"Not the most attractive headphone" - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... I think these are the BEST looking headphones on the market. Who wants lots of plastics and a "modern" look? These look classy and old-school.
Their design is pretty dope honestly. For me though, I think the HD 660S has the coolest/nicest design on a headphone (this applies to the 600-series really, but the 660S is THE looker to me lol).
I disagree about its limited music genre usage. I listened to all sorts of genres of music from classical, jazz, rock, hip hop to EDM, and these are very enjoyable on all of them. As a matter of fact, I find that they work universally well with every type of music genre, which most headphones tend to struggle with. They of course shine the most on bass heavy genres such as hip hop and EDM. They are absolutely not technical but just the most fun headphones I've ever tried. If you listen to music just for enjoyment and not analyze them, these can't be beat for the price.
@@bDz416 These headphones are what started my audiophile headphones journey! At the moment, I've gotten rid of the X2HR and my headphones are now the Audeze LCD-2 Classic. After trying a dozen headphones, it's probably the best end game headphones if you like the hard hitting bass and V-shaped sound signature of the X2HR. It corrects absolutely everything wrong with the X2HR (especially the sibilant and grainy treble) and sounds about 10 times better, including having incredible clarity and truly accurate bass reproduction. It makes the X2HR sound like $5 Walmart headphones. However, it's $800 compared to $150. So like I stated in my original comment, you absolutely cannot beat the X2HR for the sound quality it has for $150. If you are spending money in this range for headphones, there is literally no better choice. Fostex are on a whole another level (I didn't like them that much due to their closed nature), but also way more expensive.
@@sternkrieger1950 So would you say the Fostex T20's are better than the X2HR but not better than the LCD-2's? Keep in mind, here in Canada, the Fostex is going for around 400-500$, the Philips = 300$ and the Audeze - 800-1000+$ all on Amazon, so therefore my price range is more-so realistically ranging around the Philips & Focal for the best possible bass|clarity output @ that price point.
Hi, I have the X2s, and every time I decide to spend some time with them, I really like them. For half the price now, oh man it’s a steal. So worth. Great review man.
For gamers: Earlier this week (2nd week Nov 2019) I picked up the X2’s because they were cheap at 125$ USD instead of their original $300, and paired them against the pc37x, currently 100$ this week on drop. Testing method at the bottom. X2’s: have more clarity and cleaner bass, with a bigger soundstage but lack in positional audio compared to the 37x’s. These are open back. 37x’s: the 37x’s have ever so slightly more pronounced bass, albeit not as clean, and a little bit smaller soundstage but have noticably better positional audio in a side by side test. Theyre semi open back. For comfort: I was able to use both for extended periods with no discomfort, for reference, I have a medium sized head and large earlobes. My bigass ears fit nicely in both but touched the drivers on both if I didn’t adjust it right. With some tweaking to the position on my head, no drivers were felt. The clamping force on the 37x’s bothered me when I first got them but after a couple weeks they wear nicely, the X2’s have a very nice clamp. If your use is straight up gaming, get the 37x’s. The better positional audio is well worth the slight sacrifice in overal clarity. The 37x’s do well for music and make a great headset. they’re 100$ on drop rn and you really won’t be disappointed. For casual/immersive gaming I would go with the X2’s simply because of the better soundstage and better overall clarity. For 155$ (incl v moda boompro, 30$) they make a great Headphone/mic combo. For overal sound quality/immersion, I played 4hours straight, 8 sets of 30min play, of the same game back to back, swapping headphones each set. For competitive play (positional audio) I played OW comp (hardstuck 3700 pepehands) and played Modern warfare. Same method of swapping every 30 min. For the comfort test I did one day of full use (4-6 hours) and I cannot remember how they went because I had no complaints for either, Just a gamer gaming and enjoying it.
If Philips X2HR vs Sennheiser HD58X? I mostly use for casual listening music (rock, pop or edm), watching movies, anime and of course gaming. Not for mixing or editing. Does rock genre counts as warm sound signature? Cuz they said HD58X got this warm sound and I really don't know how exactly warm sound works.
『RΛIJINX』 a “warm sound signature” is a sound that tends to make the lower frequencies more pronounced and the highs are still present but toned back ever so slightly. For pop/edm I would want a warmer sounding headphone to get some good bass. I haven’t used the 58x but from what I’ve heard vs the x2, is that the X2 will probably serve you better for those genres. I really really enjoy them for edm, specifically future house (2012-2016 era future house was golden era for me). Overall a good headphone that has some deep CLEAN bass. If you just want a straight up answer, you won’t be disappointed with either, Just chose one and enjoy your music. The X2’s used to be a 300$ pair of headphones but now are ~125$ USD on amazon rn and the 58x are ~160 on drop. If you want more bass = X2’s If you want a more neutral sound = 58x
@@JisMortal i just got these X2's but im worried about the bass on mine. The bass doesn't "boom" like i was used to on my old headphones. I dont know if that's the right term but i've seen it been used as a negative term for bass. Does this mean my bass is good or is it bad? I'm used to cheap headsets and earbuds so I honestly don't know what good bass or headphones sound like
Fer DLC Fer DLC your probably used to “muddy” bass. Bass that just kinda thumps and shakes your ears whenever bass is present. The X2’s are clean bass my dude. It takes your ears a lil but to adjust. I felt that way too and so do many people when they upgrade to a set of quality headphones. It’s “audiophile bass” Wich means it’s clean, and detailed. You will get thump with a decent amp. But if you listen to your favorite songs you’ll hear the clean bass and when you switch to your old headphones it should be night and day. I would reccomend using them for a good 30 minutes, switch back to your old headphones and if you feel that you do like the thumpy bass then you can always send them back. I know what you mean, I was used to my air pods and thought they sounded pretty decent and when I first got these I was like “bass?? Is this what ALL the reviewers mean when they say these have a “TON” of bass? But once my ears adjusted it became abunduntly clear of what they meant. For straight up music, and that thump you may like, try a closed back set. there’s a pair of Sony WH-XB900n (or the xb-950b1 if you want the older version) they cost a little more, are Bluetooth, and definetly have ear shaking bass. They’re usually setup at best buy if you want to test them in person as well. As always check the reviews and decide for yourself if you want to buy them. Headphones are all preference, if you like more thump in your music then that’s just what you like, I would consider keeping the X2’s if you can because you get a pretty damn nice all around sounding headphones that have an emphasis on great, clean, bass.
I just purchased the 'HRs last week. I owned the 58X and these are way more enjoyable in my opinion. I'm not an audiophile. I just enjoy listening to quality sound and the 'HRs put a smile on my face. I listen to groups like the Clash, Zeppelin, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Foo Fighters, The Ramones, and Fear. All of them sound great on these cans. I also listen to classical and in my opinion, the 'H2s sound amazing as well. If you're considering these I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
Couldn't agree more. Bought the 58x to to see what all the hype was about and was completely disappointed. The Sennheisers just sounded lifeless. The X2s are right up there with the dt1990 pros as my all time favorite headphones.
@@777advent fell for the senn hype myself tried the 599's build quality like a child's toy. Sound wise yuck for me also.Than the next guy comes along & loves the sucker's !!
Agreed! Most Sennheisers really don't shine at anything other than vocals. They're essentially mid-centric pushed forward type of sound. Great vocal presentation, but that's about it. X2's provede more natural, balanced and spacious experience, and that added extra warmth is addictive.
About 4 months later. A family member didn't have decent headphones at the time and I didn't use them that much after receiving both the LCD2 and the Sennheiser HD800. Also got the Focal Elex, had almost all bases covered. So I saw an opportunity to make someone happy and to free up some space on my desk =)
I got these as a replacement to my HD6XX for gaming due to the HD6XX clamp force giving me headaches after 2 hours (1 year of ownership) and because these have the 3.5mm cable system which I'll be attaching a mic to. However, once I got these and spent some hours listening to them, I honestly love them just as much as my HD6XX.
Got X2HR's during BF sales. I really don't hear recessed midrange, sure it's not as forward and lush as sennheiser's, but it's enough to be enjoyable. Vocals are loud and clear without feeling as if coming from far. As for the bass that's definetly not a basshead headphone. It's got some grunt to it and plesent warmth, but it kicks less than my HD599. Overal what I like best in X2's is how great they're balanced, relaxed and at the same time quite precise in microdetail retrival. On top of that they're built like 500$+ headphones. I prefer them to 58X minus the vocals. They also easily beat SHP9500 in just about every aspect of sound. Soundstage is huge and you can definetly game with these, but for that particular job I prefer sennheisers because of they're maybe not as wide, but a little bit better positional accuracy.
Totally different cans in my opinion. Prefer X2's for musicality and overal more "audiophilness", wider soundstage. Sennheiser's HD599 have taller but narrower soundstage more tunel-like. They're also more mid-vocal centric straight in your head more aggresive type of sound. Fidelio's more relaxed, enjoyable better balanced. There's more music I enjoy with them, but for gaming and movies I prefer Sennheiser's, not by a big margin though... Overal I believe X's to be better headphone, not to mention built quality is stellar compared to all-plasticky squaky 599's
I just got my X2HR, compared to my Grado SR125 it quite surprisingly lacks the deeper bass. Didn't expect this since most people claim the X2HR it's for bassheads. They're comfortable though and soundstage is awesome - playing them with Demon's Souls remake is a real treat.
only "audiophiles" call these bass cans. For the average consumer they are neutral. Look at the frequenzy response. They have a small hump around 60Hz. But like any Open cans they lack in the 20-30Hz territory siginficantly. I got these too and they sound great. But if i want to rave to Techno, i prefer my bluetooth in ears to get that club sound.
@@Butzemann123 they have neutral mids but not a neutral headphones overall as a whole. It has elevated bass. If you have Sennheiser headphones like the 660s or 600 then you'll hear a big difference when it comes to bass between them over the X2HR. I own both the HD660s and the X2HR
@@xevus2959 like i said, for the average consumer (by that i mean coming from mass consumer products) they will sound pretty neutral. Just because they are bassier than 660s, doesnt mean they are bass heavy, because the 660s are simply bass light. Below 50HZ and you can say adios Bass. Of course we are all different in perceiving sound, so everyone has to find out for themselve anyway. For me its not just for EDM. When i listen to "Detach" by Hans Zimmer, i need to feel that rumbling in the silent parts. Thats where 30HZ are important. Again, just look at the frequency response, this is not just my subjective perception.
@@Butzemann123 idk what you mean by "for the average consumer." These are all consumer headphones. The X2HRs are $320 headphones original MSRP but can be bought for $150, the HD660s i had them on sale for $350, and the 650 are the same as the 6xx which goes for $220. X2hr has have neutral mids. That's the only thing that's neutral as the sound stage isn't considered neutral at all, as it's wider than most would consider natural.
I own approximately 15 headphone between 50 and 350$. These are my favourites for listening to everyday music and watching videos on RUclips, especially after I had changed the original earpads. I bought them about 3 years ago for 130$. Connected via a MOTU M4 USB interface and/or a Topping A50s.
Idk why people are expecting emphasis on bass with this pair of headphones. The Philips Fidelio X2(HR) are open-back headphones, hence the bass cannot achieve the level it would with a pair of close-back headphones.
@@youtubeuserdan4017 Bass sounding good is completely subjective. I too prefer a clearer bass, not punchy bc I don't listen to EDM or Hip Hop. This pair of headphones sounds quite good with the genres of music that I listen to 🙂. To me, these headphones' bass doesn't overpower mid and high, they sound quite balance to me.
I really liked the X2 headphones, and they were VERY comfortable, but to Joshua's point, they did attract dead skin flakes. I held onto these for a while as the sound really appealed to me until I discovered HIFIman and getting detailed sound without the shrill treble. The x2 reminded me of the Massdrop Fostex but much less expensive.
IDK, according to the frequency responses for X2HR and HE4XX they might be called V-shaped only after mid-focused Sennheisers, because measurements are pretty flat on both (especially X2HR)
Yeah, I'm somewhat confused about that part. I'm currently looking to get my first headphones for audio mixing/mastering without breaking the bank and these seem like a good option specifically because of their relatively accurate sound profile.
I love these, I got them for $175 used and very worth it at even that price. So comfortable and laid back. They kind of remind me of a dynamic driver version of the HE4XX; dark-ish sound, wide soundstage, but with little bass authority and texture. For headphones with bass slam and texture, I reach for 1More Triple Driver Tridents ("over" ear)
I've owned both the X2, SHP 9500, and HD58x. I now only own the HD58x. I completely agree with this review. Almost everything Josh says is very accurate to my impression of the sound signatures. If you are in the market to buy a new headphone in the $150 price range, just do yourself a favor and get the HD58x. I did and I never regretted it. Coming from someone who owned the SHP 9500 for several years, the SHP 9500 are probably the best studio monitoring headphones in the budget price range (less than $100). High clarity, very neutral sounding, large sound stage, little to no distortion. However for me there are 2 things I thought were always lacking, bass response and sibilance (if your unaware of sibilance, its when the treble becomes too high and can sound piercing and hurt your ears). Naturally I looked at the step up within the Phillips line up. So I bought the X2HR. Unfortunately, the X2 sounds completely different from the SHP 9500, almost exactly as described in this video. Very V shaped, the mids are recessed almost like the drummer and the guitarist are in the same room with you but the vocalist is singing in the room next to you. Basically if your a fan of the SHP 9500, you will like the HD58x a lot more. It keeps all of the good aspects of the 9500, but adds a little bit more low end punch, but with added clarity to the low ends. I want to emphasize the clarity and resolution with the bass response. The best way I could describe this is if a drummer hit the kick bass and the snare at the same time, you could distinctly separate the two from one another even when played at the same exact time. A lot of headphones may muddy the 2 sound signatures together. The HD58x also fixes the issue of sibilance for me, but again the clarity and resolution is not loss even though the highs are slightly subdued. To be clear the HD58x adds a modest amount of bass and not a lot more compared to the SHP 9500. On a scale of 1 - 10 for bass: if the 9500 is a 3, the HD58x is a 6, the X2 is a 7.5 to me. And just for comparison, skull candy crushers would be a 10 (I own the bluetooth skull candy crushers).
To me the 58x sounds like its pretty close to neutral while the X2 is more on the warm maybe slightly woolly side. But for an everyday listen since I listen to almost every genre the 58x left me severely missing bass impact even for classical with cello and bass but then that's the case with most stuff audiophiles seem to like. And I wouldn't say I'm a bass head. I'm a freaking flute and piccolo player for crying out loud treble doesn't bother me. Haven't found something that just works for me out of the box. So far dt990s with the treble spike EQ'd has been the closest to hitting that awwwwe spot.
@@oddfellow933 I think the SHP 9500 has better sound stage. I can remember pin pointing the distance of someone trying to run up on me in a FPS game like CSGO. SHP9500 also has good imaging. HD58x is not to far behind IMO. Put simply HD58x is good for gaming, but great at listening to music. While SHP 9500 is great for gaming, but just okay for listening to music. Also again the SHP 9500 lacks significant bass, which also makes playing games less immersive when you hear an explosion ect. Overall SHP 9500 has slightly better imaging (determining where the direction of the sound is coming from) and better sound stage (the distance at which you perceive the sound is away from you). Everything else I would give my vote to the HD58x. Also again I like to stress clarity and resolution. I never could appreciate how crisp and resolving the sound of some of my favorite songs were until I first listened to my HD58x. Imaging on a scale of 1 - 10: SHP 9500 is a 8, 58x is a 7. Sound stage 1 - 10: SHP 9500 is a 8, 58x is a 6.
@@oddfellow933 With my Beyerdynamic dt990s and HeSuVi turned on I cannot immediately tell whether I'm hearing them or my Vanatoo T0s which have crazy good sound stage to the point you will know if your monitor is off center by like an inch or two. And I end up having to check my audio source EVERY TIME. For competitive gaming treble response is desired for footsteps. Dt990s have waaay too much of that for music out of the box. But with EQ if you aren't a purist assuming you get the 600ohm version and amp them correctly they have enough bass to almost shake off your friggin skull. X2s kinda actually remind me of the Sennheiser 58x jubilee headphones but even more on the warm side, not as refined, and with a wider sound stage. So X2s would be better than 58Xs for gaming but I think the dt990s would be miles better still and they should be around the same price so long as you are willing to put some work into amp pairing and EQing. Out of the box they would be pretty great for competitive gaming. I personally however can't fathom how someone can trade out the rumble of explosions for the pitter patter of footsteps so if that's you you are going to want a powerful ass amp that naturally takes the edge off of the treble and provides a fuck ton of headroom for EQing the treble down and the bass up. Take this with a grain of salt. Beyerdynamic has a very polarizing sound (sounds like shit right out of the box) and most audiophile types absolutely loath EQing. Of course they'll then rave about DSP which is the same damn thing just using calibrated mics instead of twiddling around with sliders manually , which you can do the same thing with headphones so long as your model has had a frequency response recording done with a super expensive binaural headphone mic. Although there is a way to do it with just a frequency response graph but its not as accurate.
I don't know if this review do these headphones justice. The bass rivals my HD800S (still way louder and a bit less refined but that's expected) and they blow the LCD-2Cs out of the water in terms of comfort, detail and especially sub-bass. They're a true worth while contrasting but also competing headphones to my 1500 dollar sennheisers and for literally 1/10th of the price they're a steal.
I definitely do not find that verses the 2c, but Audeze driver variance is a bit of a problem.. X2 have the most mid-bass hump out of my collection for sure, though.
Gary Chen The X2s have that weight, detail and width that the LCD-2Cs and HD58Xs certainly don't have. The LCD-2Cs in particular just sound like there's a vibrating phone stuck in your ear which makes parts of certain songs inaudible. Kinda defeats the purpose of a 700-800 dollar headphone if they're worse than most things under 200 bucks. The HD800S might be in a league of its own when it comes to detail but the bass extension is comparable, which is still very impressive.
@Gary Chen You're probably confusing bass with sennheiser mids being pushed forward to extreme. 58X is a very mid-centric headphone that really cannot compete with X2's on anything other than vocals.
i realize the price has dropped significantly on this headphone in the last few months due to the Fidelio X3 hitting in January (for $350), but noted below, this was their $300 flagship model -- you talk about it in the review like it was manufactured as a value option. Also, as was noted in the Inner Fidelity review the sound signature is fairly neutral and not necessarily bass forward -- philips has just found a way to retain the bass on a open backed headphone where most are bass anemic.
@@_fatalruinNo, he's talking about it as is, for the price it is at the time of the video release. That's all that matters, not what it came out as at launch.
@@Nonx47 I think you are missing my point. The X2's were a good value at $300, and were not made to cut corners. I think his review is biased with the belief that they were made as a value proposition to target the $150 market (or at least it came off that way). So ultimately, $150 is a steal.
@@_fatalruin I think you're misunderstanding the fact that he thinks it's good at $150, but it would be a pretty bad buy at $300 and I agree with that. I have a pair, they're okay. They're fun, but they're not good for gaming compared to many others for less, and they really are muddy. They have fun bass, but for $300?? No way. I have a pair of beyerdynamic TYGR 300R that I got for $170 brand new and they WIPE the floor with the X2's. I even went ahead and got them modded so I can have a detachable cable for $70, and that's still less than these were at full price. I'd rate the X2 as a good buy at around $120, but even $150... Idk man. There are so many better things out there.
I bought it last Month(X2HR) and it has Imo not that much bass, not more than my Beyerdynamic Dt 880 and i disegree here with Josh on Sound, its smooth but really rich of details and you have allmost a 3D Sound. The Soundstage is really good and the middles are not so good as my Beyer 880 but still pretty good. You have to think when the Headphone came out it cost almost 400€. The Pads are really magnets for all kind of things. But i would not recomend listening without a Amp, with a Phone it does not Sound very good, but with a good Amp its a Beast.
Excellent Accurate Review! I own or have owned all four and agree with your comparisons. Many X2HR owners are incredulous when I tell them I like the 9500 better. but the X2HR was just too fun for me....I understand why some people like it...kind of Beats for Grown ups. The other three: 9500, 58X, and 4XX are much more accurate, which I prefer. My go-to phones of the group are the 9500s with better (Shure) pads, but I can see how others would differ on this and they are all amazingly good phones for the money.
How's 58X more accurate for having mid-centric pushed forward type of sound? That's rather far from accurate. Great at vocal presentation but that's about it just barely ok at everything else and not even close to X2. X2's have much better detail, wider soundstage, better stereo imaging, tighter better controlled bass than SHP9500
I think people should talk more about just using eq, cause I did feel the 9500 were too bright out of the box, but made them pretty much ideal to my taste by just moving a couple db in software...
Yep, no headphone has a perfect frequency response, but with EQ it can become pretty much perfect. The closer it is to that, the easier it is to equalize. And the results are indeed amazing.
YESSSS! Comment of the year award right here. Jeezus fuck I am so tired of ending up with stuff that at least to my ears sounds like garbage albeit highly highly detailed garbage because I listened to the advice of an audiophile. Case in point audiophiles will shit on EQing but then rave about DSP room corrections. Its the same fucking thing but the later is automated through the use of a calibrated mic. You can do the exact same shit for headphones!
@@gatticusfpv3174 yeah...audiophiles are like ignorant wanna be audio engineers guided by "feelings" instead of facts. real audio pros know eq is where it's at.
@@WillJukedTheBox Nice! How does it compare to using something like Equalizer APO or Viper? Always wanted to try something more commercial but I have definitely found not all equalization software is equal and didn't want to take the risk buying something I would never use.
If your a metal head or EDM fan, the X2s are awesome. I have had mine for 4 years and I always go back to them when I just want to jam out. Doom 2016 sound track on these is a thing of beauty!
SatanDynastyKiller not really a tool fan so I couldn’t comment, the bass they use in their songs would sound good and their music has a pretty wide soundstage so maybe?
I have a skull candy crusher ANC. which is a fun headphone that has Lots of bass. i listen to edm. do you think a switch from a headset that had lots of bass to x2HR would be a good option?
@@EggwonMusk when I say they have good bass, I mean the bass delivery is smooth and clean and not overly punchy. I have not listened to the skull candy stuff but I would guess it most likely would be a good upgrade.
@@exarkunn69 yeah I got them this morning, the bass is clear and clean. but they definitely don't compete with the skull candy crusher ANC when it comes to punchy bass. but I do like them. the vocals don't get washed out and they don't sound muddy like the ANC. They are clearly in a class of their own.
When I was looking for hifi headphones with very good wear comfort... I found many people saying Fidelio... a lot. Have to say... they are not wrong. Where Fidelio has a little trick up its sleeve tho: they are average. You might be thinking why would anyone want an average sound quality? But you are not getting just average... you are getting carefully engineered average. Where the Fidelio has a V or Valley shaped response... a typical human ear has a Hill shaped sensitivity. The practical outcome of overlapping both is a perceived neutral curve with an extended response. This approach allows you to enjoy audio longer because you dont experience as much hearing fatigue as with a more technically "flat" curve headphones. As for the look and design: ehh, after you put them on your head you wont see them. Tho the design has that regal look. Refined classic with a sprinkle of luxury. So yeah... I think the Fidelio is an average pair of headphones. And thats what make it unique...
Do you use your X2HR's with an DAC/amp? Its my first "hi-fi" headphone and want to bring the most out of it for music, gaming and movies. For example pair it with a soundblaster X3. But I just don't know if the jump will be that noticable?
@@Obito_RL No amps. Specifically looked for regular ones that dont need amps. More links you put in between the source and headphones is a potential point of distortion. Also, "bringing out the best" is very very subjective. Down to your own ears, experiences with different headphones, compression styles etc. This is not a disclaimer, its simple facts. Nobody else has your hearing...
These are gonna be my next purchase for sure!! I really need something fun for behind the PC. The AKG 712Pro I have now are great for movies I noticed. But are more for lazy music sessions or when I need something light. Luckily I already have the Senheisser PC37x for gaming. I always wanted Fidelio headphones for the longest time and these are Hi-Res 40KHz . I don't want to get back to non Hi-Res headphones and earbuds. It's also nice for music sessions on mobile since they are easily driveable. Very nice objective review Joshua!
I have these! Wouldn't call them bass head though rather just on the warm side with decent kick some people might complain about wool =). My dt990s with some EQ thump waaaay harder. They just aren't the typical hifi tuning which to me sounds like a shit ton of treble sparkle giving a false sense of detail while completely lacking bass. Case in point Sundaras. Amazing detail but if you listen to a binaural recording of them that switches to the original track you realize there's detail that shouldn't be there making the sundaras sound downright tinny and lifeless. I don't mind detail but only if it's pleasant. I guess I'm not an audiophile even though I own like 20 or more pairs of headphones because I while I love my X2s I immediately put them down after EQing the treble spike on the dt990s. Why the fuck do audiophiles not like EQing when in a lot of cases you can take a really affordable pair of cans and with a minimal amount of adjustment make them sound as pleasing if not more so than a lot of high end stuff? Maybe my ears are just shit? But I don't think so since I play the flute and treble itself does not bother me. But almost anytime I rely on an audiophile review I end up with something that has like 0 bass and has so much treble detail it sounds like there's a tiny cricket orchestra playing behind the big one unless of course they label them as BASSHEAD. Even though for true bassheads a pair of ultrasones matched with an amp that has a shit ton of headroom is almost a must. I mean my little vanatoo computer speakers deliver more of an audible thump than a lot of these hifi headphones.
I would have to agree with you that audiophiles like treble more than bass. Josh definitely likes his audio gear to be extra bright. I remember when he reviewed the kanto tuk. He praised the treble on it and said it revealed a lot, but Joe an tell showed that they were very bright. I wish more audiophiles used measurements more when they review something.
I tried to eq my 6xx and i failed to change it for the sound i want but my 4xx i just can make it sound as i want with a lil eq. The thing is not every headphone is able to accept the eq. It depends on THD of the headphones. That's why i would prefer planar drivers over any dynamic drivers . The only two headphones i would really recommend are 4xx and arya and nothing else
@@davidmason8212 Oh for sure some headphones EQ really well others are stubborn. And of course you aren't going to completely get rid of headphone's sound signature. But I find its worth it on headphones you are overall happy with but just have a problem area in the frequency response.
theyre on sale rn for 61% off on amazon, picking them up for a christmas present, hope the person likes them, could be really good value for money if they do. they currently have skullcandy crushers so im sure they wont mind the base hump lmao
What were you listening to these through? I was never satisfied by them. I got rid of my X2's to repurchase a pair of shp9500, which I really missed the mids and highs of. Originally at the time, the x2 was on offer for same price as 9500 and I was torn between the two... Kept the x2 even though I knew I enjoyed the 9500 more 🤦🏼♂️ Now I'm exploring what can beat my 9500... 💸💸💸 Headphones are dangerous 😂
@@alphaandliarize You're not gonna get quality bass from a cheap open back headphone. You're cheapest option would be like a Fostex T50RP for $160 and a good $100 amplifier like the JDS Labs Atom.
I got a pair of these for $140CAD from Newegg Canada. I'm very pleased with them. I use them mainly for gaming, the bass it puts out is great. I recommend some EQ though, it makes it a great headphone.
Thank for the review, I own these and use them for gaming and general use. Plan to to get a new pair for music/video editing and been looking at the DT 1990 Pro. How would you compare these to the DT 1990 Pro ? Thanx !
DT 1990 Pro is on a completely different level. I have both. I'd say that X2s are definitely more "fun" but if I want to listen to quality recordings I go for the 1990s every time.
X2s brought me to this hobby. If I had started with 4xx I wouldn't be here watching all these reviews. HE6XX may also had opened my eyes. X2 is not a TOTL for sure, but this is a hell of a HP if you never tried open back HPs. X2s will always be my recommendation for someone starting on the hobby, more so if the focus is on gaming.
Same for me--the X2s were my first "audiophile" headphones. They were released with a MSRP around $300 and were generally considered a bargain at that price; IIRC I paid just under $200 on Amazon almost three years ago. At under $150, they are a steal. After listening to this review, I pulled them out for the first time in a long time and they sounded better than I remembered. (I listened with SMSL SU-8 and THX 789, pretty solid upgrades since I last used the X2s.) They are not really in the same class as my newer phones--Focal Elex, Sennheiser HD 700, Hifiman 400i) but still fun. And their build quality is far better than all these except the Elex.
In my opinion the V-Moda m100 are the best professional DJ headphones and audiophile headphones with great sounding "CLEAN" Bass. Great all around headphones. They have great sound quality with enough bass to listen to hip hop, techno, pop, rock and they do great at everything.
I bought these ones 2 months ago. I really liked them but the form factor is too big for my head and soundstage are not as good i expected. The built quality is amazing though. But a week ago i bought the Koss KPH30i. The sound quality is mind blowing, it put a smile on me everytime I ear an album, play PS4 (yes they have a mic) or watch a movie, and the look and fit is perfect for me. Also I replaced the pads with the YAXI ones and the change is remarkable. I'm using them with the FiiO BTR3 Bluetooth Amp and the combo is godlike. And they cost only $30! I'm really thinking of selling the Philips.
Between the Sennheiser HD6XX and X2HR, I ultimately love the X2HR more. Using the JDS Atom Stack and I swear the range of bass, mids, treble feel much cleaner and wider than the 6XX
Thank you, I had these and agree with your assessment. Fantastic for the price and was my first proper introduction to the headphone world. I urge anyone starting out to pick up these.
Do you use your X2HR's with an DAC/amp? Its my first "hi-fi" headphone and want to bring the most out of it for music, gaming and movies. For example pair it with a soundblaster X3. But I just don't know if the jump will be that noticable?
@@Obito_RL My opinion for what its worth is that it will not add that much to these headphones, playing from a smartphone should bring out at least 90% of there potential and if your not at all happy with sound your money would be best spent on better headphones.
Have you tried dt990s with treble spike EQ'd? I was super happy with my X2s for EDM until I got my dt990s dialed in. Wow just wow was all I could say. You can literally feel your pads slap into the side of your head the bass impact is so strong and clearly they don't lack highs either. And with the treble spike smoothed out the mids while not as strong are definitely not recessed sounding at least to my ears. Even over the course of a day I will usually end up listening to most genres so I think I would notice if the mids sounded hollow or distant. Even for classical I really appreciate some bass impact. If you are sitting right next to a bass or cello player you are going to feel that sucker vibrate. Something like the Sundaras on the other hand sound like they have an unnatural amount of detail without any of the life or soul of the music. And it would seem that is how most gear that is highly rated by audiophiles sounds to my ears. My rha ma750s were the same way although they were laid back and non-fatiguing enough I could give them more of a passing grade.
@@Mr.Deeds. They are the premiums in the 600 ohm version. The treble spike is like around 8-10k and is super annoying. It will need that band pulled waaay down like 10-15db for. Might loose a bit of treble clarity but transients still sound good and more clear, to me at least, than the X2s. If you are running off a PC this can be done easily with Equalizer APO and the Peace plugin or tone controls like the Schiit Loki if you are going analogue. Being 600 ohms and with all the EQing you are going to need a beast of an amp for good headroom. I'd say at least 800mw-1w into 600 ohms. My amp does 400 at that resistance and I would prefer just a tad more headroom. Luckily that's not as hard to do on the cheap these days. So they have a finicky setup and will require more investment in gear. But for an under $200 pair of cans I feel like they scale remarkably well as you upgrade electronics.
While sound, to a certain degree, is subjective; I bought this as a gaming headphone for my son, and I have to say - owning the Oppo PM1, the HD650 and the LCD-X - the Fidelio is bar none the most comfortable headphone I´ve ever tried.
These were better for gaming than most headphones I tried until I found my Focal Clears. They are super wide and fun for gaming. They were better than some of the thousand dollar headphones I tried. They are a STEAL at this price. They used to be 300.
Great video. I've owned both the SHP9500's and briefly tried out the X2HR's. I returned the X2HR's because I found the highs a bit to sibilant. I currently own a pair of Senheiser HD660s and love them but use EQ to increase highs and lows ever so slightly. I might have to try the 4xx from your recommendation.
I was thinking about getting 660S, but after my experience with both 58X and 650 I fear these are basically same thing, which is mid-centric type of sound with vocals pushed forward. Much prefer X2's as they lean on more natural balance with huge soundstage and great stereo separation. Sennheiser are great at vocals but that's about it.
After reading and researching a lot, ive come to the conclussion that everybody needs not one but at least 2 or 3 headphones with different signature...
I got an early version of the X2 and the pads are fine, Instead, there''s wear on the headband, and I can see in time adding a cloth or knit wrap to keep it going.
This and the Dekoni Blue would make a GREAT comparison video for gaming, especially since they're both V Moda Boom Pro compatible. Yes, I use a V Moda with the Blue lol
I had the 58x and just got the fidelio x2hr. It comes tomorrow and I mostly game and listen to instrumental music. I loved the 58x vocals they sound so good! I found that the treble was really sharp and the sound direction wasn't so great.
@@wasabimane Hard to say, If I had both I'd do the 58x for gaming that requires precision of sound and vocals and the x2hr for everything else. If I had to choose one probably the X2hr just for the comfort and ease of maintenance.
I have the Hifiman HE4XX, the Fidelio X2HR and a Seinnheiser HD598 (it's not the HD58X, ok) and others from Beyerdynamic, etc. The Hifiman disappointed me so much that I decided to sell it. Flat and narrow sound scene, anemic low frequencies (but beautiful) , lack of details, very pretty low mids but too much forward according to my tastes. I never had fun with the Sennheiser. Mediums too strong, less beautiful than on the Hifiman in my opinion but nice sound stage. It really is not a fun helmet. Its only advantage is to be very comfortable. As for the Fidelio, I believe that no headphones have suited me so much. Fantastic low frequencies, superb sound stage. I take incredible pleasure with. When I put my Hifiman back to compare them, I felt like I was listening to headphones for € 50. I spent a week in the evening trying to understand the sound of the HE4XX, without succeeding. He left to make someone else happy, I hope.
Why not? I mean you'd never know unless you try. That kind of mindset is what prevents people from succeeding in life. Just work hard and you'll be able to do what he does.
I have an X2hr and I wasn't too sure about it at first. I felt like the potential was there but something was missing. A few weeks later, I changed the pads to the Dekoni Choice Suede X2hr pads and paired them with a Fiio K5 dac/amp combo at 2 gain (no sure what level, just have the switch on the 2 dot level haha) and now it's amazing. I still wouldn't recommend them for general RUclips videos with a lot of talking as there are sharp spikes but for Metal, Rock, EDM, Bass and Chill music, they have been fantastic after the upgrade.
Finally I thought you would never review the legendary philips sph9500 legendary bigger brother, as the Fidelio HDRX3 are almost out. they also react to eq well and have a heck of a lot less plastic than sennheiser 5 and 6 series. this are for enjoying music not mixing mastering and dissecting music. Now if you only can get your hand on the Phillips Fidelio L2, which is semi open, with slightly less bass, slightly more treble, more intimate sound stage. As with all philips headphones they are very easy to mod and change their sound with dacs amps and earpads. Older X series I believed did not use plastic earcups. The X1, X2, X2 gibson, and latest x2hdr have been reported to have different sound signatures.
This is the first review regarding the X2HRs that I find balanced. The other ones I watched regarding these headphones were either too enthusiastic or too critical from my perspective. I recently bought a pair of these and I completely agree with your review. I think I will return them, at this price range I could compromise with their recessed mids, but I found them just too heavy, especially when listening for long periods of time (1 hour for example). Thanks for this review!
For some reason there are dozens of people selling their HD600 after buying X2's. No headphone is without flaws, but there's something special about fidelio's people want to listen to them more than some highly acclaimed and several times more expensive cans.
How would you say the bass on these compare to the argons? I just ordered some argons, and i've actually heard these before (unlike the argons). For that reason, it'd be great to hear a comparison from someone who's heard both :)
@@zblus I prefer the Argon T60RP for everything. Only flaw is brightly-mastered tracks (Revel in Your Time by Gunship is my go-to test track for this) are fatiguing at high volume - brighter than the X2. Otherwise a clear winner over the X2 with the right amping. The Argon Mk3 is supposed to be even better on bass and gentler on treble.
It should be noted the pins that hold the heavy ear cups to the headband are made of plastic and will snap at the base of the ear cup. this is not covered under the warranty by philips. beware, or you will have an expensive paperweight.
Looking for advice to buy me a new pair of cans. I own Grado´s SR80e, Philips´ 9600, ATH-M40X, and Sony¨s WH-1000XM3. My music of preference is Prog Rock (Steven Wilson, Tool, Dream Theater, Rush, and PF) and occasionally listen to Classic Jazz (Miles, Coltrane, Nina). Currently considering upgrading to more "audiophile" headphones, such as HD 660S, ATH R70X, Beyer 880, and Philips Hi-Res Fidelio X2HR. Would appreciate your feedback. BTW, this is a great channel, man!
10:35 THANK YOU. Too many reviewers don't differentiate like this. Just because I love one headphone for one reason doesn't mean I don't love others for different reasons.
Not had a pair of open back headphones before and I saw these in Amazon's Spring sale at £70. At that price you can't lose. I listen to a variety of rockish music and I don't find the bass excessive. Neither are the vocals recessed.
Comparing the KSC75 which are also open-back, how would you rank them with the SHP9500, 668B, X2HR, and 58X or 4XX? I was personally going for the 668B or Samson SR850 to be used also for games but I thought to save more for SHP9500 or for the next step up with with 58X?
Headphones for movies: I'm using cheap DAC and my Bose QC35s and I'm quite happy with it. Is it worth buying X2s? Will I notice the difference? Maybe new SHP 9600s? Same price for me.
Great video, love the comparisons to others in the price range. Recently upgraded my 9500s to the 6xx’s and feel like that was also a nice upgrade in all respects, but I’ve never heard the 58x unfortunately. I just had the opportunity to get either the 58x or 6xx for basically the same price so went with the traditionally more expensive pair.
58X is a lesser headphone than 6XX. They have driver derived from HD5-series so you can get HD599 for 99$ on discount. Basically same headphone with better soundstage.
Bruh was this dude high when making this review? How are these bass head headphones, the sub bass region sounds and looks (did my own measurements using binaural mics) pretty low and I'm not even a basshead myself. And about the V shape, the frequency response follows the Harman curve pretty spot on so these should sound pretty flat to people. I am noticing that your reviews can be very in accurate sometimes. I also watched your review of the AKG 712 pro and you said that they're not good for mixing(which they are).
It's not the fact that he was was so called "high", but how every person on this earth hears a bit differently and can make out sounds in specific ways you may not or I may not for that matter. f you think they are good for mixing then by all means whos to say you're wrong? only you can decide if a product is for you. Just next time dont be so rude to this guy, He's only trying to warn people of potential misconnection's of this headphone.
Hello and thank you for this review. I am on the fence with these two headphones so it helped a lot. There was one thing I'm a bit unclear on. At 7.30 you compared the imaging and soundspace and I think you were saying the 9500 was better but I wasn't sure. Would you be kind enough to clarify please?
When I first listened to these headphones, I thought they hardly had any bass whatsoever. Did I get a defective unit? The Fidelio X2HR I got /27 model.
where did you plug them?, my AKG studio sounds like crap on cheap cellphones and stunishing from other world in a good amp, so is not only the headphones.
I've had the X2s for about four years and they are fantastic. However they have a weak point, the two small screws under the metal ring on the drivers where the headband connects with two metal tubes. Can't be fixed without a design change.
I love the look of the X2 and nearly balked on the X3 for their more modern and delicate look. However, I find the X3 a far superior version, much lighter on the head, far superior soundstage and dynamics, the X2 make everything sound compressed in comparison. They have a very similar treble response however the detail retrieval on the X3 is superior thanks to the very improved dynamics and localization imo. The X2 is too forward and compressed sounding for my taste, and you aren’t missing anything in the bass department with the increased performance everywhere else on the X3.
I have seen your review of the monoprice m1060, i like metal, jazz, classic music, but also i am a basshead. Wich one is the Best for me, i mean, fidelio or the monoprice m1060? Wich one has the Best sound stage and image?
I bought new for $140 I tried it on the train ride (with Moto G Power 5G 2023) and I was blown away Huge but pretty comfortable. Good sensitivity for smartphone Well balanced across frequency
I need to know how these compare to the Sony MDRXB650s? I fucking love bass and ever since they broke due to poor build quality I have been scouting what's next.
"Not the most attractive headphone" - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... I think these are the BEST looking headphones on the market. Who wants lots of plastics and a "modern" look? These look classy and old-school.
I also love the design of it.
Well if that what you thinks, cool
Their design is pretty dope honestly. For me though, I think the HD 660S has the coolest/nicest design on a headphone (this applies to the 600-series really, but the 660S is THE looker to me lol).
I have the X2HR, comfy, sturdy, sexy. Like a thick latina.
Agreed, it looks vintage, yet also modern and industrial
I disagree about its limited music genre usage. I listened to all sorts of genres of music from classical, jazz, rock, hip hop to EDM, and these are very enjoyable on all of them. As a matter of fact, I find that they work universally well with every type of music genre, which most headphones tend to struggle with. They of course shine the most on bass heavy genres such as hip hop and EDM. They are absolutely not technical but just the most fun headphones I've ever tried. If you listen to music just for enjoyment and not analyze them, these can't be beat for the price.
100% agree on this one. It's all about the enjoyment of listening to music
Sounds like 1 i'm gonna try to cop...it's already been a top 3 on my radar for my next pair of 🎧 versus the Fostex TH600 and or 900 Massdrop editions.
@@bDz416 These headphones are what started my audiophile headphones journey!
At the moment, I've gotten rid of the X2HR and my headphones are now the Audeze LCD-2 Classic. After trying a dozen headphones, it's probably the best end game headphones if you like the hard hitting bass and V-shaped sound signature of the X2HR. It corrects absolutely everything wrong with the X2HR (especially the sibilant and grainy treble) and sounds about 10 times better, including having incredible clarity and truly accurate bass reproduction. It makes the X2HR sound like $5 Walmart headphones. However, it's $800 compared to $150.
So like I stated in my original comment, you absolutely cannot beat the X2HR for the sound quality it has for $150. If you are spending money in this range for headphones, there is literally no better choice. Fostex are on a whole another level (I didn't like them that much due to their closed nature), but also way more expensive.
@@sternkrieger1950 So would you say the Fostex T20's are better than the X2HR but not better than the LCD-2's?
Keep in mind, here in Canada, the Fostex is going for around 400-500$, the Philips = 300$ and the Audeze - 800-1000+$ all on Amazon, so therefore my price range is more-so realistically ranging around the Philips & Focal for the best possible bass|clarity output @ that price point.
Personally I think this is one of the best looking designs out there- a cool industrial look- which is why I bought the X2s..
Hi, I have the X2s, and every time I decide to spend some time with them, I really like them. For half the price now, oh man it’s a steal. So worth. Great review man.
For gamers:
Earlier this week (2nd week Nov 2019) I picked up the X2’s because they were cheap at 125$ USD instead of their original $300, and paired them against the pc37x, currently 100$ this week on drop. Testing method at the bottom.
X2’s: have more clarity and cleaner bass, with a bigger soundstage but lack in positional audio compared to the 37x’s. These are open back.
37x’s: the 37x’s have ever so slightly more pronounced bass, albeit not as clean, and a little bit smaller soundstage but have noticably better positional audio in a side by side test. Theyre semi open back.
For comfort:
I was able to use both for extended periods with no discomfort, for reference, I have a medium sized head and large earlobes. My bigass ears fit nicely in both but touched the drivers on both if I didn’t adjust it right. With some tweaking to the position on my head, no drivers were felt.
The clamping force on the 37x’s bothered me when I first got them but after a couple weeks they wear nicely, the X2’s have a very nice clamp.
If your use is straight up gaming, get the 37x’s. The better positional audio is well worth the slight sacrifice in overal clarity. The 37x’s do well for music and make a great headset. they’re 100$ on drop rn and you really won’t be disappointed.
For casual/immersive gaming I would go with the X2’s simply because of the better soundstage and better overall clarity.
For 155$ (incl v moda boompro, 30$) they make a great Headphone/mic combo.
For overal sound quality/immersion, I played 4hours straight, 8 sets of 30min play, of the same game back to back, swapping headphones each set.
For competitive play (positional audio) I played OW comp (hardstuck 3700 pepehands) and played Modern warfare. Same method of swapping every 30 min.
For the comfort test I did one day of full use (4-6 hours) and I cannot remember how they went because I had no complaints for either, Just a gamer gaming and enjoying it.
If Philips X2HR vs Sennheiser HD58X? I mostly use for casual listening music (rock, pop or edm), watching movies, anime and of course gaming. Not for mixing or editing. Does rock genre counts as warm sound signature? Cuz they said HD58X got this warm sound and I really don't know how exactly warm sound works.
『RΛIJINX』 a “warm sound signature” is a sound that tends to make the lower frequencies more pronounced and the highs are still present but toned back ever so slightly. For pop/edm I would want a warmer sounding headphone to get some good bass.
I haven’t used the 58x but from what I’ve heard vs the x2, is that the X2 will probably serve you better for those genres. I really really enjoy them for edm, specifically future house (2012-2016 era future house was golden era for me). Overall a good headphone that has some deep CLEAN bass.
If you just want a straight up answer, you won’t be disappointed with either, Just chose one and enjoy your music. The X2’s used to be a 300$ pair of headphones but now are ~125$ USD on amazon rn and the 58x are ~160 on drop.
If you want more bass = X2’s
If you want a more neutral sound = 58x
@@JisMortal i just got these X2's but im worried about the bass on mine. The bass doesn't "boom" like i was used to on my old headphones. I dont know if that's the right term but i've seen it been used as a negative term for bass. Does this mean my bass is good or is it bad? I'm used to cheap headsets and earbuds so I honestly don't know what good bass or headphones sound like
@@JisMortal it doesn't rumble is what I mean, is there something wrong with my pair or do i just need an amp?
Fer DLC Fer DLC your probably used to “muddy” bass. Bass that just kinda thumps and shakes your ears whenever bass is present.
The X2’s are clean bass my dude. It takes your ears a lil but to adjust. I felt that way too and so do many people when they upgrade to a set of quality headphones.
It’s “audiophile bass” Wich means it’s clean, and detailed. You will get thump with a decent amp. But if you listen to your favorite songs you’ll hear the clean bass and when you switch to your old headphones it should be night and day. I would reccomend using them for a good 30 minutes, switch back to your old headphones and if you feel that you do like the thumpy bass then you can always send them back.
I know what you mean, I was used to my air pods and thought they sounded pretty decent and when I first got these I was like “bass?? Is this what ALL the reviewers mean when they say these have a “TON” of bass? But once my ears adjusted it became abunduntly clear of what they meant.
For straight up music, and that thump you may like, try a closed back set. there’s a pair of Sony WH-XB900n (or the xb-950b1 if you want the older version) they cost a little more, are Bluetooth, and definetly have ear shaking bass. They’re usually setup at best buy if you want to test them in person as well. As always check the reviews and decide for yourself if you want to buy them.
Headphones are all preference, if you like more thump in your music then that’s just what you like, I would consider keeping the X2’s if you can because you get a pretty damn nice all around sounding headphones that have an emphasis on great, clean, bass.
I still have the X1 I got for half the price, absolute juggernauts of build quality and one of the most fun headphones I heard
I just purchased the 'HRs last week. I owned the 58X and these are way more enjoyable in my opinion. I'm not an audiophile. I just enjoy listening to quality sound and the 'HRs put a smile on my face. I listen to groups like the Clash, Zeppelin, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Foo Fighters, The Ramones, and Fear. All of them sound great on these cans. I also listen to classical and in my opinion, the 'H2s sound amazing as well. If you're considering these I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
Couldn't agree more. Bought the 58x to to see what all the hype was about and was completely disappointed. The Sennheisers just sounded lifeless. The X2s are right up there with the dt1990 pros as my all time favorite headphones.
@@777advent fell for the senn hype myself tried the 599's build quality like a child's toy. Sound wise yuck for me also.Than the next guy comes along & loves the sucker's !!
@@milfordtrethowan2474 yeah Sennheiser build quality wasn't very impressive to me either. Definitely not on the same level as the X2s or Beyers
Agreed! Most Sennheisers really don't shine at anything other than vocals. They're essentially mid-centric pushed forward type of sound. Great vocal presentation, but that's about it. X2's provede more natural, balanced and spacious experience, and that added extra warmth is addictive.
"I just enjoy listening to quality sound"
That's just about the literal interpretation of what an audiophile is
My first "audiophile" headphone. Gave them away to family so I had space for my Audeze LCD2. How I miss them! And great review dude!!!
Did you give them away soon after getting your LCD2? Just wondering why not keep it for a bit longer to see if you really liked them better
About 4 months later. A family member didn't have decent headphones at the time and I didn't use them that much after receiving both the LCD2 and the Sennheiser HD800. Also got the Focal Elex, had almost all bases covered. So I saw an opportunity to make someone happy and to free up some space on my desk =)
Don't have any of those anymore btw, currently set with Hifiman Arya and ZMF Verite Closed + Sennheiser PC38X for calls and gaming
@@andtheywillknowus dude those are some expensive headphones
You didn't have space for a headphone!? Damn man, you got tight living quarters LOL
I got these as a replacement to my HD6XX for gaming due to the HD6XX clamp force giving me headaches after 2 hours (1 year of ownership) and because these have the 3.5mm cable system which I'll be attaching a mic to. However, once I got these and spent some hours listening to them, I honestly love them just as much as my HD6XX.
Rockin' Eriana's Vow in crucible... nice.
And the X2's are nice as well... appreciated them very much from limited time I listened to them at a meet.
Got X2HR's during BF sales. I really don't hear recessed midrange, sure it's not as forward and lush as sennheiser's, but it's enough to be enjoyable. Vocals are loud and clear without feeling as if coming from far. As for the bass that's definetly not a basshead headphone. It's got some grunt to it and plesent warmth, but it kicks less than my HD599. Overal what I like best in X2's is how great they're balanced, relaxed and at the same time quite precise in microdetail retrival. On top of that they're built like 500$+ headphones. I prefer them to 58X minus the vocals. They also easily beat SHP9500 in just about every aspect of sound. Soundstage is huge and you can definetly game with these, but for that particular job I prefer sennheisers because of they're maybe not as wide, but a little bit better positional accuracy.
Which do you like more these or the HD599? For overall sound quality and soundstage.
Totally different cans in my opinion. Prefer X2's for musicality and overal more "audiophilness", wider soundstage. Sennheiser's HD599 have taller but narrower soundstage more tunel-like. They're also more mid-vocal centric straight in your head more aggresive type of sound. Fidelio's more relaxed, enjoyable better balanced. There's more music I enjoy with them, but for gaming and movies I prefer Sennheiser's, not by a big margin though... Overal I believe X's to be better headphone, not to mention built quality is stellar compared to all-plasticky squaky 599's
I just got my X2HR, compared to my Grado SR125 it quite surprisingly lacks the deeper bass. Didn't expect this since most people claim the X2HR it's for bassheads. They're comfortable though and soundstage is awesome - playing them with Demon's Souls remake is a real treat.
Get them with dakoni leather pads
only "audiophiles" call these bass cans. For the average consumer they are neutral. Look at the frequenzy response. They have a small hump around 60Hz.
But like any Open cans they lack in the 20-30Hz territory siginficantly.
I got these too and they sound great. But if i want to rave to Techno, i prefer my bluetooth in ears to get that club sound.
@@Butzemann123 they have neutral mids but not a neutral headphones overall as a whole. It has elevated bass. If you have Sennheiser headphones like the 660s or 600 then you'll hear a big difference when it comes to bass between them over the X2HR. I own both the HD660s and the X2HR
@@xevus2959 like i said, for the average consumer (by that i mean coming from mass consumer products) they will sound pretty neutral. Just because they are bassier than 660s, doesnt mean they are bass heavy, because the 660s are simply bass light.
Below 50HZ and you can say adios Bass.
Of course we are all different in perceiving sound, so everyone has to find out for themselve anyway.
For me its not just for EDM.
When i listen to "Detach" by Hans Zimmer, i need to feel that rumbling in the silent parts. Thats where 30HZ are important.
Again, just look at the frequency response, this is not just my subjective perception.
@@Butzemann123 idk what you mean by "for the average consumer." These are all consumer headphones. The X2HRs are $320 headphones original MSRP but can be bought for $150, the HD660s i had them on sale for $350, and the 650 are the same as the 6xx which goes for $220. X2hr has have neutral mids. That's the only thing that's neutral as the sound stage isn't considered neutral at all, as it's wider than most would consider natural.
I own approximately 15 headphone between 50 and 350$. These are my favourites for listening to everyday music and watching videos on RUclips, especially after I had changed the original earpads. I bought them about 3 years ago for 130$. Connected via a MOTU M4 USB interface and/or a Topping A50s.
Idk why people are expecting emphasis on bass with this pair of headphones. The Philips Fidelio X2(HR) are open-back headphones, hence the bass cannot achieve the level it would with a pair of close-back headphones.
That's a good thing for me. I want good bass but not to the quantity of closed backs
@@youtubeuserdan4017 Bass sounding good is completely subjective. I too prefer a clearer bass, not punchy bc I don't listen to EDM or Hip Hop. This pair of headphones sounds quite good with the genres of music that I listen to 🙂. To me, these headphones' bass doesn't overpower mid and high, they sound quite balance to me.
I really liked the X2 headphones, and they were VERY comfortable, but to Joshua's point, they did attract dead skin flakes. I held onto these for a while as the sound really appealed to me until I discovered HIFIman and getting detailed sound without the shrill treble. The x2 reminded me of the Massdrop Fostex but much less expensive.
Some of your visuals are just outstanding Josh, like at 12:06. Philips should be paying you for shots like that!
IDK, according to the frequency responses for X2HR and HE4XX they might be called V-shaped only after mid-focused Sennheisers, because measurements are pretty flat on both (especially X2HR)
Yeah, I'm somewhat confused about that part. I'm currently looking to get my first headphones for audio mixing/mastering without breaking the bank and these seem like a good option specifically because of their relatively accurate sound profile.
I love these, I got them for $175 used and very worth it at even that price. So comfortable and laid back. They kind of remind me of a dynamic driver version of the HE4XX; dark-ish sound, wide soundstage, but with little bass authority and texture. For headphones with bass slam and texture, I reach for 1More Triple Driver Tridents ("over" ear)
How i got them new for 125 haha
@@mkapp8724 4 years ago was a very different time, they used to be $350-400
Reported as indecent, Forcing that poor HD58X to expose its naked drivers, no foam!
@1:37 Damn it ! I spill out my coffee lmao
there was just too much metal to handle... lol!
Cultural appropriation of the metal lyf
metal571 luv ya dude 😂
Actually been questioning these as I've been seeing them at work and knowing the X2s made me a bit curious.
I've owned both the X2, SHP 9500, and HD58x. I now only own the HD58x.
I completely agree with this review. Almost everything Josh says is very accurate to my impression of the sound signatures. If you are in the market to buy a new headphone in the $150 price range, just do yourself a favor and get the HD58x. I did and I never regretted it.
Coming from someone who owned the SHP 9500 for several years, the SHP 9500 are probably the best studio monitoring headphones in the budget price range (less than $100). High clarity, very neutral sounding, large sound stage, little to no distortion. However for me there are 2 things I thought were always lacking, bass response and sibilance (if your unaware of sibilance, its when the treble becomes too high and can sound piercing and hurt your ears).
Naturally I looked at the step up within the Phillips line up. So I bought the X2HR. Unfortunately, the X2 sounds completely different from the SHP 9500, almost exactly as described in this video. Very V shaped, the mids are recessed almost like the drummer and the guitarist are in the same room with you but the vocalist is singing in the room next to you.
Basically if your a fan of the SHP 9500, you will like the HD58x a lot more. It keeps all of the good aspects of the 9500, but adds a little bit more low end punch, but with added clarity to the low ends. I want to emphasize the clarity and resolution with the bass response. The best way I could describe this is if a drummer hit the kick bass and the snare at the same time, you could distinctly separate the two from one another even when played at the same exact time. A lot of headphones may muddy the 2 sound signatures together. The HD58x also fixes the issue of sibilance for me, but again the clarity and resolution is not loss even though the highs are slightly subdued.
To be clear the HD58x adds a modest amount of bass and not a lot more compared to the SHP 9500. On a scale of 1 - 10 for bass: if the 9500 is a 3, the HD58x is a 6, the X2 is a 7.5 to me. And just for comparison, skull candy crushers would be a 10 (I own the bluetooth skull candy crushers).
To me the 58x sounds like its pretty close to neutral while the X2 is more on the warm maybe slightly woolly side. But for an everyday listen since I listen to almost every genre the 58x left me severely missing bass impact even for classical with cello and bass but then that's the case with most stuff audiophiles seem to like. And I wouldn't say I'm a bass head. I'm a freaking flute and piccolo player for crying out loud treble doesn't bother me. Haven't found something that just works for me out of the box. So far dt990s with the treble spike EQ'd has been the closest to hitting that awwwwe spot.
I heard the Crushers in BB and they're fun and you can use then in public, so they might be better than the X2 in that respect.
What about sound stage? Which headphone would be best for gaming out of all of them?
@@oddfellow933 I think the SHP 9500 has better sound stage. I can remember pin pointing the distance of someone trying to run up on me in a FPS game like CSGO. SHP9500 also has good imaging. HD58x is not to far behind IMO. Put simply HD58x is good for gaming, but great at listening to music. While SHP 9500 is great for gaming, but just okay for listening to music.
Also again the SHP 9500 lacks significant bass, which also makes playing games less immersive when you hear an explosion ect. Overall SHP 9500 has slightly better imaging (determining where the direction of the sound is coming from) and better sound stage (the distance at which you perceive the sound is away from you). Everything else I would give my vote to the HD58x. Also again I like to stress clarity and resolution. I never could appreciate how crisp and resolving the sound of some of my favorite songs were until I first listened to my HD58x.
Imaging on a scale of 1 - 10: SHP 9500 is a 8, 58x is a 7. Sound stage 1 - 10: SHP 9500 is a 8, 58x is a 6.
@@oddfellow933 With my Beyerdynamic dt990s and HeSuVi turned on I cannot immediately tell whether I'm hearing them or my Vanatoo T0s which have crazy good sound stage to the point you will know if your monitor is off center by like an inch or two. And I end up having to check my audio source EVERY TIME. For competitive gaming treble response is desired for footsteps. Dt990s have waaay too much of that for music out of the box. But with EQ if you aren't a purist assuming you get the 600ohm version and amp them correctly they have enough bass to almost shake off your friggin skull. X2s kinda actually remind me of the Sennheiser 58x jubilee headphones but even more on the warm side, not as refined, and with a wider sound stage. So X2s would be better than 58Xs for gaming but I think the dt990s would be miles better still and they should be around the same price so long as you are willing to put some work into amp pairing and EQing. Out of the box they would be pretty great for competitive gaming. I personally however can't fathom how someone can trade out the rumble of explosions for the pitter patter of footsteps so if that's you you are going to want a powerful ass amp that naturally takes the edge off of the treble and provides a fuck ton of headroom for EQing the treble down and the bass up. Take this with a grain of salt. Beyerdynamic has a very polarizing sound (sounds like shit right out of the box) and most audiophile types absolutely loath EQing. Of course they'll then rave about DSP which is the same damn thing just using calibrated mics instead of twiddling around with sliders manually , which you can do the same thing with headphones so long as your model has had a frequency response recording done with a super expensive binaural headphone mic. Although there is a way to do it with just a frequency response graph but its not as accurate.
"THIS IS WHAT ALL METAL" It was a good one :D
R.I.P. that channel.
I don't know if this review do these headphones justice. The bass rivals my HD800S (still way louder and a bit less refined but that's expected) and they blow the LCD-2Cs out of the water in terms of comfort, detail and especially sub-bass. They're a true worth while contrasting but also competing headphones to my 1500 dollar sennheisers and for literally 1/10th of the price they're a steal.
I definitely do not find that verses the 2c, but Audeze driver variance is a bit of a problem.. X2 have the most mid-bass hump out of my collection for sure, though.
the bass quality and detail doesn't even touch headphones like the 58x much less the hd800 and lcd 2c, get your ears checked.
Gary Chen The X2s have that weight, detail and width that the LCD-2Cs and HD58Xs certainly don't have. The LCD-2Cs in particular just sound like there's a vibrating phone stuck in your ear which makes parts of certain songs inaudible. Kinda defeats the purpose of a 700-800 dollar headphone if they're worse than most things under 200 bucks. The HD800S might be in a league of its own when it comes to detail but the bass extension is comparable, which is still very impressive.
@Gary Chen You're probably confusing bass with sennheiser mids being pushed forward to extreme. 58X is a very mid-centric headphone that really cannot compete with X2's on anything other than vocals.
Damn, I paid about $300 for my X2's back then
Same, got them like 6 years ago at that price but at the time they were a steal.
That intro song is badass!! Never heard of that guy before. Been going through his albums for the last two hours now. You have great taste in music!
Derik Taylor and who is it?
@@twistedbigdaddy Fabien Tell - "Maroon"
You were spot on about the heat concern with these pads- I've got the X2s and the microfiber does get a bit sweaty in the summer.
i realize the price has dropped significantly on this headphone in the last few months due to the Fidelio X3 hitting in January (for $350), but noted below, this was their $300 flagship model -- you talk about it in the review like it was manufactured as a value option. Also, as was noted in the Inner Fidelity review the sound signature is fairly neutral and not necessarily bass forward -- philips has just found a way to retain the bass on a open backed headphone where most are bass anemic.
He says "around 150 bucks" in the video...
@@Nonx47 As what price it released at?
@@_fatalruinNo, he's talking about it as is, for the price it is at the time of the video release. That's all that matters, not what it came out as at launch.
@@Nonx47 I think you are missing my point. The X2's were a good value at $300, and were not made to cut corners. I think his review is biased with the belief that they were made as a value proposition to target the $150 market (or at least it came off that way). So ultimately, $150 is a steal.
@@_fatalruin I think you're misunderstanding the fact that he thinks it's good at $150, but it would be a pretty bad buy at $300 and I agree with that. I have a pair, they're okay. They're fun, but they're not good for gaming compared to many others for less, and they really are muddy. They have fun bass, but for $300?? No way. I have a pair of beyerdynamic TYGR 300R that I got for $170 brand new and they WIPE the floor with the X2's. I even went ahead and got them modded so I can have a detachable cable for $70, and that's still less than these were at full price. I'd rate the X2 as a good buy at around $120, but even $150... Idk man. There are so many better things out there.
I bought it last Month(X2HR) and it has Imo not that much bass, not more than my Beyerdynamic Dt 880 and i disegree here with Josh on Sound, its smooth but really rich of details and you have allmost a 3D Sound. The Soundstage is really good and the middles are not so good as my Beyer 880 but still pretty good. You have to think when the Headphone came out it cost almost 400€. The Pads are really magnets for all kind of things. But i would not recomend listening without a Amp, with a Phone it does not Sound very good, but with a good Amp its a Beast.
This guy is the only guy I watched in youtube say that this is an above average headphones. Everywhere else I go it's high praise.
Excellent Accurate Review! I own or have owned all four and agree with your comparisons. Many X2HR owners are incredulous when I tell them I like the 9500 better. but the X2HR was just too fun for me....I understand why some people like it...kind of Beats for Grown ups. The other three: 9500, 58X, and 4XX are much more accurate, which I prefer. My go-to phones of the group are the 9500s with better (Shure) pads, but I can see how others would differ on this and they are all amazingly good phones for the money.
How's 58X more accurate for having mid-centric pushed forward type of sound? That's rather far from accurate. Great at vocal presentation but that's about it just barely ok at everything else and not even close to X2. X2's have much better detail, wider soundstage, better stereo imaging, tighter better controlled bass than SHP9500
I think people should talk more about just using eq, cause I did feel the 9500 were too bright out of the box, but made them pretty much ideal to my taste by just moving a couple db in software...
Yep, no headphone has a perfect frequency response, but with EQ it can become pretty much perfect. The closer it is to that, the easier it is to equalize. And the results are indeed amazing.
YESSSS! Comment of the year award right here. Jeezus fuck I am so tired of ending up with stuff that at least to my ears sounds like garbage albeit highly highly detailed garbage because I listened to the advice of an audiophile. Case in point audiophiles will shit on EQing but then rave about DSP room corrections. Its the same fucking thing but the later is automated through the use of a calibrated mic. You can do the exact same shit for headphones!
sonarworks reference 4. best thing ever made for headphones. b&o 1974 reference. perfect frequency response on almost every popular headphone
@@gatticusfpv3174 yeah...audiophiles are like ignorant wanna be audio engineers guided by "feelings" instead of facts. real audio pros know eq is where it's at.
@@WillJukedTheBox Nice! How does it compare to using something like Equalizer APO or Viper? Always wanted to try something more commercial but I have definitely found not all equalization software is equal and didn't want to take the risk buying something I would never use.
If your a metal head or EDM fan, the X2s are awesome. I have had mine for 4 years and I always go back to them when I just want to jam out. Doom 2016 sound track on these is a thing of beauty!
Jay Albrecht but do tool sound good on them ?
SatanDynastyKiller not really a tool fan so I couldn’t comment, the bass they use in their songs would sound good and their music has a pretty wide soundstage so maybe?
I have a skull candy crusher ANC. which is a fun headphone that has Lots of bass. i listen to edm. do you think a switch from a headset that had lots of bass to x2HR would be a good option?
@@EggwonMusk when I say they have good bass, I mean the bass delivery is smooth and clean and not overly punchy. I have not listened to the skull candy stuff but I would guess it most likely would be a good upgrade.
@@exarkunn69 yeah I got them this morning, the bass is clear and clean. but they definitely don't compete with the skull candy crusher ANC when it comes to punchy bass. but I do like them. the vocals don't get washed out and they don't sound muddy like the ANC. They are clearly in a class of their own.
When I was looking for hifi headphones with very good wear comfort... I found many people saying Fidelio... a lot. Have to say... they are not wrong.
Where Fidelio has a little trick up its sleeve tho: they are average. You might be thinking why would anyone want an average sound quality? But you are not getting just average... you are getting carefully engineered average. Where the Fidelio has a V or Valley shaped response... a typical human ear has a Hill shaped sensitivity. The practical outcome of overlapping both is a perceived neutral curve with an extended response. This approach allows you to enjoy audio longer because you dont experience as much hearing fatigue as with a more technically "flat" curve headphones.
As for the look and design: ehh, after you put them on your head you wont see them. Tho the design has that regal look. Refined classic with a sprinkle of luxury.
So yeah... I think the Fidelio is an average pair of headphones. And thats what make it unique...
great comment
Good comment. You are essentially just describing the harmon curveI think though lol
Do you use your X2HR's with an DAC/amp? Its my first "hi-fi" headphone and want to bring the most out of it for music, gaming and movies. For example pair it with a soundblaster X3. But I just don't know if the jump will be that noticable?
@@Obito_RL No amps. Specifically looked for regular ones that dont need amps. More links you put in between the source and headphones is a potential point of distortion. Also, "bringing out the best" is very very subjective. Down to your own ears, experiences with different headphones, compression styles etc. This is not a disclaimer, its simple facts. Nobody else has your hearing...
These are gonna be my next purchase for sure!! I really need something fun for behind the PC. The AKG 712Pro I have now are great for movies I noticed. But are more for lazy music sessions or when I need something light. Luckily I already have the Senheisser PC37x for gaming. I always wanted Fidelio headphones for the longest time and these are Hi-Res 40KHz . I don't want to get back to non Hi-Res headphones and earbuds. It's also nice for music sessions on mobile since they are easily driveable.
Very nice objective review Joshua!
I have these! Wouldn't call them bass head though rather just on the warm side with decent kick some people might complain about wool =). My dt990s with some EQ thump waaaay harder. They just aren't the typical hifi tuning which to me sounds like a shit ton of treble sparkle giving a false sense of detail while completely lacking bass. Case in point Sundaras. Amazing detail but if you listen to a binaural recording of them that switches to the original track you realize there's detail that shouldn't be there making the sundaras sound downright tinny and lifeless. I don't mind detail but only if it's pleasant. I guess I'm not an audiophile even though I own like 20 or more pairs of headphones because I while I love my X2s I immediately put them down after EQing the treble spike on the dt990s. Why the fuck do audiophiles not like EQing when in a lot of cases you can take a really affordable pair of cans and with a minimal amount of adjustment make them sound as pleasing if not more so than a lot of high end stuff? Maybe my ears are just shit? But I don't think so since I play the flute and treble itself does not bother me. But almost anytime I rely on an audiophile review I end up with something that has like 0 bass and has so much treble detail it sounds like there's a tiny cricket orchestra playing behind the big one unless of course they label them as BASSHEAD. Even though for true bassheads a pair of ultrasones matched with an amp that has a shit ton of headroom is almost a must. I mean my little vanatoo computer speakers deliver more of an audible thump than a lot of these hifi headphones.
Cool story bro
I would have to agree with you that audiophiles like treble more than bass. Josh definitely likes his audio gear to be extra bright. I remember when he reviewed the kanto tuk. He praised the treble on it and said it revealed a lot, but Joe an tell showed that they were very bright. I wish more audiophiles used measurements more when they review something.
I tried to eq my 6xx and i failed to change it for the sound i want but my 4xx i just can make it sound as i want with a lil eq.
The thing is not every headphone is able to accept the eq.
It depends on THD of the headphones.
That's why i would prefer planar drivers over any dynamic drivers .
The only two headphones i would really recommend are 4xx and arya and nothing else
@@SuperSeigerman i agree with you i like the bright headphones
@@davidmason8212 Oh for sure some headphones EQ really well others are stubborn. And of course you aren't going to completely get rid of headphone's sound signature. But I find its worth it on headphones you are overall happy with but just have a problem area in the frequency response.
Thank You for your purchase! I work with Philips Audio and appreciate the honest opinion!
theyre on sale rn for 61% off on amazon, picking them up for a christmas present, hope the person likes them, could be really good value for money if they do. they currently have skullcandy crushers so im sure they wont mind the base hump lmao
What were you listening to these through? I was never satisfied by them.
I got rid of my X2's to repurchase a pair of shp9500, which I really missed the mids and highs of. Originally at the time, the x2 was on offer for same price as 9500 and I was torn between the two... Kept the x2 even though I knew I enjoyed the 9500 more 🤦🏼♂️ Now I'm exploring what can beat my 9500... 💸💸💸 Headphones are dangerous 😂
I just got my SHP9500 and it's so liberating to hear music with thumping bass. To my ears, the sound of bass is full and perfectly placed.
You haven't heard real bass then lmao
@@NeapolitanApe i believe when you say real bass, that's subjective
@@alphaandliarize You're not gonna get quality bass from a cheap open back headphone. You're cheapest option would be like a Fostex T50RP for $160 and a good $100 amplifier like the JDS Labs Atom.
@@NeapolitanApe ok
@@alphaandliarize enjoy your bass bro. This guy is an audio snob
I own both the x2 and shp 9500. I do prefer the x2.
Having said that Josh's analysis here is right on the money.
I got a pair of these for $140CAD from Newegg Canada. I'm very pleased with them. I use them mainly for gaming, the bass it puts out is great. I recommend some EQ though, it makes it a great headphone.
Thank for the review, I own these and use them for gaming and general use. Plan to to get a new pair for music/video editing and been looking at the DT 1990 Pro. How would you compare these to the DT 1990 Pro ? Thanx !
DT 1990 Pro is on a completely different level. I have both. I'd say that X2s are definitely more "fun" but if I want to listen to quality recordings I go for the 1990s every time.
X2s brought me to this hobby.
If I had started with 4xx I wouldn't be here watching all these reviews.
HE6XX may also had opened my eyes.
X2 is not a TOTL for sure, but this is a hell of a HP if you never tried open back HPs.
X2s will always be my recommendation for someone starting on the hobby, more so if the focus is on gaming.
Same for me--the X2s were my first "audiophile" headphones. They were released with a MSRP around $300 and were generally considered a bargain at that price; IIRC I paid just under $200 on Amazon almost three years ago. At under $150, they are a steal. After listening to this review, I pulled them out for the first time in a long time and they sounded better than I remembered. (I listened with SMSL SU-8 and THX 789, pretty solid upgrades since I last used the X2s.) They are not really in the same class as my newer phones--Focal Elex, Sennheiser HD 700, Hifiman 400i) but still fun. And their build quality is far better than all these except the Elex.
How is x2hr compared to he4xx when it comes to gaming soundstage and imaging?
In my opinion the V-Moda m100 are the best professional DJ headphones and audiophile headphones with great sounding "CLEAN" Bass. Great all around headphones. They have great sound quality with enough bass to listen to hip hop, techno, pop, rock and they do great at everything.
I bought these ones 2 months ago. I really liked them but the form factor is too big for my head and soundstage are not as good i expected. The built quality is amazing though.
But a week ago i bought the Koss KPH30i. The sound quality is mind blowing, it put a smile on me everytime I ear an album, play PS4 (yes they have a mic) or watch a movie, and the look and fit is perfect for me. Also I replaced the pads with the YAXI ones and the change is remarkable. I'm using them with the FiiO BTR3 Bluetooth Amp and the combo is godlike. And they cost only $30!
I'm really thinking of selling the Philips.
Does the mic on the koss work plugged into the ps4 controller?
@@pippo-1073 It works!
Between the Sennheiser HD6XX and X2HR, I ultimately love the X2HR more. Using the JDS Atom Stack and I swear the range of bass, mids, treble feel much cleaner and wider than the 6XX
Thank you, I had these and agree with your assessment. Fantastic for the price and was my first proper introduction to the headphone world. I urge anyone starting out to pick up these.
Do you use your X2HR's with an DAC/amp? Its my first "hi-fi" headphone and want to bring the most out of it for music, gaming and movies. For example pair it with a soundblaster X3. But I just don't know if the jump will be that noticable?
@@Obito_RL My opinion for what its worth is that it will not add that much to these headphones, playing from a smartphone should bring out at least 90% of there potential and if your not at all happy with sound your money would be best spent on better headphones.
Synthwave and EDM is where X2 does its magic.
Have you tried dt990s with treble spike EQ'd? I was super happy with my X2s for EDM until I got my dt990s dialed in. Wow just wow was all I could say. You can literally feel your pads slap into the side of your head the bass impact is so strong and clearly they don't lack highs either. And with the treble spike smoothed out the mids while not as strong are definitely not recessed sounding at least to my ears. Even over the course of a day I will usually end up listening to most genres so I think I would notice if the mids sounded hollow or distant. Even for classical I really appreciate some bass impact. If you are sitting right next to a bass or cello player you are going to feel that sucker vibrate. Something like the Sundaras on the other hand sound like they have an unnatural amount of detail without any of the life or soul of the music. And it would seem that is how most gear that is highly rated by audiophiles sounds to my ears. My rha ma750s were the same way although they were laid back and non-fatiguing enough I could give them more of a passing grade.
@@gatticusfpv3174 which version of the dt990? Pro? Premium? And ohms?
@@Mr.Deeds. They are the premiums in the 600 ohm version. The treble spike is like around 8-10k and is super annoying. It will need that band pulled waaay down like 10-15db for. Might loose a bit of treble clarity but transients still sound good and more clear, to me at least, than the X2s.
If you are running off a PC this can be done easily with Equalizer APO and the Peace plugin or tone controls like the Schiit Loki if you are going analogue.
Being 600 ohms and with all the EQing you are going to need a beast of an amp for good headroom. I'd say at least 800mw-1w into 600 ohms. My amp does 400 at that resistance and I would prefer just a tad more headroom. Luckily that's not as hard to do on the cheap these days.
So they have a finicky setup and will require more investment in gear. But for an under $200 pair of cans I feel like they scale remarkably well as you upgrade electronics.
While sound, to a certain degree, is subjective; I bought this as a gaming headphone for my son, and I have to say - owning the Oppo PM1, the HD650 and the LCD-X - the Fidelio is bar none the most comfortable headphone I´ve ever tried.
These were better for gaming than most headphones I tried until I found my Focal Clears. They are super wide and fun for gaming. They were better than some of the thousand dollar headphones I tried. They are a STEAL at this price. They used to be 300.
Focal clear costs 1490$ lmao
@@badgermcbadger1968 Did I say they weren't? I said the X2s were a steal at this price.
@@xSociety i thought you were referring to the focal clears
Just picked them up on Amazon cyber Monday for $99.
Me too. Great buy for the price point!!
Are they worth it because they're very old
Great video. I've owned both the SHP9500's and briefly tried out the X2HR's. I returned the X2HR's because I found the highs a bit to sibilant. I currently own a pair of Senheiser HD660s and love them but use EQ to increase highs and lows ever so slightly. I might have to try the 4xx from your recommendation.
I was thinking about getting 660S, but after my experience with both 58X and 650 I fear these are basically same thing, which is mid-centric type of sound with vocals pushed forward. Much prefer X2's as they lean on more natural balance with huge soundstage and great stereo separation. Sennheiser are great at vocals but that's about it.
After reading and researching a lot, ive come to the conclussion that everybody needs not one but at least 2 or 3 headphones with different signature...
That is very true. There is no such thing as 1 sound signature to rule them all
Great review, thanks! You really made a lot of things clear, helped me purchase decisions.
This headphone works well with Schiit Vali 2+ with the philips E88CC or the Gold Lion E88CC Brings out the best in female vocalists.
I got an early version of the X2 and the pads are fine, Instead, there''s wear on the headband, and I can see in time adding a cloth or knit wrap to keep it going.
To watch movies, the x2hr or the shp9500?
This and the Dekoni Blue would make a GREAT comparison video for gaming, especially since they're both V Moda Boom Pro compatible. Yes, I use a V Moda with the Blue lol
Great review,which would you recommend for music production..mainly EDM
I had the 58x and just got the fidelio x2hr. It comes tomorrow and I mostly game and listen to instrumental music. I loved the 58x vocals they sound so good! I found that the treble was really sharp and the sound direction wasn't so great.
harp and the sound direction wasn't so great. in what? 58x? or X2?
How do you like the two? Debating between x2hr and 58x. Which do you prefer?
@@wasabimane Hard to say, If I had both I'd do the 58x for gaming that requires precision of sound and vocals and the x2hr for everything else. If I had to choose one probably the X2hr just for the comfort and ease of maintenance.
will the mb quart fit in these?
I have the Hifiman HE4XX, the Fidelio X2HR and a Seinnheiser HD598 (it's not the HD58X, ok) and others from Beyerdynamic, etc. The Hifiman disappointed me so much that I decided to sell it. Flat and narrow sound scene, anemic low frequencies (but beautiful) , lack of details, very pretty low mids but too much forward according to my tastes. I never had fun with the Sennheiser. Mediums too strong, less beautiful than on the Hifiman in my opinion but nice sound stage. It really is not a fun helmet. Its only advantage is to be very comfortable. As for the Fidelio, I believe that no headphones have suited me so much. Fantastic low frequencies, superb sound stage. I take incredible pleasure with. When I put my Hifiman back to compare them, I felt like I was listening to headphones for € 50. I spent a week in the evening trying to understand the sound of the HE4XX, without succeeding. He left to make someone else happy, I hope.
My favorite headphone reviewer. Wish I could do what you do .. I just wouldn’t be as good as you are, so I’m not doing it.
Why not? I mean you'd never know unless you try. That kind of mindset is what prevents people from succeeding in life. Just work hard and you'll be able to do what he does.
Appreciate the feedback on this as I have 9500 was thinking to get x2hr as upgrade.
I have an X2hr and I wasn't too sure about it at first. I felt like the potential was there but something was missing. A few weeks later, I changed the pads to the Dekoni Choice Suede X2hr pads and paired them with a Fiio K5 dac/amp combo at 2 gain (no sure what level, just have the switch on the 2 dot level haha) and now it's amazing. I still wouldn't recommend them for general RUclips videos with a lot of talking as there are sharp spikes but for Metal, Rock, EDM, Bass and Chill music, they have been fantastic after the upgrade.
Finally I thought you would never review the legendary philips sph9500 legendary bigger brother, as the Fidelio HDRX3 are almost out.
they also react to eq well and have a heck of a lot less plastic than sennheiser 5 and 6 series.
this are for enjoying music not mixing mastering and dissecting music.
Now if you only can get your hand on the Phillips Fidelio L2, which is semi open, with slightly less bass, slightly more treble, more intimate sound stage.
As with all philips headphones they are very easy to mod and change their sound with dacs amps and earpads.
Older X series I believed did not use plastic earcups.
The X1, X2, X2 gibson, and latest x2hdr have been reported to have different sound signatures.
This is the first review regarding the X2HRs that I find balanced. The other ones I watched regarding these headphones were either too enthusiastic or too critical from my perspective. I recently bought a pair of these and I completely agree with your review. I think I will return them, at this price range I could compromise with their recessed mids, but I found them just too heavy, especially when listening for long periods of time (1 hour for example). Thanks for this review!
For some reason there are dozens of people selling their HD600 after buying X2's. No headphone is without flaws, but there's something special about fidelio's people want to listen to them more than some highly acclaimed and several times more expensive cans.
V-Moda Crossfade M100, X2hr, 58x or 4xx? Bass And Voice focus
Nobody comes close to you when it comes to video quality 🙏🏻👌🏻
How would you say the bass on these compare to the argons? I just ordered some argons, and i've actually heard these before (unlike the argons). For that reason, it'd be great to hear a comparison from someone who's heard both :)
I'm interested as well
Own both. The Argon bass goes deeper and is more detailed, maybe not as much midbass presence.
@@KevlarK149 which do you enjoy more, & for what types of music?
@@zblus I prefer the Argon T60RP for everything. Only flaw is brightly-mastered tracks (Revel in Your Time by Gunship is my go-to test track for this) are fatiguing at high volume - brighter than the X2. Otherwise a clear winner over the X2 with the right amping. The Argon Mk3 is supposed to be even better on bass and gentler on treble.
Amazon UK price £124.99 now and you can choose to pay monthly (5 payments) too!
I Just Got Mine Yesterday And WOW I Love The.Sound Quality .
I'm Using ZFold3 To Hidizs S9 Pro DAC/AMP DONGLE To X2HR Playing TIDAL , NETFLIX , ETC .
It should be noted the pins that hold the heavy ear cups to the headband are made of plastic and will snap at the base of the ear cup. this is not covered under the warranty by philips. beware, or you will have an expensive paperweight.
Thumbs up for the 'all metal' seconds. :)
Looking for advice to buy me a new pair of cans. I own Grado´s SR80e, Philips´ 9600, ATH-M40X, and Sony¨s WH-1000XM3. My music of preference is Prog Rock (Steven Wilson, Tool, Dream Theater, Rush, and PF) and occasionally listen to Classic Jazz (Miles, Coltrane, Nina). Currently considering upgrading to more "audiophile" headphones, such as HD 660S, ATH R70X, Beyer 880, and Philips Hi-Res Fidelio X2HR. Would appreciate your feedback. BTW, this is a great channel, man!
Liked for the Destiny 2 Crucible play. Nice
10:35 THANK YOU. Too many reviewers don't differentiate like this. Just because I love one headphone for one reason doesn't mean I don't love others for different reasons.
Not had a pair of open back headphones before and I saw these in Amazon's Spring sale at £70. At that price you can't lose. I listen to a variety of rockish music and I don't find the bass excessive. Neither are the vocals recessed.
Comparing the KSC75 which are also open-back, how would you rank them with the SHP9500, 668B, X2HR, and 58X or 4XX?
I was personally going for the 668B or Samson SR850 to be used also for games but I thought to save more for SHP9500 or for the next step up with with 58X?
where can I get replacement pads for these?!
I enjoy your channel very informative, I’m wondering if you have a recommendation for an open back that stays cool. I get hot quick
Adam
Headphones for movies: I'm using cheap DAC and my Bose QC35s and I'm quite happy with it. Is it worth buying X2s? Will I notice the difference? Maybe new SHP 9600s? Same price for me.
Great video, love the comparisons to others in the price range. Recently upgraded my 9500s to the 6xx’s and feel like that was also a nice upgrade in all respects, but I’ve never heard the 58x unfortunately. I just had the opportunity to get either the 58x or 6xx for basically the same price so went with the traditionally more expensive pair.
I would try something with a bigger soundstage next. It is really eye opening.
58X is a lesser headphone than 6XX. They have driver derived from HD5-series so you can get HD599 for 99$ on discount. Basically same headphone with better soundstage.
@@HOTSPEEDMike not true 😂
@@Mr.Deeds. because?
@@HOTSPEEDMike because it's a more recent headphone which is
Is this the ceiling for the headphone that would be great for gaming with a great soundstage but with a lot of clean deep bass?
Bruh was this dude high when making this review?
How are these bass head headphones, the sub bass region sounds and looks (did my own measurements using binaural mics) pretty low and I'm not even a basshead myself. And about the V shape, the frequency response follows the Harman curve pretty spot on so these should sound pretty flat to people. I am noticing that your reviews can be very in accurate sometimes. I also watched your review of the AKG 712 pro and you said that they're not good for mixing(which they are).
It's not the fact that he was was so called "high", but how every person on this earth hears a bit differently and can make out sounds in specific ways you may not or I may not for that matter. f you think they are good for mixing then by all means whos to say you're wrong? only you can decide if a product is for you. Just next time dont be so rude to this guy, He's only trying to warn people of potential misconnection's of this headphone.
@@CallMeP1ink cut the bullshit, this guy is right
yeah i got these and they sound so flat to me almost no bass :/ my old hyperx cloud 2 has more bass and sounds 10x better.
@@miclan386 More bass ≠ Better sound
Never expect closed-back bass from an open-back set.
Which one do you think are better for gaming (mainly online fps and some single-player rpg) and for movies with lossless audio or dolby atmos?
Hello and thank you for this review. I am on the fence with these two headphones so it helped a lot. There was one thing I'm a bit unclear on. At 7.30 you compared the imaging and soundspace and I think you were saying the 9500 was better but I wasn't sure. Would you be kind enough to clarify please?
When I first listened to these headphones, I thought they hardly had any bass whatsoever. Did I get a defective unit? The Fidelio X2HR I got /27 model.
where did you plug them?, my AKG studio sounds like crap on cheap cellphones and stunishing from other world in a good amp, so is not only the headphones.
Anybody know what camera gear Joshua uses? The quality is amazing! All that toneh!
is the soundstage as wide as Sennheiser typical offering e.g. the 5XX series? A nice wide soundstage is pretty much vital for me.
I've had the X2s for about four years and they are fantastic. However they have a weak point, the two small screws under the metal ring on the drivers where the headband connects with two metal tubes. Can't be fixed without a design change.
I wonder if that has changed with the X2HR revision. Supposedly Phillips tweaked a few things after Gibson ruined the build quality.
@@SuperCatacata At 7:45 you can see the metal screw under the metal ring. The design is exactly the same and still a weak point.
I love the look of the X2 and nearly balked on the X3 for their more modern and delicate look. However, I find the X3 a far superior version, much lighter on the head, far superior soundstage and dynamics, the X2 make everything sound compressed in comparison. They have a very similar treble response however the detail retrieval on the X3 is superior thanks to the very improved dynamics and localization imo. The X2 is too forward and compressed sounding for my taste, and you aren’t missing anything in the bass department with the increased performance everywhere else on the X3.
I have seen your review of the monoprice m1060, i like metal, jazz, classic music, but also i am a basshead.
Wich one is the Best for me, i mean, fidelio or the monoprice m1060?
Wich one has the Best sound stage and image?
beware this guy is a secret salesman for massdrop, he casually drops suggestions to buy massdrop products in almost all his reviews!
maybe..just maybe.. because usually massdrop have best audio offers on the internet?
Hey Joshua, love you videos, any chance you will do a fiio K5pro review in the future?
I bought new for $140
I tried it on the train ride (with Moto G Power 5G 2023) and I was blown away
Huge but pretty comfortable.
Good sensitivity for smartphone
Well balanced across frequency
This headphone is my favorite one, just love it everywhere !
I need to know how these compare to the Sony MDRXB650s? I fucking love bass and ever since they broke due to poor build quality I have been scouting what's next.