PHILIPS Fidelio X2HR Over The Ear Open Back Wired Headphone 50mm Drivers- Black Professional Studio Monitor Headphones with Detachable Cable

Okay, I need to preface this review by saying up front that I returned these headphones because they didn't fit me. I have a tall head, and the suspension mechanism kept pulling the headphones up enough that they got uncomfortable after a while. However, it's important to note my star rating: I'm returning these, but they still got five stars. That's how impressed I was with their sound and build quality.They sound really, really good, with clear highs that aren't overbearing, present mids, and solid bottom end that will not let you ignore it, but won't rattle your teeth, either. I'm not an audiophile, but I was quite pleased with how much better balanced their sound was than any other consumer headphone I've tried. The sound I got out of these was detailed, nuanced, and quite pleasing. I didn't listen to a lot of really complex music to see if they'd just turn into a wall of sound when there was too much thrown at them, however.When talking about their sound quality it's important to note that these are open-back headphones. They do *not* isolate or noise cancel. They're not supposed to. They're supposed to allow noise out to create a more open and broad sound stage, giving them more of a natural sense of presence. It's an experience much closer to listening to a good stereo system than using closed back headphones, which seal your ears in little chambers and blast them directly with sound. That has it's place, like if you're listening to music in public or in a loud environment, but it doesn't give a natural and open-air feel like open-back headphones do. If you're looking for more of a natural sound but don't want to piss off your neighbors, open back headphones are a solid option. If your partner is asleep in bed next to you and you want to watch a movie, you definitely want closed back headphones.One advantage to open-back headphones is that the larger sound stage gives you a better sense of position from audio when gaming. That's one of the main reason I gave these a try, and I was quite pleased with the results. It feels a lot more like you're there, or using a good 5.1 system, than when using closed headphones.Their build quality is impressive. These headphones feels very solid, but also refined and polished. I was really surprised by that. The only part I can tell is made of plastic is the cups of the headphones themselves. The band and frame that attaches to the cups are metal. Even the support band that rests across the top of your head is made up of metal bands inside a pad. That's not gonna wear out any time soon. For the sake of comparison, the Sennheiser PC38X headset I replaced these with is made up almost entirely of plastic. It feels incredibly cheap by comparison. However, it fits my head.The cable is also quite nice. It's braided and long. The braiding feels both flexible and strong, reinforcing the cable without making it overly stiff. The connectors are slim enough that I can't imagine anyone having trouble getting them past a cell phone case.The only real knock I have for these headphones is that the included pads pick up everything they touch. Dust, cat hair, anything. However, they're soft and plush, and quite comfortable for long wear. Just know that if you've got a pet you'll end up cleaning hair off them pretty regularly.

These Phillips were purchased because the better half took my KZ10 IEM earbuds. Those earbuds really opened the world of music for me all over again and convinced me that ALL of the bluetooth buds are hands down terrible. I also own'd a pair of Koss Porta Pros back in 16' that were said to be the easiest way to appreciate Audiophile level quality which were also "open back".So? Did this purchase take another step in the right direction?I think yes for the price point. I'm really not used to cranking the audio up, as my ears are sensitive but the top end is clean on these (I don't mind losing a lil bit of hearing for this quality) The music is clean and distortion just isn't there if you crank em up a lil.I've read reviews discussing terms like soundstage, forward aiming, trill, V shape (imagine a V curved EQ line)I don't know what some of them mean but I will say this:Sound Stage - Wide but laking "Air" as I expected to hear the recordings atmosphereVocals vs Instruments - The artist ins't perfectly center and the instruments sound like they are low and to the sides.BASS - This isn't a super bass heavy set but if you were trying to hear the treble at low levels, the bass seems to mud out the sound. I'm not a bass head so this is MAX bass for me.These aren't like standing centered between 2 book shelves but they are is for the value. The build is proper with each ear cup housing suspended by rubber struts, although they are comfortable to wear they aren't invisible. I like how easy they are to grab; I keep expecting to grab a slippery plastic finish and I'm quickly met with the tactile ring.I intend to chase the audiophile experience and purchase a pair of Hifi Man planar headphones and drive it with a matched tube amp supplied audio via a DAC. I want to feel like I'm standing between two bookshelf speakers perfectly aligned with my ears and I'm not sure that's even a thing.

After close to a year of use, I still absolutely love my Philips X2HRs. The sound quality is fantastic - really balanced, and has solid bass that doesn’t overpower the rest of the music. It's probably the open back design advantage but it definitely sounds more open than my AKG K371 BTs. And even though it's larger/heavier, for my larger than average head, it is just as comfortable. Usually listen to music while working and then for gaming, probably on for 4-5 hours everyday without any discomfort. Build feels sturdy, the detachable cable is decent too.For the price, these headphones definitely punch above their weight. I did previously use the Beyerdynamic DT770 pros, and the ATM M40x, both of which I did not like - they were not great comfort-wise, and the highs sounded harsh personally. The AKGs I had - K371 bt, and the K92, felt better in terms of sound and fit. Finally ended up with the Philips and this is it for now. Definitely recommend!