Review on 🎧 Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR Over-Ear Open-Air Headphone with 50mm Drivers (Black) + NeeGo Attachable Microphone - Ideal for Gaming and Communication by Kevin Flores

**Update** Okay, I've been using the X2HR for almost a week and they still impress me. As other people have said, these are fun lounge headphones, not super analytical/detailed studio headphones, and I totally agree with the first part. Head-to-head comparison with the following headphones in a round robin comparison with the Fiio K5 Pro DAC/Amp: Sony MDR-CD1700s, Sony WH-1000XM4, Beyerdynamics DT 990 Pro (80 ohms) and Audio Technica M50X. I mostly listened to EDM and rock, with a bit of folk, country, bluegrass and classical, and while the X2HRs aren't perfect, they make most music sound more alive than other headphones. For comparison: MDR-CD1700s are more neutral, the bass distribution is less than with Fidelio, the bandwidth seems to be good, but everything is duller or more veiled. It's either #2 or #3, and Fidelio is #1. The soundstage isn't as good as the X2's, but it's not terrible considering they're sealed cans. DT 990 Pros - Bass is decent but not as powerful as that of the X2, and the catchy icon makes the treble ring out at times. too bright for anything else. The singing sounds good. As mentioned above, this is either my #2 or #3. The soundstage seems to be on par with the X2, or maybe between it and the MDR-CD1700s. AT-M50x - Slightly surprised at how muddy the bass is on some tracks. These headphones used to live at work and I rarely used them and used an old amp/DAC combo (Headroom Total Bithead circa 2003/4). The bass works on some tracks but not so well on others. The soundstage is quite compressed. The WH-1000XM4 is very bass heavy even without EQ, to the point where it sounds awful when not active/switched on. The equalizer settings can be stored on the headphones so they're always active when switched on, even if you're listening via line-in along with Bluetooth, that's all. I think I tuned mine to the default EQ setting "Bright" and am pretty happy with the sound now. And I can't even remember what I really thought about the XM4 soundstage. Not memorable I guess? :) Not everyone likes Fidelios, and I think it's probably based on differences in actual hearing for different listeners, as well as preferences and preconceived ideas about how things should sound. I remember hearing good headphones for the first time many years ago. This was an AKG 240 and I immediately liked the lack of deep bass and how the upper bass seemed artificially boosted. Some people like AKGs, but they just didn't suit me. The Sony MDR-V6s, which I bought a few years later, seemed much more pleasing to me, although some of the same people find them a bit bass-heavy (they're a lot flatter than the WM-1000XM4s/MDR-1000Xs from memory). , and more like the fairly neutral MDR-CD1700). (Original review) The $150 Philips Fidelio X2HR is as good or better than anything I've heard. I happened to see a review on them that suggested they should be used as a kind of poor man's replacement for the very expensive Sennheiser HD 800. In comparison, with decent quality headphones, I've mostly had experience with Sony - I generally like the Sony's sound profile, although it may be too bass-heavy and/or V-shaped for some. I was ready to give up the Fidelios, but they were far from inconspicuous and I hadn't done anything to break them yet. Compared to my MDR-CD1700, the Fidelio is a bit brighter in the mids and the vocals sound more alive overall. And because they have an open design, they have a wider soundstage. At 30 ohms they're easy to drive and work well with my modest (FiiO, Creative Labs, BitHeads) consumer headphone DAC amps. If someone asked me for a recommendation for leisure headphones under 200€, I would have no hesitation in recommending the Fidelio.