[Head1]

The general view seems to be that the L2 is slightly v shaped in sound signature whereas the X1 is proper v shaped with more bass.
 
Can anyone compare it with the DT880? This seems similar to the L2, being semi-open and also in having slightly recessed mids.

 

[krelianx]

I am interested in the rest of the sound signature though; whether the mids are beefier in the L2s.

My only problem with the X1s is that the bass prominence makes the mids sound relatively distant, which means i have to bump it up to high volumes to get the mids forward; but then its really aggressive on me due to the bass presence. I end up missing something a less boomy and more tight, with a more musical rather than colored presentation. They are great phones though, don't get me wrong.

I wonder if the L2s have thickened up the mids a bit or just attenuated the bass. If the latter, then it's not really a better can.

 

[retwisted]

   
The L2's leak sound guess its their semi openness , its a shame really cause they fit so well on the head ( no chance of falling off on the move )  I can't see anyone wandering around with the AKG's .... hey don't get me wrong they would certainly look brill and turn heads.... but they don't clamp they perch, a good seal can be made by bending the headband slightly so as You say the bass is complete and fast and very tuneful, a tweak to the EQ and the sub bass really shines, but as a portable.... not sure.....they are certainly efficient .....
 
The L2's feel great , seal great, and would be ok on the move for sure.... just be aware others will get a listen too....
 
Both are great home cans...... its hard to say which anyone would prefer..... for me Rock sounds better on the AKG and more softer accoustic on the L2's...  if I had to be critical i would say the L2 is a better headphone.... but its close....
 
The AKG,s need a good burn in....left em on loop for 24 hours at a fair volume to warm them up.... they like to be broken in..... the bass improves and the overall musicality gets more enjoyable....
 
I am really happy with both of them, cause they a made music more fun .... and after all thats what counts at the end of day....
 
it's worth pointing out that both these babys get  lot better when connected to a real hifi ... by that I mean a Tube amp and expensive DAC....  I am guessing I havent heard the best they can be yet......  in terms of value for Money
 
£109 for the AKG's and £151 for the L2's  is very cheap for the quality on offer....
and i wouldnt hesitate in recommending either headphones......They are far better than anything I have ever owned before !!!
 
I could compare them with my Naim setup and AE'1's in terms of enjoyment.....and the neighbours dont get to hear as well LOL
 
Have some new tubes arriving next week for the MC34-B Pre and Drive stagesso will be interesting how that goes....
 
I have some M1 Bluetooth....  now if we are talking "on the move" 

I listen to rock, post-hardcore, and soundtracks. Would you say the AGKs are a better buy? They are 50 euro cheaper here.

 

[Jonfairway]

Bearing in mind I have neither the DT880   or X1
 
The recessed mids on the L2 are soon sorted with a good cable to replace the stock one.... this tightens and moves the mids and vocals forward into the mix without spoiling the overall musical balance of the signature.... these are fun headphones...
 
I am guessing replacing the cable on X1's will also help in this matter...
 
I know what you mean about the volume..... the L2's sound at their best when driven well.... the difference from the microstreamer and the Mc34 and Dac-ah is much more apparent at higher volumes, giving a fuller sound, more space, darker, the speed of the drivers becomes more evident at higher volumes too.....
 
had the little babys on my head for three hours now and I am still amazed at how they convey the music so well... very enjoyable....
 
coloured..... mmmm    a very personal thing..... what is referred as coloured to one will be neutral to another.... depends on many previous listening experiences.....
 
I come from a Hi Fi background.... used to work in a HiFI store.... and have been into HiFi for many years... not Head-Fi tho
 
so all my preconceptions are based around speakers and subsequent room acoustics etc...
 
These L2s are warm... detailed... powerful...have good depth and a moderate soundstage... the vocals are not the best I have heard....
they are not as fast as the best speakers !!!  but handle transients well....
 
all in all they are fun....
 
The AKG's are more polite, accurate, and have better tonal and vocal reproduction..
The L2's are fast, open, detailed, have good PRAT, good depth and fun....
 
They are both good headphones....
 
wish I had the X1's and  others to compare....

 

[Jonfairway]

1. retwisted
2. Wrote

 
I listen to rock, post-hardcore, and soundtracks. Would you say the AGKs are a better buy? They are 50 euro cheaper here. 

 
mmmm are we talking home or on the move outdoors ?
 
I paid £109 for the AKG 550's and there is no one on this planet would be upset with them at that price !!!! 
 
that being said
 
I think the L2,s sound better with just the Samsung S2 I have.... they don't lose the fun....
 
The AKG's with a little EQ bass top up sound better with heavy rock in terms of accuracy of reproduction and detail dragged out the recording...
 
The L2's are fast and fun , detailed, and drag ones attention into the music......
 
Better.... I dunno they both have their good points.....
 
If You need a can that can go out and stay in and do justice to £150 ish......     then go for the L2's  ( this is my opinion of course )
 
if its home use..... for Rock Music..... and You have a good DAC and AMP..... go for the AKG at £110  ish.....
 
depending on what You have at the moment.....    I  think You will be impressed.... either way.....
 
hope this helps

 

[Jnjy]

  Just got these in. I have say they are very pretty:
 

 
Sorry about the rubbish lighting...

I actually find this low key lighting in good taste

 

[ninjapirate9901]

If you want a non subjective look at how the L2 and X1 compare, take a look at the measurements from goldenears.net
 

 

 

[Jonfairway]

Thanks for the Ears info
 
I popped on to see what the reviewer mad of the figures and his personal thoughs
 
 
Top one is the  L2
 

 
 
This one is the K550
 

 
 
Sort of shows the bass light nature of the K550 in comparison
 
and the slightly recessed ( soft ) mid/treble of the L2
 
and I do agree the K550 is the more Natural.. accurate Can...
 
wish these sorts of tests gave more info on soundstage and depth....
 
http://en.goldenears.net/en/
 
I will really have to go hear some £3000 Cans as a reference    LOL

 

[Jonfairway]

Just finished modding my Sennheiser HD480 ii's
 
Was so shocked how much better the L2's were to them i thought they must be in need of TLC so
 
Removed pads, stripped em down split rings apart...
 
removed old black foam that had gone sticky  ( yuk )
 
washed the covers three times and dried them
 
now I had a brainwave to try, not sure anyone has done this before so here goes
 
got some memory foam insole for shoes ( as seen on tv )    lol  and cut the two ear pads to fit the old rings...
Got slightly bigger and deeper than originals and then bonded them to the old rings....( super glue )
 
after a struggle i got them into the old covers ( now nice and clean ) and refitted to the shells  ( tight fit ) nice click
 
wow has that brightened the old dogs up a bit !!!!    still no where near the sound stage and depth of the L2's but at least they are not being made a mockery of now .....
 
These old HD480's are 600ohm so they need a good amp.... The Microstreamer does not really make them sing.... but the Valve amp does....
 
More comfy than they have ever been too
 
considering the 480's can be gotten off Ebay for a Tenner..... not that bad really....
 

Worth a go for anyone fancying a bit of a play.....

 

[krelianx]

  If you want a non subjective look at how the L2 and X1 compare, take a look at the measurements from goldenears.net
 

 

 
Can anyone offer some insight into these results?

 

[Jonfairway]

One of your previous posts mentions your thoughts on bloatedness in the X1's bass..... have you tried another cable in he X1 ?
I am assuming it is swappable like the L2...
 
My L2 sounds more forward in the mids with tighter Bass with the silver cable.... more laid back with the stock cable...
 
Maybe some mileage in trying another cable in the x1 ?
 
The HD600 is somewhat more expensive ? as a comparison ...other thread.....
 
at the moment I am looking to get a pair of HD650 to compare the L2's with just for fun....

 

[Jonfairway]

been one of those hours of music days today ....    should have been in the sun.... ah well
 
It's worth noting I always set the EQ off for the L2's they are so well balanced there is no need for tweaking....
 
and the make a wonderful companion to the HRT Microstreamer.... like they were made for each other !!!
 
JUst a quick question
 
has anyone tried AIMP 3    ??????      I find it really nice as a player ???  maybe better than Winamp and Foobar ?

 

[AngryGoldfish]

  been one of those hours of music days today ....    should have been in the sun.... ah well
 
It's worth noting I always set the EQ off for the L2's they are so well balanced there is no need for tweaking....
 
and the make a wonderful companion to the HRT Microstreamer.... like they were made for each other !!!
 
JUst a quick question
 
has anyone tried AIMP 3    ??????      I find it really nice as a player ???  maybe better than Winamp and Foobar ?

 
I'm really enjoying MusicBee. It has a great community to dip into with a combined wealth of knowledge. The player is as customizable and attractive as my last player Winamp, and I find it easier to navigate and more sleek than Foobar.
 

   
The L2's leak sound guess its their semi openness , its a shame really cause they fit so well on the head ( no chance of falling off on the move )  I can't see anyone wandering around with the AKG's .... hey don't get me wrong they would certainly look brill and turn heads.... but they don't clamp they perch, a good seal can be made by bending the headband slightly so as You say the bass is complete and fast and very tuneful, a tweak to the EQ and the sub bass really shines, but as a portable.... not sure.....they are certainly efficient .....
 
The L2's feel great , seal great, and would be ok on the move for sure.... just be aware others will get a listen too....
 
Both are great home cans...... its hard to say which anyone would prefer..... for me Rock sounds better on the AKG and more softer accoustic on the L2's...  if I had to be critical i would say the L2 is a better headphone.... but its close....
 
The AKG,s need a good burn in....left em on loop for 24 hours at a fair volume to warm them up.... they like to be broken in..... the bass improves and the overall musicality gets more enjoyable....
 
I am really happy with both of them, cause they a made music more fun .... and after all thats what counts at the end of day....
 
it's worth pointing out that both these babys get  lot better when connected to a real hifi ... by that I mean a Tube amp and expensive DAC....  I am guessing I havent heard the best they can be yet......  in terms of value for Money
 
£109 for the AKG's and £151 for the L2's  is very cheap for the quality on offer....
and i wouldnt hesitate in recommending either headphones......They are far better than anything I have ever owned before !!!
 
I could compare them with my Naim setup and AE'1's in terms of enjoyment.....and the neighbours dont get to hear as well LOL
 
Have some new tubes arriving next week for the MC34-B Pre and Drive stagesso will be interesting how that goes....
 
I have some M1 Bluetooth....  now if we are talking "on the move" 

 
Thanks, mate, I appreciate that. I'm really keen on giving these a try.
 
 
By the way, to those talking about the X1 and its included cable, if you do a little research you'll find most people who want the best sound possible always replace the cable, as the stock one has a very high impedance and 'masks' the tone slightly. Some say the new cable makes a huge difference, while others say it's only minor but more than worth it. The cable is detachable and does not, as far as I know, require any specific plug or adaptors; I think it's just a non-locking 3.5mm input.

 

[krelianx]

  One of your previous posts mentions your thoughts on bloatedness in the X1's bass..... have you tried another cable in he X1 ?
I am assuming it is swappable like the L2...
 
My L2 sounds more forward in the mids with tighter Bass with the silver cable.... more laid back with the stock cable...
 
Maybe some mileage in trying another cable in the x1 ?
 
The HD600 is somewhat more expensive ? as a comparison ...other thread.....
 
at the moment I am looking to get a pair of HD650 to compare the L2's with just for fun....

I have the v-moda cable. It doesn't reduce the bass bloatedness as much as reduce the muffled sound coming of it. They are a very impressive set of cans.

I wouldn't have a

 

[ninjapirate9901]

   
Can anyone offer some insight into these results?

 
Have a read through this:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/580283/lcd3-measurements#post_7891455
 
Essentially what a CSD or waterfall plot gives you is a plot of the frequency response (much like what you see on innerfidelity and headroom) with an added z-axis for time. This gives the benefit of being able to see where resonance or ringing occurs (which is generally bad).