Philips Fidelio X3 Home Headphone Review & Comments

Thanks Ed, I was hoping for a review of these as I've been seeing the ad from them all over AvForums recently :)

Do you think they'd work reasonably in a home 'studio' setup? I'm not a pro musician but mostly play my synths through headphones via a Yamaha mixer. I'm currently using my really old HD580 Precision headphones for this but they can feel uncomfortable after a while.
 
Look dull, a bit harsh me thinks. From the photos I have seen here think they actually look quality added to the performance they seem a winner. Have always preferred wired headphones but I am old school. Must go and have a look at them in the flesh so to speak. I know Amazon had them at £260 very recently so that might be the price when they do their Prime day thingy.
 
Sold! Well, nearly. I'm definitely interested in this product. Like @bogart99 I prefer wired headphones. Until I read the review, I was contemplating the purchase of another cartridge. Oh well best laid plans and all that.

Before I purchased my Sennheiser HD-600 my dealer (no, not that sort) permitted me to take them and a Grado model home to test. Does this still happen, as in home trials of gear (again, not that sort)?
 
Do you think they'd work reasonably in a home 'studio' setup? I'm not a pro musician but mostly play my synths through headphones via a Yamaha mixer. I'm currently using my really old HD580 Precision headphones for this but they can feel uncomfortable after a while.

So long as there isn't background noise to deal with and on the understanding that they aren't true monitors because they're more forgiving than that, I'm sure they'd do very well.
 
So long as there isn't background noise to deal with and on the understanding that they aren't true monitors because they're more forgiving than that, I'm sure they'd do very well.

Thanks. The only background noise would be the telly and that’s under my control :) I think I would benefit from a bit of forgiveness from headphones as well. I will add these to my shortlist :thumbsup:
 
Before I purchased my Sennheiser HD-600 my dealer (no, not that sort) permitted me to take them and a Grado model home to test. Does this still happen, as in home trials of gear (again, not that sort)?
Independent dealers should offer home demo by putting down your payment details, may need to pay a deposit

The X3 is being sold at Richer Sounds and AO. May require buying outright via the internet and returning under distance selling rules

Ask local Richer Sounds store if you can demo by appointment (due to Covid)
 
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I'm after a set of cans and these may very well do the job.... wonder if Amazon will be doing a Prime Day Deal on them.....

Noice
 
I can’t actually see them on Amazon.
 
I was wondering about the sennheiser 650s as an upgrade to my Sony MDR7506es - which are really great TBh - for music production and djing and some critical listening. How’d you think these would compare @Ed Selley? Bass performance would be important 😎
 
I've got the Fidelio X2's, absolutely love them! Seems to me the 3's don't have the bass response, vs these, which would definitely be a downgrade as I use them for gaming, bit of a shame as the bass and the open soundstage was the Fidelio's calling card.
 
How would these compare to the higher end wireless headphones (Sony XM3/4) for example?
 
Still got my Fidelio X2's for dance and pop music and films, and Sennheiser SE325's for rock.

When the X2's give up I'd have no hesitation in buying Philips again, been very happy with them.
 
I have the X2 used with a Furutech cable. I sold my HD650 as a result. I only use mine for occasional music via my DAC.

I'd expect this X3 to be excellent just like this review suggests.
 
Think these may a future purchase. I'm at home in my office all day with no-one to distrub other than the dog, so these sound ideal and especially at the price range. I'm also becoming a fan of iFi gear so nice to see the ZEN DAC mentioned in there as a good pairing. I need comfort more than I need sexy asthestics and to be honest, I don't think these look that bad.
 
Picked up a pair of these from Amazon Warehouse for £194 over the Black Friday weekend. They sound absolutely superb paired with my iFi Zen Can headphone amp. I’m waiting on an adapter so I can try the balanced output.
 
I won a pair on this here forum. Initially I wasn't a fan of their sound as the bass was wooly and the treble kind of piercing, they certainly needed burning in. Now they've improved no end with to my lugholes a fairly neutral, well balanced sound. Playback is using hi-res audio files on Mediamonkey via a Teac AI-101DA USB DAC Amplifier
 
I won a pair on this here forum. Initially I wasn't a fan of their sound as the bass was wooly and the treble kind of piercing, they certainly needed burning in. Now they've improved no end with to my lugholes a fairly neutral, well balanced sound. Playback is using hi-res audio files on Mediamonkey via a Teac AI-101DA USB DAC Amplifier

Yes, I read a couple of reviews that said the treble was piercing, but I don’t hear that at all. The bass is very controlled in my setup. I guess it depends on what you partner them with. My pair was an open box so maybe they had already been run in.
 
After nearly two weeks of useage they're now like chalk & cheese from that first listen
 
Brain burn in

The headphones have not changed. You have 😊
 
Using mine with the balanced cable now. Can’t say I notice a massive difference. Maybe a bit less background noise when listening to vinyl.
 

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