Philips Fidelio FidelioHeadphones

These are without doubt the best headphones I have ever purchased and in probability one of the finest headphones on the planet. With low impedance they are easily driven from phone, tablet or notebook WITHOUT an amp and still provide gorgeous rich high resolution sound as good as my far more expensive stereo! Remarkable. Of course you can still plug them into an amp with great results. Their design is simplistic an engineered work of genius with no internal batteries or electronics that will fail. The sound is absolutely awesome, clear and strong and all the way to maximum volume. It feels like you are sitting right next to your favourite artist, orchestra, Latin dance band, punk band, etc. You could hear a pin drop listening to folk music, and find yourself just drifting away. It is so good it puts tears in your eyes -- why has it taken me 50+ years to find these, why did no-one tell me about them, how could so-called professional reviewers ever in any seriousness recommend anything else than this sweet music? Hard rock like AC/DC is vibrant head banging intense and bassy: as it should be. The headphones are luxurious and comfortable to wear. In the first few days I wore them 10 hours per day and hardly noticed them except for the heavenly sound. Extremely well built. Anyone. I repeat anyone, who claims there is something wrong with these headphones (due to change of manufacturer, etc.) is either a loser or winger or works for a competitor who cannot achieve excellence at an incredible price. In my opinion Philips engineering team all need a massive bonus for bringing an instrument of this quality to mankind. I am certain the almighty has a pair. On the other hand, Philips marketing team ought to be sacked. That is right, sacked. Everyone should have the opportunity to buy these in a store near you and try them on. I had to buy them on-line after an extensive review suggested I should risk this purchase. Absolutely no regrets. Try as much as you like, I will not take these off my head.

The Fidelio X2 is simply amazing. The build quality is superb, with a lot of metal and quality plastics. Braided cable is awesome and is 3.5mm stereo. Comfort is great with the velour memory foam pads (were removable with no glue). Sound quality is fantastic.

I've owned these headphones for 3 months now and I'm very pleased with them. To me they have a very warm sound, I use mine with an oppo ha-2 DAC but they also sound great directly from my iPhone 6 or iPod classic with both devices able to drive the headphones plenty loud enough! I find the bass response from these headphones to be sublime, I listen to rock music mostly and never find these headphones fatiguing, the open backed design giving a wider soundstage than my other closed back headphones. The downside to that being that these headphones are large and I wouldn't wear them out of the house, they also leak sound but not excessively, they are really meant for home use! I really feel that these headphones are built to last, being constructed with premium materials, they have a quality feel. It would have been good if they came with a hard case to keep them dust free whilst stored or even a bag but that's just something you can add yourself, the design and sound are what counts and in that regard they are superb!!

I've owned these headphones for 3 months now and I'm very pleased with them. To me they have a very warm sound, I use mine with an oppo ha-2 DAC but they also sound great directly from my iPhone 6 or iPod classic with both devices able to drive the headphones plenty loud enough! I find the bass response from these headphones to be sublime, I listen to rock music mostly and never find these headphones fatiguing, the open backed design giving a wider soundstage than my other closed back headphones. The downside to that being that these headphones are large and I wouldn't wear them out of the house, they also leak sound but not excessively, they are really meant for home use! I really feel that these headphones are built to last, being constructed with premium materials, they have a quality feel. It would have been good if they came with a hard case to keep them dust free whilst stored or even a bag but that's just something you can add yourself, the design and sound are what counts and in that regard they are superb!!

This product cannot be beaten for comfort and for the sound quality

All sound are very natural and clear. I can enjoy Music itself! Also Very good price! Highly recommended.

Great Full bodied sound with great sound stage .Fantastic audio detail and separation . Very comfortable great for long listening periods .Great quality very robust and well made great attention to detail .Feel heavy off head due to build quality but the built in self adjusting band eliminates any pressure/weight on head whilst in use .Bought these after I purchased and was very pleased with the Philips M1MK11BK for portable use I thought these had to be good and I was right they are like the latter big brother all grown up ! Extremely pleased .

Previously I've been using Sennheiser HD598s, for over 7 years, but I decided to finally invest in higher end headphones. After researching different models I finally decided on these and I'm beyond happy I did! Sound is crisp & clear and highs, mids & lows all sound tight pristine. My only complaint with them would be the excessively long cable that comes with them. I understand some may use them in a studio and need a long cord, but it sure would be nice if Phillips would package a shorter cable too. Wouldn't cost them much and I'm sure lots of people would appreciate it.

I tried many pairs of headphones at this same price point before choosing the X2. Everything from games to lossless high-definition audio sounds pristine. The headphones feel so rock solid, but the weight and balance make them extraordinarily comfortable and I can wear them for hours without fatigue. Highly recommended to all my friends and family.

With its second iteration of the Fidelio X series Philips have further refined the model and proven that they are serious in their quest to melt the hearts of music lovers. SPECS Frequency response: 5-40,000 Hz Impedance: 30 Ohm Sensitivity: 100 dB @ 1mW Speaker diameter: 50 mm Acoustic system: Open Cable: 3 m, detachable PROS 1. These are among of the best-sounding headphones that I have owned. Being of the open type Philips X2 offer a sweet combination of spacial sound, warmth and surprisingly articulate bass. It is difficult not to fall in love with them. 2. They are extremely comfortable, because they sit around the years (as opposed to pressing on them). Your ears will not heat up in the open cups even in warm weather. 3. They are built like a tank: headband and cups are made of steel and it is difficult to imagine that they could break, when bumped or dropped, or fall apart on their own with the passing of time (See picture 1 below). 4. Detachable oxygen-free high-quality braided cable upgraded from the X1 model. No proprietary connections means that you could buy your own cable, if you wish. 5. With their low impedance of just 30 Ohm and sensitivity of 100 dB @ 1mW Fidelio X2 are easily driven even by a smartphone. 6. Memory foam cushions, wrapped in soft black velour (See picture 2 below). Since the outer material is not faux leather, it will not start flaking off 12 months after the purchase. Moreover, the cushions are removable which means that you can clean or exchange them. CONS 1. At 380 g Fidelio X2 are not exactly light, so using steel has its drawbacks. However, for me personally, solid construction is more important than weight. Sony MDR 1A for example are as light as a feather, but they are still uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time, they sometimes make creaking sounds and your ears will get sweaty. This needs to be considered carefully. 2. Fidelio X2 are enormous (height: 23 cm, width: 20 cm) and do not fold. For the price, Philips should have included a hard case or a soft pouch in the package. Since the headphones are so big, you may find out that they do not fit in your desk drawer. To make matters worse, it is very difficult to find a headphone case (from any manufacturer) that they can fit in. I had to make my own soft pouch in the end! (See picture 4 below). The front and back are made of felt (you can buy some from a store selling fabric) and the brown sides are actually cut from a woman’s purse, so it is not difficult or expensive to put together! 3. Because of the fact that X2 are of the open type (the cups are in essence made of metal mesh, not solid material – see picture 1 below) everyone in the room will know what you are listening to. It is a bit like having small-size speakers attached to your head! Therefore, these are not suitable for the office or even the living room if your family members are easily disturbed. 4. Because of their size, weight, the fact that they do not fold, the 3 m cable, the open cups and the type of materials used Fidelio X2 are clearly not engineered with road warriors in mind. Exposing them to wind, rain and dust will not necessarily break them, but it would ruin them nevertheless. 5. Aesthetic considerations: Although the headband is covered in real leather, the latter looks more like plastic (See picture 3 below). The soft velour used as outer layer of the cushions is a magnet for dust (See picture 2 below). The cups are made of metal, but the edges do not meet perfectly (See picture 1 below). 6. There have been multiple reports of quality issues: dulled sound, glued cushions, the problem with metal edges mentioned above. Apparently, production of X2 has been entrusted to several producers some of which are not up to the task. The pair reviewed here has been made by WOOX Innovations Netherlands B. V. and is not affected by sound reproduction problems or the glued cushions gate, hence the five-star rating. CONCLUSION 1. Fidelio X2 are probably the best sounding and most comfortable headphones in this price range. There are more expensive and arguably, better sounding headphones on the market, but those are usually priced exuberantly and require amplification. 2. I have never held a sturdier pair of headphones in my hands. Real steel in the headband and cups, real leather in the headband, no corner cutting. 3. They cost a considerable amount of money. I had to think long and hard before buying them. That said, they are actually cheaper than premium headphones of comparable quality.