[egokun]

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 I need to spend a lot more time with the X1, but upon first impression, it really makes me think I may have found something to replace my ATH-AD2000.

 
OK, maybe not

 
I've just made an A/B straight out of an iPod Touch. The AD2000 may lack bass presence, but it's still a beast. It's really untouchable when it comes to guitars and female vocals, and the slam... it's beautiful.
 
That said, the X1 is not far. It has a bass rumble and a soundstage that the AD2000 can't dream of. I first tried it with my Matrix M-Stage, but it's really good straight out of a DAP. It's more solid and down-to-earth, whereas the AD2k has a more dreamy sound.
 
I don't know if what I'm writing makes sense to anyone else, lol

 

[Poleepkwa]

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I received my X1 today.

The smell and the sight when you first open the box is really something, lol. Really smells like a new car. And those pads are literally sparkling, I swear for a second I thought they were covered in diamond dust

I've tried it on for about 40 minutes. At first the clamp is a bit tight, but it loosens pretty quickly. The thing is HUGE on my head!

I don't find the X1 to be the bass monster some have depicted. There's warmth and rumble in the bass, but there's less midbass than in your typical Sennheiser, and I'd like a bit more of that. The X1 is accurate, fast, musical. Not even a hint of sibilance. Good vocals, good punch, good energy and crunch in the guitars. Seems well suited to many genres.

The X1 doesn't have the crazy imaging and separation of the HD650, or the sizzle of the HD558. There's soundstage, but the sound comes forward as a whole, not in separated layers like with the HD650. There's detail, but not so much as to make this an analytical headphone. "Musical" seems an appropriate word to describe the X1.

As I said, I'd appreciate a touch more midbass, and I'd also prefer a little more shimmer and sparkle in the highs. However, while the X1 will never be a problem for those who are sensitive to high frequencies, I find it more energetic and less tamed than the HD650. I need to spend a lot more time with the X1, but upon first impression, it really makes me think I may have found something to replace my ATH-AD2000.

Oh, one final note: the X1 leaks sound like nobody's business

No wonder the box explicitely says "for indoor use", lol.

Good impressions. Try another cable for a bit more sparkle.

 

[egokun]

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Good impressions. Try another cable for a bit more sparkle.

Anything I can buy in Europe for a good price?
 
I've tried the V-Moda M-100, the cable was very microphonic.

 

[HolyCheese]

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Would love to hear your impressions after you get your X1 as I'm trying to decide between the two.

Take a read here, you might find good info. The impression by grizzly at the end of the thread of the x1 comes very close to my experience.

 

[Poleepkwa]

Quote:

Anything I can buy in Europe for a good price?
 
I've tried the V-Moda M-100, the cable was very microphonic.

Supra MP Cable has worked well for me.

 

[Change is Good]

So I pulled the trigger on these but then something completely slipped my mind: the ouptut impedence of my M-Stage. They're not going to pair well... are they... *sigh*

 

[Thujone]

First impressions
 
Holy cow, where do I start? The box is very nice and definitely smells like a new car, which is always a bonus . When I first put these on, I was worried that I'd have to bend the metal headband because of my big head but I was happily surprised to find that I have perfect clearance. The headphone pad is barely touching the leather headband. These are extremely comfy cans. I also didn't even bother with the cable. I've seen too many complaints about it and I have a V-Moda cable anyway.
 
They sound amazing. I love bass and these surprised me with their punch. I haven't ever heard a dynamic open headphone with this much bass. I don't think these headphones fall very short from my Q40's in terms of bass quantity and punch, and that's saying something. In fact, they have a very similar sound signature to the Q40's in general. The mids are very present and detailed but the lower mids definitely have an emphasis over the upper mids. The highs are perfect IMO. They aren't sibilant at all and they still have a bit of a sparkle. Right where I want them.
 
As for comparing them to the HE-400... honestly, they're very different. Most of that has to do with the HE-400 being way more textured and transparent but the X1 seems to have a wider soundstage as well. The bass on the X1 sounds a lot more bloated when doing an A/B with the HE-400. Then again, compared to the HE-400's, everything sounds a tiny bit blurry when doing an A/B. egokun used the term "musical" to describe the X1's and I agree with that 100%. They aren't as fatiguing as the HE-400's in terms of highs but they are more fatiguing in terms of bass. Lucky for me, I'm not fatigued by bass.
 
Overall though, the downward slope of the X1's frequency response is fairly noticeable, but I'm loving it. I can see these easily becoming my go-to headphones for extended listening around the house. Still though, the HE-400's will be my EDM headphones of choice. The speed and clarity is perfect for it. The X1 sounds much more natural which makes them great for everything else.
 
I don't think I can recommend either one without knowing what you are looking for in a headphone. I don't think I'm going to sell either one of them because they both are very different and have their own strengths and weaknesses.

 

[ULUL]

Good review.  I tested the X1 quite a bit a month ago and had staples that extended up to the HD800 and T1.  The X1 made quite an impression on me - to the point that I still think about it.  If i had a lot of discretionary $, I would have picked up the X1 just for the fun listening. It gave me the IMPRESSION of having more detail than the HD650 with a casual listen though it really doesn't.  Just a fun pair of headphones that feels solidly detailed without being fatiguing. 
 
ULUL
Quote:

First impressions
 
Holy cow, where do I start? The box is very nice and definitely smells like a new car, which is always a bonus . When I first put these on, I was worried that I'd have to bend the metal headband because of my big head but I was happily surprised to find that I have perfect clearance. The headphone pad is barely touching the leather headband. These are extremely comfy cans. I also didn't even bother with the cable. I've seen too many complaints about it and I have a V-Moda cable anyway.
 
They sound amazing. I love bass and these surprised me with their punch. I haven't ever heard a dynamic open headphone with this much bass. I don't think these headphones fall very short from my Q40's in terms of bass quantity and punch, and that's saying something. In fact, they have a very similar sound signature to the Q40's in general. The mids are very present and detailed but the lower mids definitely have an emphasis over the upper mids. The highs are perfect IMO. They aren't sibilant at all and they still have a bit of a sparkle. Right where I want them.
 
As for comparing them to the HE-400... honestly, they're very different. Most of that has to do with the HE-400 being way more textured and transparent but the X1 seems to have a wider soundstage as well. The bass on the X1 sounds a lot more bloated when doing an A/B with the HE-400. Then again, compared to the HE-400's, everything sounds a tiny bit blurry when doing an A/B. egokun used the term "musical" to describe the X1's and I agree with that 100%. They aren't as fatiguing as the HE-400's in terms of highs but they are more fatiguing in terms of bass. Lucky for me, I'm not fatigued by bass.
 
Overall though, the downward slope of the X1's frequency response is fairly noticeable, but I'm loving it. I can see these easily becoming my go-to headphones for extended listening around the house. Still though, the HE-400's will be my EDM headphones of choice. The speed and clarity is perfect for it. The X1 sounds much more natural which makes them great for everything else.
 
I don't think I can recommend either one without knowing what you are looking for in a headphone. I don't think I'm going to sell either one of them because they both are very different and have their own strengths and weaknesses.

 

[egokun]

The X1 is the first full-size headphone that doesn't sound like crap out of my laptop's phone jack. This is something, really.

The X1 is shaping up as a Goldilocks-approved can. It doesn't really do anything in a special way, but it does almost everything all right. Not fatiguing, very smooth, crunchy enough as to not sound boring or laid-back.

If I had never heard the AD2000, the X1 would probably be the best for me. But I love the snap and the upper mids of the Audio-Technicas. The X1 can't compete with that.

 

[veldt]

Not sure I would recommend it. Or simply put I wouldn't. I don't think it's a hifi-headphone. Many sounds except for bass feel a little indistinct and recessed, with no clear location. I would characterize it as ordinary consumer sound, for your Philips TV. If the bass were a little more reserved, I think it would be worth the price of the L1, but as it is I find it overpriced.

 

[HolyCheese]

I sure as hell don't mind the 235 dollar I paid for them. 

 Not overpriced at all imo. But maybe in america, I think the hd650 would be better if the prices are near eachother.

 

[Thujone]

Quote:

Not sure I would recommend it. Or simply put I wouldn't. I don't think it's a hifi-headphone. Many sounds except for bass feel a little indistinct and recessed, with no clear location. I would characterize it as ordinary consumer sound, for your Philips TV. If the bass were a little more reserved, I think it would be worth the price of the L1, but as it is I find it overpriced.

I would totally agree with you if HD600's weren't the same price. IMO the X1 does everything just as well as the HD600's except with more bass. They are both not very textured headphones (at least compared to planars and such).
 
BTW I'm in the US, so the prices probably differ a lot more elsewhere.

 

[veldt]

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I would totally agree with you if HD600's weren't the same price. IMO the X1 does everything just as well as the HD600's except with more bass. They are both not very textured headphones (at least compared to planars and such).
 
BTW I'm in the US, so the prices probably differ a lot more elsewhere.

 
Ok, since I have some regrets about not getting a HD600, this might play into it. But if they aren't noticeably better as you say, this is good to hear. Or in any case it might limit my options to make it easier. But the bass really takes some getting used to. I can enjoy it for itself, as a kind of side effect, but at the same time I don't think it does the original any good. It's just too omnipresent.
I did get them for a reduced price from ebay, still more than the Sennheiser HD 598 and AKG K550, but I wouldn't consider them a step up to them as just an alternative.

 

[Thujone]

The X1's and 600's sound accurate and natural except for the X1's having a pronounced bass. I'll admit, I find the bass to be bloaty with certain songs, but the main thing is that it's just much louder than everything else. Personally, I find these to be very fun basshead headphones. Probably my favorite frequency curve so far that I've found (like the Q40's except better highs and quality in general). Still though, the HE-400 is just so fast and detailed that the others seem slow and muddy in comparison. 

 

[rixlbg]

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Hi,
 
The premium version is a very stiff cable. It does have a very low resistance (see some messages back in this thread), but I would not recommend it to use it as a headphone cable.
The INAKUSTIK MP3 cable (cheaper than the premium version) is a thin flexible cable and also has a very low resistance (0.2 Ohms).
I would say just to try the INAKUSTIK MP3 cable because it is a cheap cable. It' no disaster that the cable isn't better than the stock cable.

 
 
Quote:

If by solid conducter is meant that the core is solid then it could have a high cable noise and maybe it can break fast since solid core wires have less flexibility and higher breaking rate then stranded wire.

Thank you very much for the tips, guys, I will take them into consideration.