Gobsmacked about the Philips Fidelio X1

mrk · 22 Jan 2014 at 15:42

595?

Oh it will be. It will be very.

Hutchy · 22 Jan 2014 at 15:47

What are these liked compared to say HD25-II's? A worthy upgrade or more of a sidegrade?

mrk · 22 Jan 2014 at 15:51

Supraaural closed back vs circumaural open back - You can't compare the two, completely different type of headphones.

In any case I've not heard the hD25 range (but have the Momentum) but can tell you right now that open backs are the ones to have if you enjoy music, games and video that feels airy (around you instead of inside your head) and live.

3t3P · 22 Jan 2014 at 18:22

no tax or customs issues hopefully.

price back up now.

£120...hahaha

ThatAsianGuy · 23 Jan 2014 at 00:43

3t3P said:
no tax or customs issues hopefully.

price back up now.

£120...hahaha

oright oright, dont rub it in mate lol. IM happy I got mine for £150, and there are people that are waiting for the X1 to drop via the UK Site.

I did a ton of research on which open back headphones to get and I purchased the HD598's but What I dont get is, these so called "audiophiles" didnt even mention the X1's in the forums I searched in, and philips Fidelio headponhes in general.

3t3P · 23 Jan 2014 at 06:04

He he sorry just excited.

In return I will share how they compare to HD598s

Angerer · 23 Jan 2014 at 16:36

delete will make a new thread.

cheers

Gazb · 24 Jan 2014 at 01:23

Quite interested in these headphones, though one thing I don't know is how big the ear cups are.
One of the headphones I was quite interested in is the AKG Q701, but one of the complaints some people have with it is the cushions resting/putting pressure on your jaw, which is something I don't like.

I'm also curious about Philips on ear model, the Fidelio M1. Has anyone listened to a set of these yet?

My queries are mainly directed at being good at position accuracy for gaming.

Richdog · 24 Jan 2014 at 09:55

In the end I decided not to order... I really want a pair of dedicated wireless cans so will look at the Sony 6500's or equivalent instead. Shame, as I'm sure the sound out of these is sublime.

mrk · 24 Jan 2014 at 09:58

Gazb said:
Quite interested in these headphones, though one thing I don't know is how big the ear cups are.
One of the headphones I was quite interested in is the AKG Q701, but one of the complaints some people have with it is the cushions resting/putting pressure on your jaw, which is something I don't like.

I'm also curious about Philips on ear model, the Fidelio M1. Has anyone listened to a set of these yet?

My queries are mainly directed at being good at position accuracy for gaming.

On the X1 you can bend the top headband to control how much pressure is on your face from the clamping. The ear pads are no bigger in height to Sennheiser and the pressure seems similar (compared to the HD598) - Except you can't adjust the pressure on the Sennheiser as it's all plastic.

I'd say they go comfortably around the ears and after a few minutes the memory foam moulds and warms up nicely.

Gazb · 24 Jan 2014 at 21:07

mrk said:
On the X1 you can bend the top headband to control how much pressure is on your face from the clamping. The ear pads are no bigger in height to Sennheiser and the pressure seems similar (compared to the HD598) - Except you can't adjust the pressure on the Sennheiser as it's all plastic.

I'd say they go comfortably around the ears and after a few minutes the memory foam moulds and warms up nicely.

Thanks.
I'd really like to listen to a set first but may take the plunge.
I called into my local curry's and they had a pair of Fedileo M1 but unfortunately after about 10seconds of listening I realised they were broken (cable was almost broken off at the in line connector).

Can you drive the X1's from a phone or laptop or do they really need amped?

mrk · 24 Jan 2014 at 21:12

An amp will give you better sound quality compared to say outputting from a bog standard smartphone (I say bog standard in the sense that not all smartphones have good audio chips onboard, phones like the Galaxy S3/S4/Note series etc all have good audio chips ) or PC soundcard but anything will power the X1 just fine since they're 35ohm headphones.

3t3P · 25 Jan 2014 at 18:34

I will never go back to soundcards again. Driver hassle, wasting space, no aesthetic/talking point factor.

Everyone should get a HP amp regardless of what impedance the phones are.

Waiting another week for the X1's to arrive, though they shipped couple of days ago so here's hoping they rock up sooner than anticipated.

My 598's are looking twitchy...

mrk · 25 Jan 2014 at 18:42

The other major benefit of a USB DAC amp setup is that you can change computers as many times as you like, the sound will remain constant and you never have to worry about having to re-adapt or get a new soundcard and drivers etc ever again.

I know down the line as portable computers get faster and more powerful with storage and graphical power to match desktops I will definitely look to migrating away from a desktop tower and I know for sure I will still have the NAD DAC on my desktop and can simply plug the then notebook or "docked" tablet in via USB and get the same power and quality of sound as I'm getting now.

To me that is what technology is all about and adapting to newer mediums that open up more opportunities. It also saves money knowing you won't ever need a soundcard or amp for 5+ years.

Tephnos · 27 Jan 2014 at 18:42

Well I've got these now (I hate you mrk for making me spend so much money!) and I can honestly agree with this thread. Love em! (And I was using HD650s before!)

3t3P · 27 Jan 2014 at 18:59

Tephnos said:
Well I've got these now (I hate you mrk for making me spend so much money!) and I can honestly agree with this thread. Love em! (And I was using HD650s before!)

That's great man.

I know its early days and they've not broken in yet, but what specifically do you like compared to the 650's, are you saying they are all out better or different.

Have you tried different cables?

I'm gonna keep the stock cable I think, the silver jack will look sick in my amp and I think there is a lot of placebo effect going round.

Cleisthenes · 27 Jan 2014 at 19:35

My god. I'm going to have to buy some of these aren't I?

mrk · 27 Jan 2014 at 20:21

3t3P said:
That's great man.

I know its early days and they've not broken in yet, but what specifically do you like compared to the 650's, are you saying they are all out better or different.

Have you tried different cables?

I'm gonna keep the stock cable I think, the silver jack will look sick in my amp and I think there is a lot of placebo effect going round.

Almost an extra 1.5Ohms of resistance in the stock cable is too much to call placebo really especially on headphones like this that are capable of intricate details across such a wide soundstage.

Simply try for yourself, Amazon has a no questions asked money back refunds policy. Absolutely nothing to lose.

gregorius · 28 Jan 2014 at 10:20

Cleisthenes said:
My god. I'm going to have to buy some of these aren't I?

Yup!

Tephnos · 28 Jan 2014 at 12:42

3t3P said:
That's great man.

I know its early days and they've not broken in yet, but what specifically do you like compared to the 650's, are you saying they are all out better or different.

Have you tried different cables?

I'm gonna keep the stock cable I think, the silver jack will look sick in my amp and I think there is a lot of placebo effect going round.

Hrm...

To me, it sounds 'wider' more 'airy' and doesn't have that 'Sennheiser veil' that some people dislike. To me, it basically is as good as the 650s on its strengths, whilst being stronger in some areas. For being over 100 quid less, it wins, definitely. It is also comfier to wear, but saying that, the 650s are a lot less likely to slide off your head with their clamping. Furthermore, the build quality of the X1 is superior, considering the 650s are almost all plastic and the X1s have machined aluminium on them.

Gobsmacked about the Philips Fidelio X1

Gangster