[rwpritchett]

I took a gamble and purchased an aftermarket Fidelio X1 replacement cable off eBay from China (link).

link to seller?

Link is above.

 

[CoiL]

Thanks! I added Your impressions and measurements to X1 cable impedance post

 

[Funambulistic]

That is a great looking cable and is a certainly appears to be a viable replacement cable at a great price. If I were not one one of the apparent lucky ones - I must have a lower impedance cable as there is little to no change in SQ when swapping out - I would jump on it. Heck, I might do so just for the heck of it as I like the screw-on adaptor. Thanks for the link!

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

So this is officially my favorite headphone of all time. Got it on amazon warehouse a few weeks ago and am in the honeymoon phase with these things. Used Senn 558s, 650s and DT 990s, K701s as open backs before this and as customary I try to find faults with every new headphone but these just distract me too much with the actual music to focus on its faults which is a feeling I'd never had before with headphones, except the porta pros eff the haters those things rock.

 

[waynes world]

So this is officially my favorite headphone of all time. Got it on amazon warehouse a few weeks ago and am in the honeymoon phase with these things. Used Senn 558s, 650s and DT 990s, K701s as open backs before this and as customary I try to find faults with every new headphone but these just distract me too much with the actual music to focus on its faults which is a feeling I'd never had before with headphones, except the porta pros eff the haters those things rock.

Long live the X1's and the Portapros!

 

[TWerk]

  So, guys, what do you think a good sidegrade/upgrade from the Fidelio X1s would be? In the case of upgrade, I want something like them but better, but in the case of sidegrade, something that compliments them. Based on some replies in this thread, the headphones I'm currently considering (but still haven't bought) are the Sennheiser HD 600s. I haven't given them a try yet, though. I have tried the Beyerdynamic DT880 Pros, and I'd describe them as like the Q701s, more comfortable, but not quite as detailed and airy.

 
These X1's are pretty awesome, they do the U shaped frequency response really well. They are nicely detailed, comfortable, and not harsh in the highs. For the price, and for someone looking to just enjoy modern music, they are very good.
 
That said, I ordered an Ultrasone Pro 2900. If I remember correctly (I owned it in the past) you get a more detailed sound from the Ultrasones, more extended treble, better bass, and a larger or more spacious soundstage. The Pro 2900 are also open back. Still, I have to compare them when I receive them to see if my memory serves me well.
 
There don't seem to be many other upgrades on the market if you want a U shaped open back headphone with great bass. Personally, I find open back headphones to be levels ahead of the closed back ones for the most part. Once you move to open backs, and hear the airiness and openness of the sound, it's hard to move back to closed headphones.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

These X1's are pretty awesome, they do the U shaped frequency response really well. They are nicely detailed, comfortable, and not harsh in the highs. For the price, and for someone looking to just enjoy modern music, they are very good.

That said, I ordered an Ultrasone Pro 2900. If I remember correctly (I owned it in the past) you get a more detailed sound from the Ultrasones, more extended treble, better bass, and a larger or more spacious soundstage. The Pro 2900 are also open back. Still, I have to compare them when I receive them to see if my memory serves me well.

There don't seem to be many other upgrades on the market if you want a U shaped open back headphone with great bass. Personally, I find open back headphones to be levels ahead of the closed back ones for the most part. Once you move to open backs, and hear the airiness and openness of the sound, it's hard to move back to closed headphones.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Which is why the X1 is pretty much my endgame. I listen to like, 60% hip hop, 20% modern popular crap(and trust me it is definitely crap but I like it), and like 20% 80s rock/pop. In other words, music that is recorded and mastered awfully. X1 is revealing enough to enjoy the lol details and very pleasing for these genres as well as masking the crappy quality. And this kind of bass on an open back headphone was such a mythical thing for me since I'll never be able to afford a stax or audeze or something like that. But this X1 is something special alright. I mean these things don't even sound half bad listening straight from my phone with crappy Spotify. I can't do that with my other "reference" headphones and have to reach for amp and flac. I like the convenience of X1 and just listening to radio stations and hitting shuffle. They allow me to just enjoy the music without worrying if it's airy enough, if it images as well as this other headphone, or whatever headphone collecting does to the mind. Listening to Talib Kweli in 320kb straight from phone and couldn't be happier Also movies are awesome with these. The 990s are probably still a "better" headphone probably but I honestly don't care these are just much more pleasing for me.

That Ultrasone sounds tempting tho...I'll probably get it too just due to how you described it. Damn it, guess it never really ends does it

 

[ati832]

.

 

[rwpritchett]

... Once you move to open backs, and hear the airiness and openness of the sound, it's hard to move back to closed headphones.

My K550's want to meet you by the flagpole at 3pm.

 

[Dragonzeanse]

   
These X1's are pretty awesome, they do the U shaped frequency response really well. They are nicely detailed, comfortable, and not harsh in the highs. For the price, and for someone looking to just enjoy modern music, they are very good.
 
That said, I ordered an Ultrasone Pro 2900. If I remember correctly (I owned it in the past) you get a more detailed sound from the Ultrasones, more extended treble, better bass, and a larger or more spacious soundstage. The Pro 2900 are also open back. Still, I have to compare them when I receive them to see if my memory serves me well.
 
There don't seem to be many other upgrades on the market if you want a U shaped open back headphone with great bass. Personally, I find open back headphones to be levels ahead of the closed back ones for the most part. Once you move to open backs, and hear the airiness and openness of the sound, it's hard to move back to closed headphones.

I don't know. Although I've never owned one of their products, Ultrasone seems like the last manufacturer I'd buy from short of one of those overpriced mainstream brands like Beats. Maybe it's just the Edition 10s that were a big problem, but after seeing the InnerFidelity review, and being dissuaded from buying them from others, I'm sort of biased against them. It's probably not the most mature or rational thing to do, but when you use buzzwords like "S-Logic" to market your product, I'm not just going to flock to it.
 
What do you think? Would you describe their headphones as any of the following: fatiguing, shrill, analytical (not that that's a problem for me), thin, or bright? Let me know when you get them again; opinions change over time and I'm trying not to let my bias predispose me to hating Ultrasone. Audiophilia can be an expensive hobby and I want to make sure my moolah is going towards something I like.

 

[kitesrfun1]

Can anyone tell me if they have experience using the X1s as studio monitoring cans? They fit the specs I'm looking for, are gorgeous looking, and within my price range. Are they flat enough to monitor with? My monitor speakers are yamaha hs-8s and my cans I use are modded Grado SR-225is. My cans just don't punch the bass out.

 

[TWerk]

 
I don't know. Although I've never owned one of their products, Ultrasone seems like the last manufacturer I'd buy from short of one of those overpriced mainstream brands like Beats. Maybe it's just the Edition 10s that were a big problem, but after seeing the InnerFidelity review, and being dissuaded from buying them from others, I'm sort of biased against them. It's probably not the most mature or rational thing to do, but when you use buzzwords like "S-Logic" to market your product, I'm not just going to flock to it.
 
What do you think? Would you describe their headphones as any of the following: fatiguing, shrill, analytical (not that that's a problem for me), thin, or bright? Let me know when you get them again; opinions change over time and I'm trying not to let my bias predispose me to hating Ultrasone. Audiophilia can be an expensive hobby and I want to make sure my moolah is going towards something I like.

 
Ultrasone has a secret weapon in their PRO/HIFI/DJ headphones, and that is their bass. For EDM music, it is hard to find a headphone with better impact and punch than the Ultrasones. They also have extended, sharp treble, which some find fatiguing and shrill. My ears aren't too sensitive to this, and I find them to sound good. The extra treble boost gives my EDM music detail and excitement. They are very fast with a high PRAT which makes them very good with high tempo EDM music. You also don't need a crazy expensive DAC/AMP to power them.
 
Anyways, most of them do the heavy V shape sound, which just works better than many headphones for dance music. Ultrasones have a recessed to very recessed mid-range, which seems to be common in most of their models. Lastly, I'd like to say that I find them well built, comfortable (with the velour pads) and a really immersive (sometimes holographic) soundstage. 
 
I haven't tried the editions, because they are too expensive. I'm very happy with the PRO line though, and hopefully will enjoy the 2900 as much as I remember from owning them the first time around. Indeed, opinions change over time, so I will be interested to see how they fare.

 

[jodgey4]

The X1's I would not personally monitor with, I'd grab some AKG Q701's and maybe do the bass mod. They are much more neutral, treble detail and extension is way better, the low bass goes deeper with much more control, and the mids aren't veiled. And they're cheaper.

 

[TWerk]

Yea, I don't think the X1 is neutral enough and extended enough to monitor with.

 

[allets]

I got the Fidelio X1 today and I've been giving them a listen. First impressions; They're almost like the basshead-friendly version of HD600. Low-end is really nice - these will definitely be my electronic cans. Comfort is a bit of an issue as I have a big head - HD600 is really comfortable for me. Also with the HD600 I can sort of turn it up as loud as possible without the sound being unpleasant however these - despite the enjoyable bassy signature - get unpleasant at even moderate levels in comparison. I really like them already though. I got a feeling these = electronic, HD600 = everything else.
 
Edit: I should say, those who enjoy the Fidelio X1 and would want a more neutral, natural sounding genre-master could possibly fall in love with the HD600.