I'm so excited! I just got the X1 in Singapore for sgd$329.
But the strange thing is ... M1 and L1 are priced at sgd$430-490...
GO FIGURE!!! ..LOL... CATCH Of the Year for me!
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| Philips Fidelio X1 |
Build quality : EXCELLENT. Comparable to HE-400.
Sound Quality : Very heavy Bass... More than HE-400. If I had to choose.. HE-400 is the BEST! This X1 I think it's more for bass heads.. it's really flabby bass instead of the tight controlled bass I hear from HE-400. The clarity loses definitely to HE-400, AKG Q701, Fostex, Creative Aurvana.
My current headphones in order of preference :_
1) HE-400
2) AKG Q701
3) Fostex T50RP
4) Creative Aurvana Live!
5) Fidelio X1 (VERY GOOD FOR MOVIES! If you listen carefully, the bass actually makes you feel like you are sitting in teh middle and listening to a real hi-fi system)
6) Sennheiser hd518
Come to think of it, Fidelio X1 is like a little less veiled version of Sennheiser HD518 with more flappy bass. It also does not sound open and airy. I reckon it is semi-opened at best which explains why it has more bass than a typical open-backed design. How I judge? Well, my AKG and HE-400, I can hear clearly ambient noise, but the X1 is less clear as it seems enclosed..
P/S : Using an Audinst HD-Mini DAC to a Bravo Audio V2 Tube amp.
Updated 12/10/2012 :- I've finally understood this is a separate category from the rest of the headphones. X1 is indeed very very accurate in representing what you hear in a hi-fi system or cinema. The bass i hear when watching movie is actually very deep and SUB-WOOFER like sound you get from the cinema. The depth and layering of details added to the immersive soundscape. So if buyng for music, this might not be it. But for Watching Movies.. Oh boy! This is a MUST HAVE!
However, you need to consider this if you are interested in re-creating the ambience sound of a home theater system or that of a cinema. Mainly the deep flabby bass that subwoofer pumps out in volume. The noise from the environment that seeps in partially like in a cinema. You are in the center of the cinema and noise is not totally isolated, it blends in with the cinema soundtrack. Yesterday night I watch Prometheus and my god.. It sounds like I was sitting right in the middle of a cinema. No dolby headphone technology needded but I think it would be even more impressive if that was turned on. Today, I asked my wife to try it and she had similar remarks.
But I have to agree if you are listening to music, you will find HE-400 to be heavenly ! Details and seperation are there and still musical but not to the extent of the AKG Q701 which dissects everything. The Fidelio X1 overpowering bass makes it hard to hear the level of details and seperation like the rest. Someone mentioned turning down the bass will make this $300 phone becomes a worthy $600ish phones. I haven't tried that 'coz I liked it RAW.. I don't add +/- treble/bass eq to my phones. hehe
P/S : After trying out so many phones, I have developed a definite preference for OPEN-Backed airy phones. I am not a basshead though, I find AKG Q701 bass good enough for me when people were complaining of its lack of bass.
