upgrading headphones.

[DataVampire]

So it's my birthday soon, i want to upgrade my current headphones Philips fidellios x1s(they are falling apart).

I do not have a lot of money atm i have been looking at the Philips x2hrs. or Save for a while longer and get the hifiman sundaras


Driving headphones

pc off my sound card Asus essence stxII.


Music sources

Spotify
Amazon music hd
Flac ect of my pc.

Types of Music I listen to
psy trance
Trance
dance
Vocal trance
rock
metal
Classical
most music tbh i listen to a lot of different gerners.

A couple of questions

Has anyone upgraded their headphones from Philips x1s to x2hrs?.
Would getting the hifiman Sundaras be a big upgrade?
Would my sound card be able to do them justice ?
Would getting an external amp dac make a massive difference to what i am using atm ?.

I have heard people talking about the fiio k5 pro, or a ifi headphone amp or the ifi combo ect.
Thank you for reading

 

[EsaT]

X2HR has some more of mids and treble than X1 with better clarity. (fifth graph)
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-philips/fidelio-x2hr/
Though Philips/their OEM isn't exactly known from QC.
And in this case it took third headphone to get good channel balance.
(3rd and 4th graphs show first two)


As for entirely different headphones that's where also other factors than sound can come into play.

For example most open headphones aren't 100% leaky and isolate some starting from mids.
Again that Sundara is basically completely incapable to muffling even treble.
So requirement for quiet environment goes even harder for it than for Fidelio. (like mechanical keyboard bad thing)
Also with inner and outer surface of pads being pleather Sundara warms air pretty much like typical closed headphones.
Rtings measured warming effect identical to Beyer DT770. (which as closed design obviously isolates heck lot better)

Sennheiser HD560s would be another good candidate for overal quite neutral and accurate headphone with comfort of open design+velour pads.
Though I'm not fan of made for fashion mechanical design of this millennium's HD500-family models.


Seriously misused "DAC" is fashion term for selling less functionality as more.
Any better sound cards are more than capable for handling most headphones you could buy.