bass roll off as most dynamic drivers do. It is a great first £100+ purchase for someone who wants a proper headphone with fun sound.

I see. I take back on the build quality then. Luckily mine was problem free. But mine was not the new one (was it Gibson or something). It was before Phillips sold it.

 

[betula]

I see. I take back on the build quality then. Luckily mine was problem free. But mine was not the new one (was it Gibson or something). It was before Phillips sold it.

Mine too.

 

[omniweltall]

Mine too.

Dang

 

[WildStyle-R11]

Well, I was surprised too when I plugged into a better amp. And then with the RME in there as well, it changed quite a bit. Obviously it's a dynamic headphone so the bass isn't as any planar bass, if I were to compare it to something like HD660 in comparison obviously the X2 is more loose. BUT The X2's have a bass hump, so the sub bass isn't all that rolled off, in fact there is more presence on something like 5 Hz then there is on the 2C. Obviously you don't hear it, but feel it, which is what the 2C for me at times lacked, the presence of bass or feel of it. Where the X2 is more like a speaker bass and you can feel it. Which kinda can give the effect of muddyness, but it's quite controlled for the most part. I got my X2's in 2015? No idea who made them, but they don't appear to be having any build issues, then again they haven't really been used all that much.

I can appreciate higher end gear and I love my 2C's, but for me convenience is really key. I don't know about my hearing, but my attention span is that of a gold fish and so in reality all this high end gear do nothing for 90% of the time. That is why I always have been more into Comfort and having headphones that I can use all around, which X2 can do more than the 2C. Obviously there is still that 10% so I can still notice when something is off ,so sound signature is still something that I have to consider.

 

[omniweltall]

Well, I was surprised too when I plugged into a better amp. And then with the RME in there as well, it changed quite a bit. Obviously it's a dynamic headphone so the bass isn't as any planar bass, if I were to compare it to something like HD660 in comparison obviously the X2 is more loose. BUT The X2's have a bass hump, so the sub bass isn't all that rolled off, in fact there is more presence on something like 5 Hz then there is on the 2C. Obviously you don't hear it, but feel it, which is what the 2C for me at times lacked, the presence of bass or feel of it. Where the X2 is more like a speaker bass and you can feel it. Which kinda can give the effect of muddyness, but it's quite controlled for the most part. I got my X2's in 2015? No idea who made them, but they don't appear to be having any build issues, then again they haven't really been used all that much.

I can appreciate higher end gear and I love my 2C's, but for me convenience is really key. I don't know about my hearing, but my attention span is that of a gold fish and so in reality all this high end gear do nothing for 90% of the time. That is why I always have been more into Comfort and having headphones that I can use all around, which X2 can do more than the 2C. Obviously there is still that 10% so I can still notice when something is off ,so sound signature is still something that I have to consider.

Glad that it worked for you. In the end, we should listen to what we enjoy, right? Regardless of what people think.

 

[betula]

Well, I was surprised too when I plugged into a better amp. And then with the RME in there as well, it changed quite a bit. Obviously it's a dynamic headphone so the bass isn't as any planar bass, if I were to compare it to something like HD660 in comparison obviously the X2 is more loose. BUT The X2's have a bass hump, so the sub bass isn't all that rolled off, in fact there is more presence on something like 5 Hz then there is on the 2C. Obviously you don't hear it, but feel it, which is what the 2C for me at times lacked, the presence of bass or feel of it. Where the X2 is more like a speaker bass and you can feel it. Which kinda can give the effect of muddyness, but it's quite controlled for the most part. I got my X2's in 2015? No idea who made them, but they don't appear to be having any build issues, then again they haven't really been used all that much.

I can appreciate higher end gear and I love my 2C's, but for me convenience is really key. I don't know about my hearing, but my attention span is that of a gold fish and so in reality all this high end gear do nothing for 90% of the time. That is why I always have been more into Comfort and having headphones that I can use all around, which X2 can do more than the 2C. Obviously there is still that 10% so I can still notice when something is off ,so sound signature is still something that I have to consider.

I have no intention to start a debate, but I think some of the statements about bass needs clarification.

How on Earth do you feel 5 Hz bass from a pair of headphones? Please elaborate on this.
The bass on the X2 heavily rolls off below 50Hz. 2C has a flat bass until 20Hz.

There is a bass elevation on the X2 between 50-100Hz. I think this might be what you 'feel'.