The Philips Fidelio X3 are open-back headphones designed for neutral listening. They're well-built and comfortable, and their open-back design helps create an open and speaker-like soundstage. They have a neutral and balanced sound profile, but their treble response is a bit uneven, and they're lacking a touch of low-bass. Like most open-back headphones, they aren't very versatile, but they're still a solid choice for neutral listening at home.
Our Verdict
The Philips Fidelio X3 are very good for neutral sound. They have a very balanced, neutral sound profile, especially in the mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments are accurately reproduced. Their open-back design creates an open and speaker-like soundstage. However, their treble response is a bit uneven, and they're lacking a bit of low-bass.
- Open and spacious soundstage.
- Consistent audio delivery.
- Lacking low-bass.
The Philips Fidelio X3 are poor for commute and travel. These bulky over-ears have a very comfortable fit, but they aren't very easy to bring on-the-go. Due to their open-back design, they don't block out background noises like bus and plane engines or the chatter from fellow commuters, and they also leak a lot of sound.
- Comfortable fit.
- Bulky design.
- Terrible noise isolation performance.
The Philips Fidelio X3 are inadequate for sports and fitness. These bulky over-ears are stable enough for casual listening, but they aren't designed for the gym and may fall off your head during more intense movements.
- Comfortable fit.
- Bulky design.
- Not stable enough for exercise.
The Philips Fidelio X3 are poor for office use. They're comfortable enough to wear through an eight-hour shift without a lot of fatigue. However, due to their open-back design, they let in a lot of background noise and they leak a lot of sound, which can be distracting.
- Comfortable fit.
- Bulky design.
- Terrible noise isolation performance.
The Philips Fidelio X3 are wired-only headphones, so they aren't suitable for wireless gaming.
The Philips Fidelio X3 are adequate for wired gaming, though they don't have a microphone, so you can't use them to communicate with your teammates. They're very comfortable, and they have low latency thanks to their wired design. However, they're lacking a touch of low-bass, so action-packed scenes may lack thump and rumble.
- Comfortable fit.
- No microphone.
The Philips Fidelio X3 don't have a microphone, so they aren't suitable for phone calls.
Changelog
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Updated Feb 06, 2025:
The Comfort and Build Quality sections have been updated to add more details about the headphones' materials.
- Updated Nov 05, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Nov 17, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Nov 10, 2020: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
These headphones only come in one color variant: 'Black'. If you come across another version of these headphones, let us know in the discussion section below.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Philips X3 are comfortable, well-built open-back headphones designed for neutral listening. Like most open-back headphones, they block out very little background noise and they leak a lot of sound. While they have a very neutral and balanced sound profile, some listeners may find their treble range is a bit uneven. See also our recommendations for the best open-back headphones, the best headphones for music, and the best audiophile headphones.
The Philips Fidelio X2HR and the Philips Fidelio X3 are both open-back audiophile headphones with similar designs and performance. They share a similar frequency response, with some roll-off in the low bass and an inconsistent treble range. The X3 are capable of delivering audio more consistently, though.
The Philips Fidelio X3 and the Philips SHP9600 have very similar performances overall, and they're both very capable open-back over-ears for casual listening. The SHP9600 are more comfortable and tend to be more affordably priced while delivering a balanced sound. However, the Fidelio X3 are better built and come with more accessories. Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other.
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