I received number 204 today. Despite it's lengthy journey through the inane DHL system, the box was in surprisingly good shape. When held up to the light, both ear cups are littered with bubble wrap markings. I don't consider that to be a big deal and at some point I'll polish it off. There's no denying the thin lacquer layer leaves something to be desired, but the purple heart wood itself is gorgeous and for the most part free of any imperfections.
The only closed cans I have to compare to these to are the Denon D600, but my immediate impression is that the X00s are superior in all areas of the spectrum with tighter and less bloated bass, substantially more presence, and genuine treble extension. I am powering them with an Aune X1S which provides more than adequate power to drive them to ear damaging levels. The strangest part of the X00s is the sound stage. My prior experience with most full size HPs is that they try to sound as open and wide as possible. These seem to be almost trying for the exact opposite. The stereo imagery is all there but the sound is very close and I will admit that is taking some time to get used to. After that hurdle, I could see these easily becoming one of my favorite HPs.
One added bonus- I wore them for over an hour straight and didn't sense any headband discomfort.
