Fidelio X3/00 Hi-Res Audio X3 Headband, Black

Bought these by user reviews , NOT on so called professional reviews on youtube etc, let me give you some background first. I have listened and owned in the past Philips X2, Sennheiser, 580, 600, 650 and 660, Beyers DT 880, 990, Amiron, 1990, T1 first gen, AKG 701, 02 and 12 and K812, various Grados up to the PS2000e, Stax SR202, Lambda signature with tube energiser plus others of varying quality but those are the models i think most headphone enthusiasts will be familiar with. Iam running these through Amazon Music HD into my Audiolab M-DAC via USB Furtech cable and then into my Zen can amplifier and using the balanced connection into the X3's. Iam not using the 3D or X bass function on the Zen can just straight balanced connection using a 2.5mm to 4.4mm pentacon adaptor into the Zen can on 6DB gain. Build quality is excellent, i love the fabric covering as it brings a touch of class to the understated look on these, and yes the heady smell of real leather on the headband, responsibly sourced as well. Cable length is long but i find no negative in that as i do all my listening at home and not on the move, these are not really for portable use. Comfort is very high, ear pads are soft and plush and cossetting, clamp force is quite strong but i find that reassuring, and the issue about the pads riding up under the elasticated band pressure is not something i have encountered. Now onto the sound :) big smile from me as these IMHO are truly superb, sound like a cross between the sennheiser 650 for warmth and mid range and the AKG K712 with its soundstage and bass, using the best bits from both of those and a smattering of qualities from others, these throw a very wide soundstage with superb separation and imaging, these rival the Beyerdynamic T1 for pin point laser guided rock steady imaging, reminding me of them in certain aspects. Open airy with warmth, bass is excellent, not sure where the negative reviews are coming from with regard to the bass on these, not quite X2 territory but VERY close, soundstage is very wide, imaging is superb, vocals upfront and realistic with lots of "body" much like the Sennheiser 600 series, treble is in no way harsh and the sibilance that has been mentioned before by reviewers on these for female vocals iam not hearing on my 55 year old ears. Treble is detailed and airy with cymbals not having that splashy quality but more tactile and realistic. The levels of clarity these produce is astonishing very much like the Grado PS1000e but better than those in all areas. The bottom line is am i happy with this new purchase, YES! Definitely one of the best if not the best i have heard, a superb balanced headphone that does everything right with outstanding qualities in Soundstage, warmth and imaging. Just wanted to add that like other reviewers these do need running in, out of the box they sounded slightly muddy as others have said but after 30 or so hours have transformed into a beautiful butterfly, stick with them , don't judge them immediately. I'm always surprised why manufacturers don't run their headphones in on a test bench before shipping them out, Philips are not the only ones to be fair, AKG are notorious for burning in, just an observation. UPDATE AUGUST 2022 Having lived with these cans for over a year now, these have been my go to headphones I keep coming back to having added other sets to my collection like Grado RS1, HiFi man Sundara , and a few more and the X3 have seen off all the competition , the sound definitely improves with extended break in, I do think there is some snobbery in the headphone Hi Fi world from more established makers and reviewers as to how could Philips make such a great sounding headphone? (How Josh Valour came to his conclusions in his YouTube review is beyond me , all I think is he had a suspect pair or was not burnt in).That's all I'm going to say but my advice would be let your ears be the best judge.....

Superb sound and comfort

A pretty decent pair of open backed headphones. Good flat response curve wide sound stage and good instrument placement. They are large and well cushioned and apart from making my ears warm are good for extended listening. They perform ok with the onboard DAC/Amp on my phone but sound much better with a dedicated external Amp.

Now these have dropped in price they are really the very best you can purchase in this price range. I have a bit of a headphone fetish, mainly due to my Wife's dislike of loud music. I really don't know if 'burn in' is a genuine concept or just more audio bulls##t but after just a few days use they really do sound extremely close to my reference, the Beyer DT1990pro ..... maybe the treble is a tiny bit shrill sometimes, but that maybe my ears. Build quality is excellent. Personally I would never purchase headphones with a plastic yoke. I feel this is one area that metal is a must. Considering their superb build they are extremely light weight. Comfort wise they are good for hours of continuous use, with my ears only getting slightly warm. Anyhow they are a fantastic bargain - get them, I don't think you will be disappointed.

I'll keep this short. I've been a "headphone supremus" on head-fi for approximately 15 years. I've owned lots of headphones from budget to high end. Philips absolutely nailed it with these, and I'll tell you why. They are incredibly neutral. They have a huge Soundstage. The imaging is up there with the best. The timbre is very natural. Not one frequency stands out over others. All details are there, yet not unnaturally highlighted anywhere in the spectrum. They are very easy to listen to for many hours. There is a slight warmth. I'm agnostic with burn in as most of the time it is your brain becoming accustomed. Yet these just keep sounding better. There is nothing that can beat these under £500 in my opinion.

The sound is fine， It has quite a large soundstage and good instruments separation However，i still prefer enjoying music on my tin hifi p1 The pad is too hot，the wire is stupid long，the headphone is too big，and it is not friendly to people who wear glasses lots of the sound is coming out the back of headphones（it is an open back design，people really need to consider this before buy it） I think it doesn‘t worth 300 pound，only worth 150pound or even less

I have used these headphones for a couple of years and I have been extremely pleased with them. They replaced a pair of X2HR and offer a different listening experience. Both are good - but the X3 just has the edge. I use them with an Echo Dot 3rd generation and this pairing sounds way better than it has any right to- an unexpected sonic treat! You really can’t go wrong with these headphones at the price. Five stars for performance and value.

No shrilling highs of T5p 2nd Gen. Wider soundstage, cleaner output and more detailed than X2HR. Hours of use and still comfortable to wear. These are just perfect, good luck finding a better can than these for a very decent price, make sure to power them adequately for sublime sounding experience.