[peter123]

Please don't destroy this thread as well with this discussion. The other X2 thread is full of it, please continue there. Thanks in advance

 

[Module]

There is someone who uses X2 with O2 amp? I'm going to buy O2 amp and I'm afraid because some people complain about channel imbalance with pair O2 + high sensitivity/low ohm headphones even at 1X gain setting. So, any help from owners of both X2 and O2 would be very appreciated.

 

[LaCuffia]

There is someone who uses X2 with O2 amp? I'm going to buy O2 amp and I'm afraid because some people complain about channel imbalance with pair O2 + high sensitivity/low ohm headphones even at 1X gain setting. So, any help from owners of both X2 and O2 would be very appreciated.

I used the O2 when I had the X2 and it worked well. I didn't detect any channel imbalance. The pairing wasn't the reason I returned the X2. I think the O2 is versatile enough to work with many headphones especially with low impedance ones like the O2

 

[Jotunblod]

I've been listening to these non-stop for the last several days, and I'm no closer to deciding if I like them or not. The bass just seems to have far too much presence, and I do remember reading about people saying they're boomy until burn-in. I don't see how they could be used for gaming/movies though - the bass comes off as unrealistic to a large degree to where gunshots no longer have a crisp snap, but a pillowed punch. I also notice that some female voices can fatten up into the lower register a bit, and overall the sound is slightly dampened, making sounds that aren't directly near you, harder to hear. I still like them for music that has either been mixed with a traditional or wide setting, but the bass still has to be EQ'd, and forget about enjoying albums with a compressed mix. They're good for many genres, while both enhancing some of the stuff I listen to, and being unable to mesh with others. 

 

[tonyo123]

  There is someone who uses X2 with O2 amp? I'm going to buy O2 amp and I'm afraid because some people complain about channel imbalance with pair O2 + high sensitivity/low ohm headphones even at 1X gain setting. So, any help from owners of both X2 and O2 would be very appreciated.

 
I use them with a BSG CMOY Amp (inexpensive and portable with seperate outputs for low and high gain headphones) and have no issues with channel imbalance (listened with two pairs, pre and recent sale X2s).

 

[bar1]

  There is someone who uses X2 with O2 amp? I'm going to buy O2 amp and I'm afraid because some people complain about channel imbalance with pair O2 + high sensitivity/low ohm headphones even at 1X gain setting. So, any help from owners of both X2 and O2 would be very appreciated.

 
I use my X2 with O2 amp. Haven't detected any channel imbalance.

 

[Module]

Thank you, guys!

 

[shortstuff]

100 hours of run in with my 2nd pair (this time brand new, working!) X2's and not been using them. Very flat. No thump like the used ones I bought had!
 
Any suggestions?

 

[Knopp]

Wait, wait a minute... No Microphonics he says in the review, which i have found to be one of the biggest drawbacks of the X2.
Cable noise is horrid when you touch the cable close to the 3.5 mm connector in the headphone. Though no that significant when music is playing. 
 
Has anybody else experienced this or is it just me??? 

 

[madwolfa]

  Wait, wait a minute... No Microphonics he says in the review, which i have found to be one of the biggest drawbacks of the X2.
Cable noise is horrid when you touch the cable close to the 3.5 mm connector in the headphone. Though no that significant when music is playing. 
 
Has anybody else experienced this or is it just me??? 

 
Yeah, I just got the V-MODA cable, problem solved.

 

[mayday75]

I've had these headphones for a couple of weeks now.
I'm currently driving them with the PC's onboard soundcard, not optimal but none of my headamp builds are ready yet.
 
Previously owned or well known HP's:
Philips SBC-HP1000
Goldring DR-150
Sennheiser HD425
Sennheiser HD600
 
Both the HP1000's and the DR150's actually broke, so I wanted something durable with a sense of quality.
 
I was looking around for a while, looking at new as well as used HP's.
 
Then came the black friday sale and a deal on the X2's I just couldn't pass up.
 
I'm very happy that I bought these HP's as they are by far the best (to my personal taste) HP's I've had.
 
I love analytic sound as much as the next guy, but my "nirvana" is when I find myself listening for hours, playing air guitar and air drums without even noticing that I started doing so.
 
In a way it's a good thing that my headamp decided to kick the bucket after years of service as now I'll be very familiar with the X2's sound with the most basic source before hooking them up to better sources.
 
The headamps either in the making or in the parts collecting stage are:
Jfet buffer or AD797 gainstage followed by a CCS fed diamond buffer, my design with alot of help from various persons. (Thank you)
"JHL" Class A clone - this is with the mods more or less done, I'm waiting for new HP jacks as the one I got for it is not making proper contact to the signal gnd. 
AD797 's followed by BUF634's - bought the PCB for this and started collecting parts that I like for it. More or less all parts apart from the PCB has arrived.
I'll see if I bring the "dead" headamp I used previosly back to life, it's a BCL clone with the PS part removed, being powered by a dual LT1083 supply.
 
Enough about that.
 
Back to the topic at hand, these absolutely (imho) amazing HP's.
 
I don't listen very much to Jazz or classical music, but I do have a very varied taste in music listening to everything from Slipknot to Björk, Diana Krall and much more.
 
So what do I think of the X2's? If it's not obvious by now, I love them. Plain and simple.
They are built like tanks(though that remains to be seen).
They are very comfortable.
 
To me they are engaging and involving without lacking in details.
 
I too thought they were a bit bass-heavy at first, but then they settled and I also realized that the DR150's I listened to before these was lacking in that departement. Though comparing the two isn't really fair to the DR150's.
 
I got my pair for about 170-180usd and at that price they're simply a steal. I'd been happy having paid full price for them.
 
Now, since I don't, at the moment, use anything near what these HP's deserve to drive them, I'll wait on making a full review so to speak.
 
But, from my experience, things only get better with proper amplification. They are not that hard to drive, but that does not mean they don't deserve a good headamp.
 
Last but not least, kudos to the OP for an excellent review.

 

[86bitto86]

   
Quite a few people in this thread said about the Schiit Vali. I've been looking at it for my X2 but not sure if I'll like the sound.

What I might do is buy the Vali and the Magni and see what I like best and send back the one I don't like even if I waste the postage cost it will be nice to have the piece of mind.

 
Hey Nijjion.  I'm totally new to all things "audio" and just got my pair of Philips Fidelio X2s three days ago and am enjoying them immensely listening to music just running off my Lenovo Z575 on -board sound sound card.
 
However, the main reason I got these for gaming - primarily console gaming - XBox 360 at the moment and PS4, Xbox1 in the future.  I will also use these for gaming off my desktop as well.
 
I would like the X2s to be a bit louder coming out of my XBox 360, the sound is good - just a bit quiet for my taste.  Right now I'm just using a 3.5mm female to dual RCA female cable to connect them directly to my Xbox 360.
 
After much research on these forums I came to the same conclusion as you - I would like to invest in either a Schiit Vali or Magni 2.  At the moment I can run my RCA cable directly from my xbox 360 into either of those (vali or magni) with no need for a DAC.  I will upgrade to a DAC (most likely the Modi 2 Uber b/c it accepts both RCA analog and digital optical and also will stack with the Vali or Magni) once I get my PS4 but for now, all I will need is either a Vali or Magni, correct?
 
It looks like the Vali is well-reviewed but my main concern is its 6.5 ohm Output Impedance.  As this article over at Headphone Guru points out, the 6.5 ohm Output Impedance can be problematic for headphones under 52 omhs (X2s are 35)....He says "it may affect their tonal balance and sheer technicalities" but also notes that his "experience with the Vali and sensitive headphones like the Philips Fidelio X2 (35ohms) has been a generally positive affair."  I've also read that this "1/8 rule" is not so hard and fast.
 
I know the Magni 2 has been well reviewed by users using in combination with the X2s and it has a .2 ohm Output Impedance, which means it won't run afoul of the 1/8 rule like the Vali might.
 
I think that I would probably be happy with the Vali or the Magni 2 but I'm wondering what you (or anyone else on this forum) thought about the X2s paired with the Magni v Vali.  You said you might buy both and return one - thoughts?  Comparisons?
 
Anyone else care to chime in on the X2s with Magni or Vali?  Thanks!

 

[arcwindz]

Hey Nijjion.  I'm totally new to all things "audio" and just got my pair of Philips Fidelio X2s three days ago and am enjoying them immensely listening to music just running off my Lenovo Z575 on -board sound sound card.

However, the main reason I got these for gaming - primarily console gaming - XBox 360 at the moment and PS4, Xbox1 in the future.  I will also use these for gaming off my desktop as well.

I would like the X2s to be a bit louder coming out of my XBox 360, the sound is good - just a bit quiet for my taste.  Right now I'm just using a 3.5mm female to dual RCA female cable to connect them directly to my Xbox 360.

After much research on these forums I came to the same conclusion as you - I would like to invest in either a Schiit Vali or Magni 2.  At the moment I can run my RCA cable directly from my xbox 360 into either of those (vali or magni) with no need for a DAC.  I will upgrade to a DAC (most likely the Modi 2 Uber b/c it accepts both RCA analog and digital optical and also will stack with the Vali or Magni) once I get my PS4 but for now, all I will need is either a Vali or Magni, correct?

It looks like the Vali is well-reviewed but my main concern is its 6.5 ohm Output Impedance.  As this article over at Headphone Guru points out, the 6.5 ohm Output Impedance can be problematic for headphones under 52 omhs (X2s are 35)....He says "it may affect their tonal balance and sheer technicalities" but also notes that his "experience with the Vali and sensitive headphones like the Philips Fidelio X2 (35ohms) has been a generally positive affair."  I've also read that this "1/8 rule" is not so hard and fast.

I know the Magni 2 has been well reviewed by users using in combination with the X2s and it has a .2 ohm Output Impedance, which means it won't run afoul of the 1/8 rule like the Vali might.

I think that I would probably be happy with the Vali or the Magni 2 but I'm wondering what you (or anyone else on this forum) thought about the X2s paired with the Magni v Vali.  You said you might buy both and return one - thoughts?  Comparisons?

Anyone else care to chime in on the X2s with Magni or Vali?  Thanks!

Gaming? I suggest you try the soundblaster x7.
Don't have magni modi 2 combo, but i've heard good things about them paired with x2. And if you dig around the SB x7 thread some people said x7 is better than the schiit stack.

On a side note, SB x7 has a bit problem routing chat for console, so yeah, just a heads up

 

[Baycode]

Thanks and welcome to the thread @mayday75 

 

[peter123]

I'd guess that I'm in the minority here but I find the X2's to be very revealing and that it's very easy to pick up differences from different sources with them.
 
Lately I've been playing around with different op amps (on my Matrix M-stage) as well as different combinations of op amps and tubes (on my LD I+) and from my experience I'd argue that it's as least as easy to pick up the changes on the X2's as it is on the Q701's.
 
I've come to the conclusion that for my prefernces the LD I+ is the best amp for the X2's. This suits me well since I prefer the M-stage with both my Q's and SR325is. This mean that I can focus on getting the right tube/op amp combo on the LD I+ to suit the X2's perfectly without having to take other hedphones into consideration.
 
As always (and certainly in this case) YMMV