[SOLVED] Philips X2HR vs Sennheiser HD 58x with Fiio K5 pro

[leyo96]

Help me decide which one to get please!

I'm going to buy a Fiio K5 pro as well so if you have any other suggestion for dac and amp feel free to help me.

This are going to be for desktop use with my pc, I mainly play videogames (fps), listen to music, mostly from spotify at 320kbps but I have some flac albums and to watch movies, almost all with lossless audio.

I'm coming from a pair of sennheiser momentum with a <Mod Edit> (not schiit unfortunately) dac.

The philips are 165€ and the 58x are 145€ from massdrop with shipping to europe.

Feel free to add any other suggestion. My budget is 200€ but if it's really worth it I could go up to 350€, but it has to be a big upgrade.

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 217926]

The X2 has a larger soundstage and more of a V shaped sound with boosted highs and lows. The 58X has the typical Sennheiser mid forward house sound and tonality. For gaming and movie type entertainment I'd pick the X2. For music I'd prefer the Sennheiser.


Other choices, Sennheiser HD599. A wider soundstage than the 58X with similar drivers and sound quality. Also more comfortable than the 58X.

The AKG K712 Pro. HUGE soundstage ( how far away the sound is from your ears ) and excellent detail retrieval not found in many sub $1000 headphones. A great all around choice.

Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. Sopundstage isn't quite as good as the K712 but imaging ( that sound came from here ) is better. Comes with 2 sets of pads that change the sound from warm and bassy to neutral. One of the better overall headphones under $1000. Another great all around choice.

 

[leyo96]

The X2 has a larger soundstage and more of a V shaped sound with boosted highs and lows. The 58X has the typical Sennheiser mid forward house sound and tonality. For gaming and movie type entertainment I'd pick the X2. For music I'd prefer the Sennheiser.


Other choices, Sennheiser HD599. A wider soundstage than the 58X with similar drivers and sound quality. Also more comfortable than the 58X.

The AKG K712 Pro. HUGE soundstage ( how far away the sound is from your ears ) and excellent detail retrieval not found in many sub $1000 headphones. A great all around choice.

Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. Sopundstage isn't quite as good as the K712 but imaging ( that sound came from here ) is better. Comes with 2 sets of pads that change the sound from warm and bassy to neutral. One of the better overall headphones under $1000. Another great all around choice.

First off thank you for your reply!

I know about the DT1990 Pro but at 440€ they are out of my league.
The HD599 are at 180€
The AKG k712 Pro are at 233€
The 58x are at 145€
The x2 are at 160€

Which one would you get considering Gaming, music and movies (usually lossless audio or atmos audio with dolby atmos for windows headphones)?

What's your opinion on me getting the fiio k5 pro at 180€?


Thanks

 

[Deleted member 217926]

I'm not as sure about normal pricing and anything being a good value for you since I'm in the US but just based on which pair out of those would I choose for myself? The K712 Pro. I'm listening to mine right now. For years it was priced at US $499 and almost never went on sale. Then last year the price dropped to around $300 and I saw them on sale from that and finally bought a pair. They're worth the $499. I consider them an upgrade to both the HD600/HD650 although the Sennheisers have that perfect tonality thing. The K712 is sharper, more dynamic, has a HUGE soundstage and crazy detail retrieval. They're comfortable and light and they have very very good bass for an open back dynamic driver headphone.

The Fiio K5 pro looks like an excellent amplifier paired with a ....meh....DAC.

Review and Measurements of Fiio K5 Pro

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Fiio K5 Pro DAC and headphone amplifier. It was kindly sent to me by the company. The K5 Pro is a budget product, costing US $150 on Amazon with free shipping. The Fiio K5 looks decent and sports a nice, large volume knob which I appreciated...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Is the Aune X1S available in your budget? 10th Anniversary Edition in particular?

 

[leyo96]

Is the Aune X1S available in your budget?

I can't find it at less than 260€ in italy and I don't think it's the 10th year anniversary. Is this better than a topping d10 + magni 3+? (230-245 € total)

I'm probably going with the k712

 

[Deleted member 217926]

The X1S has an amazing DAC for the money. The amp is very good as well. There are a bunch of really good amps and DACs not that are quite affordable. Not sure about availability for you though.

Topping A30 - D10 / D30 /D50

Geshelli amps and DACs are excellent.

https://geshelli.com/

JDS Labs Atom - OL DAC

I'm missing some excellent stuff I'm sure.

Here's a great place to start:

DAC, Speaker and Headphone Amplifier Measurements

Ranked listing of top level distortion and noise metric for Audio DACs and DACs in other products.

www.audiosciencereview.com

That's their DAC index. He also reviews amps.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Massdrop ( Drop, stupid name change ) has the X1S for $199 pretty often.

 

[leyo96]

The X1S has an amazing DAC for the money. The amp is very good as well. There are a bunch of really good amps and DACs not that are quite affordable. Not sure about availability for you though.

Topping A30 - D10 / D30 /D50

Geshelli amps and DACs are excellent.

https://geshelli.com/

JDS Labs Atom - OL DAC

I'm missing some excellent stuff I'm sure.

Here's a great place to start:

DAC, Speaker and Headphone Amplifier Measurements

Ranked listing of top level distortion and noise metric for Audio DACs and DACs in other products.

www.audiosciencereview.com

That's their DAC index. He also reviews amps.

I'm just more confused now lol

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Lol. Sorry. The Magni 3+/D10 stack is fine. More than fine. It's actually really good. There's just so much stuff in the last few years that's also really good it's hard to keep track of what's 'best' for the money. The Magni 3+/D10 won't disappoint and it has plenty of power for just about any headphones. That setup with the K712 Pro =

 

[Deleted member 217926]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNxONeSj-pI

 

[leyo96]

Lol. Sorry. The Magni 3+/D10 stack is fine. More than fine. It's actually really good. There's just so much stuff in the last few years that's also really good it's hard to keep track of what's 'best' for the money. The Magni 3+/D10 won't disappoint and it has plenty of power for just about any headphones. That setup with the K712 Pro =

The problem is thta the magni is out of stock in europe rn, I sent an email to schiit to know when it will be back in stock. Any other suggestion for dac/amp or dac+amp under 220€ is appriciated

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Amps:

Geshelli Labs Archel Pro 2 and a DAC of your choice.

https://geshelli.com/archel2-pro

Geshelli Archel2 Headphone AMP Review: another champ?

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Geshelli Labs Archel2 headphone amplifier. It was kindly sent to me by the company. I am told the Archel2 will sell for US $149.99 but there is an early order discount down to $119.99. The industrial design with metal box and clear/smoked...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JDS Labs Atom with a DAC of your choice.

Atom Amp+ _ Shop JDS LABS

Conceived as the next-generation replacement to Objective2, Atom builds on more than a decade of amplifier design evolution at JDS Labs. Atom Amp+ tops the award winning Atom Amp with hand matched potentiometers and even higher performance, and comes fully loaded with a smooth 1/4" headphone...

jdslabs.com

Massdrop O2 with the DAC of your choice.

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-o2-amplifier

DACs:

Topping D10 or D30.

Massdrop x Grace Design Standard DAC.

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-grace-design-standard-dac

Both:

The Xduoo XD-05 is an all in one that's pretty good. massdrop has it for $220.

https://drop.com/buy/xduoo-xd-05-plus

And they'll have the X1S for $199 as much as a few times a month.

 

[leyo96]

Amps:

Geshelli Labs Archel Pro 2 and a DAC of your choice.

https://geshelli.com/archel2-pro

Geshelli Archel2 Headphone AMP Review: another champ?

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Geshelli Labs Archel2 headphone amplifier. It was kindly sent to me by the company. I am told the Archel2 will sell for US $149.99 but there is an early order discount down to $119.99. The industrial design with metal box and clear/smoked...

www.audiosciencereview.com

JDS Labs Atom with a DAC of your choice.

Atom Amp+ _ Shop JDS LABS

Conceived as the next-generation replacement to Objective2, Atom builds on more than a decade of amplifier design evolution at JDS Labs. Atom Amp+ tops the award winning Atom Amp with hand matched potentiometers and even higher performance, and comes fully loaded with a smooth 1/4" headphone...

jdslabs.com

Massdrop O2 with the DAC of your choice.

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-o2-amplifier

DACs:

Topping D10 or D30.

Massdrop x Grace Design Standard DAC.

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-grace-design-standard-dac

Both:

The Xduoo XD-05 is an all in one that's pretty good. massdrop has it for $220.

https://drop.com/buy/xduoo-xd-05-plus

And they'll have the X1S for $199 as much as a few times a month.

Thank you, tomorrow I'm going to look them all up, it's pretty late now.
I'm probably going to do something crazy with this headphone shopping, but how much better are the DT 1990 pro? Are they really worth 200€ more than the k712 pro? 440€ in Italy. The thing is that I want something significantly better than my Sennheiser Momentum.

Sorry for bothering you so much and thanks for your help, if you have a youtube channel or twitter or whatever you want me to follow you, I'll gladly do it

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Sorry for bothering you so much and thanks for your help, if you have a youtube channel or twitter or whatever you want me to follow you, I'll gladly do it

Oh no problem at all. And I don't have either. I am also a mod on What Hi-Fi though.

What Hi-Fi? Forum

Join the discussion about the latest and greatest in hi-fi and home entertainment products.

forums.whathifi.com

Thank you, tomorrow I'm going to look them all up, it's pretty late now.
I'm probably going to do something crazy with this headphone shopping, but how much better are the DT 1990 pro? Are they really worth 200€ more than the k712 pro? 440€ in Italy. The thing is that I want something significantly better than my Sennheiser Momentum.

At that level things are more different than 'better'. In my opinion the 1990 Pro is probably more technically competent. It's a neutral headphone and somewhat like a 'super' HD600. But the K712 Pro has crazy detail and some of the best bass I've ever heard in an open back dynamic. It's also less clampy and more comfortable to wear for long periods. I could have either and be 100% happy with my decision. I liked them both enough to keep them and if I don't love a headphone I don't keep it.

 

[leyo96]

Oh no problem at all. And I don't have either. I am also a mod on What Hi-Fi though.

What Hi-Fi? Forum

Join the discussion about the latest and greatest in hi-fi and home entertainment products.

forums.whathifi.com

At that level things are more different than 'better'. In my opinion the 1990 Pro is probably more technically competent. It's a neutral headphone and somewhat like a 'super' HD600. But the K712 Pro has crazy detail and some of the best bass I've ever heard in an open back dynamic. It's also less clampy and more comfortable to wear for long periods. I could have either and be 100% happy with my decision. I liked them both enough to keep them and if I don't love a headphone I don't keep it.

Ok thank you, I think this statement is enough for not making me spend extra 200€
What's the difference between the k712 pro and the k7xx?

 

[Deleted member 217926]

The K712 Pro is more refined. I haven't heard the K7XX but there are a bunch of comparisons out there if you google it.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

You might find this useful in finding an amp.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3NECjWgTvw

 

[leyo96]

You might find this useful in finding an amp.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3NECjWgTvw

Thank you, I'm looking at a lot of Z reviews!
What's your opinion of the Sundara at 355€ over the K712 at 233€? Thanks

 

[Deleted member 217926]

I can't bring myself to buy Hi-Fi Man. They might have improved things recently but it used to be somewhere around 25% of the headbands broke.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Here are some other good channels. Metal571 has mostly quit reviewing but he's done just about everything and he's got the best ear of the group.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpE4nYnzXQFB5uHOZpKZ6Eg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx9bOYEjkevIDYONBAstK-A/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr98MgOIAq7dagJfE4baFBw/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoS2aI6mot2IKDcU4IarVYg/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOFH59uoSs8SUF0L_p3W0sg/videos

 

[leyo96]

Here are some other good channels. Metal571 has mostly quit reviewing but he's done just about everything and he's got the best ear of the group.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpE4nYnzXQFB5uHOZpKZ6Eg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx9bOYEjkevIDYONBAstK-A/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr98MgOIAq7dagJfE4baFBw/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoS2aI6mot2IKDcU4IarVYg/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOFH59uoSs8SUF0L_p3W0sg/videos

I'm already a sub of badseed, joshua and metal. I'm going to sub to the other two!
Metal really liked the k712 Pro!

 

[leyo96]

Ok so I found a pair of used (almost 6 months old) akg 712 pro from facebook Marketplace for 160€ (plus paypal commisions but with shipping included) instead of 233 new. In italy we have 2 years warranty so still plenty of time. They come with an extra pair of memory foam and synthetic leather earpads from Geekria (never heard of it) and an extra cable from oyaide, that I don’t personally know, but looking up on google they are between 55 and 75€, made in japan and apparently with real silk.
This is the listing, it’s in italian but you can look at the pictures.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/645018312986711/?ref=messenger_banner
What do you think? Should I pull the trigger on these?
Thanks, as always

 

[Deleted member 217926]

As long as they come with stock pads ( and you trust buying from there ). I wouldn't even guess what those pads that are on them would do to the sound but I don't think it would be good. The extra cable is nice but it comes with 2 cables new.

 

[leyo96]

As long as they come with stock pads ( and you trust buying from there ). I wouldn't even guess what those pads that are on them would do to the sound but I don't think it would be good. The extra cable is nice but it comes with 2 cables new.

Yeah I've already asked if he has the original pads. With paypal it should be fine to buy from there. I guess I'll have three cables lol.