Excellent headphones but I found them too critical for extended listening. Good price though.

very good cans, if you prefer a closed back grab a pair of ath-m50x

have some heat op

Great pair of headphones and they have been available on Amazon at this price for some weeks. If you can live without a detachable lead the K612's are also a good buy at the mo. They are slightly less critical and slightly easier to drive.

Thanks op I don't know much about headphones .. Is this a good brand ?

Be warned, you need a decent amp to drive these properly.

Cold, not beats

Pro brand, pro grade, serviceable parts, will last 20 years and more.

Thinking about these seriously but would love some expert advice...

I bought the M50x previously and found that they were too tinny and lacking bass. I did buy a headphone amp (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013HL9NVK/ref=pe_1909131_77697121_tnp_email_TE_AMZLdp_2) but this made little difference to the sound quality (using an optical signal). My cheapo logitech speakers with subwoofer sound so much better.

Would anyone recommend this AKG pair instead, or could it be that the sound card in my computer is the problem despite using a DAC thing.

Many thanks.

I really want to try the Philips Fidelio x2

The Brainwavz HM5 are a decent closed-back headphone. About £70. Not the best built though.

What did you upgrade to?

I was trying to avoid that question, Focal Elear... :smile:

Are any of these good as entry level headphones -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001K3ENEA/ref=pd_aw_sim_267_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RRZNNKZS9WWQ7Z89MRPQ&dpPl=1&dpID=713eqXfS9QL

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00HVLUR18/ref=pd_aw_vtph_267_bs_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RRZNNKZS9WWQ7Z89MRPQ

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01BYAX498/ref=pd_aw_sbs_267_of_33?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HRENRYNM7CWKM6FZQCY3

Thanks guys for your help ...

Yeah. I guess so.

Have had these for a few years now, and they still blow me away how much detail you can hear in music. Still occasionally use my Sennheiser HD555/598, but the K702 are my go to cans. Find them very comfortable, as most days/nights I use them for 5/7 hrs. Build quality is good, though not great, but this may be down to them being made in China now and not Austria. I do listen to all types of music, but these definitely excel in vocals. At this price I think I may have to get another set. Heat added.:smile:

​agreed x2s are superb. half the price of hd650s and sound just as good (in phones, laptop etc), maybe a little more coloured than 650s.

If I wear these people will think I am a Waldo. I can get beats from cash converters for £100.

​What did you upgrade going from x2s?

I've got Fidelio X1. And they actually cured my upgrade bug. They are good enough for my ears. I'm not spending twice the price for marginal gains in detail and performance. I suspect X2s are very similar.
What I love about them is an audiophile grade performance that has been tuned down for the casual listener. So you can tune them easily to your liking with equaliser presets.

Half the price? :smile:


Check post #16


More money for refurbished?

I haven't listened to them nor in fact heard of them:) If we're talking decent, UE6000 are also decent closed-back design. Very good build, comfort and portability. Sound is decent at best. But they were cheap. I got mine off fleebay for something like £40 some time ago. I expect they would have long sold out now.

Yeah I know I'm not a Waldo, I meant in the mall.

Hilarious. Serious note though. You should stick to closed-back headphones for portable use. Open-back for home use. Just a rule of thumb though. Some people prefer closed-back in general.

​hd650s are around 299 new, I picked up x2s for 150... :smiley:

Not sure where you're looking at prices but the X2's today are around £200. And the HD650's today are around £240

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-X2-Headphones-Over-Ear-Cushions/dp/B00MRUPSHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483878498&sr=8-1&keywords=fidelio+x2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-HD650-Reference-Over-Ear-Headphone/dp/B00018MSNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483878453&sr=8-1&keywords=hd650

​blimey, that's changed since I got mine. I sold 650s I paid 299 for them, and bought x2s for 150, I thought it was bargain of the year.

You overpaid then, as CCC shows...:stuck_out_tongue:

Seriously though, I'd pay up to £160, if they ever (hopefully) get reduced again.

The £116 price wasn't honoured :wink:
Anything around £150 is a good price for the X2.

Some got them for that.

​tbh I'd have been happy if I'd paid £250 for them, they are seriously punching above their weight - they are a good all rounder as well - find them great for music, games & films.

I've just bought some Momentum wireless, and they cost me £275 but are not near the class of X2s, but it's a trade off as need some decent wireless.

also bought some ie80 in ear, I'm finding them hugely overrated for a supposed £270 pair of IEMs, even the £130 I paid seems over priced, maybe they'll burn in....

Lots of comments on here about using them with a mobile device.

How do they measure up for someone who would only use them sat in front of a hifi, listening to Classical, R&B, Vocals?

On reflection , I suppose my question is: Could my £113 be better spent elswhere if mobile devices are not a consideration?
I know thats a very subjective question ...
I have spent the last two weeks genning up. The more I read the more confused I become. The last time I bought a pair of headphones was thirty odd years ago, when the only real option was Dixons or the local hifi shop.

These aren't really for portable use. They need quite a bit of power to get the most out of them, they're opened-backed, and they're quite big.

You need to narrows things down I think, unless you want a ton of headphones.

Budget
Open or closed
Sound signature. Do you like sound more on the darker side, warmer, with a bit more emphasis on the bass, or as neutral as possible, which usually lacks low-end, sometimes not. Or mainly focused on mid-high clarity, a lot like Grado's.
Headband design, as for comfort being very important. I prefer hammock like the AKG's here, not the adjustable ones like on the HD518's for example.
Will they be used for portable devices, or in-home, or both? I know you answered that already.
Similar to the above question, what will be used to power them, desktop on-board soundcard, external DAC/AMP, etc.

Without knowing these things it's really hard to pick a pair of headphones for someone.

Thank you!
Budget as close to £113 as possible preferably - but may stretch to 200 if the bangperbuck was right
Open preferred
Sound signature - middle ground
Headband design - no preference
Will be used for in-home, driven by hifi amp.

I have X2s (paid £395) and they're the best cans I've used. Not too coloured and the highs are perfectly clarified yet not drowned by the punchy and fairly relevantly boomy bass reproduction response. They serve perfectly as monitoring cans with supremely dignified and forensic imaging detail.
I've tried many top end cans from Sennheiser (including Orpheus), Fostex, Stax, HiFiMan, Mr Speakers and more.
The X2s shine as the best reproduction of theatrical significance and really were a delight to the ears for anyone looking to bring a live performance in an acoustically perfected opera house to their own house.

Down to £200 since Gibson took over manufacturing from Woox. Negative reviews on Amazon explain why.

£400 is still "damn" :smile:

You are getting the lack of bass because of your amp or lack of but here is a mod for more bass, i have done it and it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2DsUnutSzw

Thanks.

I like how K702 is.

I do not want bass.

Ok....

It does work well...! BUT if you have a good amp you will not need it as i found out when i got a little dot iii 3.