Fidelio X3 Hi-Res

I hate velour, gotta get that out of the way. Not sure why so many companies insist on velour as the material to use with pads. What I own: Beyer DT880s (balanced) Beyer/Drop 177x Go Senn 660S Meze 99 Classics AKG K371 Audio technica 990z Audio technica 500x Blue Lola X2HR Source: Android runnin Viper 24bit/48khz through optical out to smsl m200 dac to smsl sp200 amp. I know, i know, why so many headphones...Soooooo I felt compelled to write this review because i bought these when the ball and chain gave me a $100 gift card and the price had dropped. I liked the X2HR but didn't love them; wasn't in that bass canon great soundstage camp everyone else was in. Don't get me wrong, they are very good but the sub bass roll off is so severe, I just can't get the sound I like out of them. Reading the reviews of the X3 was a mixed bag, mostly because everyone was comparing them to the X2; it seemed if you loved the X2 then there was no need for the X3 to exist. A quick tangent on pads; to my ears suede is the best pad on almost any headphone. It does darken the headphone a little for sure but suede also takes the shine of the top end, something headphones like the K371s and 99 classics need in my opinion as they can be very bright (same for the X3, with the stock pads). Suede also takes away some of the mid bass, turning the 99 classics in into some real closed back monsters. Also, if you own a pair of DT880s and are not using suede pads I don't know what you are doing with your life; the sub bass roll off completely disappears (not so with X2) without hampering the soundstage. Sheepskin is good too and my 2nd fav but doesnt lower the mid bass. Back to the X3s. My favorite headphones before these were the DT880s and 660s. The Senns were the king of fidelity; if you wanted to hear the track exactly as intended, you wanted the 660s. Great mids and the artist is right there, great for vocals. The DT880 soundstage and imaging are superb; the stage isnt as wide as the X2 or even the 500x but you could hear everything. The presentation is as much about the instruments as it is the artist. The 177x are also superb for imaging but can get a little clampy after a while, and the bass, so much bass. I got the X3s 10 days ago...and haven't taken them off. Quick observations: Best looking headphones I have ever seen, period. Great construction and just a superb, understated design. They will meld into your desk as opposed to being an ornament. Most comfortable headphones I have ever owned, period. My first full day with them i wore them for 11 hours. You know they're there but after putting them on, I don't have to make any adjustments, they just sit there. I wear glasses, btw. Not sure why there are so many comparisons to the X2; while not a completely different sound there is a fullness to the X3 that I don't hear in the X2. The X3 can be driven off of anything to great affect; I also own a THX Onyx, HUD100 and ibasso DC03, all getting great volume and push right around 60% volume (sounds the best on optical, even at the lower bit depth). The most important thing: No bass roll off if you change the pads. The Beyers and ATs and Meze have moss bass, but none sound this good. No bleed, the drivers are in complete control on even the most bass heavy tracks (the X2s would distort pretty easily). Comparisons: 660s The whole mix and incredible imaging. The mids are king here but if you want bass you can eq it in (if you change the pads) without distortion. Truly great headphones. The X3s are as resolving in my opinion but with a much, much wider stage (by design I believe the 660s is meant to be intimate). Voices are more full as well on the X3 and i would say the mids are just a good as the 660s. DT880 (250ohm) A lot more bass in the DT880 but the driver doesn't seem to be as fast; bass heavy tracks mask some parts of the mix when i listening to the DT880s while I still hear it all on the X3. You see a lot of headphones claim they go down to 5hz, i don't doubt it with the X3. The instruments are a little more lively on the DT880 but they are also closer to you; with the X3 those cymbals are waaaayyy over there (and I swear the bass is behind me), with the DT880, the cymbals are way over there. Not dissing the DT880s, those were my babies for a loooonngg time...but the reason I am writing this review is because they have been dethroned. Comfort, resolution, presentation, its like going from a Charger to an E Class; I loved my Charger but everything is just smoother in this E Class. I didn't buy these before now because i couldn't justify the price (didn't buy my 660s) but if i could have test driven before purchase, I would have paid the $350. The X3 does everything every other headphone in my collection does, better. One word of caution: aftermarket cords will not work with these headphones unless special ordered. 4 stars is too few, the X2HR don't come close to these, not sure what people are hearing. I have the Dekoni choice leather and suede pads, both are more comfortable than the stock pads. 5:stars is not enough, I have never had a better, more musical experience than with the X3s. Every genre, every type of song sound great, sound musical. Truly incredible headphones, buy them and don't look back.

The overall build quality is excellent. The sound quality is also excellent. Very well balanced. Not bass heavy, but plenty of bass for sure. The construction quality is exceptional. These will last for a long long time. The headband is Scottish premium leather. My ONLY complaint is that the ear pads are SO WARM - I could wear these skiing. Just sitting in my house after 10 minutes I found my head getting really hot - like I'd put on winter ear muffs. It's winter here and I was overheating. I definitely can't see wearing these during summer. So I will likely be purchasing other ear pads to try because these are just way too hot. But for the money, these are top quality.

I wanted an over the ear studio quality headphones. I have couple of Yamaha's RH5MA which are in my book outstanding as studio headphones. However, they are on the ear types and wanted something in the same or better audio quality but in over the ear format. I mostly use them for electronic type of music, electronica, chill, ambient, techno, EDM, etc. Heard about Fidelio X3 and how good they are and recently price has been reduced quite a bit. Do not get me wrong. The sound quality is very good. However, they are a bit lacking in resolution, especially on a high end. They do have the response of studio headphones, no big booming low end and no overdone highs or mids. Very good resolution throughout the range. For the much higher price (more than 2x), being close in audio quality but not on equal footing with RH5MA I could not justify the purchase. They are much more comfortable to wear than my RH5MA, are much better made, much more sturdy and will probably last much longer, my family already broke one pair of RH5MA as cables on these are permanently attached and flimsy made. However, I was looking mostly for audio quality and therefore had to return them. If you never heard RH5MA before, and looking for studio response type of headphones you will be very happy with these. Please do not buy studio monitor type headphones for general music listening if you expect booming bass. They are not designed for that. Besides using studio headphones to monitor music, I do enjoy using monitor headphones for listening to electronic music, as they give me a very good resolution throughout the range and allow me to hear all different nuances of various electronic tracks. These are also good in my opinion for listening to 80s type of new wave or synth pop music like Depeche Mode, OMD, Duran Duran, Alphaville and many other. Use studio monitor headphones to listen to these and you will hear things you never heard before in their recordings. My search continues. Yamaha HPH-MT5 are next on the list.

趣味で作曲をしています。 これはとても良いリスニングヘッドホンです。 16000円台で買えて最高にいい買い物でした。 モニターにはあまり使えないと思います。

Philips Fidelio X3/00 Hi-Res Audio X3, Much confort on the head. I first used it with the realtek audio card chip in my mother board but sound was not that great. Then I used it together with the Creative Sound Blaster Play! 4 DAC USB Portable High Resolution and the sound is excellent. Great headset. There is also no latency in game (I use a 240 Hz screen). Recommended.

Nach einer kurzen Einspielzeit legte der Fidelio X3 sehr gut los. Ob im Bass, Mitten, oder in den Höhen. Die versprochenen 5 bis 40.000 Hz nehme ich ihm ab. Da wird nichts verfälscht. Keine Beschneidung der Höhen und auch keine Überbetonung im Bassbereich wie es heute ja unnötigerweise bei anderen Herstellern so üblich ist. Durch die schöne Abstimmung, eben ohne beschnittene Höhen, wird eine realistische breite Bühne erzeugt. Ob das feine Schlagen des Beckens von Ian Moslay, oder die Spielfreude von Pete Trewavas am Bass und Steve Rothery an der e-Gitarre von Marillion in den Alben "F.E.A.R. oder An Houer Befor It's Dark, oder die Live- Konzerte mit dem Klassikorchester". Es wird alles erstaunlich gut wiedergegeben. Alle Instrumente sind zu vernehmen in einer schöhnen breiten Bühne. Stimmen werden realistisch wiedergegeben. Der Tragekompfort ist etwas fester, aber dafür hält der KH auch gut. Schnelles verrutschen ist so nicht möglich. Die Ohrpolster sind angenehm weich. Ein Schwitzen unter dem KH konnte ich nicht beobachten. Durch die 30 Ohm auch am Handy, oder der Soundkarte vom Laptop, gut zu betreiben. Einzig das mitgelieferte Kabel, was über einen 3,5 mm Klinkenanschluß mit Adapter auf 6,3 mm besitzt, ist für mich nicht die beste Wahl von Philips gewesen. Durch die wohl so qualitativ hochwertig wirken sollende Gewebewandverkleidung ist das Kabel einfach zu steif / unflexibel. Aber ist Jammern auf hohem Niveau. Der X3 braucht sich nicht zu verstecken. Da sind KHs im Bereich von 1.000 EUR unausgewogener und deutlich schlechter im persönlichem Hörempfinden. Der AKG 702 ist in der selben Preisklasse und vielleicht subjektiv etwas Spielfreudiger. Man sollte beide mal ausprobieren. Fazit: Zu dem Preis einfach nur gut.

I have a decent collection of headphones. Focal Clear OG and Elegia, Hifiman HE-R9, AKG K701 and Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro. I bought these on a whim at $199 mainly because I liked the look and they were a massive discount to RRP. I was expecting something overly bright with minimal bass. I don't get that at all. These are beautiful sounding headphones with a very wide soundstage. Bass is neutral, as audiophile headphones should be. It's absolutely there. Detail is exceptional. The reviews saying these have sibilance is not something i've experienced. Vocals sound top notch, classical music is extraordinarily good. In addition, I think they're very well built and super comfortable. The genuine leather headband is great. Comparing to my other open backs, I don't think these are as good as the Focal Clear OG, but they're also $2k headphones. I would take these over the K701's any day of the week (and I like the K701's). I don't know any headphone as good as these for the current price. Tested connected to Hifiman EF400 Amp.

I was looking for some new home headphones and found a great deal for these headphones. They are super comfortable and made of great quality materials. The sound is really smooth - slightly warm - and makes you want to keep listening to more music. I’d really recommend these as high quality but reasonably priced Hi-Fi headphones.