[Mad Lust Envy]

I expect soundstage to be smaller than the 770/80 due to considerably less treble, and now that the mids are kinda forward, there is no extra sense of space due to mid recessio like the 770. So probably not as good for gaming. It's a more upfront sound in general.

 

[rudyae86]

Received the Custom One Pro Plus from Beyerdynamic today. First impressions is that, I absolutely lovee their headband (holy comfy cushion Batman!). SO much better than the headbands used on either Pro/Premium DT770/880/990/T70 lines.

Haven't had much real time with them other than nothing how comfy they are (still wish they had included DT770 velours in the package, though the pleather is super soft and comfy).

The included audio cable seems to be defective (cuts off on the left channel with both my phone and my E17). It does come with a cable with an inline mic, but I'm just using the custom cable Kamakahah gave me for the X1 ages ago. Regular cables will fit the COP = V-moda Boompro will work).

I haven't listened to it much but first impressions:

Warm, clear mid range (OMG upfront midrange from Beyer!), smooth treble

Bass sliders are completely functional, and not as overwhelming as I believed. Bass slider on 1 (no ports open) = zero bass. I don't think ANYONE will use this. Bass slider 2 and 3 are very, very similar, and how I feel everyone will use the COP. I'll need more time to see just how different they are, though it's definitely subtle. Bass slider 4, I expected overwhelming bass, but I don't hear all that much of a boost compared to 3. I'll need more testing, but it does sound a bit sloppier, not overly emphasized.

What I like is that the bass sliders seem to affect sub bass more than mid bass, which makes me happy, as I'm a sub bass kind of guy, and don't mind a reigned in mid bass.

The COP seems to be good for long period use. No real ear fatigue, in terms of it's tonality.

Super early verdict: I like their sound and comfort. It doesn't seem to be as energetic as the M50 or CAL in terms of splashy treble, so while the other two may sound more engaging (based off memory), I really like the softer nature of the COP for longer period use.

Oh yes, it actually demands just a hint more volume than the X2, if that means anything. The COP is known to be absurdly easy to drive, which lets you know the X2 isn't demanding.

 
Huh....No wonder the first edition of the COPs are discontinued and are in being cleared out. From what you have said, it seems like Beyer heard the community and fixed the cons the first COPs had.

Good thing I held back from buying a a Brand new COP for 130 bucks.
 
Wonder how it fares with the DT770 in terms of gaming.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Pretty sure nothing was changed as far the COP itself goes. I remember reading it's the same exact headphone, just with more goodies in the package.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Swapped the COP pads for the Shure 1840 velours that I cut out the inner screen on (which are leaky and not made for closed headphones at all), and I was surprised to find that the COP sounds very good with the pads, and the bass isn't sucked out. Definitely more of a dry sound, but still very enjoyable, and not trebly at all (which tends to happen with these pads). The subbass is definitely reduced by a lot but the mid bass is still pretty present, and the midrange is very clean with the pads.

Makes me wonder how good the COP would sound with 1540 pads, and the 770 velours. Only problem being that the Shure pads have their own inner screen, and I'm not sure I'd butcher the 15450 pads to mimic Beyer pads.

Back to stock pads we go.

 

[Change is Good]

Mad, I can confidently confirm that the alcantara pads do add enough bass to match and maybe surpass the K7XX at the expense of soundstage, treble, and mids. I like how it sounds, but quite frankly I always grab the SRH1540 for any bass genres. I'm keeping the stock pads on the 400i for a more reference sound.

 

[Stillhart]

Well I finally got a chance to compare the K7XX to my Q701 (with bass mod)!
 
Short version:  Q has a bit more soundstage and an airier presentation.  K is warmer/more intimate, more refined and slightly better bass.  
 
They're very similar, but for gaming the Q has the edge.  The K is definitely a better all-arounder though; it gives up a teeny bit in one area to gain more in other areas.  It's a great tradeoff unless pure gaming is your goal.
 
The K reminds me of the X1 actually, but with better bass... so maybe the X2?
 
So yeah, I don't think I'll be upgrading from the Q's for my gaming cans. 

 

[Evshrug]

Fun to read activity guys, been busy with sick and girlfriend and house, but good to have stuff to read!

Mad, thanks a ton, it's truely an honor!
The COP+ sounds pretty cool. Someday we should find a way for you to borrow my X7 for funzies.

 

[Decimator]

Recently bought the X2 and fairly enjoy it but already thinking about upgrading. Looking for an open headphone with a similar sound signature to the X2 but maybe a little warmer, X2 doesn't have enough bass for me. I would be using it for gaming primarily so soundstage and detail are important. Immersion is great but I want it to be a fairly competitive headphone at the same time. Any reccomendations of current or upcoming headphones? Would like to stay under $800, but willing to save up for options that offer better performance.

 

[PacoTaco]

Recently bought the X2 and fairly enjoy it but already thinking about upgrading. Looking for an open headphone with a similar sound signature to the X2 but maybe a little warmer, X2 doesn't have enough bass for me. I would be using it for gaming primarily so soundstage and detail are important. Immersion is great but I want it to be a fairly competitive headphone at the same time. Any reccomendations of current or upcoming headphones? Would like to stay under $800, but willing to save up for options that offer better performance.

 
At your price point, you have a couple of options.
 
The best competitive headphone period in the 800$ range is a used Beyerdynamic T1. It only has a slightly smaller soundstage than the HD800, but arguably as much detail and better directional accuracy. It's super comfortable, and looks quite cool and slick. The T90 is also another good option, as it is, from what I remember, ~90% the same as the T1. Just don't do the T70.
 
Another options, if you want something warmer than that, is the HE560. It's soundstage isn't the biggest (certainly a lot bigger than most headphones though) and it can sound dry sometimes. But that bass and mids are very linear. I recommend purchasing from Razordog Audio on ebay (they have it for $700).
 
The third options is the least likely, but the new EL-8 is coming out, and that should have the Audeze warmth in spades. It comes out in March, and is $700.
 
The closest to the X2's sound, but not quite there (and some people will debate this) is the TH600. It's closed, but it has a fairly large soundstage (the largest of the closed headphones behind the TH900,) a lot of warmth, and the X2's fun. It'll run you anywhere from 450$ to 800$.
 
The X2 is pretty unique in its sound, so you may never find something like it.

 

[Stillhart]

Just because you have a big budget, doesn't mean you HAVE to spend it to get what you want.  Have you tried the X1?  It's very similar to the X2 but with more bass.  It's also generally accepted to be a great gaming can.
 
You might also try a Sennheiser HD700.  If you can deal with the treble spike, they make a fantastic gaming can.  They were on crazy sale around BF so there are some cheap ones floating around the classifieds.
 
Also, just want to throw out there not to get your hopes up on the EL-8.  Unless they make some major tuning changes from what I heard at CES, that thing is going to bomb horribly.  Or at least drop in price fairly rapidly.  It's not a BAD can, but it's nowhere near a $700 can.  The HE-560 blows it out of the water and, as noted, can be found for around $700 if you know where to look.

 

[Hapster]

You are probably the only one in the world who thinks that lol everyone whos listened to mine has said they are perfect apart from the fit.

They are so lush with great impact! Perfect mids for a closed phone. If they didn't irritate my piercings they would be end game in the closed department.

I now have the Nad HP50 for the 2nd time which are also phenomenal! Bit more airy and delicate sounding than the FSC.

When people bring up the D7000 it makes me sad that I won't ever own it again without spending a ton. The D5000 + D7000 were my fav closed backs; I would love to hear them bow as my taste has changed to a more warm and lush sound in the last few years.

it probably had a lot to do with the tiny sound stage which causes the seperation to suffer as well, lack of sub bass, and yes they weren't totally comfortable either. The entire headphone was made of a creaky plastic, $30 might be a bit low but they just didn't strike me as being the same quality of the Philips Fidelio x2 or the Mad Dogs.

 

[PacoTaco]

  Just because you have a big budget, doesn't mean you HAVE to spend it to get what you want.  Have you tried the X1?  It's very similar to the X2 but with more bass.  It's also generally accepted to be a great gaming can.
 
You might also try a Sennheiser HD700.  If you can deal with the treble spike, they make a fantastic gaming can.  They were on crazy sale around BF so there are some cheap ones floating around the classifieds.
 
Also, just want to throw out there not to get your hopes up on the EL-8.  Unless they make some major tuning changes from what I heard at CES, that thing is going to bomb horribly.  Or at least drop in price fairly rapidly.  It's not a BAD can, but it's nowhere near a $700 can.  The HE-560 blows it out of the water and, as noted, can be found for around $700 if you know where to look.

Haha, when someone throws me a max number, I'm going to give suggestions that reach it. Especially since he mentioned upgrade, and the X1 would be more of a side-grade. I never can recommend the X1 due to the non-changeable pads issue and the fact it's very hard to fit on large heads.
 
Though, no disrespect, I'm not sure the HD700 is good for him. I mean, the headphone is not exactly warm, much less warmer than the X2.
 
And I'm not 100% sure, but I keep hearing a lot of good things about it lately as opposed to what I heard at CES. It's apparently better than the LCD 2.2f. Of course, that could be a load of horse ****, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Audeze did say they were fixing a lot of things with it (like the clamp.)

 

[Stillhart]

 
Haha, when someone throws me a max number, I'm going to give suggestions that reach it. Especially since he mentioned upgrade, and the X1 would be more of a side-grade. I never can recommend the X1 due to the non-changeable pads issue and the fact it's very hard to fit on large heads.
 
Though, no disrespect, I'm not sure the HD700 is good for him. I mean, the headphone is not exactly warm, much less warmer than the X2.
 
And I'm not 100% sure, but I keep hearing a lot of good things about it lately as opposed to what I heard at CES. It's apparently better than the LCD 2.2f. Of course, that could be a load of horse ****, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Audeze did say they were fixing a lot of things with it (like the clamp.)

 
Re the X1, I only mention is because he says he really liked the sound of the X2 just wants more bass.  That's pretty much the description of the X1.  For his budget, he can replace the whole headphone if the pads ever get that bad.  So far, I've never used a headphone enough to need to replace the pads.  *shrug*
 
Re the HD700, the T1 isn't warm either...
 
Have they sent revised versions of the EL-8 out for demo yet?  I unsubbed from the EL-8 thread because it was pretty pointless.  But if they've made changes already, I'm curious to see what people (besides Mercer) think.  FWIW, Tyll's impressions pretty much matched up with mine.

 

[PacoTaco]

   
Re the X1, I only mention is because he says he really liked the sound of the X2 just wants more bass.  That's pretty much the description of the X1.  For his budget, he can replace the whole headphone if the pads ever get that bad.  So far, I've never used a headphone enough to need to replace the pads.  *shrug*
 
Re the HD700, the T1 isn't warm either...
 
Have they sent revised versions of the EL-8 out for demo yet?  I unsubbed from the EL-8 thread because it was pretty pointless.  But if they've made changes already, I'm curious to see what people (besides Mercer) think.  FWIW, Tyll's impressions pretty much matched up with mine.

 
I may be slightly biased, as I did like the X1/X2's sound, but the comfort for my large head was just....arg. Another option may be a ZMF Vibro with the Blackwood's tuning, as Zach told me that makes bass more linear and the soundstage larger. Though, he's doing improvements to it constantly, so it may already be a lot more open than what I've been told/read. I'll know when they come in next week.
 
If he wants to try it, he could look for a fazored LCD 2.2. Those are actually pretty good for surround sound, surprisingly. COD was awesome with it. Also depends on how sensitive he is to brightness. I couldn't game on the DT990 because everything in the high end sounded to fatiguing but the LCD 2 was just right.
 
I may be a bit skewed, as I see the T1 as one of the least bright headphones of the open/semi open beyer's (as I could stand them for long periods of time compared to something like the T70P or DT880.) It's warmer than the HD700 at least, and maybe warmer than the X2. I don't know though, I've always considered "warm" to be an emphasis of bass and lower to middle mid-range. It is the best competitive headphone out there if you want something more enjoyable for immersion than the HD800 (but that's just my opinion.)
 
I haven't been able to find Tyll's impressions. Do you have the link? I'm not asking out of a "I need proof," but as a geniune "I have been looking for it for weeks and couldn't find it and want to read it."

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

He wants more bass than the X2. So many recommendations for headphones with LESS bass.

Just get the X1. You're not going to find open headphones with bass that strong, X2 was already very good in bass for an open headphone. If you want more bass, give up going with open headphones and choose from the million of closed headphones that do bass like nobody's business.

Bluntly speaking, because I tire of beating around the bush with things like this.

GET A CLOSED HEADPHONE.''

I say this, because I like my bass too. I nreally enjoy the low, never overwhelming bass on the Custom One Pro (with 2nd and 3rd slider positions). It's a reminder that open headphones just won't do bass quite like a closed headphone.

Makes me wanna hunt for a D7000 again. As well as trying it with the Shure 1540 pads. I swear, if the TH900 was under 1K, I'd impulse buy.


In fact, I may take up Philip's offer for a refund and risk the TH600. Of course, that means dealing with the horrible customer service.