[vkvedam]

Let me bump this thread, we need more impressions. I'll be getting my hi-x55 the coming week.

Let us know your thoughts

 

[OnyX Prime]

I wonder if x55 headphone side female jack can be modified into mini xlr 5pin. Are there any mod tutorial on other headphones with similar jack? Or simply, any place to recommend to buy the particular male plug with lock for the Headphone end? Please share if any, thanks a million in advance!

 

[zerogorgor]

Very promising, and good to know that the Hi-X55s are comfortable to put on. But I have a big head and am not sure should I worry, especially when I think of the old K70X series headphones.

 

[Mark Up]

Bought, tested and returning these. Biggest disappointment in years. I was expecting an improved AKG but instead had many issues. They don't extend quite far enough to fully reach my ears without pressure atop my head that the padding just can't mitigate. The clamp is also more than I like and since the parts are all hard plastic, there is nothing that can be done to address these. Pads are deep enough and reasonably soft, but being thinner in diameter (not depth) they put pressure on a smaller area around the ear causing discomfort that fatter edged pads would not. The highs are great, the bass is tight and accurate with decent subs, but don't extend as far as I'd like. The sound stage is somewhat small, and the mids seem to muddle that and are by far the worst part of these. The classic true mids (ie. 500 hz to 2 khz or so) are forward, and incredibly resonant. Meaning you get too much there to begin with, and then it seems to build up with resonant peaks making them painful to listen to.

They remind me of the Sony Z7 Mk1 in having that painful midrange beaming and resonance, though they're far worse than that even. Also lacking the huge sound stage, bass warmth, and comfort of the Sony. Any Version Two of this needs one click extra extension on both sides, a thin metal strip on the headband to allow the clamp to be adjusted (as I've also learned with other headphones, hard plastic won't let you do that, it simply goes back to where it was before). The mids need to be flatter, the sub bass extended further (study the AKG K371 to learn how they do it). Pads need thicker edges, and some inner dampening to absorb or diffract the midrange so there won't be that annoying resonance and build up. Also it needs to come down vs. the rest of the spectrum. That includes the higher mids which also had a bit of extra edge to them. They seem designed with studios in mind but I could not possibly mix and or master on them, the mids are too inaccurate to rely on.

 

[halcyon]

Bought, tested and returning these. Biggest disappointment in years

What is your current reference for closed studio mastering headphones that you like?

 

[Hubert481]

What is your best headphone now?
Just asking to get some info about your prefered sound.

edit: funny - two times the same question

 

[zerogorgor]

[...] They don't extend quite far enough to fully reach my ears without pressure atop my head that the padding just can't mitigate. The clamp is also more than I like [...]

I have an above average head size and agree with you that these headphones don't extend far. I have to extend them fully to get an OK fit, but would appreciate if I could extend them a little further. The clamping force is quite strong, and gives me a bit of a headache after a couple hours of use. It is better than say, beyerdynamic DT250 or the old AKG K701/2, but I wouldn't say they are THAT comfortable. So ... prospective buyers with a larger than usual head size, beware!

 

[DancingShade]

Got my pair of X55s in the mail today. Feeding it FLAC via a Burson Playmate V6 Vivid. Initial impresessions are very positive.

Extremely easy to drive as advertised (using 30% volume on low gain), ear pads & headband cushioning are excellent. If anyone is wondering the ear pad interior is about 8cm tall (I know!) and 4.5cm wide, depth of ~25mm. Construction is all metal but I think we all know that already. Feel lighter than they are due to that headband padding.

Sound-wise passive isolation is excellent. These image great. Still going through all my test tracks but yeah, extremely happy with these.

 

[Mark Up]

Construction is all metal (snip) extremely happy with these.

Perhaps they are all metal and the paint they use on the headband has a plastic - like finish? The top headband area seemed to be inflexible plastic, no way to avoid the clamp. The kind of metal on the ear cup extenders on a typical Senn HD650 etc. that you can gently bend outward to mitigate the clamp is not present here, unless I'm missing something. This also shows we all have our own unique ideal sound profiles. These things were just painful for me to listen to.

I mix and master on studio monitors with a custom sub in a good room. That's ideal. I went on a quest years ago and have tried and sold or returned probably a few hundred headphones to find a few I keep coming back to. To me there is no one ideal pair, and while Sonarworks and others offer sound profile - EQ correction software, none of that will address how resonances build up, even if you make the driver output flat or proper - and none of it addresses things like sound stage or stereo placement.

A few have tried to in software, there's a ridiculously expensive VST / AAX & etc. type plug in that tried to emulate Abbey Road studios complete with sound change based on head movement. It's nothing of the sort. A proper pair of headphones gives me a sound that I'm really more than able to deal with when I need to mix and master. For me there is no perfect one pair, though a few come close and it's a case by case basis and based on use.

Some mixes are so bassy, you need a bass light pair. Sometimes you need to hear detail beyond what you find comfortable in treble levels. Sometimes you want a laid back open pair, sometimes you need closed to get the bass response you need. If I had to pick the closest to an ideal pair sonics for mixing and mastering at any price it would be the Sennheiser HD820 for closed, and Abyss Diana Phi for open.

The Creators version of the Audeze LCD-X is a lower cost, but too heavy option with the best Audeze sub bass levels and extension, and ideal high end clarity and full planar mids that don't over do it like their others often do. The graphs are deceptive. The LCD-X seems to have less below 30-40 hz than the LCD-2 / 2C / 3 / 4 etc. but those all lack below 40 hz to me. Their new LCD-1 cups don't extend far enough, and it's even more rolled off below 50 hz. So, based on what I like, I've got the items I use, and how I use them, below, grouped and properly sorted.

For Closed, non hyped listening, I have two. One slightly favoring lows over highs, the other the opposite:

The Shure SRH-1540 with these exact Denon AH-D7100 replacement pads (all black version) https://tinyurl.com/y5sjqhhw The pads give more room and comfort and reduce treble spikes without reducing the detail for a smooth listen. They slightly reduce the mid bass bump, slightly extend the sub bass, and improve stereo width and depth. They also isolate better with those pads and fully extended, with careful headband bending, they just reach my ears and are extremely comfortable.

The Samson Z55 with NVX XRE100S Comfort Max Standard (non-angled) ear pads. Better pleather quality and sound stage than the Brainwavz I'd tried, more room for the ear as well. They're a slightly more detailed pair than the Shure, and have a bigger stereo sound from the mids to the highs, while the Shure has it more in the mids to lows. The sub bass, while extended well, just has a bit less than ideal below 40 hz, but there are times when bass heavy mixes need this lighter touch.

For semi open to open, with very different response (V-Shaped "Fun" and N-Shaped "Midrange" sound):

The Phillips L-2. Slightly small ear pads and head band but I can manage with them. A bit V to U Shaped, but semi-open design keeps bass from overpowering and reflective resonance from causing inaccuracies in the mids. The mids are not lacking actually. The high mids and highs have a bit more bite than I find comfortable all the time, but not as bad as say ATH-M50X or others with hyped highs. Sub bass extends better than the above closed pairs with more quantity and great quality.

The Sennheiser HD58X. While it favors the mids with amazing layering and placement there, in the typical Sennheiser fashion, with an intimate sound stage, they are not as "veiled" or overly hot as they can be on the HD600 or HD650. There is more high end and sub bass extension than any of the HD6-- pairs. Light, comfortable, more than enough extension, the only pair I don't have to fully extend to reach my ears. Only the stock velour pads work, and that's fine with me.

For portable use in other recording studios:

The AKG K371. It could use every so slightly more extension of the ear cups and depth to the pads. But they are light, otherwise comfortable except for when my ear presses against a driver on some occasions. Non hyped mids, great high end extension. Some of the best low sub bass reach and quality and quantity. Flat, perhaps lacking a touch of higher bass, but great for being the subwoofer when remote and one isn't available. Not always fun to listen do, more utilitarian.

For portable / noise reduction:

The Bose QC35. If I need a pair just to reduce noise they work. Audio quality is somewhat acceptable. Good detail, extended bass, but just not as refined sounding as the rest of my collection. The Dekoni replacement pads improved seal and sound quality and comfort a bit, but they have their limted role set aside for them.

The Sony WH-1000XM2. Dekoni pads make them very comfortable and slightly up the sound quality. The sound flat, no EQ, is ideal. Warm but detailed. Good sound stage and damping for isolation seems to tame any resonances. Mids are flat, mid bass a bit north of ideal but doesn't over do it. Great sub bass extension.

For True Wireless in ear:

For long commutes to work alone, Sony WF-1000XM3. Lack a bit of sub extension EQ can't fix but can dial in a great relaxing sound for long drives with overall fun bass that just misses a bit below 30 hz. Great noise reduction. Better stereo separation than almost every in-ear I've tried. The Momentum true wireless V1 was similar with better bass. The V2 that fixed its issues with battery and function lost that bass and soundstage and was crap compared to these.

For home use and detailed phone calls the Edifier TWS NB. No EQ, noise reduction is not quite as good as the Sony but still nice. Amazing battery life without NR. More high end detail, maybe a bit too much for longer listens at higher levels with music, better at low levels. Sub bass from the Beryllium drivers is incredible, best I've heard in in-ears. Sound stage is good. At lower levels I could probably mix on these if I had to, because of all the detail on both ends.

 

[DancingShade]

Perhaps they are all metal and the paint they use on the headband has a plastic - like finish? The top headband area seemed to be inflexible plastic, no way to avoid the clamp. The kind of metal on the ear cup extenders on a typical Senn HD650 etc. that you can gently bend outward to mitigate the clamp is not present here, unless I'm missing something. This also shows we all have our own unique ideal sound profiles. These things were just painful for me to listen to.

Yeah I completely understand where you're coming from - comfort is the most important thing for everyone and if something isn't fitting right then you have to move on regardless. Shoes, watches, you name it. For me I have both extensions on the X55 at the fourth notch from minimum and that's it. So we can probably put the perceived comfort difference down to our fairly different skull shapes. The headband does have a sort of plastic-y top coating which may have seemed misleading but it's all spring steel underneath the surface with the memory foam padding glued underneath. Kind of glad it's not plain bare metal to be honest as it feels nicer to grab by the headband when picking up.

 

[nottheseapples]

3rd day with the Hi-x55 here:

Construction: 10/10 - For 290 bucks these are extremely well built and not heavy. Fold-able in 2 ways, best construction i have seen.
Clamp/comfort: 8/10 - Good cup depth, they do not disappear on my head, but i do feel the pads, a little more clamp force than i would want for relaxed listening, but what i want for mixing and editing.
Wire: 7/10 - it feels good, no kinks from packaging, long, -3 points for the proprietary connector. Not sure where i can get this turn-lock 2.5 mm connector if i had to replace it.
Easy to power!

Sound for listening: 6.5/10

I just want to stop right here. You can read about the sound stage, bass and all the other things in the forum. But here is my take about the over all feeling.

These headphones are super source dependent, they EQ really well. The change from their stock frequency to harmon is very noticeable. But when i had these connected to my Aune X8 magic dac with the burson Vivid op amp going to the topping L30, the sound was unbearable. I felt like i was no longer listening to music, it felt like i was sitting behind my computer with my editor open, observing and mixing tracks.

"Bjorvika" by Biosphere sounded like a recording of a thunderstorm, and not like being in a thunderstorm. Every track i listened to with these made me feel like i was sitting in a studio. So i boxed these headphones. Not as extreme on LG G8x, but still not so pleasurable. So i thought "okay, ill switch the op-amp out for an OPA in my dac". The change was substantial, they became more musical and pleasant. I also changed the Roll off filter on the dac so it would be less sibilant.

I wish i could give a more accurate description like all the reviewers on this forum, but this takes so much time. I don't really want to leave these on my head. The sound feels aggressive, on tubes, they are much better.

that being said.
Sound for mixing: 9/10

 

[PaganDL]

Just my two cents...

Had the HiX 55 for a good long while now, subjectively & personally, sound, staging, imaging are really good though it is important to note as some have already pointed out this headphone is potentially source dependent so it will definitely not be for everyone.
While fit is comfortable, personally I find it does slide a little if there is excessive head movement in one direction, eg, leaning forward & looking down for a few minutes does cause it to slide more than any other headphone I use though that may be due to my head shape & the way it sits forward given the angled pads.

Definitely more pro audio gear than consumer gear which is the intended purpose so for those still on the fence, unless you enjoy listening to your source material with a critical focus similar to a mastering &/or mixing engineer than Neumann NDH 20 is a better choice for both pro level & consumer listening...

Interesting side note, using the NDH 20 stock cable with the HiX 55 does smooth out any potential rough edges to the sound signature any may have, especially in the high frequencies.

Hope everyone has a great day !

 

[Mark Up]

Definitely more pro audio gear than consumer gear

Thanks for the review. That may end up the opinion of many since it's not at all a comfortable listening experience sonically. As far as pro-audio use, having utilized cans for at home listening, monitoring in the studio when recording, for occasional mix referencing aside from my usual monitors and subs, I don't think these are good for that either. There is a need for accuracy in those situations these do not provide. The lack of sub bass quantity, the shouty, honky, resonant, ringy midrange is a disaster. Even the best of reference mixes I put through them, Steely Dan or work mixed by Bruce Swedein, Alan Parsons, Kevin Gilbert, you name it, is terribly imbalanced.

To me, the best character of reference headphones are where no frequency sticks out. We don't want boosted mids so we could "focus on them" or "hear them better". We want them to sit where they need to be so we know if there is too much or too little. Even recording guitar or bass, if you hear that horrible midrange in your headphones, you may mess with the tone controls on your instrument and end up with a scooped sound trying to get rid of excess mids that are not there, but appear to be in excess because of how these play back the sound. They are the antithesis of flat and neutral in their mids, where the most important stuff goes on in any mix.

You don't want an excited sound in any frequency band. My preference for honest mids with a little less in the high mids, not too much treble and some extra bass with extension below 20 hz means a pair giving me what makes the best reference mixes sound as they should sound, easy on my ears, dynamic, balanced and enjoyable to listen to. Heavy hype in any frequency range is not fun or reference. I'm not aiming this at you, your review was great, and the NDH-20 is an example of a great listening and reference headphone to me. Just giving feedback that great studio cans are often very much in line with what great general listening headphones should be.

 

[PaganDL]

Thanks for the review. That may end up the opinion of many since it's not at all a comfortable listening experience sonically. As far as pro-audio use, having utilized cans for at home listening, monitoring in the studio when recording, for occasional mix referencing aside from my usual monitors and subs, I don't think these are good for that either. There is a need for accuracy in those situations these do not provide. The lack of sub bass quantity, the shouty, honky, resonant, ringy midrange is a disaster. Even the best of reference mixes I put through them, Steely Dan or work mixed by Bruce Swedein, Alan Parsons, Kevin Gilbert, you name it, is terribly imbalanced.

To me, the best character of reference headphones are where no frequency sticks out. We don't want boosted mids so we could "focus on them" or "hear them better". We want them to sit where they need to be so we know if there is too much or too little. Even recording guitar or bass, if you hear that horrible midrange in your headphones, you may mess with the tone controls on your instrument and end up with a scooped sound trying to get rid of excess mids that are not there, but appear to be in excess because of how these play back the sound. They are the antithesis of flat and neutral in their mids, where the most important stuff goes on in any mix.

You don't want an excited sound in any frequency band. My preference for honest mids with a little less in the high mids, not too much treble and some extra bass with extension below 20 hz means a pair giving me what makes the best reference mixes sound like they should sound, easy my ears, dynamic, balanced and enjoyable to listen to. Heavy hype in any frequency range is not fun or reference. I'm not aiming this at you, your review was great, and the NDH-20 is an example of a great listening and reference headphone to me. Just giving feedback that great studio cans are often very much in line with what great general listening headphones should be.

Hi @Mark Up,

I wasn't posting a review but my impressions, hence why I call it 2 cents, if it was a review I would have stated as such & certainly gone more in depth...

Anyway, the potential issue with pro use which I do agree with you on nearly all points, is akin to headphones designed for consumer use, there are varied subjective tastes, especially more so in the pro world, not to mention the various genres &/or source material, production/mastering/audio engineers use as reference tracks.
Also, I have tried a lot of pro head gear over the years, very few go into the sub bass significantly or at all, which kind of defeats the pro audio label as any significant sub bass is usually associated with consumer gear.
However, saying that, a realistic &/or natural, most of all accurate overall bass response, is what most pro audio professionals look for, though once again, highly subjective.

Subjectively & personally, I stay away from a lot of the bands & singers you mentioned as that's not the music I tend to listen to or I have issues with for various reasons which I won't go to but then I tend to listen to a varied, wide music range most don't bother with or directly aware of in any case...

Not sure what you're using as your source gear but on my gear, which is mainly pro, everything sound fine to decent, not great (I agree there is some high frequency bleed in the mids but only on tracks with certain wind instruments, which push into that range, on some classic & traditional genres) as I said in my previous post but more than enough to form a good impression. Not to mention as stated, if one has the Neumann NDH 20, another pro headphone most have issues with one way or another, the stock cable on that 'fixes' &/or alleviates potential sonic issues you have described.

As a final point, your listening preference leans more to consumer than pro, especially on bass response, which is good for you, nothing wrong with that in the least...

Hope you have a great day !

 

[Mark Up]

Hi @Mark UpI wasn't posting a review but my impressions, hence why I call it 2 cents

As far my preference being consumer vs. pro, that's subjective. You'd said yourself how many pro systems you've listened through lack sub bass. The reason is that so many "pro" headphones were used for decades to mainly hear instruments or vocals where sub bass isn't important. Even on a drum kit, if a drummer hears what happens with his kit above 50 hz well enough, he won't care that he's not hearing much below 30-40 hz. The era of home studios, more modern styles (EDM, especially Hip Hop, and a surprising amount of modern pop (Dua Lipa, etc.) music) means folks are not just using headphones more, for the first time the sonics below 30-40 hz matter.

You'd indicating staying away from bands / singers mentioned. I mentioned mix engineers mainly. Bruce Swedein who's recorded everything you can imagine and mixed it also, Classical, Jazz, Big Band / Swing, Pop, Rock, R&B. Alan Parson's whose career started with Beatles, went on to work with Pink Floyd, and has done everything from semi-Classical to R&B to Rock and Funk with his Alan Parson's Project, and Kevin Gilbert, whose done everything from Industrial to New Wave to choir / classic Madrigal A Capella, to funk and classic rock styles. Then Steely Dan, arguably, the most referenced group by any engineer - who's worked on everything outside of merely classical.

Ultimately the point is those folks present the cleanest, most full range, most balanced mixes spanning pretty much every major genre, outside of Phillip Glass type collages. Those recordings, like it or not, sound about perfect. The thunderous subs, the first one to do that with the drums, on the floor toms and kick in "Eclipse" (the ending of "Brain Damage") by Pink Floyd, "Where's Waldo" or "La Sagrada La Familia" by Alan Parsons Project, Bruce Swedien big band recordings, or Michael Jackson stuff. "Suite Fugue (Dance of the A&R People)" or "Goodness Gracious" or "Air Dance" produced / engineered by the late Kevin Gilbert. "Babylon Sisters" or "AJA" by Steely Dan.

Those played back through Audeze LCD-X (my favorite sounding Audeze, and the most popular for pro engineers, but too heavy for me to get and use permanently), through Sennheiser HD-820, or any Abyss headphones, or Phillips L2, or Shure SRH1540 (with those replacement pads) etc. all sound correct. If you hear shouty mids, a lack of low end punch, tinny or rolled off highs, it's not the fault of the tracks, it's the playback. Wrong sound on playback shouldn't be "pro". Rolled off highs & subs below 40 hz, forward mids of the LCD-2 is what many consumers like. It's not pro at all. The LCD-X having more sub, high end clarity, and proper mids is why the pros pick those.

Even the LCD-4, for all its nuance, is more like an improved LCD-2 with extra mid bass. Not as extended in highs / subs as the LDC-X and a bit rolled off in fact. Rolled off isn't reference, nor is a bump in the mids. Many equate rolled off lows / highs and forward mids as flat, conflating boring with "properly flat". Based on Fletcher Munson having true flat, 1-6 khz equal to 80 hz for example will be a disaster. You'll mix mids / high mids too low to get where you think it should be. Consumer playback matters, they listen to what is mixed and engineers must take it into consideration. Those great references mentioned don't sound great on the Hi-X55. Not good for pro or consumer.