Jackal Fox
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2016
- Posts
- 6
- Likes
- 14
I've actually just created this account to share about my experience hitherto with these headphone haha. TL;DR at the end if youse can't be arsed to read me life story 
It'll be kind of detailed.. maybe long-winded.
First off, I'm relatively green when it comes to audio; so I don't know much about describing sound signature, proper audio setups, decibels and the like. In fact, I've made the jump from the bass-bloated Beats I was gifted a few years ago >_>, thus my ears won't be as trained to quality like much of you. I haven't a DAC/Amp either, so the main sources I listen from are an old laptop, an LG K10 smartphone , and a wireless Xbox One controller lol. Might get something like the SMSL SD793-II I heard of once on Reddit, before or after I build my first gaming PC around January.
Anyway, I intially heard about the X2's from Mad Lust Envy's headphone guide while looking for a good pair to game with. I read his review of the X2 and it seemed like everything I'd want in some good starter audiophile headphones; outstanding comfort and build, low impedance, open, great for movies, all types of gaming, all genres of music. Essentially an all-rounder to be used for anything. So I looked at other reviews/comments of listeners and audiophiles swearing by the amazing quality of the X2's, but also a lot of the QC issues they were having with the transition from WOOX to Gibson. Figuring most or all of those problems were fixed, being as that was nearly a year ago, I pulled the trigger and got them $250USD from Amazon as soon as they restocked on Nov. 8. 10+ days later they came in the mail, taking a bit longer than I'm used to for other items to arrive.
Looked on the box and on the manual, both read WOOX, but from way the retail box looked, I had a fleeting thought that it might've already been opened, at least a little damaged during transit.. had that "used" look to it. Perhaps that's cause it was shipped overseas, indicative of the time to shipping and Philips HQ in Amsterdam. Tag said it's new, so I didn't think much else of it. So I've listened to them for awhile, maybe like 10 hours gaming+music, and I think they sound great - sounding better with continued listening. Of course I've got nothing to really compare them to, but it's definitely a big step up from the Beats in every way (probably more with a DAC). That said, there are a few things that my OCD-self finds peculiar about these particular pair of headphones..
-- I found a small blemish on the leather finish of the headband - a scratch about 1/2 an inch (1.27cm) at the top. The rings at the inner-edge of the ear cups don't look glued-in properly, especially on the left side as I had to try pushing one protruding end of the ring back in place next to the audio jack. When I turn my head to the left or push/pull a little inward on the cable when it's plugged in, I hear a small yet clear pop in the ear cup. It does temporarily cease if I just leave it be and use the headphones a while, but that sort of thing can drive me crazy lol.
-- As for the sound itself, I tested it with this page as well as by normal use, and there's a subtle mismatch of the drivers on certain bass notes, the right being a tad more pronounced than the left. Now I think my ears may be slightly mismatched, but reversing the headphones showed that it wasn't my actually my ears, or at least, not wholly. With the X2's angled drivers, I'd imagine that simple method isn't the most accurate way of discerning imbalance.
- Also, on deep bass at high volume (80+ Windows volume on desktop PC and full volume on Xbone headset settings) there's a strange faint rattle, kinda like the "didgeridoo" sound a user mentioned a few dozen pages back, except not as severe or pervasive as his issue. It's fairly understated, varying at different times but normally present nonetheless, I believe more after listening with them a bit (or maybe when my hearing is fresh). I've read that it may have to do with the volume level and source signal or whatever, that a proper DAC would remedy it. Either way, given the other small quirks of that WOOX pair, I decided to take a gamble on returning them.
So, I ordered replacement through Amazon 3 days ago, and got the new pair today. I immediately noticed the retail box looked more crisp and clean compared to my first WOOX pair's box. Seemingly near brand new off production. There's also a "Hi-Res Audio" print on the top-right of the front side. Checking the bottom of the box, it showed up Gibson, and, lo and behold, the manual also showed Gibson.
Inspecting the Gibson headphones, it looked almost identical to the WOOX pair, save for a small difference in the leather texture of the headband; The Gibson pair has some rougher ridges and ripples on the underside while the WOOX pair is smoother. Looking at the underside leather of the headband reveals a scratched spot. The ear pads look near identical as well, but the Gibson pads more easily fit over my ears than the WOOX ones when I first got those, having an imperfect oval shape and being a little thicker. Pads on the Gibson seem to have a more open oval shape and feel sort of stiffer against my head, but that may be cause their new. Neither pair of headphones have glued ear pads.
Comparing the sound between the two shows that they have a.. similar signature to me - virtually identical - though I noticed the Gibson is more recessed, dark..? Not sure how to describe it, but I think it's is a very very slight difference. Something else a bit more noticeable is that the already harsh highs on the WOOX headphones, which is inherent in all X2s, have a fairly more sibilant edge to them when heard on the Gibson cans. Not a large difference, but something I can hear and feel at times, like when firing a sniper rifle in BF4 haha. Could be that burning them in might bring those differences in line. Again, my ears aren't really trained to pick up on the nuances between headphones, so.. take that for what it's worth I guess.
Bass on the Gibson and WOOX however, have a similar level of imbalance favoring the right. Maybe it's something that just is with the X2s, maybe it's also just my ears in part, cause sometimes I just don't even notice it, really. I do hear that there's still the faint "didgeridoo" rattle in the Gibson when playing deep loud bass. It's kind of less than the WOOX. Idk, more or less, whatever. Guess that's probably down to what source I'm listening from, then.
The big problem with my Gibson pair, however, is that there is an annoying buzz/rattle which comes during low-level bass in the left driver. It can occur from around 10hz to about 60-70hz at most. This means I'm going to have to return these as well :/
Shame that headphones receiving the praise it does also had to deal with the poor quality control it did. At least it looks like those problems have been seen to, yet I guess there's still a few bad ones lingering around. It is what it is, but I still have faith the X2s are worth it. So hopefully third time's the charm with it. Also, I'd post a few pics for a direct comparison between the Gibson and WOOX I have, but ye, new account and all that.
TL;DR Noobie-ness, over-thought, and placebo effect may have gotten the better of me on my first pair of WOOX X2s, but a few small oddities together could warrant a return. Got a replacement which happens to be Gibson according to the box. Aside from some minor differences, both headphones are identical in sound and build to me. The Gibson's have a buzz in the left ear cup, so will be returning them, hoping the second replacement is good and "perfect".
It'll be kind of detailed.. maybe long-winded.First off, I'm relatively green when it comes to audio; so I don't know much about describing sound signature, proper audio setups, decibels and the like. In fact, I've made the jump from the bass-bloated Beats I was gifted a few years ago >_>, thus my ears won't be as trained to quality like much of you. I haven't a DAC/Amp either, so the main sources I listen from are an old laptop, an LG K10 smartphone , and a wireless Xbox One controller lol. Might get something like the SMSL SD793-II I heard of once on Reddit, before or after I build my first gaming PC around January.
Anyway, I intially heard about the X2's from Mad Lust Envy's headphone guide while looking for a good pair to game with. I read his review of the X2 and it seemed like everything I'd want in some good starter audiophile headphones; outstanding comfort and build, low impedance, open, great for movies, all types of gaming, all genres of music. Essentially an all-rounder to be used for anything. So I looked at other reviews/comments of listeners and audiophiles swearing by the amazing quality of the X2's, but also a lot of the QC issues they were having with the transition from WOOX to Gibson. Figuring most or all of those problems were fixed, being as that was nearly a year ago, I pulled the trigger and got them $250USD from Amazon as soon as they restocked on Nov. 8. 10+ days later they came in the mail, taking a bit longer than I'm used to for other items to arrive.
Looked on the box and on the manual, both read WOOX, but from way the retail box looked, I had a fleeting thought that it might've already been opened, at least a little damaged during transit.. had that "used" look to it. Perhaps that's cause it was shipped overseas, indicative of the time to shipping and Philips HQ in Amsterdam. Tag said it's new, so I didn't think much else of it. So I've listened to them for awhile, maybe like 10 hours gaming+music, and I think they sound great - sounding better with continued listening. Of course I've got nothing to really compare them to, but it's definitely a big step up from the Beats in every way (probably more with a DAC). That said, there are a few things that my OCD-self finds peculiar about these particular pair of headphones..
-- I found a small blemish on the leather finish of the headband - a scratch about 1/2 an inch (1.27cm) at the top. The rings at the inner-edge of the ear cups don't look glued-in properly, especially on the left side as I had to try pushing one protruding end of the ring back in place next to the audio jack. When I turn my head to the left or push/pull a little inward on the cable when it's plugged in, I hear a small yet clear pop in the ear cup. It does temporarily cease if I just leave it be and use the headphones a while, but that sort of thing can drive me crazy lol.
-- As for the sound itself, I tested it with this page as well as by normal use, and there's a subtle mismatch of the drivers on certain bass notes, the right being a tad more pronounced than the left. Now I think my ears may be slightly mismatched, but reversing the headphones showed that it wasn't my actually my ears, or at least, not wholly. With the X2's angled drivers, I'd imagine that simple method isn't the most accurate way of discerning imbalance.
- Also, on deep bass at high volume (80+ Windows volume on desktop PC and full volume on Xbone headset settings) there's a strange faint rattle, kinda like the "didgeridoo" sound a user mentioned a few dozen pages back, except not as severe or pervasive as his issue. It's fairly understated, varying at different times but normally present nonetheless, I believe more after listening with them a bit (or maybe when my hearing is fresh). I've read that it may have to do with the volume level and source signal or whatever, that a proper DAC would remedy it. Either way, given the other small quirks of that WOOX pair, I decided to take a gamble on returning them.
So, I ordered replacement through Amazon 3 days ago, and got the new pair today. I immediately noticed the retail box looked more crisp and clean compared to my first WOOX pair's box. Seemingly near brand new off production. There's also a "Hi-Res Audio" print on the top-right of the front side. Checking the bottom of the box, it showed up Gibson, and, lo and behold, the manual also showed Gibson.
Inspecting the Gibson headphones, it looked almost identical to the WOOX pair, save for a small difference in the leather texture of the headband; The Gibson pair has some rougher ridges and ripples on the underside while the WOOX pair is smoother. Looking at the underside leather of the headband reveals a scratched spot. The ear pads look near identical as well, but the Gibson pads more easily fit over my ears than the WOOX ones when I first got those, having an imperfect oval shape and being a little thicker. Pads on the Gibson seem to have a more open oval shape and feel sort of stiffer against my head, but that may be cause their new. Neither pair of headphones have glued ear pads.
Comparing the sound between the two shows that they have a.. similar signature to me - virtually identical - though I noticed the Gibson is more recessed, dark..? Not sure how to describe it, but I think it's is a very very slight difference. Something else a bit more noticeable is that the already harsh highs on the WOOX headphones, which is inherent in all X2s, have a fairly more sibilant edge to them when heard on the Gibson cans. Not a large difference, but something I can hear and feel at times, like when firing a sniper rifle in BF4 haha. Could be that burning them in might bring those differences in line. Again, my ears aren't really trained to pick up on the nuances between headphones, so.. take that for what it's worth I guess.
Bass on the Gibson and WOOX however, have a similar level of imbalance favoring the right. Maybe it's something that just is with the X2s, maybe it's also just my ears in part, cause sometimes I just don't even notice it, really. I do hear that there's still the faint "didgeridoo" rattle in the Gibson when playing deep loud bass. It's kind of less than the WOOX. Idk, more or less, whatever. Guess that's probably down to what source I'm listening from, then.
The big problem with my Gibson pair, however, is that there is an annoying buzz/rattle which comes during low-level bass in the left driver. It can occur from around 10hz to about 60-70hz at most. This means I'm going to have to return these as well :/
Shame that headphones receiving the praise it does also had to deal with the poor quality control it did. At least it looks like those problems have been seen to, yet I guess there's still a few bad ones lingering around. It is what it is, but I still have faith the X2s are worth it. So hopefully third time's the charm with it. Also, I'd post a few pics for a direct comparison between the Gibson and WOOX I have, but ye, new account and all that.
TL;DR Noobie-ness, over-thought, and placebo effect may have gotten the better of me on my first pair of WOOX X2s, but a few small oddities together could warrant a return. Got a replacement which happens to be Gibson according to the box. Aside from some minor differences, both headphones are identical in sound and build to me. The Gibson's have a buzz in the left ear cup, so will be returning them, hoping the second replacement is good and "perfect".
