Replacement for the X2HR

[OlG]

Hi, i'm looking to replace my X2HR since it met the floor, they are still usable but i think after 7 years it's worth to try something else, i have been looking at alot of headphones but can't pick so i need some help, what i have looked at is Sundara, Fiio FT1 PRO, HiFIMAN Edition XS, HIFIMAN HE400SE, Hifiman Anada Nano, Fiio FT5

 

i have seen that people talk about QC problems with Hifiman so if it's a huge problem i want to avoid it but i'm open for any suggestions

• Budget - 550$ but don't need to max it out

• Located EU - Norway

• Source - Fiio K5 Pro

• Preferred tonal balance - i have the X2HR right now and love the sound, i also had 177x GO but hated it so i sold it.

• Past headphones - X2HR, 177x GO, V-moda something

• Preferred Music - Rock, metal, EDM, Rap, i listen to anything but mostly this

• Used for everything, Music, Movies/youtube/series, gaming

Thank you for reading

 

[SundaySilence69]

6 hours ago, OlG said:

Hi, i'm looking to replace my X2HR since it met the floor, they are still usable but i think after 7 years it's worth to try something else, i have been looking at alot of headphones but can't pick so i need some help, what i have looked at is Sundara, Fiio FT1 PRO, HiFIMAN Edition XS, HIFIMAN HE400SE, Hifiman Anada Nano, Fiio FT5

 

i have seen that people talk about QC problems with Hifiman so if it's a huge problem i want to avoid it but i'm open for any suggestions

• Budget - 550$ but don't need to max it out

• Located EU - Norway

• Source - Fiio K5 Pro

• Preferred tonal balance - i have the X2HR right now and love the sound, i also had 177x GO but hated it so i sold it.

• Past headphones - X2HR, 177x GO, V-moda something

• Preferred Music - Rock, metal, EDM, Rap, i listen to anything but mostly this

• Used for everything, Music, Movies/youtube/series, gaming

Thank you for reading

 

https://eu.turtlebeach.com/products/atlas-200-headset?Platform=Multiplatform&Color=Black

[johnt]

26 minutes ago, SundaySilence69 said:

https://eu.turtlebeach.com/products/atlas-200-headset?Platform=Multiplatform&Color=Black

I think he looking for something a bit more quality than a gaming headset. 

[GamerDude]

Open or closed back? Your sound preference? More bassy? Brighter sounding cans? or, the ubiquitous 'balanced' sound? Any preferred brand? Like for me, I have no particular sound preference, so I'm sorta a HiFiMan and Sennheiser man myself....and Grado.

[OlG]

3 hours ago, johnt said:

I think he looking for something a bit more quality than a gaming headset. 

yeah i want to avoid gaming headset

[OlG]

1 hour ago, GamerDude said:

Open or closed back? Your sound preference? More bassy? Brighter sounding cans? or, the ubiquitous 'balanced' sound? Any preferred brand? Like for me, I have no particular sound preference, so I'm sorta a HiFiMan and Sennheiser man myself....and Grado.

 

i want open back, from what i know based on the info about X2HR is that they are V-shaped so i think my sound preference is towards that but i'm not locked into it, i haven't really lisened to alot of headphones except the ones i have had, the only headphones i disliked from the headphones i have owned was the 177x go.
 

i want headphones that will work for gaming, work for the music that i like so if i narrow it down i listen 90% of the time to metal, metalcore, rock and rap.

 

i love the X2HR, i think they are comfortable and i love the sound of them, i recently downloaded eqalizerAPO with peace and tuned them to oratory1990 Harman target.

i was thinking about buying a new par of X2HR but i want to try something else, i can't buy them new in Norway anymore so it would be second hand

 

[SundaySilence69]

https://no.jbl.com/TUNE780NC.html

[Psittac]

I don't enjoy the fact that I have nothing good to say about hifiman, but I've yet to have a good experience with them.  I will say that the only proper hifiman I have purchased is the Edition XS and it's sound quality is unlike anything in it's price range.  The problem being that I have TMJ (jaw clenches a lot) and after I take them off and put them back on they creek and click for 20-30 minutes.  This could be purely anecdotal but considering I've had at least 3 other hifiman products that were dud's and I'm done with the brand.  From what I know the higher end products don't have these issues so you may consider looking at the Kithara.  The simple fact that they made a gamer headphone that ticks every box I personally look for makes me want to keep my mouth shut about the brand.

[GamerDude]

I, OTOH, have had pretty good experience with HiFiMan (henceforth known as HFM) and I do own a number of them. My collection includes the HE1000, HE560, HE-4, HE4XX, and my most recent purchase, the HE-R9 (for sheer bass goodness!).

 

The HE-4 is what I would describe as the most reference, clean sounding of the lot, granted I did change th earpads to a pair of MrSpeakers Alpha Pads. None of them has let me down in terms of appealing to the alleged audiophile in me, even the HE-R9. I was fully aware it had elevated bass, and initially, it sounded muddy to me.

 

But after running it for quite a number of hours, either letting it 'burn in' on my DAC playing many hours of my Spotify playlists, or simply using and listening to it while I surf the net, or for watching movies. I don'tknow if it's a 'burn in' thing, or my simply getting used to the sound, but it sounds less muddied, while bass seemed to be more controlled now (don't get me wrong, it's still bass heavy}.

 

I must add that I've no sound preference, hence my lack of bias against any kind of sound, as long as it appeals to me. As for OP, seeing that he like the Fidelio he had, it might not hurt to seriously getting the same as replacement. The thing about headphones is, it is hard for us to make any sort of real or solid recommendation(s) as:

1. We may not have heard or auditioned or own the X2HR, I've only briefly owned the first gen Fidelio, but didn't like the sound which didn't appeal to me (go figure!)

 

2. Sound, or our perception of it, is quite subjective, so what may appeal to me, not not for you. For example, the best sounding open back I own, other than the AKG K812, HD800, and ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D1000, is the Grado GS1000. It sounded great to me, quite airy, good separation and imaging, but loses to the three I had mentioned, yet I hold it in high regard, why? It has a solid bass that surprised the crap outta me when I first heard it, it didn't sound muddied despite its bass leanings. Like the previous three, it's part of my permanent collection...

 

Honestly, in lieu of trying something new (which you may not like .... at all), I think it's safer to stick with a known quantity, as it is with you, the X2HR.   

[Psittac]

1 hour ago, GamerDude said:

I, OTOH, have had pretty good experience with HiFiMan (henceforth known as HFM) and I do own a number of them. My collection includes the HE1000, HE560, HE-4, HE4XX, and my most recent purchase, the HE-R9 (for sheer bass goodness!).

 

The HE-4 is what I would describe as the most reference, clean sounding of the lot, granted I did change th earpads to a pair of MrSpeakers Alpha Pads. None of them has let me down in terms of appealing to the alleged audiophile in me, even the HE-R9. I was fully aware it had elevated bass, and initially, it sounded muddy to me.

 

But after running it for quite a number of hours, either letting it 'burn in' on my DAC playing many hours of my Spotify playlists, or simply using and listening to it while I surf the net, or for watching movies. I don'tknow if it's a 'burn in' thing, or my simply getting used to the sound, but it sounds less muddied, while bass seemed to be more controlled now (don't get me wrong, it's still bass heavy}.

 

I must add that I've no sound preference, hence my lack of bias against any kind of sound, as long as it appeals to me. As for OP, seeing that he like the Fidelio he had, it might not hurt to seriously getting the same as replacement. The thing about headphones is, it is hard for us to make any sort of real or solid recommendation(s) as:

1. We may not have heard or auditioned or own the X2HR, I've only briefly owned the first gen Fidelio, but didn't like the sound which didn't appeal to me (go figure!)

 

2. Sound, or our perception of it, is quite subjective, so what may appeal to me, not not for you. For example, the best sounding open back I own, other than the AKG K812, HD800, and ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D1000, is the Grado GS1000. It sounded great to me, quite airy, good separation and imaging, but loses to the three I had mentioned, yet I hold it in high regard, why? It has a solid bass that surprised the crap outta me when I first heard it, it didn't sound muddied despite its bass leanings. Like the previous three, it's part of my permanent collection...

 

Honestly, in lieu of trying something new (which you may not like .... at all), I think it's safer to stick with a known quantity, as it is with you, the X2HR.   

Sounds like you got the correct hifiman's.  My first headphone when moving into a new house and having a space for a computer desk so headphones instead of being in the living room with a surround sound system, was the HE-400i (2017) which was recommended as a "reference" headphone.  And I had zero issues with that headphone, it's just that moving on from there I realized how lack luster they were.  I also have purchased the Deva Pro which I don't think should count as it's just not what the brand can do.  Even Sennheiser has throw away products, and I consider Sennheiser to be top notch and hasn't lead me astray (short of a bland gaming headset, the game one).  The Deva Pro just lacked any character and the wireless attachment would give a loud pop when it was turned on, I tried the headphones wired on a good dac and amp so it wasn't the module, just an instance that happens at big companies.  I hadn't heard a single review for it and just impulse bought it.  I also got the R7DX and it had almost NO bass, maybe I gave them away before giving them a chance, but this was another notch on the anti-hifiman belt.  I will say though, that if you get something that is highly regarded, then you should be in for a treat.  Those three headphones are NOT what hifiman is known for.  The Edition XS is absolutely stunning for sound quality, and it's just a quirk of my physical makeup that I can't wear them.  Even my hand crafted ZMF atrium has very very rare noises but I'm certain that can be solved with tightening or loosening a screw on the adjustment mechanism as it's all metal.  Even my super light weight Audio Technica ATH-R70x Refine gives occasional clicks.  So my point is that I will no longer let my bad calls and unique biology influence my recommendations, maybe a small side not that QC is a thing.

 

A quick note on burn in.  My opinion is that it's 95% brain burn in and at most 5% equipment.  My Focal Elex was so different when I got it that I panic purchased ring's to replace the ear pads.  But until my ZMF it was my favorite headphone for all around.  Even my Atrium had initial panic of not loving the sound, I ordered a whole pack of pad's and mesh to try and "figure it out".  But now it's just the best headphone I own.

 

Quick oddness of my ZMF, an "audiophile" buddy of mine came over to listen to them and he kept going back and forth from headphone to headphone and source to source and song to song and kept saying there's some kind of click or artifact in the treble.  I've heard absolutely no one talk about this, and I confessed that his Audeze's had layered imaging that I didn't enjoy.  After he left I put on a half dozen headphones and all of them were shrill and bright, the only thing I could hear was treble.  The hardware didn't change, rather my brain did.   I even tried different mesh and pads for him and he was hung up on some kind of oddity that no one else has ever expressed.

 

As to the OP, I've had the X3 for many years.  Recently two pairs of them as my uncle got a pair and after he passed I inherited them.  To me the X3 is spacious with great imaging and has a very warm signature with somewhat of a veil on the treble.  If that's what you want and what the X2HR does for your ear's, I would consider the Meze Audio 99 Classic.  I have the V1 and have also owned the Neo,  The Neo is a standard sound and the classic is almost like tube's without the tubes.  The Classic and the X3 are the only truly warm headphones I own.  The 600/650/6xx which I own the 6xx is also warm but that is a headphone in it's own category, I never compare it to anything else and I never recommend it.  It's just a very niche headphone that everyone should own if they consider themselves an audio enthusiast, and it will continue to surprise you.

 

On the note of being an audio enthusiast vs someone needing a solution, it is really really difficult to convey what you experience on headphones to someone else.  Speakers have multi-EQ and can shoot for a target, but headphones are more "pure".  While room treatment is huge on speakers, everything changes to varying degree's with everything from source to brain.  My general advice is look for some reviews of headphones you have owned, and see what you agree with and disagree with.  If you find someone that hit's the nail on the head, look at their other reviews.  Listen for keywords that you like and understand and key words you want to experience.  I would personally cut the budget in half and get two headphones.  But there is something to be said for shooting for the stars.