[Replicant187]

i felt it's not an ideal phone for metal. i want more edgy, hard-hitting, 'in your face'-ness for that genre but X1 smooths it out.
from my experience something like Norah Jones works best with X1, pure eargasm!

 

[jadenx2]

  so just got these not too long ago, and i attached my modmic to the mesh. however, it seems as though either the mesh or whatever is right behind the mesh is magnetic, because instead of having to use the adhesive clasp it just stuck on there magnetically. 
 
i just want to be sure im not going to cause any weird long term damage using the modmic magnetic base clasps... is this a dumb question?

 
anyone have any opinions on this?

 

[BB 808]

anyone have any opinions on this?

From the modmic website FAQs:

Will the clasp magnet interfere with my headphones?
No, the magnet should not damage nor alter your headphones’ speakers or sound. We’ve tested many headphones and have had no issues or complaints. There’s also this 3rd-party quantitative test for any interference.

 

[benbenkr]

  i felt it's not an ideal phone for metal. i want more edgy, hard-hitting, 'in your face'-ness for that genre but X1 smooths it out.
from my experience something like Norah Jones works best with X1, pure eargasm!

 
I agree.
 
The X1's signature of the smooth treble and fairly neutral mids won't make metal sing. Even a cheaper, modest HD558 does better in metal than the X1.

 

[krelianx]

Although I find these cans to excel in soundstage and instrument separation, the resolution is leaving something to be desired. In striving to be a jack-of-all trades it really doesn't excel anywhere, except in having a very prominent bass. The mids are fine, but nothing special, and a bit recessed due to the forwardness of the bass and slight sparkle at the top. The highs are very smooth, rolled off with great smoothness, but they lack the speed and clarity of a can like the Grados or even Beyers. I am left wanting a bit more thickness in the mids or detail in the highs for musicality's sake.

They are still really good cans, but I am thinking maybe the closed design for the L2 with its semi-open design might mitigate by shedding some of the bass off allowing the mids to come forth a bit more naturally and robustly. At least that is what I'm hoping.

 

[Za Warudo]

These are excellent for music that would benefit from some warmth such as soul, synth pop/baroque pop. The bass and lower mids adds some fullness to male vocals and pop to basslines.

 

[c64]

I find them great for black sabbath sounds way better than the harsh muddled high resolution ear piercing treble sennheiser momentum.
That high resolution taught timbre and crisp highs gets fatiguing.

 

[conquerator2]

I think they are very good headphones though to my ears the cheaper K612 or MA900 are cheaper and a bit more special.
I feel like the X1 is really good with bass but the midrange leaves a bit to be desired and the highs are too smooth and lack air with just a little spike. The soundstage and instrument separation is still very good though and so is imaging. The MA900 shines in the mids with very good punchy but still tight bass.the highs are even smoother hut the (bass-)mids-highs transition is better.
Soundstage is great and so is instrument separation. Imaging leaves a bit to be desired. There is great air in the mids.
The K612 is a real reference headphone for 200. The bass is tight and extended all the way. The mids are very even and natural. The treble is bright and can ne edgy sometimes but it depends on the mastering a great deal. Imaging is easily the best of the three, separation is top notch and soundstage is very well rounded if slightly smaller than the two but still the most even in terms of width and depth. Sheer air quantity is akin to the X1, MA900 wins here.

If I had to rank them price/performance wise I'd go K612>MA900>X1. Because while they are all great headphones the two kicks well above their respective price ranges, while the X1 is "only" a good value at their MSRP (not counting some of the recent temporary discounts)

Then again I value natural, neutral reference headphones where all their performance sides are equally important to me.
I still can appreciate the X1 quite a bit, but they'll be the first of the three to go probably X/

 

[Shepx13]

For those who game with these and use an ad-on mic, how much noise do they add to your voice when you speak, being an open can?    

 

[kcazbarach]

  Hello all!
 
I just pulled the trigger on a pair of X1's after copious amounts of reading up on all sorts of headphones. It seems this headphone has gained quite a lot of praise in the forums and I really cannot wait at all to try them out. I was wondering though, do these headphones require an amp or a new wire to improve the sound (I've heard changing the wire does wonders)? I will mostly be running them from my laptop if that matters. Also, what genres of music would you guys say work best with these headphones from your experience?
 
Thanks!

 
from what I understand, the stock cable has a high resistance.   as MLE states on his guide,
 
"The second (though less problematic) issue, is that the stock cable (as amazing as it looks and feels) has a very high resistance (around 1.8ohm). That is unnaturally high for an audio cable, and it does cause a negative effect to the sound quality."

 

[Funambulistic]

  Hello all!
 
I just pulled the trigger on a pair of X1's after copious amounts of reading up on all sorts of headphones. It seems this headphone has gained quite a lot of praise in the forums and I really cannot wait at all to try them out. I was wondering though, do these headphones require an amp or a new wire to improve the sound (I've heard changing the wire does wonders)? I will mostly be running them from my laptop if that matters. Also, what genres of music would you guys say work best with these headphones from your experience?
 
Thanks!

36,
 
I would recommend some sort of amp with the X1s if running straight from a laptop (though I do not know what kind of sound card you have). I have a typical Asus laptop - nothing special - and and the sound, for want of a better word, sucks; not just on the X1s, but headphones/IEMs in general. I have had great success with the HRT Microstreamer, but something as inexpensive as the NuForce uDac is pretty darn good. If you don't need a DAC, any one of Fiio's portable amps should work nicely - you'll find the X1s do like some juice.
 
As far as the cable goes, I believe the issue has been blown out of proportion. When I ordered mine, I bought the obligatory low impedance cable (V-Moda) because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. There may be a small tightening of bass, a clearing in the highs, but no "wonders" or "night and day" differences. It depends on the source as well. I notice a larger difference (albeit still very slight) from my HRT than from the headphone out on my integrated amp (that thing is a monster!). I signed up for a "cable tour" one of our generous members put together and am curious to see of my ears are golden enough to tell the difference between the OFC and SPC cables coming soon.
 
As far as genres go, I have been having a blast throwing everything I have at them and have found no deficiencies. They make everything sound fun and that is exactly what I am looking for. "Neutral" and "analytical" are not my pursuit at this time. I was a "head on chin" audiophile for many years and have since quit obsessing over equipment - now it I listen simply for the sheer joy of it, which the X1s deliver in spades.                                                                                                                               

 

[krelianx]

  36,
 
I would recommend some sort of amp with the X1s if running straight from a laptop (though I do not know what kind of sound card you have). I have a typical Asus laptop - nothing special - and and the sound, for want of a better word, sucks; not just on the X1s, but headphones/IEMs in general. I have had great success with the HRT Microstreamer, but something as inexpensive as the NuForce uDac is pretty darn good. If you don't need a DAC, any one of Fiio's portable amps should work nicely - you'll find the X1s do like some juice.
 
As far as the cable goes, I believe the issue has been blown out of proportion. When I ordered mine, I bought the obligatory low impedance cable (V-Moda) because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. There may be a small tightening of bass, a clearing in the highs, but no "wonders" or "night and day" differences. It depends on the source as well. I notice a larger difference (albeit still very slight) from my HRT than from the headphone out on my integrated amp (that thing is a monster!). I signed up for a "cable tour" one of our generous members put together and am curious to see of my ears are golden enough to tell the difference between the OFC and SPC cables coming soon.
 
As far as genres go, I have been having a blast throwing everything I have at them and have found no deficiencies. They make everything sound fun and that is exactly what I am looking for. "Neutral" and "analytical" are not my pursuit at this time. I was a "head on chin" audiophile for many years and have since quit obsessing over equipment - now it I listen simply for the sheer joy of it, which the X1s deliver in spades.                                                                                                                               

I am running mine from g73sw; what do you think?

 

[Funambulistic]

 
I am running mine from g73sw; what do you think?

 
That's a sweet looking machine! I am sure your sound card with THX and EAX wipe the floor with mine, but I am not an expert on all things computer. Give it a try - if you feel like you really have to crank the volume or there is just not enough "drive" or control of the X1s, get an inexpensive amp. From what I have read on these pages, the X1s excel at gaming.

 

[Replicant187]

i tested couple cheap cables but call me crazy, i ended up liking the stock cable the most

 

[Funambulistic]

  i tested couple cheap cables but call me crazy, i ended up liking the stock cable the most

 
You're crazy! I actually like the stock cable as well. I ended up using the V-Moda cable on my M100s, oddly enough...