Fidelio X3

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.

There are 2 CAMPS: Camp 1 - Fidelio X3 "Haters" Those that say this headphone is overly bright and sibilant are definitely individuals who don't understand listening volume and sound engineering. Anyone with normal hearing that listens extremely loud isn't actually listening to the TRUE FIDELITY of their music. There is a science to it! Tyll from inner fidelity discussed this in full in a 3 page Headfi post titled, "Listening Loud Destroys Fidelity" Camp 2 - Fidelio X3 Lovers SIMPLY IMPRESSIVE!! The soundstage on display here is nothing like what most have experienced. Detail Retrieval is simply outstanding. I don't say this lightly. Once you've figured out how to listen to music at an optimal level, you shall know why these headphones should be worth around $600 in my opinion. At about $200 with it's stunning build quality and sound, this headphone is a STEAL! Remember, only for those who can listen at an optimal level. THESE HEADPHONES ARE DESIGNED FOR THE SOPHISTICATED LISTENER. If you love to listen extremely LOUD, don't bother with these headphones. You need something dark with tame treble. In addition, the construction and choice of materials used is remarkable; a metallic head band wrapped in fine Scottish leather. It's a great looking headphone. Now onto the sound structure. BASS: It's flat, present and extremely controlled. It's sufficient enough to be present & punchy. It's predecessor the X2 does offer a boosted bass performance that's quite addicting I have to admit. As a result of the X3's tuned down bass, all subtle details of the music can be heard very effortlessly. MIDRANGE: Liquid and Smooth! It's very comparable to the rich midrange of the X2. The layering on the X3 is very well done. Initially, the midrange might seem distant on the X3, give it time and you'll appreciate why. The distance paints the illusion of sound coming from speakers placed significantly in front of you. Vocal & instrumental timbre is realistically uncolored. TREBLE: Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! It never gets offensive. Well tuned to fit the concert hall theme. After listening for weeks, I'm still quite impressed at the realism of the cymbals produced. Note: If you love listening at extreme head banging levels, I'll highly suggest you steer clear and pick up a dark headphone. You'll be better served by a dark sound signature. Your hearing maybe still be at risk even with a dark headphone that's played very loud. Hint 1: Some YouTube reviewers have no clue on proper and optimal listening levels no wonder they never discuss it while they review & compare gear. The result, most of members of the community have been gravely misguided. Be sure to give Tyll Hertsen's article on Headfi a read. You'll be thankful you did. Here's Tyll Hertsen's 2 step guide on how to tell your listening volume is too loud: 1. A sense of fatigue with listening 2. A sense of pressure as you listen Hint 2: Do some research on Aliasing, Over sampling and why 'high resolution audio' sounds better (SMOOTH with ZERO GRAIN). It's has to do with a gentle low pass Anti-aliasing filter and not necessarily "Resolution". A very intriguing topic indeed. I highly recommend this Headphone, Great execution Philips!

This is a truly phenomenal set of headphones for the price in regard to the audio. The sound is bright and crisp. Simply put, these are well balanced: great attack on the low end, silky mids, and crisp highs with plenty of air. As for criticism, the sub-bass is slightly anemic, but not in a way that detracts, personally. The lower treble is a bit recessed, and will make female vocalists sound less forward, but it also attributes to excellent vocal clarity overall. These headphones are bright, but not excessively so. Bassheads will not like the sound profile of these headphones-- to push intense bass through these you'll have to ramp up the volume to the point of getting treble fatigue. I would NOT call these headphones sibilant, but I can see why people that listen to their music very loud would feel that way. I don't own the X2 or X2HR, but I would say these are much better options for bass enjoyers. The $100-200 headphone market is VERY saturated, and as to why someone should take these over any of the others is very subjective. I can't say that these headphones are objectively superior to others that I own, but I will say that, for me, they beat almost everything in my collection. For example, and in no particular order: HD650 (these come close, but have veiled treble), 58X (congested low mid/high bass), M1060 (better bass, but muddy and inaccurate), Elegia (almost no soundstage, but better resolution), and M50X (bland and boring with no soundstage). I'd say these are on-par with the HD600, although I prefer the X3. The only headphones I currently own that I'd say sound better are the Aeon Closed X-- the X3 trades a bit of resolution and bass response for wider soundstage. The reason I'm giving this 4 stars is due to the design. The cans are locked in place, so getting the pads to settle on my head properly is a chore, where I find myself readjusting them repeatedly each time I put them on. Obviously, this will depend on the shape of the user's head, but I have a large head, and I find that the pads apply significantly more pressure toward the front, with the back feeling loose until perfectly positioned. I don't have this problem with headphones that swivel, and I'll have to find aftermarket angled pads to rectify the issue. The cables are long (this is good for me), stiff, and require a specific replacement, but there are 2 sets included with a 1/4" adapter. It's fine at this price point, in my opinion. The X3 will likely become my new go to set over the Aeon Closed X simply because the X3 doesn't heat up my head and has great soundstage-- optimal for extended gaming sessions. As an afterthought, the X3 is not particularly difficult to drive, but not particularly easy either. I highly recommend investing in a headphone dac/amp in general as these will certainly benefit. I am not an audiophile, and I don't have thousands of dollars of equipment, so all of my evaluations were made on my personal desktop setup-- SMSL Sanskrit DAC fed into JDS Labs Atom amplifier. Everyone is different, so I would implore you try these before buying if possible.

As you can see from the title I am reviewing these headphones from a content creation and streaming perspective. Comfort: These headphones feel like a dream on my head. I have a larger than average noggin and these do not feel tight or heavy. The foam pads on both sides are memory foam so they conform to your head shape perfectly and the floating headband makes adjustments very easy. My only complaint with the comfort is that it does have a tight clamp force for the first few hours of use but after breaking them in for a few days I've noticed the clamping force loosening up and now I no-longer even notice it. Design: Come on, these are gorgeous. Minimal, sleek, sexy, you name it. In my opinion these are the best looking studio monitors on the market in 2022. Sound: This is honestly where I was the most shocked. Almost EVERY reviewer on youtube has stated that these lack bass and have a very neutral sound that only praise the highs and some mids. I am here to tell you that those reviewers having something seriously wrong with their ears because the bass on these headphones is DEEP. It's not a rumbling bass like you get on commercial headphones or with gaming headsets, but it's rich, punchy, and has a massively-wide sound stage that sounds WONDERFUL for movies, gaming, and heavy music. On top of that of course it also has amazing clarity for acoustics and vocals but saying this has a flat/neutral sound is just a lie. They sound GREAT. The only issue I have is that the connectors that go into each earcup don't lock into place so they can get ripped out with enough force. Also when the wire rubs against your shirt it does transfer alot of noise into the ears that is a minor annoyance. In the end, are these worse the $350 price tag? Honestly, yes. However, I got them on sale for $165 so if you ever see them on sale below $200 BUY THEM. You will not be disappointed.

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.

Are these bass heavy headphones? No. Do they have bass? If the song/recording has it. Are they good for bass heavy tracks/albums/music? No and if you Bass Boost your music, at a certain volume level thru my headphone Amplifier the driver can't handle the bass boost. But, I listen to music a bit loud so keep that in mind. The headphones, as is plugged to headphone amp and no EQ sound good and I ventured in my CD collection listening all night... Where they worth the asking price of 119 USD sale? Yes! The headphones have Scottish leather in the headband that sits in your head, and the smell, well its addicting. IMO. All in all they will be staying with me but will not be replacing my Beyerdynamic T1 3rd Gen, Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro headphones for detailed enjoyment of music. I also have the Fidelio X1 and the Fidelio X2HR. The Fidelio X1 using the OEM cable from the X2HR are bassy for me. The Fidelio X2HR with the cable of the X1 sound good and gives it a tad bit of bass to the X2HR making them a joy to listen to. The only Con with my unit was the 1/4 inch adapter was faulty... thankfully I have many of those layin' around my HiFi room and just used one of those I have. The faulty 1/4 adapter will go the the electronic recycle facility in my city.

I own the trifecta in Philips open back headphones; SHP-9500 (OG), Fidelio X2HR and now the Fidelio X3 and all sound very good, each in their own way. If I had to classify these in the mix I would call the X3 a more refined version of the 3. Maybe not as bassy as the 9500 and not as wide as the X2HR but the better in overall sound quality and resolving that the other two. However to my ears they can get a little bright in the upper treble region which can be fatiguing in some classical music (looking at you Vivaldi). But YMMV. For comfort and fit these blow the other 2 out of the water and that's saying something as the SHP-9500 and X2HR are no slouches in that department either. The generous headband padding and earcups help them not feel too weighted in longer listening sessions. The one thing I cannot forgive them for and why I can't recommend them is the cable. Why they chose to use a relatively standard connector and then wire the jacks inside the headphone in a non-standard TRS configuration is beyond me. While it looks like any old dual output 3.5mm jack cable would work, just like on many, many other headphones it won't. You will only get sound out of one ear. Which also means that buying a different cable is not possible as it would require the cable manufacturer to custom wire ground configuration in one of the the plugs going into the ear cups. So no replacement or balanced cable for you, unless you count the laughably long 2.5mm (yes 2.5mm) balanced cable included. And possibly a 2.5mm -> 4.4mm or 2.5mm -> XLR adapter, and good luck finding those. It's a shame really as I like the sound but just can't get past the cable issue so they are now basically decoration on my headphone rack.

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。

My Fidelio L2s were my daily cans. My L2s are my value kings and I love them. They have excellent detail, good soundstage and bass. Was going to pull the trigger on the X2s but decided to hold out for the X3s and glad I did. There cans are neutral. Your not going to get a ton of bass - it is there when the track calls for it - and its detailed and textured, not muddy, bloomy or bleed into the mids bass. The midrange is upfront and centred, not in your face, but definitely not recessed. Treble detail is high, airy, clean, wonderful, but yes, borderline a touch too much, however I have sat down with these for hours and never get fatigued. The X3s are soooo good. So detailed with a soundstage the size of a bus. If you love detail youll love these, but its not dry. Thank you Phillips for brining such great sound at such little cost. These easily compare to $1K cans.

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.