[grizzlybeast]

 

  I have been having a tough time with this Code-X
 
First I had the EQ on and found it a bit thin and bright. 
Then I thought I liked my Kennerton Vali more because it was more visceral and punchy because I hadn't fed the Code-X high res really yet since I was stuck on a couple of new 16bit Flacs I bought. 
 
Then I Ventured out into my playlist and BAM This is the second best headphone I have heard. I can't fault it except for the seldom want for more air in the last octave and the desire that it wasn't planar. 

If you prefer a non-planar version with similar tuning, I heard the Utopia may be a good choice..

I have heard the Utopia and on my gear. It is better than this.  Just not triple what I paid better.

 

[grizzlybeast]

LFF CODE-X IMPRESSIONS​

​

 

9/4/2016​

So I thought I paid a little too much at 1350 USD for these but honestly I have no regrets plus the person who sold them to me was really easy to work with. I will probably rebuff the wood and oil treat it to restore it to its original luster. It also has those awful HiFiMan connectors that are a little bit annoying. What is cool is that the pads are swappable. Very easily swappable and right now I am rocking some ZMF cowhides on them which seemed to help the soundstage just a tad and add a little warmth down low vs the alpha pads as well as providing better space for my ears to fit inside. I will try some Audeze pads next but I am scared the bass may take a hit as this is just at the level I would call truly neutral. 
 

---

Sound​

Bass:
The bass on these headphones are tight, controlled, solid and what I consider neutral. They can knock when the song is called for but it is not elevated. It is more than the HD800 and is reminiscent of the Utopia bass in quantity if not just a shade more yet not as detailed. Still very good and nicely focused. The extension is deep and the midrange seems unhindered by the bass. I wonder if it is about the same quantity as the HE-6 but less visceral? I lean towards believing so but my memory is fading of the 6. 
 
Midrange:
First impressions were that the midrange was a little bit laid back or too even. The 5LE has a thicker sound in the lower midrange but is less clear and detailed. However, the midrange after further listening is completely as natural as can be without any boosting or withdrawal anywhere in the FR. I wont call it lush, sterile, thin, rich, or any adjective that suggests  a bias in any part of the frequency range. The texture is a silken smooth, naturally polished and grain free sound that is responsible for that "magic" that people mention about these. There is nothing shouty about the vocals and something like the HD650 will sound more fatiguing during long listening sessions. The proximity of the vocalist is at a perfect sweet spot where its neither too close or too far and the image size is well proportioned. Depth is okay but instruments do have adequate air around them. The Utopia will sound more forward and energetic and even more realistic to my preference but since I cannot afford one I will be fine right here!. 
 
Treble:
Man...... 
Every Manufacturer should listen to these and have its treble  whole balance as a target response.  The textures are not really rock solid crisp but they don't lack definition and detail. The treble is relatively present but never once causes fatigue. I really like the balance in the treble a lot. 
 
Technicalities
They are all there. Good speed, clean presentation. Detailed enough to make me happy I left the Focal Elear behind for it. Spaciousness that is not overly wide without depth but has good imaging and separation. Like zero distortion and a black background that I can count the stars in. An open and unrestricted effortless sound with good micro details.
 
I slightly want for more Macro dynamics and solidity for a more viscerally physical feel because that is my achilles heel. Some folks are soundstage heads, treble heads, etc etc and after my go with the HD800S and Utopia I realize I am a dynamics head because the latter rocked my socks. Also  because my Kennerton Vali is both dynamic and really heavy handed and I love it. The  Code-X is not overly soft like the HE-X but still isn't as engaging as the Utopia and Vali. It is good enough for me though. It does so much right, and has enough punch to keep me satisfied. 
 
 
 
Overall so far:
The second best headphone for my tastes I have ever heard. Only bested by the Utopia. 
 

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Pads​

Initial impressions:
 
Alpha pads: slightly bright with good extension in the treble. Bass is present and solid. Good clarity. Treble can be more splashy than on the cowhides. Midrange has good presence and harmony. 
 
ZMF cowhides: less bright than the Alpha dogs, bass is tighter and a little more focused. The soundstage is a little wider and vocals are positionally more distant. Treble extension seems slightly more rolled off than the Alpha pads. Slightly more tinted than the Alpha pads. I prefer the midrange with the Alpha pads or actually just need to turn the volume up a db to bring them closer again. 
 
Preference:I like the treble extension of the Alpha pads as well as the midrange but I prefer the slightly darker sound and the more controlled bass of the ZMF pads as well as the soundstage size. 
 
For now ZMF pads. 

 

[Maxx134]

You need two things to elevate the codex:
1-Audeze leather pads
2- schiit Jotunheim amp to deliver you 5-7watts clean power to give you dynamics and control to higher levels .

Other TOTL cans have their own attributes that attract buyer like you say , for instance the Utopia for impact.
But for a whole package , these cans were always at the top.
I have had other cans recently but still regard these highly.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Its not just attack for the Utopia, its clarity, openness, timbre, resolution, dynamics... Honestly, though I love the CodeX, the Utopia is most definitely better.

Thanks for the recommendations, I will try what you have said.

 

[hifimanrookie]

Its not just attack for the Utopia, its clarity, openness, timbre, resolution, dynamics... Honestly, though I love the CodeX, the Utopia is most definitely better.

Thanks for the recommendations, I will try what you have said.

but you know the utopia costs 3999usd..right? Almost triple of the code-x..its like comparing the utopia to the new 50k sennheiser super headphones...
But for that price utopis should destroy the code-×..which he doesnt....code-x is a very rare kind..especially for its price...
.

 

[Maxx134]

Its not just attack for the Utopia, its clarity, openness, timbre, resolution, dynamics... Honestly, though I love the CodeX, the Utopia is most definitely better.

Thanks for the recommendations, I will try what you have said.

your in a position to describe in general the size soundstage difference.
Which sounded tall and wider, not deeper because there is two types of soundstage deepness and I guessing both have enough deepness.

Also,
The CSD plots on the codex are one of the cleanest for any headphone..
Another member who has more experience with this measured mine and showed me...

Also, I don't know how much power you have on tap,
But all planars scale well with more power..

 

[jelt2359]

your in a position to describe in general the size soundstage difference.
Which sounded tall and wider, not deeper because there is two types of soundstage deepness and I guessing both have enough deepness.

Also,
The CSD plots on the codex are one of the cleanest for any headphone..
Another member who has more experience with this measured mine and showed me...

Also, I don't know how much power you have on tap,
But all planars scale well with more power..

My code-x sounds incredible driven from my dave-> ear v12 speaker amp. Extremely holographic and realistic sound. Look forward to trying the utopia one day, though.

 

[grizzlybeast]

 

Its not just attack for the Utopia, its clarity, openness, timbre, resolution, dynamics... Honestly, though I love the CodeX, the Utopia is most definitely better.

Thanks for the recommendations, I will try what you have said.

but you know the utopia costs 3999usd..right? Almost triple of the code-x..its like comparing the utopia to the new 50k sennheiser super headphones...
But for that price utopis should destroy the code-×..which he doesnt....code-x is a very rare kind..especially for its price...
.

it depends. IMO the Utopia is much better than the Code-X for what it does for me. It's all relative.  From memory and having both on my rig the Code-X is marvelous and the fact that I remember the Utopia being easily better does not discredit how awesome the Code-X is. I have an affinity towards dynamic headphones though. 
 
To put it in perspective, I sold my Elear because I was ruined by the Utopia, even as a bass head and in favor of my Kennerton Vali, However the Code-X will be the last headphone to leave until I can afford a Utopia. The Code-X is better than the Elear with the exception of not being nearly as dynamic. 
 
But first of all your post is out of context. In the Context of what Maxx said:

Other TOTL cans have their own attributes that attract buyer like you say , for instance the Utopia for impact.
But for a whole package , these cans were always at the top.
I have had other cans recently but still regard these highly. 

The Utopia doesn't just have a few attributes of focus to attract a buy. It has wonderful tonality, tight bass, good attack, yadda yadda yadda. Its not a one trick attack and resolution pony. Is just as much of an all arounder as the Code-X is. However, it is very dynamic as well. I may, if I had to give an area of the Code-X to over the Utopia give it the bass extension and quantity. 
 
 
I didn't make a comparison to undermine the Code-X...just to give perspective to Maxx's post. 
 

 

Its not just attack for the Utopia, its clarity, openness, timbre, resolution, dynamics... Honestly, though I love the CodeX, the Utopia is most definitely better.

Thanks for the recommendations, I will try what you have said.

your in a position to describe in general the size soundstage difference.
Which sounded tall and wider, not deeper because there is two types of soundstage deepness and I guessing both have enough deepness.

Also,
The CSD plots on the codex are one of the cleanest for any headphone..
Another member who has more experience with this measured mine and showed me...

Also, I don't know how much power you have on tap,
But all planars scale well with more power..

2W into 50/ohms. if 7 is zero on the dial these are very loud at 11 with no distortion. 
 
I didn't find the Utopia wide but I do find it to be very far from claustrophobic. The soundstage is a rounded one with good air and separation. The Code-X has a more hollow (not hollow all on its own that is not what I am saying, just relatively because the Utopia is more assertive and vibrant) and less full sound to it so overall the presentation seems a bit wider and more holographic. The Utopia has some height though. 
 
Maxx, 
 
I know that you love soundstage. I liked it to... a lot. I really think that you need to hear the Utopia on your rig for more than just one day to get a grip of its presentation. In every instance, at meets, when people have walked away from it after comparing it to other headphones even soundstage lovers have praised the Utopia and no one complained about its lack of soundstage. It's something you need to hear to really get a grip on. I didn't even want the Utopia in my house. I just wanted the Elear that I purchased after reading it had a nice soundstage from OJ. But the Utopia, as much as I wanted a huge soundstage, brings the realization that musical presentation is not mostly about how spread out something sounds. Get your ears under one and bring the Code-X along. If I had your Code-X and HE1000 they would both be sold for the Utopia without one question. I would be a little sad for the Code-X though. The best planar(well never heard the Abyss or Odin) next to the best dynamic would be a killer stable. 

 

[audiofrk]

What amp are you using?

I'm surprised you find utopia a competent bass headphone. That was the biggest let down for me with that headphone.

But like you said it was just an audition. Maybe I missed something.

 

[grizzlybeast]

What amp are you using?

I'm surprised you find utopia a competent bass headphone. That was the biggest let down for me with that headphone.

But like you said it was just an audition. Maybe I missed something.

Its all relative. My Trafomatic Head 2. 
 
I need to clarify. I usually don't prefer headphones with the bass quantity of the Utopia but even as a bass head I can't deny how good it is. I think the Code-X can slam harder. But I don't have both side by side to confirm.  However the Utopia bass is above the HD800 in level and I can still play a lot more genres on it than the HD800. Its unusually responsive to what the track has in it. 

 

[audiofrk]

  Its all relative. My Trafomatic Head 2. 
 
I need to clarify. I usually don't prefer headphones with the bass quantity of the Utopia but even as a bass head I can't deny how good it is. I think the Code-X can slam harder. But I don't have both side by side to confirm.  However the Utopia bass is above the HD800 in level and I can still play a lot more genres on it than the HD800. Its unusually responsive to what the track has in it. 

Ok I think I understand a bit more know.
 
I agree that the utopia is above the hd800 (in all respects actually).  I also believe that the utopia is pretty close to perfect (possibly best dynamic yet), however in the lower mids to subbass it comes apart for me.  The code-x keeps its composure and has quality that resolves the bass without ever becoming loose.  Also the very top of the utopia feels bright, I think due to the super dynamic nature of the headphone. The code-x is kind of relaxed in this same region.  The bass response of the utopia initially impresses due to to the upper bass being highlight it, I think in the long term it'll leave you wanting (or maybe not, I dont know you). 
 
I do agree that you'll never get the code-x to be as dynamic as a good dynamic driver, (nature of the beast plannars move very little).  It's still pretty great and with new orthos playing the flavor game, I doubt that well ever see anything like the codeX again.  I suggest you keep it, or be a good lad and donate it to me.

 

[Maxx134]

The HE-6 is extremely dynamic planar...

The codex reminds me of it.


The codex WILL increase in soundstage with Audeze pads regardless which you pick (leather or vegan).
edit* or as stated the zmf pad.

The codex has a large round driver like the he500,
And, IMHO,
the Alphapad stifles the potential sound..

So we can elevate the Code-X further with pad roll.(all HifiMan pads)
As long as the inner diameter of pad you choose is larger than the stock Alphapad, you will realize a larger more expansive sound.
Alphapad blocks almost 50℅ of the driver surface.

 

[Jozurr]

I tried the vegan pads and didnt like them. Maybe I should try the audeze leather pads.

 

[Maxx134]

I tried the vegan pads and didnt like them. Maybe I should try the audeze leather pads.

Don't forget the HiFiman focus A pads which are cheaper and should be perfect fit..

 

[Jozurr]

Don't forget the HiFiman focus A pads which are cheaper and should be perfect fit..

 
I just tried the hifiman leather pads on it, and yes I agree, it tends to improve the sound a tad bit. However, I find the Alpha pads more comfortable due to more supple leather and deeper cups.
 
I've never liked the Focus pads. The velour on it seems to give me the itch.
 
The treble on these phones should be used as an example by all manufacturers. Some magic that I can't explain.