[bracko]

It's mostly tinnitus friendly but old recordings and some badly mastered songs sound harsh at times... There's some grain and it's not completely smooth.  For 95% of people though, there should be no problems.

Yeah, it's hard to find a perfect headphone. For me HE-500 comes to ideal but X2 and HD600 are nice as well

 

[obsidyen]

Yeah, it's hard to find a perfect headphone. For me HE-500 comes to ideal but X2 and HD600 are nice as well

I wonder about the new Hifiman HE-1000...

They say it's got amazing soundstage like HD800 but also has a very lively and engaging sound signature. I'll probably never buy it as it's too expensive but it might be close to perfect.

 

[bracko]

Today I have been listening to my X2 through my Musical Fidelity X-Can V3. This amp has a very low output impedance, lower than 1 Ohm. The sound is delicious 

 

[murdokahn]

How different do the X2's sound amped vs unamped running from an iPhone? Can someone test this for me? I'm contemplating getting an amp but I've read that it makes little to no difference in sound quality. My iPhone powers the X2's loud enough just fine so it'd be purely for the SQ improvement.


Dollar per dollar, does an external DAC or an amp make a bigger improvement in the sound with these headphones (if any)?

 

[canthearyou]

They sound much better when amped. IMO

 

[Alfisti89]

How different do the X2's sound amped vs unamped running from an iPhone? Can someone test this for me? I'm contemplating getting an amp but I've read that it makes little to no difference in sound quality. My iPhone powers the X2's loud enough just fine so it'd be purely for the SQ improvement.


Dollar per dollar, does an external DAC or an amp make a bigger improvement in the sound with these headphones (if any)?

 
I would buy another source for the music and drag that with me instead,  like a FiiO X1
 
I'v tried different Amp/dac solutions with my iPhone,  like the FiiO E7 but I think it gets to bulky for on-the-go usage for me,  the sound was improved but it was not worth carrying with all the extra gear vs a FiiO X1 or similar 

 

[rgmffn]

Hi all!  New here and somewhat new to HPs..about 2 yrs.  But I am an old audiophile.  My HP collection as of now is..
 
Pioneer SE-A1000
Sony MDR7506
Sennheiser HD558
Sennheiser HD598
AKG Q701
Philips X2
 
I have a quick question but let me first say that I Love the X2s!
 
I have paired them with a Modi/Magni out of my win machine, but I get my best results from my Emotiva ERC-3 CD player.  At first I was using a Bellari 540 Hybrid tube amp that has been tube rolled.. too many times.

   I'm now rockin' a Schiit Vali with it.  I think it pairs really nice.  I can't stop listening to this setup!
 
My question is, I see many posters stating that the X2's are 35 Ohm.  Their website states 30 Ohm.  My box says 30 Ohm. Could there be different versions of these for different countries?  
 
Does anyone know for sure which is correct? Thanks!

 

[murdokahn]

Thanks for the suggestion, I hadn't thought of that.

So it looks like the fidelio X1 is basically a music player with a better DAC than the iPhone and also has a built in amp.

Does it offer better price per quality than buying an amp/dac combo to pair with the iPhone?

 

[Baycode]

........
My question is, I see many posters stating that the X2's are 35 Ohm.  Their website states 30 Ohm.  My box says 30 Ohm. Could there be different versions of these for different countries?  

Does anyone know for sure which is correct? Thanks!

They are 30 ohm. No different ohm versions on the market.

 

[murdokahn]

I'm beginning to doubt that I need to upgrade from the iPhone's DAC which plays 44.1 kHz/16-bit CD quality.

In double blind tests comparing high res audio with 16 bit it actually showed that the majority chose 16 bit as the better sound quality.
http://gizmodo.com/dont-buy-what-neil-young-is-selling-1678446860

I'm leaning towards just an amp now. I want to "feel" the music more so than just an improvement in clarity. Is adding an amp the correct way to go about doing this?

 

[obsidyen]

I'm beginning to doubt that I need to upgrade from the iPhone's DAC which plays 44.1 kHz/16-bit CD quality.

In double blind tests comparing high res audio with 16 bit it actually showed that the majority chose 16 bit as the better sound quality.
http://gizmodo.com/dont-buy-what-neil-young-is-selling-1678446860

I'm leaning towards just an amp now. I want to "feel" the music more so than just an improvement in clarity. Is adding an amp the correct way to go about doing this?

CD quality is more than enough. If you're going to use iPhone 6 as source, which has a very good dac, you could add an amp to drive X2 to its maximum potential. I use iDSD Micro myself, which is dac+amp, but if you want just an amp, iFi Micro iCAN is very good.

 

[Alfisti89]

I'm beginning to doubt that I need to upgrade from the iPhone's DAC which plays 44.1 kHz/16-bit CD quality.

In double blind tests comparing high res audio with 16 bit it actually showed that the majority chose 16 bit as the better sound quality.
http://gizmodo.com/dont-buy-what-neil-young-is-selling-1678446860

I'm leaning towards just an amp now. I want to "feel" the music more so than just an improvement in clarity. Is adding an amp the correct way to go about doing this?

maybe one of those mini amps in an altoids tin can? ,  they are pretty cheap and good

 

[LajostheHun]

I'm beginning to doubt that I need to upgrade from the iPhone's DAC which plays 44.1 kHz/16-bit CD quality.

In double blind tests comparing high res audio with 16 bit it actually showed that the majority chose 16 bit as the better sound quality.
http://gizmodo.com/dont-buy-what-neil-young-is-selling-1678446860

I'm leaning towards just an amp now. I want to "feel" the music more so than just an improvement in clarity. Is adding an amp the correct way to go about doing this?

The reason to go with an outboard dac/amp is to avoid double amping and to obtain a clearer signal by doing so. However that is not mandatory and a standalone amp might all you need. The X2 is rather easy to drive.

 

[ludvigrollover]

Awright, I'm sitting here grinning with my new X2 on my head. Ran quickly through some Beatles, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, and Sibelius and there is just so much more there, even on tracks I've heard a thousand times. I keep noticing I've closed my eyes and my head is just bopping. So engaging. Definitely a level up from HD598.
 
Currently listening to Shpongle, sober but feeling like I've just ingested some of Humboldt County's top shelf medicinals. Woah, dude.
 
Next up, Brad Mehldau Trio Live 2008. I may not move from my sofa this weekend...

 

[Ravenous]

I believe I might be experiencing channel imbalance but I am not quite sure. I started experiencing a softness to the treble of right speaker today  At times it doesn't sound like there's an imbalance of volume but a lack of clarity of the right speaker compared to the left. I could still hear bass on the right side just fine but when it comes to the treble it seems a little soft than usual. I suspect it could be the earpads have worn out though as I do use them with long hair.
 
Do you guys think I have an imbalanced pair?