[Maxvla]

Oh now that's just mean posting that picture and no impressions

Ask and ye shall receive.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/601061/mid-fi-shootout-hd600-hd598-focal-spirit-one-philips-fidelio-l1#post_8226062

 

[PBwoy]

Hello, new Head-Fi'er here,
 
I got my pair of L1's yesterday, #2782 (bought primarily because of Ultrazino's review).
 
At first I was very underwhelmed, thought they sounded veiled and less 'clear' than I expected. After several hours of listening though, I found them to open up properly. The mid's and high's are getting much clearer, instruments are separated better and the bass is getting a bit warmer and fuller, something I really appreciate.
 
I do not think the bass is excessive at all, I was expecting a lot more bass to be honest. I also don't think the soundstage is that great, I expected it to be a bit wider.
 
Comfort and build-quality are as described: excellent.
 
Sorry for not being able to describe the sound more detailed, but this is my first 'proper' pair of headphones so bear with me
 
Edit: Wrong serial number

 

[Ultrazino]

Hi PBwoy, I hope you enjoy your headphones as much as I do and that my review didn't mislead you.

At first I also thought they were veiled. But giving them some time is really worth it!

 

[Defiant00]

#1929 just arrived.
 
First impressions with Bifrost -> Asgard, compared to HD600s:
 

1. Significantly more bass without being overpowering. While I'm not really a bass head, the elevated bass does make these quite fun.
2. Less treble energy, but still sounds detailed and clear.
3. Even less sibilant than the HD600s (I only find the HD600s at all sibilant with a few songs that are very sibilant already; the L1s aren't sibilant even on those songs).
4. Noticeably smaller and warmer on the ears.
5. Not sure about comfort just yet, but it took me a while to find an ideal position and size adjustment for the HD600s as well so I'm sure it'll just take a while.

 

[WaLaoEh]

where can i buy these?? im in singapore

 

[WaLaoEh]

And how would these compare to the Creative Aurvana Live? I'm looking for a clear,detailed closed headphone with good separation,decent bass, wide soundstage, and no sibilance.

 

[thermalboyz]

WaLauEh,
 
I don't think Singapore and Asia have it yet (Apart from HK). First come out on Gernamy, France and some part of europe, then Apple Store US, then Philips website United Kingdom. I think it will be available around April as its their official release time.
 
Quote:

where can i buy these?? im in singapore

 

 

[WaLaoEh]

 
Quote:

WaLauEh,
 
I don't think Singapore and Asia have it yet (Apart from HK). First come out on Gernamy, France and some part of europe, then Apple Store US, then Philips website United Kingdom. I think it will be available around April as its their official release time.
 


 

April? Any proof? And any idea how these compare to the Creative Aurvana Live?? I'm thinking of getting either one..

 

[PBwoy]

I got mine from a friend who works for Philips in the Netherlands. The official release will in fact be April, however there are selected retailers selling them already (Amazon Germany - €225, Apple Store US - $299).
 
The MSRP will be €279 or $299, but I think you'll be able to find them much cheaper. I got mine for €170
 
@Ultrazino: I completely agree, every hour I'm starting to love them more. Thanks for a great review!

 

[thermalboyz]

WahLaoEh,
 
I am sorry i do not have Creative so not able to compare it. But there are many reviews here in this thread included my review too i think in page 16. I remember i saw it somewhere online saying their release date is in April. So, just a few more weeks to go.
 
PBwoy - you are lucky to have a friend in Philips for that price. (It is a steal price for the quality).
 
I like the compatibility, built and sound of it. Hope this helps

 

[Nordwestlicht]

Just my two cents:
 
Without EQ the L1 sounds just bad compared to the CAL!.
It's some kind of veiled and to me, the 2KHz region has too much power, which makes it sound unnatural.
 
The CAL! sounds surprisingly well together with Pop-music.
Much more lively than the L1!
 
Comfort wise the L1 ist much better!
 
I think I'll sell my L1 very soon, because it can't surpass the combined power of HD800 (Jazz, Classical, Rock, etc.), HFI-580 (Games, Rock, Electro) and CAL! (Pop, Rock) in any way.
 
Than -after that- I'll just have to decide what to do with HD650, HD600, K701, DT880, D2000 and several other cans.
 
I think HD800, CAL! and HFI-580 is all I need to get the best out of all the music I use to listen to.
 
The L1 is no bad can, but it's also not good enough to stay.
 
But it's a personal matter of taste.

 

[Maxvla]

I agree completely with your L1 comments.

 

[WaLaoEh]

Quote:

Just my two cents:
 
Without EQ the L1 sounds just bad compared to the CAL!.
It's some kind of veiled and to me, the 2KHz region has too much power, which makes it sound unnatural.
 
The CAL! sounds surprisingly well together with Pop-music.
Much more lively than the L1!
 
Comfort wise the L1 ist much better!
 
I think I'll sell my L1 very soon, because it can't surpass the combined power of HD800 (Jazz, Classical, Rock, etc.), HFI-580 (Games, Rock, Electro) and CAL! (Pop, Rock) in any way.
 
Than -after that- I'll just have to decide what to do with HD650, HD600, K701, DT880, D2000 and several other cans.
 
I think HD800, CAL! and HFI-580 is all I need to get the best out of all the music I use to listen to.
 
The L1 is no bad can, but it's also not good enough to stay.
 
But it's a personal matter of taste.

How much burn-in have you got on the L1's? 
 
Really?? is the CAL or the L1 lighter?
 
 

 

[Defiant00]

Well, I decided to send mine back. I got them to replace my Shure SRH840s since I don't really need a set of closed cans, but they didn't really work for me.
 
I currently use the 840s for piano practice and occasionally to bring along when visiting family and such. While the plastic build and exposed little side wires have always concerned me a bit I haven't had any actual problems with them and really like how they sound. I also find that for long listening/practice sessions that after a while I end up with a sore spot on the top of my head due to the headband design. With that said, here are my general impressions compared to the L1s and why I chose not to keep them:
 

1. L1 has a better headband by far and feels nice and light. But the earcups feel a bit too small for my ears and I haven't been able to find a good comfortable position overall yet (took me a while for my other cans as well, so not a surprise in itself).
2. L1 has a lot more bass. For a Beats competitor this probably makes them about perfect, but as an audiophile headphone not as much. While I did try EQing them a bit, at no point did I really think they were better than the Shures, and honestly I don't want to bother with EQ when I can use the Shures without. The bass does make the L1s quite fun to listen to, but with a good bit of my music it changed the presentation enough that it just didn't feel exactly right.
3. L1 build quality is pretty phenomenal, although on my pair the small inside coiled wires rubbed against the aluminum part of the headband every time I rotated the earcups, and the cloth around them was already showing a bit of wear because of it. Overall though, the build quality of these is amazing even at $300.
4. Price, this was the biggest issue for me. Since I was going to only keep these or the 840s, this actually came down to selling the Shures used for $100-ish or returing these for a full $300 refund. And that for me was the biggest issue, that for my extra $200 I got better build quality but inferior sound quality (or extra hassle to get the sound quality up to similar levels). If I was more of a bass head I'm pretty sure these would be my new favorite cans, but for my taste I'm going to keep my money for now and enjoy the Shures.

 

[sfoclt]

I'm more curious now about the M1, as I really need a portable closed can.