CamelCamelCamel.
My exact setup.
I'd highly recommend this combo.
Only thing I'd mention it the build quality on the mic is so so (due to the flexible microphone). My one died after 12 months ~2,000 hours worth of use.
Better than V1 and better than V3, I have both 1 and 2, 2 is overall better with tighter and deeper bass.
Excellent fun cans especially for movies. For gaming with many many explosions can get too over wheliming imo.
I use my 6XX for gaming instead.
I don't know what version of these I had, I don't believe they had this silly HR branding added. But I wouldn't call them fun at all, they're very neutral.
X2's definitely aren't neutral, but they might come across that way if you're used to typical consumer tuning
They're definitely not neutral, far from, they have a big broad sound stage and huge bottom end which is why they're great for movies but can induce fatigue with gaming with a lot of explosions.
I have a ton of headphones and I would say these are the most fun ones I have whilst the HD600s are my most neutral then the DT770s and HD6XX
How do these compare to DT770 Pros? Have a pair of those and not super impressed by comfort or sound.
What are you running them on? I was underwhelmed with my 80ohms for gaming until I bought a creative G6. That said I have been wanting to also try an open backed pair to compare but I can't say I wasn't impressed however I was coming from a pair of logitech g933s so I guess it depends what you used to have.
32ohms set - running off a Focusrite Scarlett Solo interface.
Based on their frequency response, they are comparable.
Either are great for gaming, but if you're after quality at an affordable price I'd go for a Sennheiser HD600.
HD600's become a little less affordable if you haven't got an amp, I reckon you'd also be hard pressed to find them for $180
Pretty sure they're an open can, they ooze detail and are brilliant imo.
I do mixing with cans, the DT770 are closed cans, they are more suited for tracking ie when performers are singing or playing instruments so they can hear back specific parts live, ergo why they're closed so minimal leakage.
You can bend out the arms, headband to make them with less clamping force, mine are super comfy and I do have a largish head, these headphones are not really suited for mixing or gaming as they have a narrower sound stage than open cans do.
They do sound great though for intended purpose.
I don't own the DT770 but I do have the DT880 (semi-open headphones).
These are more "fun" pair of headphones that's geared more towards bassy electronic music and casual gaming for it's V shaped sound.
It has a wider sound stage but it's imaging is not as accurate as the DT880 (smaller sound stage but better imaging). Since it's got a high bass, it makes it harder to accurately distinguish between footsteps and other sounds. This would affect competitive gaming more than casual gaming. The explosions and other bassy sounds are great though. Great for casual and story driven games as well as movies. Not great for a game of siege
Padding is memory foam and is slightly less comfortable than the DT 880 (not the pro version, so it has less clamping force). The pads on the DT880 have worn down though, but the X2HR have remained the same.
Smaller heads might have an issue of the headphones sliding down the head. I've got a bigger head so that's not an issue
great cans, awesome price
If only I didn't live in a small house :(
You can replace the X2 padding with $30-$40 memory foam and leather to reduce the sound leak,
but if you need it to be closed for an apartment/shared office, then you have to compromise on the price and the quality to get something as good as the X2 or HD58X HD6XX in the same budget.
The HD598 is good, bright, but expensive. Sub $200, without going to Chinese brand /OEM relabelled headphones,
Perhaps the DT770 Non-Pro and Pro, or DT177X Go, as they are comfortable. Audeze, fostex T50RP, or the AKG K553 or similar etc. probably the ATH M50X or M60X or variants, but you may have a particular preference for the Bose or Sennheiser type sound, versus a flat or V shaped sound.
It will probably be difficult to notice what you actually like from headphones until you try some out with music and start to hear different quirks or features, and struggle to define what the good parts are, or if it’s a problem.
The main thing would be to get the best soundstage and “fun”, as something that is comfortable closed is a mixed bag, as the clamping force required to get a good seal, is not always attractive or enjoyable for long periods.
On PC, you can always DSP fix the headphones with apps like HeSuVi which gives you ambience and virtual 7.1, but also EQs the audio to make it more preferable or neutral.
Which can be helpful with closed headphones to give it a more natural sense of space when listening to dialogue or YouTube/zoom meetings versus always being “on stage with the band” or in the front row being slammed with sound, and not having that sense of separate elements. If you’re wearing Closed sets to relax, a wide stage is important to not be forced into listening every time.
How comfortable are they to wear? I have slightly larger ears than normal, so finding over ear headphones that actually cover my ears can be a challenge
For me, very comfortable. Some people complain about them being heavy, they're certainly a solid set of cans but they're not unreasonably heavy. The earpads are fairly roomy compared to others I've had
Not the best imo
I've got big ears and a big head and the fit me just fine. Incredible cans for the money. No amp required 👌
Do u need an amp?
Nope. These are 32ohms so can be driven my phone and computers easily.
Damn it i was recently looking at these but ended up getting a set of Grado sr80x's instead. I wanted a set of headphones mainly for watching movies. The grado's should be here next week and these look to be on sale for 10 days so might see how the grado's go first then might get a set of these!
Depending on where you bought them from, just refuse delivery, the XR2s are suited for movies, so much so that one reviewer stated it was like sitting in the middle of a cinema with the sub detail. These are not V shaped either imo, I just don't use them as my daily driver as I tend to game and make music with my 6XX.
For movies though, they are cram of the top for what they do.
I know the Grados and I find them uncomfortable.
Thanks for that info mate. I ended up grabbing a set. At least with amazon i can return them if i don't like them. Getting the grado's from Addicted to audio so don't know what their return policy is. All good though i'll have a listen to both and see which one i like. I have always wanted to try both so now i can. :). I've just moved and i'm only able to use my home theater with headphones at the moment and i actually think i like it more than having the full setup. I seem to be able to hear so much more detail using headphones. I'm currently using the audio technica m40x's so will see how these two differ from those. :)
They 7are very comfortable and work brilliantly with movies, ever wondered what it would be like to have a sub strapped to your head without having that god awful booming bass? Personally I think it's the best way of having surround sound with out having any processing.
To put your mind at ease, read this review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5GxWTzK0CA
X2s are better than both 1 and 3s.
Been waiting for this. Thanks OP.
how are these for music production? mainly use monitors, but just got a new portable thunderbolt audio interface that a lot of people rave about the headphone output for mixing.
Much too "V" shaped.
They have a "fun" sound not neutral enough for mixing.
I just finished mixing/mastering a new tune on my HD6XX, I run a Motu 828ES and simply cannot use these cans on that interface. I have one of these for 6XX duties. The issue is that I lose some detail in the high end, thus I am searching for ever for only a SS HPA. I have found one but it's not overly important atm.
I do use the X2s on the interface as the HPA is capable of driving it at realistic levels. The problem is they're just not accurate monitoring headphones.
To get into HD6XX territory with a flat sounding amp, you need to spend some serious money. The other option than not getting the X2 is a pair of DT770 80 Ohm. Whilst an interface is normally rated at 32OHM for the headphone stage, it should be able to drive 80OHM cans, mine does.
The problem with the 770s is they're closed, almost useless for mixing and mastering, you need some open cans which leads me to the 990s. Great cans let down by the stupid coiled cable, as soon as you move your head, you hear the microphonics of the cable, annoying af.
I rely heavily on my 6XX but I am not getting the true picture here, I did score a set of monitors cheap which have a DSP for room calibration. The room will have no treatment what so ever so have had to rely on cans.
I would do more research but every time I have gone looking for golden grail of studio cans, 650s always come back as the better ones.
Enjoying mine.
Lots of fun and very comfy
Love mine. I listen to a lot of hip hop, Billy Joel, and Enya.
Sail away, sail away, sail away! ⛵
How's the sound quality compared to Audio Technica ATH-M50?
Way better for gaming and movies but worse for music due to V shape response curve
Disagree with the other poster about them being worse for music - own both and prefer the X2HR in just about every way. Also, the "V shaped response curve" is a bit of an exaggeration imo - especially in the context of comparison to the ATH-M50 where it's a total non sequitur.
This comparison to the ATH-M50 checks out imo and is consistent with my experience.
Subjectively I'd say the X2HR have a "warmer" sound and their improved soundstage was something that kept sneaking up on me while listening to stuff I'd listened to many times before, which is to be expected I suppose but was still a pleasant surprise every time. Also I found the ATH-M50 were generally too tiring on the ears for prolonged use, whereas the X2HR have got me reaching for the headphones a lot more as they don't wear my ears out and are just more comfortable to use overall.
The only real downside I found vs the ATH-M50 is the lack of isolation due to the open-back design of the X2HR. This may or may not be an issue for you depending on where you intend to use them - for me that means waiting until the kids are in bed before dedicated listening time (small echoey house), and they're not much good at all if I need to drown noise out to concentrate on work etc. Overall I'm more than happy to take this one tradeoff as the X2HR otherwise address everything that bothered me about the ATH-M50.
This is a very good assessment even though biased, shows the variances of the 2 cans, I personally hate closed, my experience is using them for 8 hours at a time and losing or contact with the world.
Whilst they do serve a purpose, people do not realise that closed cans in the professional stream only really serve 1 purpose, that's tracking. For consumer use it would be for portable or general day to day, but the trade off is a narrower sound stage and more boxed in sound. Open cans as we all know breathe, so you get better separation, a clearer image as intended from the recording.
I earlier today wrote up why I avoid Head fi and why others should too, the fact that many parrot the misinformation that ATH 50m are actually really really really good cans without being able to state why. They just seem to repeat what someone else has said so must be true.
I know sometimes when you want privacy, closed cans are good but for me it is nice to know that I can still hear the door bell or my phone ring, gives me a sense of still being in touch with reality rather than being disconnect in your own world of w/e you're doing.
X2s are a great fun can, it can do many things well but not as clinical as the HD 600, 6XX.
X2s are pretty much ready to go and are very device friendly. Having owned the 1s and 2s, plus a whole bunch of other cans, I only have the X2s and 6XX on my desk for immediate listening.
The only draw back of the X2s is when you lie on your bed, the ear cups will touch the pillow and you will feel some discomfort. In a chair not so bad.
I don't know how Phillips dropped the ball on the V3 though.
Anyone received theirs yet? My tracking hasn't updated since they left Britain.
Yes - I received mine the other day.
Great headphones. Extremely comfortable with a good soundstage.
I added the V-Moda BoomPro Microphone to these for gaming.
https://www.amazon.com.au/V-MODA-BoomPro-Microphone-Gaming-C…