[Cotnijoe]

Looking to upgrade my amp and dac and the x1 is currently one of my favorites. What are some results that people have gotten for pairings withthe x1?

 

[d marc0]

Looking to upgrade my amp and dac and the x1 is currently one of my favorites. What are some results that people have gotten for pairings withthe x1?

Have you considered the O2 + ODAC?

 

[belisk]

i've been looking at some cables with attached microphones, i've found 2 so far, if you know any others, feel free to mention them.
V-Moda BoomPro Cable
Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Mic Cable
 
 
Anyone have any experience these types of cables with the X1?

 

[burritoboy9984]

Quote:

i've been looking at some cables with attached microphones, i've found 2 so far, if you know any others, feel free to mention them.
V-Moda BoomPro Cable
Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Mic Cable
 
 
Anyone have any experience these types of cables with the X1?

 
V-Moda cable is pretty good. It has a tad of resistance since it has an inline volume controller though. If you are going to be gaming, it is PERFECT though.
 
-Erik

 

[ethan7000]

Quote:

Do you want to share your impressions?

Sure, I was on my phone and only had time for a quick post before. 
 
This was my first listen on planar magnetic phones and I didn't know what to expect.  I thought, between the different technology and all that I'd read about the LCD-2, they would be a totally different listening experience; like I would be magically transported to a concert hall.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  They are still very much headphones and sound like headphones, though very good ones at that.
 
X1 vs. LCD-2 (non-leather): The best way I can describe the LCD-2 is ARTICULATE.  They presented each sound very faithfully and clearly.  I noticed a lot of clarity in each frequency range.  Instrument separation was excellent, definitely better than the X1.  No frequency range is emphasized, though the treble might be lacking a bit for listeners used to grados and the like, but I found its presentation similar to the X1 with the Mediabridge cable.  The most noticeable difference was in the bass.  The LCD-2 is able to produce articulate and well textured bass down to very low frequencies, something the X1 does fairly well, but definitely not this good.  Also, though the X1 isn't boomy per se, I find an issue with some tracks around 125Hz, with the bass in this range overshadowing some frequencies.  The LCD-2 definitely didn't have this issue.  Regarding comfort, the X1 is definitely more comfortable, but I wouldn't call the LCD-2 uncomfortable.  It has a stronger clamp and is heavier.      
 
All-in-all, the LCD-2 is great.  When I first tested them, I found the difference between them and the X1 to be subtle.  As I gave it more time and tried different genres of music, the differences became much more apparent.  A better headphone than the X1? Yes, no doubt.  Worth 4x the price?  In my opinion, no.  I would rate them as being about 25-35% better than the X1.  For me, this left me somewhat more impressed with the X1 and other good headphones in the $300 price range.  Diminishing returns are alive and active here, but for some people a 25-35% bump in sound quality would be well worth a $750 premium.  For me, I think I would rather collect a couple other headphones in the $300 range for the price of that premium, perhaps some that specialize in certain areas and bring a very different feel with them.

 

[waynes world]

@ethan7000... excellent impressions - thanks! 

 

[Thujone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethan7000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

Spoiler: LCD2%20vs%20X1

 
Sure, I was on my phone and only had time for a quick post before. 
 
This was my first listen on planar magnetic phones and I didn't know what to expect.  I thought, between the different technology and all that I'd read about the LCD-2, they would be a totally different listening experience; like I would be magically transported to a concert hall.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  They are still very much headphones and sound like headphones, though very good ones at that.
 
X1 vs. LCD-2 (non-leather): The best way I can describe the LCD-2 is ARTICULATE.  They presented each sound very faithfully and clearly.  I noticed a lot of clarity in each frequency range.  Instrument separation was excellent, definitely better than the X1.  No frequency range is emphasized, though the treble might be lacking a bit for listeners used to grados and the like, but I found its presentation similar to the X1 with the Mediabridge cable.  The most noticeable difference was in the bass.  The LCD-2 is able to produce articulate and well textured bass down to very low frequencies, something the X1 does fairly well, but definitely not this good.  Also, though the X1 isn't boomy per se, I find an issue with some tracks around 125Hz, with the bass in this range overshadowing some frequencies.  The LCD-2 definitely didn't have this issue.  Regarding comfort, the X1 is definitely more comfortable, but I wouldn't call the LCD-2 uncomfortable.  It has a stronger clamp and is heavier.      
 
All-in-all, the LCD-2 is great.  When I first tested them, I found the difference between them and the X1 to be subtle.  As I gave it more time and tried different genres of music, the differences became much more apparent.  A better headphone than the X1? Yes, no doubt.  Worth 4x the price?  In my opinion, no.  I would rate them as being about 25-35% better than the X1.  For me, this left me somewhat more impressed with the X1 and other good headphones in the $300 price range.  Diminishing returns are alive and active here, but for some people a 25-35% bump in sound quality would be well worth a $750 premium.  For me, I think I would rather collect a couple other headphones in the $300 range for the price of that premium, perhaps some that specialize in certain areas and bring a very different feel with them.
 

What were you using as an amp/source?

 

[ethan7000]

Quote:

What were you using as an amp/source?

I moved around the store with them, plugging them into various amps, headphone outs, and my iphone.  There were amps from red wine audio, bel canto, denon and more.

 

[Heartsmart]

Sure, I was on my phone and only had time for a quick post before. 

This was my first listen on planar magnetic phones and I didn't know what to expect.  I thought, between the different technology and all that I'd read about the LCD-2, they would be a totally different listening experience; like I would be magically transported to a concert hall.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  They are still very much headphones and sound like headphones, though very good ones at that.

X1 vs. LCD-2 (non-leather): The best way I can describe the LCD-2 is ARTICULATE.  They presented each sound very faithfully and clearly.  I noticed a lot of clarity in each frequency range.  Instrument separation was excellent, definitely better than the X1.  No frequency range is emphasized, though the treble might be lacking a bit for listeners used to grados and the like, but I found its presentation similar to the X1 with the Mediabridge cable.  The most noticeable difference was in the bass.  The LCD-2 is able to produce articulate and well textured bass down to very low frequencies, something the X1 does fairly well, but definitely not this good.  Also, though the X1 isn't boomy per se, I find an issue with some tracks around 125Hz, with the bass in this range overshadowing some frequencies.  The LCD-2 definitely didn't have this issue.  Regarding comfort, the X1 is definitely more comfortable, but I wouldn't call the LCD-2 uncomfortable.  It has a stronger clamp and is heavier.      

All-in-all, the LCD-2 is great.  When I first tested them, I found the difference between them and the X1 to be subtle.  As I gave it more time and tried different genres of music, the differences became much more apparent.  A better headphone than the X1? Yes, no doubt.  Worth 4x the price?  In my opinion, no.  I would rate them as being about 25-35% better than the X1.  For me, this left me somewhat more impressed with the X1 and other good headphones in the $300 price range.  Diminishing returns are alive and active here, but for some people a 25-35% bump in sound quality would be well worth a $750 premium.  For me, I think I would rather collect a couple other headphones in the $300 range for the price of that premium, perhaps some that specialize in certain areas and bring a very different feel with them.

Thanks! Interesting reading.

 

[ULUL]

I've not heard the LCD-2 but given what I have heard of other planar magnetics (HE-500 etc), I would say your evaluation is also what I hear.
 
UL
Quote:

Sure, I was on my phone and only had time for a quick post before. 
 
This was my first listen on planar magnetic phones and I didn't know what to expect.  I thought, between the different technology and all that I'd read about the LCD-2, they would be a totally different listening experience; like I would be magically transported to a concert hall.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  They are still very much headphones and sound like headphones, though very good ones at that.
 
X1 vs. LCD-2 (non-leather): The best way I can describe the LCD-2 is ARTICULATE.  They presented each sound very faithfully and clearly.  I noticed a lot of clarity in each frequency range.  Instrument separation was excellent, definitely better than the X1.  No frequency range is emphasized, though the treble might be lacking a bit for listeners used to grados and the like, but I found its presentation similar to the X1 with the Mediabridge cable.  The most noticeable difference was in the bass.  The LCD-2 is able to produce articulate and well textured bass down to very low frequencies, something the X1 does fairly well, but definitely not this good.  Also, though the X1 isn't boomy per se, I find an issue with some tracks around 125Hz, with the bass in this range overshadowing some frequencies.  The LCD-2 definitely didn't have this issue.  Regarding comfort, the X1 is definitely more comfortable, but I wouldn't call the LCD-2 uncomfortable.  It has a stronger clamp and is heavier.      
 
All-in-all, the LCD-2 is great.  When I first tested them, I found the difference between them and the X1 to be subtle.  As I gave it more time and tried different genres of music, the differences became much more apparent.  A better headphone than the X1? Yes, no doubt.  Worth 4x the price?  In my opinion, no.  I would rate them as being about 25-35% better than the X1.  For me, this left me somewhat more impressed with the X1 and other good headphones in the $300 price range.  Diminishing returns are alive and active here, but for some people a 25-35% bump in sound quality would be well worth a $750 premium.  For me, I think I would rather collect a couple other headphones in the $300 range for the price of that premium, perhaps some that specialize in certain areas and bring a very different feel with them.

 

[Textfeud]

Just bought these after reading the thread and some reviews. I have the Ultrasone Pro 900 too, so can't wait to compare them!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The bass won't come close to the pro 900's prominence in bass, but everything else will be better. From evenly presented mids, to a much more natural treble.

 

[Chris5488]

I think the difference in price never can be directly compared to the sound. The differences in sound are never as big as the difference in price.
 
I'm still grabbing back to my old HD595 for which I paid 120 euro (160 dollar) while having now a X1 at 170 euro (225 dollar). I have the X1 for almost 2 weeks and I'm still doubting to send it back. Overall presentation by the X1 is better but Sennheiser's mids give something extra the X1 can't deliver. These mids are more enjoyable (or wanted) than the lower frequencies the X1 delivers (and the Sennheiser's don't). The X1 on the other hand feels expensive, while the Senns feel rather cheap. The Senns are made from cheaper plastic, the hinges squeak and the leather headband is rather hard while the X1 is made from aluminum and higher quality plastic. I must say the X1's leather headband isn't as portrayed on the pictures (looks more cheaply in real) but overall the X1 outclasses my Senns (and a lot of other Senns) in terms of build quality and look-and-feel. The X1's holes in the earpads are also a bit too small and then there's ofcourse my dead cable.
 
While I have my reasons to send it back (dead cable, earpad-holes are a bit too small, (slightly) lacking mids) I also have my reasons to keep it (overall musical presentation, comfy, sturdy look and feel). After all I paid 170 euro's so I can't expect it to be absolutely perfect. Others may not be as comfy, not as easy to drive, not as sturdy, not as engaging sound and most importantly: not as cheap as this X1. My other options would be a HD650 (2x as expensive as the X1) or the Annie's (3x as expensive as the X1) and I'm not willing to pay that much. So I already ordered a new cable and I'm trying to stretch the earpads' holes, then there's only the Senns' mids I miss, however I expect I'll adapt to it or the X1 will develop those mids over time 

 

[Textfeud]

Quote:

The bass won't come close to the pro 900's prominence in bass, but everything else will be better. From evenly presented mids, to a much more natural treble.

That's a good thing, I think. The Pro 900's can get pretty tiring after an hour or so, I hope that's not the case with the X1!

 

[Hailin]

Are the X1 ear holes bigger or smaller then the HM5 pads? Anyone happen to know?