Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
DaveinSM
49
Jul 10, 2018
Just got mine today. Playing a lot of different types of music through them before making any judgments on sound. But I can tell already that they sound good so far! Very clear presentation, but the soundfield is definitely more close-field rather than the spacious, airy soundstage that is usually associated with open back headphones. It definitely is less laid back and less wide/diffuse compared to my Fidelity X2s. They’re like Grado SR80es, but with seemingly more uniform response from top to bottom. I also Like the short cabled with 3.5mm connector + 6.3 gold adapter. Note that the 2.5mm cable ends that go into the earpieces are marked with small white L/R indicators and need to match up with the L/R indicators on the headphones themselves preserve proper L/R polarity. Build quality isn’t luxurious, but they are solidly built and the ear pads are very comfortable out of the box. So far so good!
Xyzac
530
Jul 13, 2018
DaveinSMSo do you prefer the he4xx or the fidelio x2?
DaveinSM
49
Jul 13, 2018
XyzacThat’s a good question, and the jury is still out. I’ll give you my opinion on the pros and cons of each:
X2: great for bassheads, has a spacious open air soundstage, easy to drive, lighter weight, great build quality/materials for the price, feels and looks like a high end headphone. Headband system seems like it would work well for bigger, wider heads. Comfortable, but hammock system will tend to slip down on the ears on smaller heads. Midrange is clear but seems a bit recessed compared to the Hifiman. Treble is clear and sweet, never harsh but also not particularly brilliant either. Overall response seems a bit V-shaped with an emphasis on a plummy lower end compared to the Hifiman. HE4xx: very clear, pronounced midrange, clear but not sparkly treble, and a very clear but seemingly polite bass response. It seems that these were tuned for a flat, neutral response curve, and midrange presence brings vocals and guitar to the forefront while compressing perceived soundstage width. Channel separation seems very good though. The build quality is good enough given the price , especially as planar magnetics, but the fit and finish do not give the impression of luxury. Very utilitarian looking, these are surprisingly compact and heavy given the large cup and driver size. Ear cushions are soft and very comfortable out of the box, and these seem to give a greater amount of isolation despite being open backed. be warned, however: these are MUCH less sensitive and efficient than the X2s, Sennheiser Momentum over ears, and B&W P7s. We’re talking like 30% more volume crank to achieve same SPLs. But these seem to handle power and high vol levels very well. They stay clear and balanced and seem to sound better the louder you can cleanly drive them.
Xyzac
530
Jul 14, 2018
DaveinSMThank you very much for your detailed and indepth reply. I have just received the hd 58x, so I think there is more of an overlap between the hd 58x and he4xx than with the x2. Does that sound right? I think I will pick up the x2s when they go on sale.
DaveinSM
49
Jul 14, 2018
XyzacI’ve never had nor heard the hd 58x, but Tyll Hertsens, whose opinion I respect, seemed to favorably compare both the X2 and the HE400s to the HD600 and HD650. You can find his comments in the archives of the innerfidelity website. The Sennheisers are classics and in many ways still a reference, but the bass definition is reportedly underwhelming, and they have that “Sennheiser veil” over the treble.
DaveinSM
49
Sep 9, 2018
XyzacHey man, I was thinking about picking up the HD58x jubilee here myself. Do you like yours so far?
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile