[gargani]

Awesome!! I would really appreciate that give me a few days, then feel free to quote me again so I don't forget, because I will

Okay.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I just got an x2, an impulse purchase for 40 euro. It seems like a worthy sucessor to my HP 910 (Nothing wrong with the 910, it's just very fragile. In contrast, the x2 seems to be a solid build. Is there anything to worry about there, if I throw it in a bag?).

This x2 was a demo unit with the wrong cable - how upset should I be about that?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Don't even think twice about this "wrong cable." It's so easy to get a good-sounding new one for cheap.

I got several excellent aftermarket cables for my X2s. Best source I know of is Ghent Audio: great purchasing experiences every time. Ghent Xu is a responsive, customer-service-oriented company owner.

Best of his cable for the X2s (IMO) is this: http://www.ghentaudio.com/part/d15.html

2M for $18; 3M for $22. You really can't beat the price.

These cables are very strongly built; sound better than stock cable, and are not microphonic at all (because no cloth covering).

X2s are every simple/easy to get cables for, luckily...

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Don't even think twice about this "wrong cable." It's so easy to get a good-sounding new one for cheap.

I got several excellent aftermarket cables for my X2s. Best source I know of is Ghent Audio: great purchasing experiences every time. Ghent Xu is a responsive, customer-service-oriented company owner.

Best of his cable for the X2s (IMO) is this: http://www.ghentaudio.com/part/d15.html

2M for $18; 3M for $22. You really can't beat the price.

These cables are very strongly built; sound better than stock cable, and are not microphonic at all (because no cloth covering).

X2s are every simple/easy to get cables for, luckily...

Thank's for the tip. This cable looks like a Philips cable with cloth covering, but it is shorter than it should have been (about 1m) with angled connectors, and it's got an in-line control with a mic on it. (edit: I took a closer look, and one connector actually says "fidelio" on it, but it is still not the cable that should have been there. Apparently, this is the cable for the NC1.)

 

[Slater]

I just got an x2, an impulse purchase for 40 euro. It seems like a worthy sucessor to my HP 910 (Nothing wrong with the 910, it's just very fragile. In contrast, the x2 seems to be a solid build. Is there anything to worry about there, if I throw it in a bag?).

This x2 was a demo unit with the wrong cable - how upset should I be about that?

Upset? For $40 Euros? You should go and buy a lottery ticket, because you are one very lucky HF'er!

You can use any 3.5mm cable with the X2 - I have had nothing but good luck with Mediabridge cables (Amazon), certain Vention (Aliexpress), and uGreen (Aliexpress). All OFC copper, extremely low impedance, quality connectors, tangle free, and geat pricing. Some of the cables offered by those 3 even have premium features, like silver plated copper and shielding layers.

Of course if you want volume controls, the OEM (not generic) Beats cable fits and works well. As well as a million others.

Still another option is the even nicer (shielded and partially-coiled) Beats Pro Detox/HD Studio cable.

Of course, if you have money to burn, the sky is the limit and you can buy pure silver, silver plated copper, handmade braided cables, TOTL plugs, etc.

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I think I agree, 40€ was an excellent price for these. They even sound fine directy from the mac book pro (whereas the Audeze LCD-2 sounds absolutely horrible if connected like that).
Although judging the sound signature without a proper dac/amp can be deceptive, I like how they sound, with good bass and some top end sparkle.

Also, I think I prefer this short 1.2m cable (for the NC1) with mic/controls. Then it has a good length for use with my phone/skype and I do not have to take it off if someone calls.

Also, I noticed that these ear pads loves dust. I have already invested in a clothes roll. If I understand the situations, these pads are in theory replaceable (but there are no replacement pads to buy), also the pads might be glued in place. Does that sum it up? What worries me a bit is the headband suspension which I find a bit weak. Is there somewhere amongst these 800 pages some suggestion of how to adjust it?

 

[Slater]

I think I agree, 40€ was an excellent price for these. They even sound fine directy from the mac book pro (whereas the Audeze LCD-2 sounds absolutely horrible if connected like that).
Although judging the sound signature without a proper dac/amp can be deceptive, I like how they sound, with good bass and some top end sparkle.

Also, I think I prefer this short 1.2m cable (for the NC1) with mic/controls. Then it has a good length for use with my phone/skype and I do not have to take it off if someone calls.

Also, I noticed that these ear pads loves dust. I have already invested in a clothes roll. If I understand the situations, these pads are in theory replaceable (but there are no replacement pads to buy), also the pads might be glued in place. Does that sum it up? What worries me a bit is the headband suspension which I find a bit weak. Is there somewhere amongst these 800 pages some suggestion of how to adjust it?

Be careful with the headband - I remember that someone snapped theirs trying to bend it to adjust the clamp. Once that happens you're screwed.

As far as the pads, some of them were glued, and some of them weren't glued. Even if they aren't glued and you can easily pop off your pads, the pads themselves are going to be difficult to replace because they are attached to a proprietary mounting plate. The most surefire way would be to try and obtain genune replacement pads. Otherwise, you'll have to do some creative modding.

I was able to develop a DIY pad replacement prodecure for another Philips can (A5 Pro). While the mounting mechanism isn't exactly the same (X2=4 pins, A5 Pro=twist lock) the fundemental idea is similar (ie peel off stock pad from mounting plate, reuse the old mounting plate and find a way to attach the replacement pad). Usually it's a simple matter of deconstructing the stock pad and figuring out how they assembled it; then you just replicate the procedure. I've also done it to another proprietary earpad, the Meizu HD50 (again, the same basic fundemental idea). You can see the A5 Pro mod here to give you an idea (the A5 didn't require glue, but the X2 would need some parts glued): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/phi...-and-impressions.725777/page-29#post-13496826

 

[joostdh]

I had the X1 for a few years and used them regularly, though not extensively, and the pads were more or less still as good as new by the time I sold them. Yes, they do attract dust, I remove that with a piece of packaging tape.

 

[Slater]

I had the X1 for a few years and used them regularly, though not extensively, and the pads were more or less still as good as new by the time I sold them. Yes, they do attract dust, I remove that with a piece of packaging tape.

Agreed.

They can also be “renewed” by gentle cleaning with a lint free/microfiber cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol.

 

[Pharmaboy]

FYI, several months ago in this thread another member posted pictures and instructions for earpad rolling the X2s, short of actually physically modding them. I did as he suggested and it worked. Here's the basic idea:

1. You remove each earpad by rotating counterclockwise...set those aside (as others have noted here, it's awfully hard to find legit. replacements).
2. Then take a pair of Brainwavz "Round" earpads (100mm in diameter...definitely not oval shaped like the famous HM5 pads, but perfectly round). These can be either the pleather version (that's what I used) or velour.
3. Turn one of the earpads inside out, then place its back surface against the earcup. Holding the inside-out pad to the earcup w/one thumb, start to stretch the pad's back-flaps completely around the curving side-walls of the earcup.
   • Note: in doing this, your are very carefully placing the back/foam of the earpad against the 4 male "pins" that protrude from the base of the earcup (they are what "lock into" the stock earpad-on-its-base).
   • You might think, "I'll tear the back/foam," but you won't ask long as you don't rotate the earcpad too much or actually poke the pin through it.
4. When it's done, it looks kinda weird (those flaps stretch quite a bit, and they cover a lot of the usual black surface of the sides of the earcup itself.
5. Final step: on the left side earcup (into which the cable jack inserts) you'll see that you've covered the earjack's hole. You'll now have to "sacrifice" this pad by carefully poking a hole into the back-flap of that earpad, right into the jack
   • I did this using a sharp exacto knife, making a tiny hole, which I enlarged w/tiny, sharp scissors to fit around the outside of the jack's house

Now you have non-Phillips earpads on your X2s. Note that the Brainwavz rounds are 3-5mm deeper than the stock pads. This may affect the sound--more if you go w/pleather vs velour (velour being a match for the stock pads).

I found rather fascinating sonic changes w/the pleather pads on. Took them off ultimately, then put back on stock pads.

Bought a pair of Brainwavz rounds in velour and tried to put them on--but bizarrely, I found that I cannot remove the stock earpads any longer (I must have rotated them clockwise too firmly when putting the stock pads back on...now they won't budge).

Anyway, this is a worthy experiment to see if you like alternatives to the stock pads.

 

[gargani]

FYI, several months ago in this thread another member posted pictures and instructions for earpad rolling the X2s, short of actually physically modding them. I did as he suggested and it worked. Here's the basic idea:

1. You remove each earpad by rotating counterclockwise...set those aside (as others have noted here, it's awfully hard to find legit. replacements).
2. Then take a pair of Brainwavz "Round" earpads (100mm in diameter...definitely not oval shaped like the famous HM5 pads, but perfectly round). These can be either the pleather version (that's what I used) or velour.
3. Turn one of the earpads inside out, then place its back surface against the earcup. Holding the inside-out pad to the earcup w/one thumb, start to stretch the pad's back-flaps completely around the curving side-walls of the earcup.
   • Note: in doing this, your are very carefully placing the back/foam of the earpad against the 4 male "pins" that protrude from the base of the earcup (they are what "lock into" the stock earpad-on-its-base).
   • You might think, "I'll tear the back/foam," but you won't ask long as you don't rotate the earcpad too much or actually poke the pin through it.
4. When it's done, it looks kinda weird (those flaps stretch quite a bit, and they cover a lot of the usual black surface of the sides of the earcup itself.
5. Final step: on the left side earcup (into which the cable jack inserts) you'll see that you've covered the earjack's hole. You'll now have to "sacrifice" this pad by carefully poking a hole into the back-flap of that earpad, right into the jack
   • I did this using a sharp exacto knife, making a tiny hole, which I enlarged w/tiny, sharp scissors to fit around the outside of the jack's house

Now you have non-Phillips earpads on your X2s. Note that the Brainwavz rounds are 3-5mm deeper than the stock pads. This may affect the sound--more if you go w/pleather vs velour (velour being a match for the stock pads).

I found rather fascinating sonic changes w/the pleather pads on. Took them off ultimately, then put back on stock pads.

Bought a pair of Brainwavz rounds in velour and tried to put them on--but bizarrely, I found that I cannot remove the stock earpads any longer (I must have rotated them clockwise too firmly when putting the stock pads back on...now they won't budge).

Anyway, this is a worthy experiment to see if you like alternatives to the stock pads.

I'm confused. I haven't tried taking the earpads off. But it was my understanding that the earcups had 4 pegs and the earpads had 4 holes on the inside, and that you just pulled the pads off, or pushed them back on.
You mention rotating them clockwise. I didn't think they rotated.
Maybe, I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

 

[Slater]

I'm confused. I haven't tried taking the earpads off. But it was my understanding that the earcups had 4 pegs and the earpads had 4 holes on the inside, and that you just pulled the pads off, or pushed them back on.
You mention rotating them clockwise. I didn't think they rotated.
Maybe, I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

No twisting or rotation involved.

The ear pads just pull straight off and push straight on.

They mount with (4) friction-fit pins, and there is a shorter 5th pin that is used for proper pad alignment. It is important to align the pad with the alignment pin so the pad goes back on straight. If the pad is accidentally rotated 90 or 180 degrees and the alignment pin isn’t lined up, it will cause a gap and the pad won’t seal against the driver cup.

It’s also important to evenly push the pad down so that all (4) pins bottom out in the mounting holes. Again, if the pad doesn’t seal against the driver cup fully, sound will suffer (specifically bass). There is a small foam seal that goes around the face of the driver cup to help ensure an airtight seal.

The seal is so important, that it is likely the reason why they started gluing the pads to begin with. They would put a bit of glue on each of the (4) pins so there was a guarantee that they’d stay in place and ensure a seal. Perhaps curious people (and media reviewers) were popping off the pads and not putting them on properly, then sound would suffer and they were faced with poor press, warranty claims, etc. the glue helped “idiot proof” the pads in a way. However, I guess enough people complained about the glued on pads that they eventually reverted back to the non-glued version.

I can post photos later tonight if things are unclear or if you want to see the features I’m referring to. Just lemme know if photos would help.

 

[gargani]

No twisting or rotation involved.

The ear pads just pull straight off and push straight on.

They mount with (4) friction-fit pins, and there is a shorter 5th pin that is used for proper pad alignment. It is important to align the pad with the alignment pin so the pad goes back on straight. If the pad is accidentally rotated 90 or 180 degrees and the alignment pin isn’t lined up, it will cause a gap and the pad won’t seal against the driver cup.

It’s also important to evenly push the pad down so that all (4) pins bottom out in the mounting holes. Again, if the pad doesn’t seal against the driver cup fully, sound will suffer (specifically bass). There is a small foam seal that goes around the face of the driver cup to help ensure an airtight seal.

The seal is so important, that it is likely the reason why they started gluing the pads to begin with. They would put a bit of glue on each of the (4) pins so there was a guarantee that they’d stay in place and ensure a seal. Perhaps curious people (and media reviewers) were popping off the pads and not putting them on properly, then sound would suffer and they were faced with poor press, warranty claims, etc. the glue helped “idiot proof” the pads in a way. However, I guess enough people complained about the glued on pads that they eventually reverted back to the non-glued version.

I can post photos later tonight if things are unclear or if you want to see the features I’m referring to. Just lemme know if photos would help.

Thanks for the explanation. I knew about the pins and the holes on the back of the earcups; but I didn't know about the small foam seal.
If It's not too much trouble; I wouldn't mind seeing a picture showing the foam seal.

 

[Slater]

Thanks for the explanation. I knew about the pins and the holes on the back of the earcups; but I didn't know about the small foam seal.
If It's not too much trouble; I wouldn't mind seeing a picture showing the foam seal.

Here you can see the grey foam ring near the outer edge of the ear cup.

 

[gargani]

Here you can see the grey foam ring near the outer edge of the ear cup.

I see. Thank you.