Without losing a big chunk of the soundstage and bass? Hopefully something under $350
The concensus is that the X2HR has harsh treble. I’m either lucky to get a unit that lacks that flaw, or maybe it just isnt an issue for me.
I wouldn’t say I am an audiophile. I just listen to lots of music and want what I hear to sound detailed, full and fun. The X2HR was my first set that exposed detail in tracks that I had not prevously noticed. The soundstage made listening more relaxing, and I have no complaints about the ample bass (although I do agree its bumped up from normal). My only complaint is that that I’d like the mids to be louder.
I am also happy with the unit’s construction and the suspended strap solution. For being a heavy headset its very comfortable with great weight distribution for my big head. The single 3.5mm is also very convenient because I can attach an ES100 with a double male plug and it becomes a wireless headphone. I am using aftermarket sheepskin leather pads because the stock pads collect too much lint and dust. However this has muffled the bass. This is why I am looking for something that can be an upgrade out of the box.
Other headsets I own and my observations:
SHP9500 - My first non-trash headset. Clamp too loose, size adjustment not secure. Lacked detail and bass in hindsight. Pads too big and become disgusting after some time.
HD 599 SE - Crushes my big head. Sounded alright but boring/unexciting. Maybe a little claustrophobic.
HE 4XX - Terrible comfort and weight distribution. Size adjustment not secure. Sounded the most balanced of everything I owned. Wish it had more stoundstage. Two wires when not balanced is just unacceptable for me.
I have looked at the new X3 which are going for $200 right now. However its now 2 wires and looks even harder to clean than the X2HR. Dont know what Philips was thinking. The Sundara seem to resemble what I am looking for with all my concerns taken into consideration, although I have no idea how it sounds like. Its been at $350 for a long time now.
to my knowledge without a change in signature there isn’t something that’s going to take this ones place if your wanting to keep the soundstage… as for the bass well, it’s a little muddy so it bleeds a little… one of the reasons some people are turned away by it.
this preference is mainly just to this headphone… theres only one other headphone that comes to mind that can be converted wireless with a headstrap and good comfort while being also bassy but it’s a bit of a stretch… that would be the T50RP(or T60) considering they are the modders headphones… but the ever popular argons may be what your searching for granted they are a bit on the darker side.
I am not quite sure where people get this “consensus” as even the frequency response doesn’t show a whole lot of brightness… I believe maybe there has been some mixups between the original x2 and x2hr variants… as the original x2 was bright meanwhile hr is warm.
the X3 is a completely different signature and is obscenely bright without as much bass, infact the bass is quite lean and closer to neutral so I would assume not what your looking for.
Not sure how this is what your looking for… this is a bright headphone that is lacking in the bass which is it’s biggest drawback outside of the qc issues of the company great headphone for sure but probably not what your looking for.
The only ones that come to mind are the Argons, MMX300(it’s a gaming headset but it does fit this bill), Tygr 300r(regardless if it’s labelled for gaming… I prefer this headphone easily over x2hr as the bass is more controlled and tightned with a better signature granted the mids are slightly recessed), and Nighthawk Carbon(dark and bassy not as big on the soundstage).
Tygrzzz sound good fit, except there was a lot of talk about wireless and cable anger in the initial post. I’m not sure if attached cable is going to be good fit. AKG 712 might be the right sound signature, another picky cable termination. Build and fit seem like critical issues, Hifiman may not be the solution. The new products in the price range seem to be bass-light (not my words, but enough others) and the build is frequently controversial. The 5xx are light, clamp-light, floppy in a way that you expressed you don’t like, though the soundstage size and pleasant mids are there. Sundara has been accused of bass-lightness. What’s the word on Meze 99 soundstage? This bass-rich world of phones is foreign to me outside $23 Monoprice Modern Retros. This request for big warm fun sounds like the Siva Phoenix/Nighthawk sort of world that I don’t have much experience in.
I’m not asking for something with the same excessive soundstage and bass as the X2HR. I just dont want to lose too much of it. I want the soundstage to be above normal for relaxed listening, and no less than neutral bass with sub-bass that comes at me without having to try to notice that its there.
I am definitely not getting anything bright sounding.
above normal soundstage, you want bass but not as much as an x2hr,. That sounds like the Tygr 300r to me. That or the AKG k712s. Nighthawk carbon would fit there too if your okay with a bit of a darker signature
Edit: just notice your going to be running a wireless setup? IF you want you can indeed make the tygr or the K712 wireless. The AKG have a 3 pin mini xlr - 3.5mm adapter for them that lets them be converted to wireless by then plugging a 3.5mm bluetooth dongle into them. Meanwhile tygr 300r can be modded to have a detachable cable or purchased this way from someone respectively… theres a lot of people who offer these modding services on the tygr and do a good job… most notably I recall I used someone from etsy for this exact service on my own beyers they cost about… $70 for that service. You will of course need a 3.5mm bluetooth dongle for the headphone though and of course the reciever setup. Nighthawk Carbon do not have this benefit due to duel sided cabling
Thanks! I guess the K712 it is.
Tygr has rigid headband and permanent cable. I am not in the US/UK/EU so modding will probably end up making it exorbitantly expensive. Nighthawk Carbon double cables is a big no.
k712 is more bass neutral but responds fine to some eq, bass boost settings, pad swaps if you want to go that route, and there is a bass mod to them as well that just needs a google search for the k702 or k712 bass modification
frequency of the k712 ^ its not bad in the bass but x2hr and tygr are better in that regard… the big ol dip on the treble can also be eq’d as well if you prefer
I will probably just get that adapter and replacement pads. I don’t like fuzzy stock pads that collect lint and are near impossible to clean. This was also a problem with my X2HR.
Any suggested leather pads that won’t change the sound too much?
though as for not changing the sound too much? They are built with velour… unless you keep them an airy material like a velour or a fenestrated leather pad it will change the sound by quite a bit most of the time
the problem with the akg series for pad swaps is that they use a plastic adapter on them for pad swaps… which I don’t believe are sold seperately as they are quite literally glued onto the pads. You can get some pad adapters for any k series akg headphone though from modhouse(or other source if you can find them) seen here https://www.modhouseaudio.com/akg-kxxx-adapter/akg-earpad-adapters note that dekoni pads have that adapter on them as do others that specifically state they are designd for the akg k7 series…
Hey there, did you end up getting the K712 or anything else as an upgrade from the X2HR? And what did you think of it? I’m also looking for something similar to the X2 in terms of soundstage and bass, just like you were.
This request for big warm fun sounds like the Siva Phoenix/Nighthawk sort of world that I don’t have much experience in.