I have been looking for a headphone which will serve as my main driver when I upgrade my Micca Origen G2 to (most likely) the Topping E30 and one of the THX or Archel amps. I am currently leaning towards the Phillips Fidelio X2HR. I tend to prefer a bassier and more mid heavy headphone, but I also know that is almost the opposite of what you need for competitive gaming. I currently run the DT880’s, and while I don’t believe the G2 is giving them the most they can get, I would like an open back semi-fun headphone which is usable while gaming, and also has a detachable cable (love the DT880s but the cable is a shit show man lol). My budget for purely the headphones is <$200, and for the Amp + DAC (should you have any recommendations for those) is <$350 total for both. In the music category, I tend to listen to mainly rap, edm, rnb, rock, and folk/indie. These will also be used for media viewing (youtube, netflix, etc), and maybe just the slightest bit of video editing. I appreciate the recommendations!
Which version of the 880s do you have, as they’re generally one of the top recommendations for gaming? If they’re the 600 Ohm version, you’re probably correct that the Origen might not quite be able to get them to their best. The X2HR is not what I’d consider a mid-forward signature, but is easy to drive, for sure has the bass, wide stage, and is Boompro compatible.
I game with Massdrop 6XX’s to great enjoyment.
Let me check my amazon history, but I believe it was actually one of the lower ohm models.
I JUST DOUBLE CHECKED: theyre the 770’s, not the 880’s, and theyre the 80 ohm model so the lowest ohm one, i needed specifically closed back when i got them at the time, hence why I’d prefer an open back now.
It just feels like the bass isn’t as punchy as id like, the treble is not bad at all and the mids, just in general the lower half of the spectrum doesn’t have that satisfying feeling im chasing. Also, I’ve heard that while the difference in DACS isn’t too wide, amplification can make a night and day difference. My origen is also fucked, it won’t play audio in the left headphone speaker unless the knob is at the farthest setting it can go and i turn down my volume on the actual pc side. It’s crazy, i loved this thing when i first got it but i just abuse my technology so i had it coming lol. I’ll probably be going with the heresy or the THX One when that comes out, for future proofing, and most likely the e30 either way depending on how it pans out. I have yet to compare a ton of headphones, since these 770’s are the first and only “hifi” headphone or speaker I’ve both ever used, and the only one I own. Now we’re just expanding our horizons, lol.
I’ve heard the 6XX’s are great for gaming, but if I went for drop x sennheiser I would probably leans for 58X since it is cheaper I believe, and also is closer to the 650’s, or so I’ve heard, which I’ve heard is basically the 600’s but with more base, which seems like my taste. How are they with bass heavy genres like edm, and more chill genres (for example, the song nothing in return by monsune, how well does it perform on songs similar to that. that’s one of my favorite songs of all time)? Also, how is the soundstage? I know imaging is supposed to be great, but how about the width of the sound? It would be so cool to have a huge soundstage with good imaging.
Point of clarification, it is the 6XX which are the chinese copies of the 650, the 58X use the same driver as the 660 which is the “bassy” version.
You cannot go wrong with easier, if cheap + more bass is your goal, I would pull the trigger in this <$200 range without a worry.
that is a common misconception the 58x actually uses a different cheaper driver its just tuned to sound very similarly to the 660
The 6xx is actually manufactured in a senn factory in Romania not in china, pretty close headphones
It’s interesting that you feel the 770 is lacking in bass, but if your Origen is having issues, that could contribute. If you haven’t already, you might try it directly off of a phone or your motherboard to see if it makes a difference, as the 80 ohm version should be pretty easily driven.
The 58x is great, but i’d say it has less bass than a properly driven 770 or X2HR for sure.
if not the exact same just rebranded
No kidding, TIL!
It’s a bit different in build now, but in sound almost identical
oh did not know that, thank you my guy!
oh, thats really interesting, does it, in practice, create a noticeable difference between the actuall 660 and the 58x?
Not according to the king!
ive ran it directly off of the laptop i run the origen through, and it sounds distinctly hollow. I can easily tell the difference. I have not tried running it through my phone though, but unfortunately I have a One plus 7 which (for some fuckin reason) ditched the headphone jack, but it was such a good deal I was willing to part ways with it. The price to performance on the 1+7 is just too good lmao.
for clarification, the laptop is the dell xps 15 9570
Yes, it’s pretty easy to tell it’s a higher tier of headphone, but the signature and build is similar though. I do like the 58x alot, but it isn’t a 660s in terms of technicalities
ah, i see. how would you compare them to the X2HR’s and other options I might have in that price range?
The 58x? The 58x is more detailed, more refined, but more intimate and it doesn’t have as much slam as the x2hr. The x2 is more spacious with more impactful bass, but can be sloppy in the bass and can overwhelm the midrange, and the treble can be a bit grainy for the price. I personally prefer the 58x unless you want the most bass you can get.
You have a fair amount of options for the price range, most are pretty solid. I think for what you are after, the 58x would be a solid pick if you wanted a bit warmer and more relaxed sound, but I do think that like a dt880 600 ohm would be up your alley, for having lots of space, great detail, refined signature, and pairing it with a liquid spark amp, it gets a bit smoother and reduces treble presence
Oh oh I see, in my head right now it’s really between the 58x’s and the X2s mostly because Ive wanted to have a warmer sennheiser for the signatures they tend to have, but I might be swayed to the X2s if the soundstage and amount and quality of the base and midrange. Have you gamed with either? I can see myself easily picking the X2’s for music, but what I need at least at this point in time is an open back daily driver to supplement (and maybe take over) my closed back daily driver, which of course also leaks into media viewing and gaming. I’m a big gamer, hence the 60/40 music/gaming. Would the assumption that the 58x would be the more “jack of all trades” can, or am I mistaken and the X2s would do better in that sort of swiss army knife usage?