Giogio, what would you recommend as the best neutral headphones?
The Audio Technica's you praise, as an example, look significantly better built than the XTZ's.
the ATH-SR5BT as they seem to be aimed at audiophiles.
Neutrality is, I am afraid, quite a subjective thing, specially in BT (but not only).
I do not share your doubts and concerns about the XTZ. Specially if your source will be a PC/MAC or iOS. There is zero inconvenience in running the Dirac DAP together with your player (on a PC/MAC) and not much inconvenience in using the XTZ Player on iOS.
And there is a lot to gain, with a DSP correction of Frequency and Impulse responses. And you will NOT find a better neutrality on any BT headphone. I cannot talk for wired headphones as I am not an expert in that field. But for what I understood, you must pay a lot to get this kind of perfect neutrality. And somebody can correct me if I am wrong, but I suspect that the neutrality achievable with just hardware (no DSP) is mostly on the Frequency Response than on the Impulse Response. Which, if so, would still give the XTZ an advantage.
Besides, you have full money back guarantee. Which I doubt you will use because I can't imagine anybody who could not like the XTZ Divine.
They are not "bad built". They are solid and well made. The design is not the best, the look of the plastic is not the best, the comfort could be improved, but it is all OK.
The ATH do give a better impression. But it is just impression.
I have my eyes on the
ATH-SR5BT, thanks for mentioning them. Given the level of the WS99BT I cannot have other than optimist expectations for the new one!
Now, coming to neutrality, I believe @n00b2 would agree with me if I say the Def Tech Symphony 1 may be the best alternative to the XTZ. I consider the XTZ superior in sound anyway.
Another relatively neutral one could be the AKG-K845BT, and another could be the Phiaton Chord MS530.
I personally anyway think that apart for a slight boost in the upper bass (another user says mid bass) the ATH are quite neutral. Far from being a reference headphone, but you should not let that "Solid Bass" scare you. I have written it many times, their bass is only proportional to the level of bassiness of the music listened. They are no Beats.
Many people on the CanJam meetings liked the Pendulumic Stance S1+. I would not call them neutral though. But they come relatively close.
No other BT headphones on my list could be considered neutral.
Other users may suggest you something else. For example I believe somebody (
@thatonenoob?) said the Beoplay H7 are relatively neutral? Not sure about it.
I currently have the Ultrasone Pro 750 (very rarely use as I have discovered I prefer on-ear style headphones) and Sennheiser HD25-1 II. Love everything about the Sennheiser except for the cord which is why I'm here. Which would be the closest match to the HD25-1 II? Looking at the Momentum M2OEBT and Philips Fidelio M2BT. Thanks in advance!
I am afraid that you will have to describe them, because I do not know them.
Maybe somebody here do.
Between M2OEBT and M2BT I would pick the second. The first is a bit too cold for my tastes, and although the bass was very clean and punchy, the bass of the Fidelio is one of those "one of a kind" cases which do not happen often. Apart for the UE9000 I have yet to find something able to give that feeling.
But as said, not knowing your Senny, I can't confirm which BT could come close.