No worries, glad it helped :)

Yes, unit variation is definitely something to consider. There's even a very noticable channel imbalance on my unit for example.

Happy to have your feedback. You're right, with that 3k boost it sounds less recessed, which is a thing I noticed but I thought that it was inevitable, having to contain the higher frequency mess. So thank you, my X2HR now sounds a little bit more correct :)

Then I want to precise that our units could be different due to unit variations, so it's all relative.

Not trying to promote these but I got this in my email and it made me laugh. They look like cheap gamer gear but it still piqued my interest. AR headphones for the Metaverse what a time to be alive.

Hard disagree on both of those but you do you mate.

i will be more impressed if you can make a HD600 to a HD800 or even to a HE1000 v2

I never said it was the bible lol. Also thsts not really an accurate description of how the target was formed.

Perhaps you should read or listen to some of Sean Olives talks he describes the process quite well. Also the target is just a baseline for your finer Eq changes.

The box states it is made in Ireland. I don't remember if it was ever on the headphones itself before, but it's only on the box.

The box should only be used to get the headphones to the customer without the product breaking on the way.

Saves environment anyways and it can't be used to justify costs. Those that really need to carry their headphones around can buy one separately. Though it's pretty nice that my DT1990 came with a carrying case but everyone doesn't need one so it should be a separate product as well. So wasteful.

Although we as customers might still just be getting less for the same price. No idea how sennheiser or any of the other competitors lower their prices in long term if they stop including nice boxes or carrying cases

People buying $1500 IEMs driving up the price of a real set of cans

my batch shipped on feb 28 so I assume anything after that’ll have the newer packaging

Also, I think there is nothing phenomenal about Fidelio, technically speaking. Pretty horrible tuning above 1.7k, average detail, it does not do well in busy parts. For the same price there is the HD560s or the DT880 that are more accurate and technically competent, except for soundstage that is the only thing where X2HR really stands out.

I've posted this a couple times over the last year or so.

I work as an engineer in a factory where our products go in corrugated cardboard boxes. The corrugated cardboard market has seen substantial price increases over the last few years. Think about it ... all of a sudden in 2020, the entire world was buying everything online and getting it shipped in cardboard boxes. Cardboard manufacturers had a hard time keeping up with demand and really the prices haven't come back down since then.

You can see the steep increase in slope shortly after 2020 starts here:

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU32221132221102

So, as an engineer in my company we are tasked basically daily to work on ideas to cut costs to our product. Reducing or eliminating the amount of cardboard that we use is an easy way to cut costs. I never peeled back the layers of my old HD650 box, but I imagine the "interior" of that fancy box was just some kind of dense paper product with some nice looking cosmetic material on the outside.

If you read my other comment below, I said that I personally find my own preset more accurate than Oratory's one. Harman is only a target that consider what casual listeners like. It's not an absolute reference target, so Oratory presets are usually better than stock sound but it's not the Bible.

That makes me a bit sad

There is a difference, but it's subtle. Take them to a coffee shop and then switch back and forth. You should notice voices and some background noise gets a bit quieter in Silent mode.

I don't hear any hiss in mine.

Found the guy who thinks you can buy your way through the hobby.

I highly recommend using the Oratory1990 Harmon eq alongside ApoEQ and Peace.

It makes the x2hrs absolutely incredible for what you pay.

I just bought a pair in late Jan/early Feb and they came in the hard shell box.

I wonder if maybe my pair was older inventory. Otherwise that must be a very recent change.

Little after you, March 15

when did you buy yours? I bought mine last month and it still came with the original packaging

Most companies are moving towards less waste with their products. Therefore, fewer fancy boxes and less plastic is becoming more common.

I mean, it is eco friendly now at least. That box went straight in the trash for me

Is the high THD the reason for grittiness, if not what is it? And why is it not observable in FR?

Can you do something like this - turning Hyundais into Teslas?