[goodyfresh]

As someone who read his posts from the beginning, I don't think he is. Just a highly sensitive person. I am like that sometimes towards products I purchase so I understand.

Yeah guys, I'm not a troll, I'm just very sensitive to any flaws in things. Everyone is different. This is how I am. I'm not gonna go into the specifics, but I have sensory issues due to certain actual disorders/disabilities that I have, and as a result flaws that seem minor to others tend to stand out to me like a sore thumb.

But sure, report me as a "troll" if you want, everybody besides deadchip12 here. Obviously I'm just a total jerk for finding it ridiculous that I had to go through three pairs of X2HR's before finding one that didn't have an audible channel imbalance or major issues with distortion, and for thinking it's a bad business practice that Philips doesn't sell replacements for the stock earpads even though basically every other maker of audiophile headphones in the world sells replacement earpads. CLEARLY I'm just a troll and all my points are completely invalid, right? Because apparently Philips is perfect and can do no wrong, right?

I mean, it's not like *tons of other people*, including very knowledgeable ones like the guy at DIY Audio Heaven, have noticed the same quality control issues with these headphones that I have, right? Oh wait, that's right, he had to go through three pairs before getting a good one, too, and even the third pair he got has weird issues with distortion in the right driver. But sure, I must be blowing things out of proportion or imagining problems that aren't there just so I can troll you guys.

The review for these on DIY Audio Heaven outright says, "looks like Philips has quality control issues." And on his recommended headphones list, he says "you need to be lucky with these" concerning the X2HR's

 

[JKDJedi]

Yeah guys, I'm not a troll, I'm just very sensitive to any flaws in things. Everyone is different. This is how I am. I'm not gonna go into the specifics, but I have sensory issues due to certain actual disorders/disabilities that I have, and as a result flaws that seem minor to others tend to stand out to me like a sore thumb.

They're minor considering the cost to get these well built headphones, I don't know a better built headphone for the cost, is there one? There is a lot to appreciate here and understanding that I'd be upset for a bad apple, let alone two of them, but you kinda get what you pay for in the audio world. Want something nice..your gonna have to shell out some dough. Might be time to try something else instead of beating a dead horse here. Beyerdynamic DT770 might be something for you, pads are super soft. Good Luck.

 

[goodyfresh]

I'd be upset for a bad apple, let alone two of them, but you kinda get what you pay for in the audio world.

Yeah, I'm definitely somewhat biased here because I got two bad pairs with channel-matching and distortion issues in a row before I got a good one. And I still have the issues with the pads being itchy for me. That being said, this is far from an isolated experience: I've read horror stories online of people going through SIX pairs of these before finding one with proper channel matching.

Your point about the price isn't as valid as it seems because these were not originally the cheap $150 headphones they are now. Philips originally priced them at $300, and for a long time they weren't available any cheaper than that or around $250 if there was a sale. Here is what DIY Audio Heaven says in its review: "The difference between L and R driver driver matching is an issue and shows Philips does not perform any post production measurements or quality control. Most likely they just mount some drivers coming from an assembly line without taking an effort to match drivers. So whether you have a good or lesser one may be a lottery ticket."

For $300 headphones marketed as being for audiophiles, not performing any post production QC measurements is honestly unacceptable. It'd be understandable for $150 headphones, but these are not $150 headphones despite what the price has now dropped to; they are actually $300 headphones.

Also, no one is addressing another key point: Philips doesn't sell replacements for the stock pads, and pretty much everybody is in agreement that there are no aftermarket pads that don't change the sound. So once the pads eventually wear out, someone has to get an entirely new pair. Velour and memory foam are materials that don't last forever, especially with heavy use and oily skin (like I have). I can't reasonably expect velour memory-foam pads to last longer than a year or two, tops, given my usage-case.

 

[JKDJedi]

Yeah, I'm definitely somewhat biased here because I got two bad pairs with channel-matching and distortion issues in a row before I got a good one. And I still have the issues with the pads being itchy for me. That being said, this is far from an isolated experience: I've read horror stories online of people going through SIX pairs of these before finding one with proper channel matching.

Your point about the price isn't as valid as it seems because these were not originally the cheap $150 headphones they are now. Philips originally priced them at $300, and for a long time they weren't available any cheaper than that or around $250 if there was a sale. Here is what DIY Audio Heaven says in its review: "The difference between L and R driver driver matching is an issue and shows Philips does not perform any post production measurements or quality control. Most likely they just mount some drivers coming from an assembly line without taking an effort to match drivers. So whether you have a good or lesser one may be a lottery ticket."

For $300 headphones marketed as being for audiophiles, not performing any post production QC measurements is honestly unacceptable. It'd be understandable for $150 headphones, but these are not $150 headphones despite what the price has now dropped to; they are actually $300 headphones.

Also, no one is addressing another key point: Philips doesn't sell replacements for the stock pads, and pretty much everybody is in agreement that there are no aftermarket pads that don't change the sound. So once the pads eventually wear out, someone has to get an entirely new pair. Velour and memory foam are materials that don't last forever, especially with heavy use and oily skin (like I have). I can't reasonably expect velour memory-foam pads to last longer than a year or two, tops, given my usage-case.

Umm..yeah, so you bought them at $300...your the problem if you bought them for that.

 

[Mr Trev]

Yeah guys, I'm not a troll, I'm just very sensitive to any flaws in things. Everyone is different. This is how I am. I'm not gonna go into the specifics, but I have sensory issues due to certain actual disorders/disabilities that I have, and as a result flaws that seem minor to others tend to stand out to me like a sore thumb.

But sure, report me as a "troll" if you want, everybody besides deadchip12 here. Obviously I'm just a total jerk for finding it ridiculous that I had to go through three pairs of X2HR's before finding one that didn't have an audible channel imbalance or major issues with distortion, and for thinking it's a bad business practice that Philips doesn't sell replacements for the stock earpads even though basically every other maker of audiophile headphones in the world sells replacement earpads. CLEARLY I'm just a troll and all my points are completely invalid, right? Because apparently Philips is perfect and can do no wrong, right?

I mean, it's not like *tons of other people*, including very knowledgeable ones like the guy at DIY Audio Heaven, have noticed the same quality control issues with these headphones that I have, right? Oh wait, that's right, he had to go through three pairs before getting a good one, too, and even the third pair he got has weird issues with distortion in the right driver. But sure, I must be blowing things out of proportion or imagining problems that aren't there just so I can troll you guys.

The review for these on DIY Audio Heaven outright says, "looks like Philips has quality control issues." And on his recommended headphones list, he says "you need to be lucky with these" concerning the X2HR's

Your issue with the earpad comfort is an completely subjective one and you can't really fault Philips for that. Personally, I find them quite comfortable - possibly the most comfy I've owned, and even after 5+ years of ownership, are in surprisingly good condition

Your other issues regarding QC and spare parts are very valid - although, I'll play devil's advocate for a moment, and point out that I don't actually think Philips ever claimed they'd be selling spare/replacement earpads. The QC problems have been around since day one. I'm not defending it, but it's something that is pretty well known at this point. If folks are willing to accept it, that's their decision. If not… money walks.

To the best of my knowledge, nobody here is affiliated with Philips and I doubt they even follow this thread. I'm sure that Philips has a customer feedback section somewhere. Perhaps you could take your complaints/concerns there, where hopefully some good will come of it.
As it sits, repeating the same thing over and over here is quite frankly pointless and a waste of our, and your time. I do hope you can find something that checks all your boxes, but we get it… the X2HR won't work for you.

 

[JKDJedi]

Your issue with the earpad comfort is an completely subjective one and you can't really fault Philips for that. Personally, I find them quite comfortable - possibly the most comfy I've owned, and even after 5+ years of ownership, are in surprisingly good condition

Your other issues regarding QC and spare parts are very valid - although, I'll play devil's advocate for a moment, and point out that I don't actually think Philips ever claimed they'd be selling spare/replacement earpads. The QC problems have been around since day one. I'm not defending it, but it's something that is pretty well known at this point. If folks are willing to accept it, that's their decision. If not… money walks.

To the best of my knowledge, nobody here is affiliated with Philips and I doubt they even follow this thread. I'm sure that Philips has a customer feedback section somewhere. Perhaps you could take your complaints/concerns there, where hopefully some good will come of it.
As it sits, repeating the same thing over and over here is quite frankly pointless and a waste of our, and your time. I do hope you can find something that checks all your boxes, but we get it… the X2HR won't work for you.

He has more issues than the headphone, it's obvious, lets not let him dictate the frame of mind here. Sad nature this character. Let it be.

 

[Twizzleshnizzle]

I honestly don't know why I replied.

 

[goodyfresh]

Look guys, I'm sorry if I wasted your time, okay? I didn't mean to upset anyone, and I apologize for my tone and long rants. That being said, I don't appreciate remarks like this:

He has more issues than the headphone, it's obvious, lets not let him dictate the frame of mind here. Sad nature this character. Let it be.

I'm actually going through a very hard time right now with some extremely serious medical issues that may result in permanent organ damage and/or long-term hospitalization if the doctors can't figure things out soon. I do indeed have some mental issues, I'll admit that, and I do tend to have issues with nitpicking, ranting, etc. However, it seems that I've allowed the stress of what's happening to me physically to get to me mentally and cause me to act far more abrasive than usual, causing me to make a shameful fool of myself in front of all of you. I once again apologize for this... I'm sorry, okay? Yes, I was frankly a jerk, and repeated myself too much. But I'm going through a hard time right now, the hardest time I've ever gone through in my entire life actually, so please forgive my earlier behavior.

I don't want you guys to get me wrong about things overall: As far as my 3rd pair (the one without channel-imbalance or distortion issues) of the X2HR's goes, they ARE truly excellent headphones, ESPECIALLY for only $150. While yes, I'm picking the HD560s over these, I will say that the X2HR do three things better than those: Slam/impact/rumble in the bass, soundstage-width, and build-quality. The bit of a rattle I was getting from the 560s is no longer an issue (and my pair of X2HR's has that issue a little anyway), so I'm picking those because they are better-suited for me and my preferences as all-rounders than the X2HR's, as I prefer the greater detail-retrieval and flatter signature of the 560s. I can definitely see, though, how others would prefer the X2HR (as long as they get lucky with a good pair) over the HD560s, as they shine in their own, different way, and are even $50 cheaper than the 560s in most places! I honestly would've just stuck with the X2HR's and never looked for an alternative at all if I didn't have sensitive, crappy skin that gets very itchy from their pad material, and very oily skin that is liable to wear out the non-replaceable memory foam earpads quickly.

Overall, I'd give the third (lucky/good) pair of X2HR's that I got a 4.5 to 5 out of 5 rating for most people looking for an under-$200 entry into this hobby due to their fantastic soundstage, good imaging, more-neutral-than-"consumer"-level signature, fun sound, decent detail retrieval, forgiving nature with less-than-ideal recordings, immersion, and overall "impact," but a 3.5 or 4 out of 5 for me due to my own specific weird issues, quirks, and preferences. The possible 0.5-point "deduction" for the "most people" rating is due to the lack of product-support from Philips on the earpads; while other people whose skin isn't terrible and oily like mine won't have so much of an issue with that, it's a known fact that memory-foam pads do wear out over time in a way that changes the sound of headphones.

But yeah, all those nice things I listed are some very strong points of (good pairs of) the X2HR's. The soundstage is pretty humongous, the imaging is quite good (although not pinpoint-precise), the signature leans towards neutral but with a "fun" tilt with the mids a bit recessed compared to the bass and treble and a notable (not too big, but not necessarily suited to my personal preferences) mid-bass hump, and they have a good level of detail but not so much that it highlights every last flaw in poorer recordings. Overall, they're very "fun" and "immersive," which I can imagine many people appreciate greatly.

I know this is another very long post, but I wanted to post something contributing in a meaningful way to this thread rather than the nitpicky ranting bullcrap I was spouting earlier (which I again apologize for). So I'm hoping that my impressions/mini-review of the X2HR's above can be seen as a meaningful contribution here as far as impressions for general entry-level audiophiles go, as well as how impressions go for someone weird with strange quirks like me.

 

[deadchip12]

Look guys, I'm sorry if I wasted your time, okay? I didn't mean to upset anyone, and I apologize for my tone and long rants. That being said, I don't appreciate remarks like this:



I'm actually going through a very hard time right now with some extremely serious medical issues that may result in permanent organ damage and/or long-term hospitalization if the doctors can't figure things out soon. I do indeed have some mental issues, I'll admit that, and I do tend to have issues with nitpicking, ranting, etc. However, it seems that I've allowed the stress of what's happening to me physically to get to me mentally and cause me to act far more abrasive than usual, causing me to make a shameful fool of myself in front of all of you. I once again apologize for this... I'm sorry, okay? Yes, I was frankly a jerk, and repeated myself too much. But I'm going through a hard time right now, the hardest time I've ever gone through in my entire life actually, so please forgive my earlier behavior.

I don't want you guys to get me wrong about things overall: As far as my 3rd pair (the one without channel-imbalance or distortion issues) of the X2HR's goes, they ARE truly excellent headphones, ESPECIALLY for only $150. While yes, I'm picking the HD560s over these, I will say that the X2HR do three things better than those: Slam/impact/rumble in the bass, soundstage-width, and build-quality. The bit of a rattle I was getting from the 560s is no longer an issue (and my pair of X2HR's has that issue a little anyway), so I'm picking those because they are better-suited for me and my preferences as all-rounders than the X2HR's, as I prefer the greater detail-retrieval and flatter signature of the 560s. I can definitely see, though, how others would prefer the X2HR (as long as they get lucky with a good pair) over the HD560s, as they shine in their own, different way, and are even $50 cheaper than the 560s in most places! I honestly would've just stuck with the X2HR's and never looked for an alternative at all if I didn't have sensitive, crappy skin that gets very itchy from their pad material, and very oily skin that is liable to wear out the non-replaceable memory foam earpads quickly.

Overall, I'd give the third (lucky/good) pair of X2HR's that I got a 4.5 to 5 out of 5 rating for most people looking for an under-$200 entry into this hobby due to their fantastic soundstage, good imaging, more-neutral-than-"consumer"-level signature, fun sound, decent detail retrieval, forgiving nature with less-than-ideal recordings, immersion, and overall "impact," but a 3.5 or 4 out of 5 for me due to my own specific weird issues, quirks, and preferences. The possible 0.5-point "deduction" for the "most people" rating is due to the lack of product-support from Philips on the earpads; while other people whose skin isn't terrible and oily like mine won't have so much of an issue with that, it's a known fact that memory-foam pads do wear out over time in a way that changes the sound of headphones.

But yeah, all those nice things I listed are some very strong points of (good pairs of) the X2HR's. The soundstage is pretty humongous, the imaging is quite good (although not pinpoint-precise), the signature leans towards neutral but with a "fun" tilt with the mids a bit recessed compared to the bass and treble and a notable (not too big, but not necessarily suited to my personal preferences) mid-bass hump, and they have a good level of detail but not so much that it highlights every last flaw in poorer recordings. Overall, they're very "fun" and "immersive," which I can imagine many people appreciate greatly.

I know this is another very long post, but I wanted to post something contributing in a meaningful way to this thread rather than the nitpicky ranting bullcrap I was spouting earlier (which I again apologize for). So I'm hoping that my impressions/mini-review of the X2HR's above can be seen as a meaningful contribution here as far as impressions for general entry-level audiophiles go, as well as how impressions go for someone weird with strange quirks like me.

I think it's completely rational of you to be disappointed about a product that fails to meet your expectations, but it's probably better to bring such frustration directly to the manufacturer (or if that's not possible, return the product, forget about it, vote with your wallet) for the sake of your time and your mental health. For me personally, I'm fine reading people ranting here, but others, who come to this forum to share their enthusiasm about headphones, may not be ok with the excessive amount of negativity, especially the one that surrounds the pair of cans they love.

P.S. Wish you well with whatever you're having to go through in your life. Maybe focus on those first before being stressed out over a pair of headphones. I used to be obsessed with tech and stuff and got angry with little things but... life's too short man.

 

[goodyfresh]

I think it's completely rational of you to be disappointed about a product that fails to meet your expectations, but it's probably better to bring such frustration directly to the manufacturer (or if that's not possible, return the product, forget about it, vote with your wallet) for the sake of your time and your mental health. For me personally, I'm fine reading people ranting here, but others, who come to this forum to share their enthusiasm about headphones, may not be ok with the excessive amount of negativity, especially the one that surrounds the pair of cans they love.

P.S. Wish you well with whatever you're having to go through in your life. Maybe focus on those first before being stressed out over a pair of headphones. I used to be obsessed with tech and stuff and got angry with little things but... life's too short man.

Thank you! It's because I came to realize that you're right about people just coming here to share enthusiasm about headphones that I made my last post; after apologizing for my previous behavior that was completely understandably annoying for a lot of people, and explaining my circumstances, I redirected the topic back to what I think the strong points are of the X2HR! As I said in the last 80% of that post, the X2HR's, at least the third pair I got that had no issue, ARE excellent headphones, INCREDIBLY excellent for only $150. And I outlined there what I think all their strong points are. It just so happens that for ME, personally, they ultimately don't suit my purposes as all-rounders in this price-range for various reasons. But I can totally see (well, hear, heheh) why so many people love them so much!

 

[cruel]

Hi,

I got X2HR 10 days ago, and I'm thinking hard whether I should return them. So far, I had those 3:

Creative Aurvana Live!
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80)
AKG K712 Pro

AKG is a beast, I'm in absolute love - best headphones for music listening I ever had. I use DT 770 Pro in a different room, for gaming and casual music listening. I was hoping that X2HR will nicely complement them (I'm missing some 'meat' in metal music on Beyers, vocals seem a little bit recessed, bass is not that great). While X2HR indeed sound different than Beyer, I cannot hear the 'better' part unfortunately Is this expected? Or should those headphones sounds at least the same, or better, as DT 770 Pro? I'm not comparing with AKG because this is different price point.

I'm even wondering if something is wrong with this headphones or their cable. Two things:
- when connected to my gaming PC, I didn't get the proper sound initially. Needed to twist / move the cable left and right to finally get proper sound (without the twist, it sounds like from inside a garage or something). When re-connecting the cable, I need to do this again. I don't have this problem with DT 770 Pro.
- when tested using an amp (JDS Atom), they sounded much better, but yet again - no sound in right earpiece. I needed to really push the cable hard to make it connect properly. And again, no issues like that when using AKG with same amp.

Any suggestions appreciated. Need to decide on return until end of January. Thanks.

 

[Twizzleshnizzle]

Hi,

I got X2HR 10 days ago, and I'm thinking hard whether I should return them. So far, I had those 3:

Creative Aurvana Live!
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80)
AKG K712 Pro

AKG is a beast, I'm in absolute love - best headphones for music listening I ever had. I use DT 770 Pro in a different room, for gaming and casual music listening. I was hoping that X2HR will nicely complement them (I'm missing some 'meat' in metal music on Beyers, vocals seem a little bit recessed, bass is not that great). While X2HR indeed sound different than Beyer, I cannot hear the 'better' part unfortunately Is this expected? Or should those headphones sounds at least the same, or better, as DT 770 Pro? I'm not comparing with AKG because this is different price point.

I'm even wondering if something is wrong with this headphones or their cable. Two things:
- when connected to my gaming PC, I didn't get the proper sound initially. Needed to twist / move the cable left and right to finally get proper sound (without the twist, it sounds like from inside a garage or something). When re-connecting the cable, I need to do this again. I don't have this problem with DT 770 Pro.
- when tested using an amp (JDS Atom), they sounded much better, but yet again - no sound in right earpiece. I needed to really push the cable hard to make it connect properly. And again, no issues like that when using AKG with same amp.

Any suggestions appreciated. Need to decide on return until end of January. Thanks.

Unfortunately the DT770 are one of the few Beyers I haven't tried sorry. But when it comes to the cable, do you have a spare 3.5mm to 3.5mm you could try with it, as a start? If not it might be worth returning them and either trying a second pair, or just enjoying the other two.

The AKG are most definitely comparable, the price of the X2 goes up and down, bit they're most certainly in the same bracket.

I owned the X2 and AKG side but side several years ago. My leaving was towards the X2. Now I'm not saying you should feel that way as well, but perhaps there is an issue. Sorry for the simple question, but have you tried cleaning the end of the cable? Just in case any debris is the cause.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

It's kinda funny but irritating.
"The HD560s are the best headphones EVER".....but they rattle and you have to EQ them to like them...HHHmmm

Oh, dude... That has been my beef with the audio community since I started to get into audio.
People review headphones, but they fail to mention they spent 3 days modifying them and EQ them... It's like What's the purpose of that review? I have bought headphones in the past based on reviews, only later finding out they have been heavily EQ to make them the best headphones ever...

Well anyway, been a while since I have been here. Just wanted to say how disappointed I am in the X3's... They went a completely different direction. ^^ At least according to reviews, I didn't pull on it, had other things to waste money on. I guess I am sticking with my old and trusty X2 for a while longer. Honestly I don't think I could go with any headphones that has dual entry, after being with the X2's for so long, not to mention comfort!

 

[Brava210]

Yeah, I'm definitely somewhat biased here because I got two bad pairs with channel-matching and distortion issues in a row before I got a good one. And I still have the issues with the pads being itchy for me. That being said, this is far from an isolated experience: I've read horror stories online of people going through SIX pairs of these before finding one with proper channel matching.

Your point about the price isn't as valid as it seems because these were not originally the cheap $150 headphones they are now. Philips originally priced them at $300, and for a long time they weren't available any cheaper than that or around $250 if there was a sale. Here is what DIY Audio Heaven says in its review: "The difference between L and R driver driver matching is an issue and shows Philips does not perform any post production measurements or quality control. Most likely they just mount some drivers coming from an assembly line without taking an effort to match drivers. So whether you have a good or lesser one may be a lottery ticket."

For $300 headphones marketed as being for audiophiles, not performing any post production QC measurements is honestly unacceptable. It'd be understandable for $150 headphones, but these are not $150 headphones despite what the price has now dropped to; they are actually $300 headphones.

Also, no one is addressing another key point: Philips doesn't sell replacements for the stock pads, and pretty much everybody is in agreement that there are no aftermarket pads that don't change the sound. So once the pads eventually wear out, someone has to get an entirely new pair. Velour and memory foam are materials that don't last forever, especially with heavy use and oily skin (like I have). I can't reasonably expect velour memory-foam pads to last longer than a year or two, tops, given my usage-case.

I too have issues...kinda similar to yours so I DO understand...keep well, no harm intended from me.

 

[Brava210]

Unfortunately the DT770 are one of the few Beyers I haven't tried sorry. But when it comes to the cable, do you have a spare 3.5mm to 3.5mm you could try with it, as a start? If not it might be worth returning them and either trying a second pair, or just enjoying the other two.

The AKG are most definitely comparable, the price of the X2 goes up and down, bit they're most certainly in the same bracket.

I owned the X2 and AKG side but side several years ago. My leaving was towards the X2. Now I'm not saying you should feel that way as well, but perhaps there is an issue. Sorry for the simple question, but have you tried cleaning the end of the cable? Just in case any debris is the cause.

I have the DT770s, they are quite anaemic sounding, quite bright, very comfy though
I do not rate the fixed 40 foot cable though.