£500 budget headphone and amp

se_vietboi

se_vietboi

se_vietboi

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Yo, didn't wanna hijack a thread. This is strictly for music only. I want a neutral sound signature since I listen to almost everything.

I can't find anything @ £500 that suggests it be better than a cheaper setup like the HD600/HD650 + FiiO E12.

Halp pls.
 
Ive got the 600's along with 598 and 700's . Personally I thing the 598 are better at picking out instruments than the 600's
 
Fidelio x2 looks great. First time I'm hearing about them though so what are the pros and cons against a HD600 for example? First time hearing about Cayin too. I only see what's popular on rain forest and that's sennheiser and fiio. Any reason it's not as heard of?
 
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Cayin is just a few months old, there is a long thread on it at headfi, it beats out the E12 for audio quality.

The senns and the fiio have been out years so there will be a good few reviews on them.

Some reviews below of the Cayin and X2. Pros for the X2 v the 600 are wider soundstage, better bass with deeper extension and impact, more dynamic, easier to drive, better build quality.

Can't think of many cons, the mids might be slightly less forward compared to the 600.

X2 reviews

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/boss-philips-fidelio-x2

http://www.headfonia.com/philips-fidelio-x2-evolution-sound/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_RJ3M_v8is

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/au.../headphones/philips-fidelio-x2-1281316/review

Cayin C5

http://headfonics.com/2014/09/the-c5-portable-headphone-amp-by-cayin/

http://www.head-fi.org/products/cayin-c5-portable-hifi-audio-headphone-amplifier

http://www.headfonia.com/cayin-c5-bubbly-baby/

http://www.ctcaudio.com/blogs/cut-the-crap/15616540-the-cayin-c5-portable-headphone-amp
http://musicalmusings.themindofgame.com/2014/11/cayin-c5-review/
 
I'm partial to a couple of headphones in that range. I like the Focal Spirit Classic. Its quite neutral, beautiful mids and punches low in the bass. Its relaxing, never harsh. Such a beautiful sound it will make you literally freeze with it's amazing tone.

I'd pick them over the HD650/600. Amp wise they pair well with almost anything I've heard. Fiio E11, Vali are the ones I like to pair it with.

The HE400i

Great planar sound, up close mids, deep thick bass and detailed but not overly so treble. This is probably the best headphone in that price range. Amp wise E12 is fine as it's efficient.

HD650, best mids in it's class. Good bass and relaxing treble. I love this headphone!
Drove it with the Valo, good sound! E12 also.

HD600 vs X2

Two different sounds. Ones more balanced while the other is a bit U shaped. HD600 is more seductive sounding, creamy and relaxing. The X2 is a party animal headphone. It's bass goes quite low and the treble is detailed. Sadly the sound is hard to listen to with good vocal work. The soundstages are different, X1 is a bit airier as it's leaner. The 600 is quite good though considering it's lusher sound. Technically the 600 is a bit more articulate and refined sounding.

Depends on your prefer there! Sound is complex it's not as simple as A has better mids than B.

I vote Focal Classic, they are phenomenal, plus you can take them portably.

Good luck!
 
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Alright I just got back from holiday and look at what we have here! Still unopened. Will let you guys know how it sounds ^^

2dsfhoh.jpg
 
Ok well...The Cayin C5 is fake xD so that's £99 I need to claim back.

Edit: Wait nope there was a hidden compartment where all the accessories were. But the seal says "Please charge the babbery first when you are using the amplifier for the first time" so I'm still a bit skeptical. RavenXXX2 did you notice this too?
 
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RavenXXX2 said:
Eh, how's it fake and where did you buy it from?
Click to expand...

Yeah sorry I thought mine didn't contain any accessories only to find they were nicely concealed. I got mine from rainforest. On the other hand this concerns me:

2u91y4y.jpg


I'll have to charge it first before I give it a spin and make any judgements from there.
 
Same as mine mate, nothing to worry about.

I bought an 2 amp charger it takes 4 hours to fully charge, USB charging will be slower. Ipad and samsung tablet chargers work as well.
 
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Alright thanks mate. I'm quite paranoid with receiving counterfeit goods. Things like misspellings in manuals or anywhere else for that matter terrifies me but I suppose since it's made in China I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. The plastic top of the amp also has some light scratches on it too. I swear these better deliver when I use it tonight lol.
 
Heh, the English translation from a lot of far eastern manufacturers can be quite entertaining.

From reputable manufacturers I've seen some brilliant descriptions but my favourite so far is "Built-in sealing ring cattle" :eek:

Personally with a £500 budget I'd have gone for the HD650 + Schiit Modi 2 Uber + Schiit Vali but that's just me and we may well have different tastes.
 
I'm not one good with words nor reviews so take what I say with a pinch of salt. For my first impressions - I connected the X2 to my Sony Xperia Z1 mobile phone, put on some R&B/hip-hop (all audio files at 320kps) and was.. disappointed with the sound. It lacked depth and seemed very congested. At most I would give this a 5/10.

I didn't know whether it was due to the audio source - having always been an IEM guy and happy with the setup but decided to try connecting the X2 to my computer through a headphone switch which is connected to the soundcard (Xonar D2X). It gave it a boost in volume and was a slight improvement in the bass and detail department but still wasn't what I was expecting. Maybe it should have been directly connected to the soundcard? I don't know but I wasn't too bothered since I know the D2X doesn't have a built-in headphone amp anyways. 6.5/10 at this point.

So next I paired it with a MacBook Pro and yeah now we're talking. Highs are smooth, the mids came forward and the bass is excellent. 8/10 at this point. By now the Cayin is fully charged...

I'm very impressed. Everything just seems better across the spectrum. Imaging is superb and clarity is amazing. I would describe the X2 as neutral cans but with a slight warm touch to it. Bass in my opinion is the strongest point of the X2 and pairing it up with the C5 only makes it that much better. 9/10 from me.

Now to just let them burn in :)
 
Only gets better mate. I love the C5, it's much better than any fiio, they sound congested and narrow compared to the C5, it has that lovely analog sound to it.

The C5 should make them portable devices sound a lot better as well.

You can listen whist the C5 is charging, I use it as my desktop amp out of the PC, it's just connected to the mains all the time when it's used like that.
 
Aye I backtracked and tried it with all the other devices and it vastly improved the sound quality of them all. The mobile is still lagging behind but it sounds similar to the MacBook pre-amped so at least it's deemed good enough but I'll save that device for my in-ears. I must thank you again for the recommendation. It's very comfortable too!
 
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