[Jim22]

I love the X2 in its respectable price category, but you are right. Bass performance between the X2 and 2C are light-years away.

The only way someone would find them comparable would be if they are using very poor amplification for the 2C.

I also think the X2 are great for the price, and very comfy, but you can't compare them with 500-1000$ headphones

 

[Pharmaboy]

The only way someone would find them comparable would be if they are using very poor amplification for the 2C.

I also think the X2 are great for the price, and very comfy, but you can't compare them with 500-1000$ headphones

Besides the price disparity between these 2 headphones, they have different types of drivers: the X2 is a dynamic & the 2C is planar. So between cost & driver differences, this is clearly not an apples to apples comparison.

I currently own 3 planars, and it was 5 before I sold a couple. All 4 cost way more than the X2. One of the two I still have is the venerable LCD-2.1/pre-fazor, a progenitor of the 2C. Like pretty much every planar I've heard, this has a solid, impactful bass that is subjectively different from any dynamic: planar bass feels thick and pressurized; it hits & decays very differently from the bounce & impact of a good dynamic.

Ironically, I would pick the far cheaper X2 over any Audeze as a day-to-day headphone. It's more comfortable & sounds pretty the same no matter what music you throw at it.

I'm hard pressed to come up with another dynamic design in the $200-$250 range that even comes close to the X2 in overall sound quality.

(I like a somewhat warm, friendly headphone sound, so the X2's tuning is perfect for me--not the case for everyone else, I know)

 

[hifi80sman]

Besides the price disparity between these 2 headphones, they have different types of drivers: the X2 is a dynamic & the 2C is planar. So between cost & driver differences, this is clearly not an apples to apples comparison.

I currently own 2 planars, and it was 4 before I sold a couple. All 4 cost way more than the X2. One of the two I still have is the venerable LCD-2.1/pre-fazor, a progenitor of the 2C. Like pretty much every planar I've heard, this has a solid, impactful bass that is subjectively different from any dynamic: planar bass feels thick and pressurized; it hits & decays very differently from the bounce & impact of a good dynamic.

Ironically, I would pick the far cheaper X2 over any Audeze as a day-to-day headphone. It's more comfortable & sounds pretty the same no matter what music you throw at it.

I'm hard pressed to come up with another dynamic design in the $200-$250 range that even comes close to the X2 in overall sound quality.

(I like a somewhat warm, friendly headphone sound, so the X2's tuning is perfect for me--not the case for everyone else, I know)

Totally agree. I also enjoy a similar signature and I find myself reaching for the X2 without really even pondering "hmm, what should I grab?". The price makes them an even better get.

 

[phthora]

Besides the price disparity between these 2 headphones, they have different types of drivers: the X2 is a dynamic & the 2C is planar. So between cost & driver differences, this is clearly not an apples to apples comparison.

I currently own 2 planars, and it was 4 before I sold a couple. All 4 cost way more than the X2. One of the two I still have is the venerable LCD-2.1/pre-fazor, a progenitor of the 2C. Like pretty much every planar I've heard, this has a solid, impactful bass that is subjectively different from any dynamic: planar bass feels thick and pressurized; it hits & decays very differently from the bounce & impact of a good dynamic.

Ironically, I would pick the far cheaper X2 over any Audeze as a day-to-day headphone. It's more comfortable & sounds pretty the same no matter what music you throw at it.

I'm hard pressed to come up with another dynamic design in the $200-$250 range that even comes close to the X2 in overall sound quality.

(I like a somewhat warm, friendly headphone sound, so the X2's tuning is perfect for me--not the case for everyone else, I know)

It's funny... I don't like a warm tuning. Or a mid-bass bump. And I hate bass roll-off. I'm also pretty indifferent to soundstage width. My optimal tuning is ruler flat from 10hz to 2khz, basically only possible with a planar.

And yet, the X2 sounds absolutely amazing to me. It's one of those rare headphones that I can put on and not have to mentally calibrate to the frequency response. It's like this is what my brain wants and I can just sink into the music like my favorite chair. No music-matching required, no getting used to the shouty mids or bloomy bass, they just sound great immediately.

Moreover, the X2 is my favorite headphone for low-volume listening since it's v-shaped sound just gets more balanced and even as the volume goes down and they run great off of my DAP.

 

[Capo Dei Capi]

Does the X2 work well with the dragonfly? (red)

 

[Pharmaboy]

It's funny... I don't like a warm tuning. Or a mid-bass bump. And I hate bass roll-off. I'm also pretty indifferent to soundstage width. My optimal tuning is ruler flat from 10hz to 2khz, basically only possible with a planar.

And yet, the X2 sounds absolutely amazing to me. It's one of those rare headphones that I can put on and not have to mentally calibrate to the frequency response. It's like this is what my brain wants and I can just sink into the music like my favorite chair. No music-matching required, no getting used to the shouty mids or bloomy bass, they just sound great immediately.

Moreover, the X2 is my favorite headphone for low-volume listening since it's v-shaped sound just gets more balanced and even as the volume goes down and they run great off of my DAP.

Very interesting post. I'm trying to imagine relaxing & sinking into the music with headphones the opposite of my preference...and failing. You apparently have a flexible music & sound brain-center...

Did you ever try a ZMF Eikon? It might be the dynamic that checks all your boxes (lots of sub-bass; no midbass hump, pretty flat up to 2kHz).

 

[phthora]

Very interesting post. I'm trying to imagine relaxing & sinking into the music with headphones the opposite of my preference...and failing. You apparently have a flexible music & sound brain-center...

Did you ever try a ZMF Eikon? It might be the dynamic that checks all your boxes (lots of sub-bass; no midbass hump, pretty flat up to 2kHz).

What can I say, I'm a marvel of modern science. Actually, I just really enjoy the novelty. Listening to a favorite album presented in a new way, even if it's not an optimal way, is something I find very rewarding. Of course, I have my favorites and I have my own idea of what neutral and ideal (two separate things) sound like, but what really makes a headphone work for me is solid technical prowess and a sound signature that seems... balanced, coherent, sensible, right... I'm not sure which word fits it best. If a headphone has that magic in its tuning, I don't care what flavor it is.

I'll have to look into the Eikon. That's the only ZMF dynamic that I haven't heard by now, as it happens. I have a suspicion that 'flat' with a big biocellulose dynamic is not going to sound quite as flat as with a planar though.

 

[hifi80sman]

What can I say, I'm a marvel of modern science. Actually, I just really enjoy the novelty. Listening to a favorite album presented in a new way, even if it's not an optimal way, is something I find very rewarding. Of course, I have my favorites and I have my own idea of what neutral and ideal (two separate things) sound like, but what really makes a headphone work for me is solid technical prowess and a sound signature that seems... balanced, coherent, sensible, right... I'm not sure which word fits it best. If a headphone has that magic in its tuning, I don't care what flavor it is.

I'll have to look into the Eikon. That's the only ZMF dynamic that I haven't heard by now, as it happens. I have a suspicion that 'flat' with a big biocellulose dynamic is not going to sound quite as flat as with a planar though.

It like going to the movies with a "neutral" tuning. Time and a place, my friends, time and a place.

 

[Capo Dei Capi]

Just picked up a pair of X2HR. I know a few people complained about them being unbalanced, but i think mine are okay. Is there anyway to test it though. Also, do they need burn in, and if so, how long do they need.

They sound excellent right off the bat.

 

[B0NES]

Ended up picking up a pair of X2HR -- and I just don't see myself using it over my Elex and HD6xx, unfortunately. The bass wasn't impressive and the detail is lacking to me, both which I like better on my HD6xx. And they're just not as dynamic, punchy, and fun as my Elex (granted the price difference). Bummer!

 

[HipHopScribe]

Ended up picking up a pair of X2HR -- and I just don't see myself using it over my Elex and HD6xx, unfortunately. The bass wasn't impressive and the detail is lacking to me, both which I like better on my HD6xx. And they're just not as dynamic, punchy, and fun as my Elex (granted the price difference). Bummer!

Well yeah, not sure why you'd get the X2s if you already have the Elex unless you just want a cheap throwaround pair of headphones

 

[tourmaline]

Impression of the new Philips Fidelio x3:

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/philips-fidelio-x3

 

[RSC08]

Impression of the new Philips Fidelio x3:

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/philips-fidelio-x3

January 28, 2020 ...

 

[tourmaline]

As the review stated:

just an impression, no full review.

 

[tourmaline]

Not officially yet.

You can keep an eye on this page though: https://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/X3_00/fidelio-fidelio-x3-wired-over-ear-open-back-headphones

Should be released in june?
Corona might have thrown production back a bit. So maybe fall 2020.