All time low per CCC for these good headphones off Amazon. Can save more by buying 10% off gift cards from the other deal or cashback.
Great headphones, I've owned them for 3 and a half years with no problems.
CamelCamelCamel.
These are a banger for the price.
CamelCamelCamel said it was an all time low but I guess not.
Essentially same all time low accounting for currency conversion fluctuations.
Good headphones for gaming when paired with a mic. I like open-back as its easier to hear my own voice when using comms. For music, its okay but not really my preferred sound signature.
Yeah pair it with the VModa boompro and thats a good headset for gaming
Just out of interest, has anyone used these for music recording (ie vocals)?
Being able to hear yourself has huge advantages.
Very happy with mine.
I LOVE these headphones! I plug them straight into my ps5 controller and they sound amazing! For this price they are an absolute steal.
Excellent value. Great bang for buck headphones.
I've had mine for a few years and still holding up well.
There are better headphones out there, but I challenge anyone to find a headphone that even remotely competes in terms of quality, price, un-amped performance, soundstage, and fun sound signature.
The closest is probably the HE400se, but it really needs a decent source and/or amp to shine.
The HE400se is substantially better though.
These Philips have a lot of distortion. It's one of those things you can't unhear once you've heard it.
I didn't like the HE400se
I've noticed a somewhat metallic timbre in the upper treble regions, but distortion seems fine to me.
Doing some Googling just now, I can find measurements showing distortion, but it only starts to become audible at 90dB SPL (!). Which is probably why I've never heard it.
I certainly haven't noticed any distortion at normal listening volumes. However, my definition of a "normal" volume may differ from others'.
I believe it was more in the low frequencies which also gives it that “fun” character. I like to think I wasn’t listening at 90dB.
@tp0: From that same thread, some entirely different measurements:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/p…
@tp0: It may be individual variation between units too. These headphones have been around for years.
Over the years, there have been on-again, off-again reports of units with poor channel matching (a rarity, but some users have reported it). That's possibly also the case in terms of distortion - it may affect some production runs more than others, and you were just unlucky to listen to a bad pair.
Mine were purchased in 2018, and they've been excellent. No audible distortion to speak of.
What about the SHP9500? I bought mine on sale for $60 and never upgraded to these because people said they were so similar I wouldn't find it much of an upgrade sound wise. They clearly look more comfortable and better-quality material though.
I've never listened to the SHP9500, but the general consensus is the X2HR has better bass presentation, a warmer, more engaging overall sound, and better build quality. Whether that's enough to justify an upgrade is a personal matter.
One tip: it's easy to end up with too many "good value" headphones that each have a whole lot of tradeoffs. You can easily spend enough over time that you could have bought a higher-end pair that would have been better in all regards.
If I was to travel back in time 20 years, I'd have just bought a decent DAC/AMP, the best mid-fi headphones I could find (in the $350-500 range), and have ended up significantly ahead. If you like headphones, you'll end up doing that eventually.
Can you please recommend a good DAC/AMP for these headphones? I've found that with these cans I end up listening at very high volumes (even in a quiet room) and I don't really hear too much of a difference in sound quality between my Bose QC35 and this…
@gryphondarks: The X2HR don’t need a DAC/amp. There’s no real benefit (or detriment from running unamped), and that’s their strong suit.
I use them with a Fiio K7, but that’s really just because I have one for other headphones.
@axyh: Thanks - but then how come I end up listening to them in high volumes (I feel I'm doing it to hear more sound details), but I don't need to do that for my IEMs or Bose QC35s?
@gryphondarks: Closed headphones generally tend to give better experience at low volumes. You can't really compare open and closed headphones - they're different beasts, and some people have a strong preference for one or the other.
Very happy with mine.
Open ear right?
Both ears are open.
No, I believe they are left open.
Just note, heavier and more uncomfortable than Sennheisers (HD 599 600 650, etc). I have 2 of the phillips (Cinema Room), 1 Sennheiser HD598, 1 Sennheiser HD599, 1 Hifiman Edition XS. The one that get's used the most is the 15 year old Sennheiser HD598. The least used is the Hifiman. All are connected to headphone DAC / Amps for max performance but still prefer the super old HD598.
I agree with you about the weight. Not 100% sure about comfortability. It’s more subjective I think based on people’s heads and ear shapes.
agree. the hd599 are lighter. but both are comfortable
Love my 599 which incidentally are $125 right now too so ppl can go for what suits. They're the comfiest cans I've ever tried.
I went from HD595s to these and I too noticed the weight. I also felt more cup pressure on my head as well and it took some time for me to get use to them. If it wasn’t for the ability to use a mic like the vmoda, I probably would have gone back to Sennheiser. Don’t get me wrong, great headphones.
I was considering the hd599's on sale at the moment as I already have a vmoda boom mic that I use with my old SHP9500. Do they not work with Sennheiser?
Found EQ settings for people curious to try
“For Equalizer APO users:
Preamp: -3.2 dB
Filter 1: ON LS Fc 40 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 1.0
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 277 Hz Gain -1.7 dB Q 4.0
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 1650 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 3.0
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 5191 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 6.0
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 8200 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 5.0
Filter 6: ON HS Fc 12000 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 1.0”
Was just looking for this not long ago. Thanks!
Why can’t the Sennheiser HD-25 or the Technics 1200EK get this level of discount?
Because the HD-25 Light v2 exists, and gives you exactly what you're looking for in a cheaper housing.
Not the same level of discount, but you can get the basic HD-25 for $193 on Amazon, shipped from Japan.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Sennheiser-sealed-headphone-HD-25/…
Lol half way down the tech specs:
Cartoon Character: High Res
Must be some new super audiophile mode.
Absolutely love mine. Just all round excellent, great for movies too.
do these have replaceable earpads?
anyway I just ordered them, I will see but they probably do have replaceable earpads
they do but they have a proprietary locking mechanism. i think dekoni make some aftermarket earpads that work
Been using mine daily since 2019.
It's tempting to buy another pair, but I should probably use my HD600s or Clear OGs a bit more lol.
Can someone explain whether a DAC/amp is required with these headphones? I end up listening at very high volumes (even in a quiet room) in other to get the full sound experience… And at the risk of being a basic bitch, I don't really hear too much of a difference in sound quality between my Bose QC35 and this… I wonder if the headphones need to be better driven (hence my question about DAC/amp). At the moment I'm using the headphones with my android phone or laptop.
How are they on a hot summer day? My XM5s get sweaty
They will get hot, but for overears with plenty of space for circulation they would be in top 5% for remaining cool.
bargain