The Philips Fidelio X2HR are comfortable, wired open-back headphones for audiophiles. Thanks to their large, well-padded ear cups and automatically adjusting headband, they're comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. As is to be expected with open-back headphones, they aren't the most versatile as they don't block out any background noise and don't have a microphone. Still, they'll interest those looking to pick up well-built audiophile over-ears on a budget.
Our Verdict
The Philips Fidelio X2HR are very good headphones for neutral sound, thanks to their excellent mid-range compliance. This helps render vocals and lead instruments with detail. Sadly, their treble range is inconsistent, as sibilants sound a bit dull with some frequencies and piercing with others. They also lack a bit of low bass, though this is common with open-back headphones. Their weighted harmonic distortion is very good; even critical listeners shouldn't notice much distortion. Thanks to their open-back design, their soundstage is quite open and natural, and they're very consistent between various users or reseats.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Comfortable.
- Premium, durable look and feel.
- Bulky design.
- Open-back design results in poor noise isolation and leakage performance.
The Philips X2HR are bad for commuting or travel. These wired headphones have an open-back design that leaks a lot of audio and blocks out almost no background noise. They're designed for listening to music alone in a dedicated room.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Comfortable.
- Premium, durable look and feel.
- Bulky design.
- Open-back design results in poor noise isolation and leakage performance.
The Philips X2HR aren't recommended for sports or fitness. These wired over-ear headphones have bulky ear cups, and their headband isn't the most stable. Even during light jogs, they'll likely move around a fair amount on the head. They also block almost no background noise and leak a lot of audio.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Comfortable.
- Premium, durable look and feel.
- Bulky design.
- Open-back design results in poor noise isolation and leakage performance.
The Philips Fidelio X2HR aren't recommended for office use. Since they have an open-back design, they leak a lot of audio, and even in a loud office, your coworkers will likely hear your music. They also block almost no background noise, so it may be difficult to concentrate.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Comfortable.
- Premium, durable look and feel.
- Bulky design.
- Open-back design results in poor noise isolation and leakage performance.
The Philips X2HR are wired-only headphones without a microphone.
The Philips Fidelio X2HR don't have a built-in microphone. That being said, if you have a dedicated mic, they may be a decent option for gaming thanks to their well-balanced sound profile and wide soundstage. Their open-back design is also comfortable to wear during long gaming sessions, though they aren't the best choice if you game with others in the same room.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Comfortable.
- Premium, durable look and feel.
- Bulky design.
- Open-back design results in poor noise isolation and leakage performance.
The Philips X2HR don't have an integrated microphone.
Changelog
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Updated Jul 29, 2025:
We've updated the Sound Profile box with a link to a downloadable folder of EQ settings that will help you match these headphones' frequency response to different target curves available in our Graph Tool.
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Updated Dec 09, 2024:
The following test groups have been updated following Test Bench 1.6 and 1.7: Wired Connection, Noise Isolation - Full Range, Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios, and ANC Wind Handling. In addition, several Sound tests have been updated following Test Bench 1.8. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons to match these results.
- Updated Dec 02, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.8, which updates our target curve and Sound tests. You can read more about this in our changelog.
- Updated Nov 27, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.7, which updates our Noise Isolation test. We've also expanded the scope of this test to include Common Scenarios in addition to Voice Handling and Wind Handling.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
Update 01/10/2022: We originally reported that the Philips Fidelio X2HR are were comfortable than the Philips SHP9500. However, the SHP9500 are more comfortable. We have corrected this mistake and updated our review.
The Philips Fidelio X2HR are great open-back headphones for neutral listening. They have an automatically-adjusting headband to keep you comfortable during long listening sessions. They also look and feel more premium and sleek than the similarly-performing Philips SHP9500. That said, like all open-back headphones, they don't block any background noise and are best suited for a dedicated music listening room at home.
See our recommendations for the best audiophile headphones, the best open-back headphones, and the best wired headphones.
The Philips SHP9500 and the Philips Fidelio X2HR are both great open-back headphones for neutral sound listening. The Fidelio X2HR have a sleeker and more premium design, and they look and feel a bit more durable. Their bass range also provides more punch. While the X2HR have an auto-adjusting headband, the SHP9500 are a little bit more comfortable overall, as they don't clamp the head as tightly, and their treble range is a bit more even, but this can depend on your preferences. Both perform very similarly, but the SHP9500 likely represent better value overall.
The Philips Fidelio X2HR offer slightly better value than the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO if you're looking for open-back headphones for audiophile use. The Philips are more comfortable, with a wider and more open soundstage. Their treble range is also a bit more consistent between various users or reseats. On the other hand, the Beyerdynamic feel more durable and stable and have less distortion at lower listening volumes.
The HiFiMan Sundara 2020 are better for critical listening than the Philips Fidelio X2HR. The HiFiMan have a smoother frequency response that's less fatiguing for long sessions. However, while both headphones lack thump and rumble, the Philips can reproduce a bit more low bass, which some listeners may prefer, but their treble is more piercing. They also come with a long, 10-foot audio cable.
The Philips Fidelio X2HR and the Philips SHP9600 are similar open-back headphones. While both have balanced sound profiles, the Fidelio X2HR have a flatter sound in the bass and mids. They're also better built. Still, some listeners may prefer the extra boom and punch in the SHP9600's bass range and their more comfortable fit.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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