[bracko]

  I find the X2's very very comfortable. The pads have memory foam and are superb. After a couple of minutes i forget that they're even there. Just me and my music. I paid the retail price to get these and consider these to be an absolute bargain at that price. Anything less makes it even more of a bargain. I had listened to the Audeze EL8 and Audioquest Nighthawks 2 weeks back when i was in Seattle. These are far more expensive than the X2. The X2 is still better than them due to a much better balanced presentation. The only headphones which are better than them in all respects and i would still consider as good value would be the Hifiman HE-560s. Anything above $1K+ for cans just seems to be silly money to me.
 
You can get the HE-560s new at $899 or from the used section here much cheaper than that. Check out razordogaudio.com which sometimes has new HE-560s at a discount or when they're are selling them open box.
 
You're basically going to spend multiple times the X2's price to get much better sound.

I definitely agree about the Nighthawks. X2 is more enjoyable and even more accurate headphone. It is really mind-boggling that the Nighthawks cost twice as much as X2. Of course, some innovating materials and the exclusive Audioquest cable have their price but still.
 
I also agree about the HE-560 to a certain degree. Open-box is in principle the same as new. You will get same warranty etc as with new ones .
 
http://www.razordogaudio.com/products/hifiman-he-560-full-size-planar-driver-headphones-open-box
 
Objectivelly speaking, HE-560 is a better headphone than X2 but I am not so sure that it has "much better sound" than X2. 

 When powered properly HE-560 will outperform the X2 on detailing, imaging etc. but it really means that you also need an amp for $200-300 extra. 

 

[nicolo]

My mistake. Should have qualified that. By "better sound" i meant better clarity, resolution and dynamics.

 

[Mr B]

Well, thank you all for your input, and sharing of your experiences.
I've pushed forward, and given that the headphones actually show up, i'm now 200 Euros poorer.
Its related with some uncertainty to their availability, but it's no money out of m pocket untill they actually show up, so i guess thats all right.
 
Cheers.
B!

 

[bracko]

  My mistake. Should have qualified that. By "better sound" i meant better clarity, resolution and dynamics.

Agreed. HE-560 has all that over X2 

 

[Bibo]

In Europe the HE-560 are 4 times the price of the X2s, so if the Hifimans were sligtly better the X2s still would be a bargain in comparision.

 

[bracko]

In Europe the HE-560 are 4 times the price of the X2s, so if the Hifimans were sligtly better the X2s still would be a bargain in comparision.

They are certainly not four times better 

 

[Arniesb]

In Europe the HE-560 are 4 times the price of the X2s, so if the Hifimans were sligtly better the X2s still would be a bargain in comparision.

Hifiman is a bit dumb i guess . I remember he 400 was 300$ in usa and over 400€ in Europe. Large difference, Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic prices are much more competitive! Euro is higher than dollar and we pay already more euros than usa peoples dollars... Beyerdynamic t1v2 cost 1100$ in usa while in Europe 1000€ and Hifiman he560 900$ in usa and 1069€ and more in Europe. Hifiman could put more competitive prices in Europe and they could sell much more!

 

[Bibo]

Hifiman is a bit dumb i guess

. I remember he 400 was 300$ in usa and over 400€ in Europe. Large difference, Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic prices are much more competitive! Euro is higher than dollar and we pay already more euros than usa peoples dollars... Beyerdynamic t1v2 cost 1100$ in usa while in Europe 1000€ and Hifiman he560 900$ in usa and 1069€ and more in Europe. Hifiman could put more competitive prices in Europe and they could sell much more!

It is not only Hifiman, none of the manufactures of planar-magnetic headphones seems to have a distribution network in Europe, so pm- headphones are sometimes 50% more expensive in Europe than in other parts of the world.
 
But now btt.

 

[Arniesb]

It is not only Hifiman, none of the manufactures of planar-magnetic headphones seems to have a distribution network in Europe, so pm- headphones are sometimes 50% more expensive in Europe than in other parts of the world.

But now btt.

Thats true.

 

[betula]

In my opinion the biggest compliment to X2 is that more than one reviewers said, they sound like an updated HD-600.

 

[litteazn248]

So after listening to my fidelio X2 for almost a month I have come to this conclusion. The headphones are very comfortabe, but sound wise they don't seem to be a major upgrade from my athm50. The sound stage seems a little larger and the highs are not as sharp. I thought as an open back they were supposed to sound like listening to a set of speakers. I'm also using a media bridge cable, as mentioned before my stock cable measured in at 1.1 ohms with the mediabridge cable at .8 ohms. I have been driving these with my retina macbook pro and my Yamaha rxv1800. Am I missing something here? Ocd that I may have fakes I opened them and saw a Phillips sticker on the driver. I compared them to a disassembly pic of an x1 and they seemed similar (good b/c that means they are real?)

 

[WildStyle-R11]

So after listening to my fidelio X2 for almost a month I have come to this conclusion. The headphones are very comfortabe, but sound wise they don't seem to be a major upgrade from my athm50. The sound stage seems a little larger and the highs are not as sharp. I thought as an open back they were supposed to sound like listening to a set of speakers. I'm also using a media bridge cable, as mentioned before my stock cable measured in at 1.1 ohms with the mediabridge cable at .8 ohms. I have been driving these with my retina macbook pro and my Yamaha rxv1800. Am I missing something here? Ocd that I may have fakes I opened them and saw a Phillips sticker on the driver. I compared them to a disassembly pic of an x1 and they seemed similar (good b/c that means they are real?)

You are not the first to be disappointed by X2's...I most certainly was. I for one think they are overhyped.

 

[bracko]

 
You are not the first to be disappointed by X2's...I most certainly was. I for one think they are overhyped.

 
Almost every headphone here on head-fi is overhyped. 

 

[litteazn248]

If I didn't have the athm50 I would say they are fantastic. I hear all these fantastic reviews and I'm inclined to return these and buy another direct from Amazon in fear I have fakes.

 

[bracko]

If I didn't have the athm50 I would say they are fantastic. I hear all these fantastic reviews and I'm inclined to return these and buy another direct from Amazon in fear I have fakes.

I have X2 and my son has AT M50. I would say the difference is quite amazing between those two in favor of X2.