[Hammy]

 
Where can I check on the phones?

 
Pull the inner headband up, left side near the 'L'.  It will say WOOX - we have yet to see one which says Gibson.

 

[simonwellander]

Pull the inner headband up, left side near the 'L'.  It will say WOOX - we have yet to see one which says Gibson.

You are right, it says WOOX.

 

[Cloudtastrophe]

Just wanted to throw in my two cents after reading through a bunch of forums and threads and not finding what I was looking for, so I hope my input helps:
 
I have two Fidelio X2/27s and one Fidelio X1.
 
One X2 was bought on Amazon Warehouse Deals ("Like New, box is damaged" although the box was just a bit scratched up, no dents or rips and it was opened) and it is a Woox imported pair (underneath the box), and the one I bought New from the Christmas $200 sale is actually a Gibson imported pair as it says on the box. That one is still sealed in box until I figure out what I want to do with it. It's kind of a Schrodinger's cat and box situation. The AWD X2 was bought AFTER the Christmas $200 sale.
 
My Woox pair does say "Woox" on the headband. It also has NO GLUE on the pegs. HOWEVER the metal rings/trim/veneer around each cup have their silver edges peeking in a couple places that can be pushed down to make then flush, but they just go back to normal. they stick out fractions of an inch actually, but its still noticeable (if you know to look for it) since the edges are silver while the rest of the headphone is dark. The strip of leather(?) on the underside of the headband is also thrown on very sloppy, as it looks slightly too big and like it didn't fit quite right. It's in there pretty good, but you can tell it was glued on. The driver baffles are not depressed. There is no inking that I am aware of when I tried the printer paper test.
 
In comparison to the X1:
 
Headband: the strip on the X1 is expertly seated and seamless, and you couldn't even tell its a separate piece unless you look on the edge of the leather headband. Also I'd like to mention that the headband of the X2 is larger, and kind of.. pointy at the top. like the top of an egg, while the X1s have a more rounded look like the bottom of the same egg. Tyll mentioned that the X2 had a larger headband. The clamp is also stronger on the X1. (Does anyone have an X2 with a perfectly mounted leather strip? please pm me a picture if you do so I can compare)
 
Ear Pads: Same size. X2 is a darker, deeper black, and the pads are much softer, like they used a more gel-like memory foam A close look at the fabric shows it is the same kind of velour as the X1 and not the "felt" or velvet that a few complained about. They have the same thickness between X1 and X2. My X2s dont have one side a half a centimeter smaller inside one cup than the other like someone else mentioned. X2 is more comfortable than the X1. The suspension is the same on both models down to the coloring of the pleather and mesh (with the exception of the bolts that attach them to the band)
 
Frame: Some people have mentioned that the metal frame around each cup that the headband is mounted to is a thinner metal. My X2 frame has an identical thickness as my X1. The lettering I couldn't tell was whitish or yellowish, but I was looking at them under a yellowish light so I'm hesitant to say anything. I also didn't check to see if it was "fid elio" or not I'll do that when I get home.
 
Sound: The most important part of all: At first they sounded almost exactly the same as the X1, except the mid-range is a BIT more forward on the X2, and the Treble is more forward on the X2, which makes the X2 a clear upgrade over the X1. I thought the X1 was pretty unifying and dynamic until I listened to the X2. X2 is a bit more dynamic and just sounds a bit more "complete" like it filled in the gaps that the X1 had. The bass is also SLIGHTLY better. Mid bass sounds exactly the same. Bleed into the mid-range is almost the same but I cant be certain until I give it another go. (TH-X00 keeps seducing me away) Sub-bass is a tiny bit more present on the X2, which makes the mid bass hump of the X1 seem a bit more in line and balanced on the X2. X2 is SLIGHTLY more detailed, Soundstage is confusing because the recessed mids on the X1 make it seem like there is a more 3D feel with the depth in front of you like the singer is standing in front of you, as opposed to the singer being a little bit more in your face on the X2. The treble on the X1 was a bit recessed compared to the X2, but it made everything feel a bit more airy and magical. The X2's slightly more forward treble seemed a bit more detailed, a bit more shimmery, but less airy and magical. All in all I felt like these were very tiny differences between the two headphones and I was kind of regretting buying both, so to justify my purchase I read a couple more reviews including Tyll's review of the X2 and found that his impressions were essentially the same as mine. The differences I heard between the two were exactly what was showing up when I compared the X1 and X2 graphs on inner fidelity. The only thing I did not hear was the "graininess" that Tyll mentioned. Other members in other threads mention the X2s being warmer and darker sounding than the X1s and I completely disagree. The X2s are an slight upgrade of the X1s, with an extremely similar and a bit more complete and comprehensive sound. Like a version 1.5. The X2s are better, but only just, at least with the pair that I have, especially since I bought the X2s for cheaper than I got the X1s :3
 
Note: Tests were done on a Sound Blaster E5 simultaneously (two headphone outs, two Vmoda Cables)
 
I hope this helps some of you guys out in figuring if you have a "bad" set or not. Happy listening.

 

[simonwellander]

I was wrong. The text didn't look so yellowish anymore in the light.

Well no, the text is not 100% clear white, it has some subtle shade of goldish color.
 
"The metal ring with writing on it which holds the earcup is a different tone than the metal on the earcup itself on the WOOX version." Yeah, that's definitely true of my pair as can be seen in the picture.
And my pair is Gibson, and I'm happy with the quality of them. And quite happy with the sound too. I mean, imo they sound good "technically", but I get less "touched" by them emotionally than my good ol' M50's, in some songs I just prefer the closed and narrow centered soundstage of the M50's (that's just me). These beats M50 in comfort though, big time. They just at times don't have the same "soul" in the sound (lol), for me.

 

[Cloudtastrophe]

  Well no, the text is not 100% clear white, it has some subtle shade of goldish color.
 
"The metal ring with writing on it which holds the earcup is a different tone than the metal on the earcup itself on the WOOX version." Yeah, that's definitely true of my pair as can be seen in the picture.
And my pair is Gibson, and I'm happy with the quality of them. And quite happy with the sound too. I mean, imo they sound good "technically", but I get less "touched" by them emotionally than my good ol' M50's, in some songs I just prefer the closed and narrow centered soundstage of the M50's (that's just me). These beats M50 in comfort though, big time. They just at times don't have the same "soul" in the sound (lol), for me.

My X2 appears to have the text printed on in metallic paint, either that or the text is the silver of the naked metal underneath and like it was annodized around the text, I cant reallly tell, but on my X1 the text is actually laser engraved. Notable difference, though I dont know what a "proper" X2 is supposed to have.

 

[Pandaclocker]

Me and my roommate went down to a Danish store called Elgiganten today and bought us the last 2 pairs of Fidelio X2 they had. They were on an offer for only 1450 DKK (equals to 210 USD), so it was a no-brainer after reading the stellar reviews.

The funny thing was, the pair I got had WOOX written all over it on the box; cleary a "WOOX"-pair, while the one my friend got had Gibson all over it on the package.

They look absolutely identical design-wise, and they also sound absolutely identical. I have A-B'ed them for an hour now, and I'm in love with both (cause they're identical).

I also A-B'ed them with my earlier favorite headphones, the Audio-Technica MSR7. Overall the X2 teaches many lessons to the MSR7 sound-quality wise.

Compared to the Audio-Technica MSR7, the X2 has a more neutral sound, ever-so-slightly warm, just a little. The MSR7 is also decently neutral but obviously has a bright character to its sound. Overall the X2 is easier to listen to in longer periods - a more comfortable listening experience.

Alright, let's talk bass. The X2 has noticeably more bass-punch. It really makes for better dynamics in songs, and makes for a more neutral and enjoyable listening-experience. I would say the X2 is neutral in bass, maybe 1-2 db over neutral - just perfect in my eyes. The bass-extension into the sub-bass is actually very good. Not fantastic though, the ultra sub-bass-area - 20,30 HZ - are slightly lacking behind the rest of the bass, but you can still hear it clearly. So the quantitative of bass in the X2 are just right on perfect IMO (expect for the sub-bass, which is only great, not perfect). What I would call netural, basically. Makes for a great listening experience in ALL genres.

Okay so what about the bass texture? I would say it's very good, but not fantastic. It's ever so slightly soft/loose, but you really have to listen to specific bass-test-sine-wave-files to hear this. Overall it's reasonably tight. The MSR7 has a below-neutral bass quantity, which means some songs lack som dynamics/fun. However its bass is very tight and clean - a bit more tight than the X2's bass. So technically the MSR7 beats the X2 in the bass, but the X2 beats the MSR7 sonically.
Also I would NEVER use the word boomy for the X2's bass. It's so delicately boosted compared to the midrange, and never intrudes the midrange. Absolutely fantastic work by Philips.

Okay to the midrange: Both MSR7 and X2 have a fantastic midrange. Great transparency, fantastic realistic vocals and clear guitar/piano etc. Not much to say here. The MSR7 however has a slight emphasis on the upper-midrange, making female vocals stand out a bit more, where the X2 is a tad more laid-back here. Actually, to put in other words, the X2 is just more neutral.

Treble: The X2 is just much better. Better balance, much better extension. Very rarely, however, the X2 may sound a bit edgy treble-wise on some songs. Not a big deal for me.

Soundstage: Wow, what have I missed on the MSR7!. Just a so much larger and more immersive soundstage on the X2 compared to the slightly closed-in MSR7. Amazing.

Detail-resolution? Both are great. I would however say that the X2 is slightly better, simply because of the better soundstage and better treble extension.

Comfort-wise? The X2 is much more comfortable than the MSR7, which has shallow ear-pads. If you change the ear-pads you mess up the sound in a bad way, so that's a no go. So the X2 also wins here. Great weight distribution of the large elastic head-band, and the earcups are large and pretty soft.

Anyone in doubt, go buy the X2, the best choice you will make in your life (headphone-wise ).

Also I don't believe in burn-in. It's a myth in my eyes. I can see why some people believe it's real. Brain burn-in is the real thing working here. The brain gets used to the sound and starts appreciating it more and more, thus suddenly leadning to conclusions like: "Wow, the bass is much more smooth, the soundstage has widened, the treble is less harsh" etc etc. Even when you then have two pairs of X2, one used for many 100's of hours, and another one straight of the box, people who believe in burn-in, will say they can clearly hear a difference. But this is again, just placebo. Your mind has already concluded that burn-in is real, so to the pair, you know have been 'burned-in', you will give that pair attributes you then believe you hear when you take them on. Complete placebo. If you actually did a proper blind-test, you wouldn't be able to tell which one is used and which one is new.

just my few cents.

X2 new home-phone, while I will keep my MSR7 as a portable headphone.

 

[Pandaclocker]

Also, to everyone owning a X2, please go and listen to the album 'Nothing Is Real' by The Flashbulb. Just an absolutely amazing experience. Fantastic introspective/emotional ambient/chill-down electronic album with great use of instruments and space. Very creative stuff.

 

 

[simonwellander]

The funny thing was, the pair I got had WOOX written all over it on the box; cleary a "WOOX"-pair, while the one my friend got had Gibson all over it on the package.

They look absolutely identical design-wise, and they also sound absolutely identical. I have A-B'ed them for an hour now, and I'm in love with both (cause they're identical).

This is making me think that it's not really about the WOOX / Gibson branding but maybe overall bad quality control.

 

[tayano]

Just wanted to throw in my two cents after reading through a bunch of forums and threads and not finding what I was looking for, so I hope my input helps:

I have two Fidelio X2/27s and one Fidelio X1.

One X2 was bought on Amazon Warehouse Deals ("Like New, box is damaged" although the box was just a bit scratched up, no dents or rips and it was opened) and it is a Woox imported pair (underneath the box), and the one I bought New from the Christmas $200 sale is actually a Gibson imported pair as it says on the box. That one is still sealed in box until I figure out what I want to do with it. It's kind of a Schrodinger's cat and box situation. The AWD X2 was bought AFTER the Christmas $200 sale.

My Woox pair does say "Woox" on the headband. It also has NO GLUE on the pegs. HOWEVER the metal rings/trim/veneer around each cup have their silver edges peeking in a couple places that can be pushed down to make then flush, but they just go back to normal. they stick out fractions of an inch actually, but its still noticeable (if you know to look for it) since the edges are silver while the rest of the headphone is dark. The strip of leather(?) on the underside of the headband is also thrown on very sloppy, as it looks slightly too big and like it didn't fit quite right. It's in there pretty good, but you can tell it was glued on. The driver baffles are not depressed. There is no inking that I am aware of when I tried the printer paper test.

In comparison to the X1:

Headband: the strip on the X1 is expertly seated and seamless, and you couldn't even tell its a separate piece unless you look on the edge of the leather headband. Also I'd like to mention that the headband of the X2 is larger, and kind of.. pointy at the top. like the top of an egg, while the X1s have a more rounded look like the bottom of the same egg. Tyll mentioned that the X2 had a larger headband. The clamp is also stronger on the X1. (Does anyone have an X2 with a perfectly mounted leather strip? please pm me a picture if you do so I can compare)

Ear Pads: Same size. X2 is a darker, deeper black, and the pads are much softer, like they used a more gel-like memory foam A close look at the fabric shows it is the same kind of velour as the X1 and not the "felt" or velvet that a few complained about. They have the same thickness between X1 and X2. My X2s dont have one side a half a centimeter smaller inside one cup than the other like someone else mentioned. X2 is more comfortable than the X1. The suspension is the same on both models down to the coloring of the pleather and mesh (with the exception of the bolts that attach them to the band)

Frame: Some people have mentioned that the metal frame around each cup that the headband is mounted to is a thinner metal. My X2 frame has an identical thickness as my X1. The lettering I couldn't tell was whitish or yellowish, but I was looking at them under a yellowish light so I'm hesitant to say anything. I also didn't check to see if it was "fid elio" or not I'll do that when I get home.

Sound: The most important part of all: At first they sounded almost exactly the same as the X1, except the mid-range is a BIT more forward on the X2, and the Treble is more forward on the X2, which makes the X2 a clear upgrade over the X1. I thought the X1 was pretty unifying and dynamic until I listened to the X2. X2 is a bit more dynamic and just sounds a bit more "complete" like it filled in the gaps that the X1 had. The bass is also SLIGHTLY better. Mid bass sounds exactly the same. Bleed into the mid-range is almost the same but I cant be certain until I give it another go. (TH-X00 keeps seducing me away) Sub-bass is a tiny bit more present on the X2, which makes the mid bass hump of the X1 seem a bit more in line and balanced on the X2. X2 is SLIGHTLY more detailed, Soundstage is confusing because the recessed mids on the X1 make it seem like there is a more 3D feel with the depth in front of you like the singer is standing in front of you, as opposed to the singer being a little bit more in your face on the X2. The treble on the X1 was a bit recessed compared to the X2, but it made everything feel a bit more airy and magical. The X2's slightly more forward treble seemed a bit more detailed, a bit more shimmery, but less airy and magical. All in all I felt like these were very tiny differences between the two headphones and I was kind of regretting buying both, so to justify my purchase I read a couple more reviews including Tyll's review of the X2 and found that his impressions were essentially the same as mine. The differences I heard between the two were exactly what was showing up when I compared the X1 and X2 graphs on inner fidelity. The only thing I did not hear was the "graininess" that Tyll mentioned. Other members in other threads mention the X2s being warmer and darker sounding than the X1s and I completely disagree. The X2s are an slight upgrade of the X1s, with an extremely similar and a bit more complete and comprehensive sound. Like a version 1.5. The X2s are better, but only just, at least with the pair that I have, especially since I bought the X2s for cheaper than I got the X1s :3

Note: Tests were done on a Sound Blaster E5 simultaneously (two headphone outs, two Vmoda Cables)

I hope this helps some of you guys out in figuring if you have a "bad" set or not. Happy listening.

I'm thinking of buying SB E5, can you tell me more about X2 with E5?
Both have a warm sound signature. Is X2 warmer with E5?

 

[rgmffn]

  This is making me think that it's not really about the WOOX / Gibson branding but maybe overall bad quality control.

I'm thinking, that it's possible, that when Gibson took over, there may have been WOOX (built?) headphone stock left over that were acquired, and were packaged in a Gibson box.

 

[DADDYDC650]

Anyone notice that they are back in stock at Amazon? Still sais that the item is under review. Confusing....

 

[wwmhf]

A very nice review, but I do not completely agree with you about the burn-in. 

 

[madwolfa]

I believe in mental burn-in.

 

[wwmhf]

I believe in mental burn-in.

 
Some people call that run-in? 

 

[AkamShatab]

How do you check if woox or Gibson?

On the package