The Philips Fidelio X3 is a large, open headphone for listening to your favorite music in a quiet room via a cable. A fairly niche product that is difficult to compare with the wireless noise canceling headphones that you mainly see outdoors. In this Philips Fidelio X3 review, we test the headphones.
Philips Fidelio X3
Price: 349 euros
Frequency range: 5Hz – 40kHz
Drivers: 50 mm
Impedance: 30 ohms
Dimensions: 23 x 19 x 11 cm
Weight: 380 grams
Included: 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, 3.5mm to 2.5mm cable, 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter
8.5 Score 85 
- Pros
- Sound quality
- Wearing comfort
- Price to quality ratio
- Negatives
- Only intended to listen in silence
- Ear pads look dirty quickly
Philips sells the Fidelio X3 as the successor to the X2, which came out six years ago and can therefore use an upgrade. The X3 has a suggested retail price of 349 euros. A common price for this type of headphones, although there are also enough models that cost tens to hundreds of euros more. These are intended for real audiophiles, while Philips targets audio enthusiasts with a smaller budget.
Open design has points for attention
The Fidelio X3 is very similar in design to its predecessor (s), but it is also renewed. For example, the headphones use a nice-looking fabric finish from the popular Danish manufacturer Kvadrat. What stands out more is the size of the headphones. The huge, round ear cups and dual headband make the Fidelio X3 significantly larger than popular ANC headphones. At 380 grams it is also heavier. I notice that, but less than expected.
Thanks to the shape of the ear cups and the comfortable headband, the headphones hardly press on the top of my head. I did have to get used to the pressure of the ear pads around my ears for a few days. I’m used to soft, more rubberized ear pads that are a lot smaller than the Fidelio X3’s large fabric ear pads. A disadvantage of this design is that hair, dust and other debris will stick to the fabric. The headphones therefore look a bit dirty more quickly, which you can (temporarily) remedy by wiping the dirt away with your hand.
A focal point of the headphones is that they use an open design. The ear cups cover your ears well, but the housing has openings. You notice this in three ways. First of all, by holding your hand against the ear cup while listening to music: you immediately hear how the sound changes. In a non-silent room you can hear how ambient sounds easily penetrate and quickly rise above your music. Unless you listen at a high volume, of course, but that is not wise. Finally, the open design means that your music ‘leaks out’ and that people around you may / must listen in.
Wired listening
The open design makes the Fidelio X3 not suitable for listening in a living room with the radio on and children playing at the table. Nor is it intended to enjoy a new album on the train. You also notice this in the connections of the headphones. You can only listen wired. The headphones have two 3.5mm jacks, one per ear cup. A cable must be in both ear cups, the other end of which you connect to, for example, your hi-fi amplifier or to a DAC on a smartphone or laptop.
Philips includes a 3.5mm to 3.5mm double ended cable and also puts a 3.5mm to 2.5mm cable in the box. The latter is neat because you usually have to arrange it yourself. A 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter is also included. The cables are three meters long – neat.
Good equipment is desirable
With the cables in the headphones and the other end of the cable in hand, it is important to determine which device you want to listen to music with. The Fidelio X3 comes into its own when it is connected to a good audio source, such as a decent amplifier. Chances are that if you are considering the Fidelio X3, your audio source will be fine. In any case, it is something to keep in mind.
Neutral sound is paramount
Once connected – I test the Fidelio X3 with a dac on a smartphone and on a renowned amplifier – the sound quality of the Fidelio X3 turns out to be impressive. I must say that I am not the largest audiophile in the Netherlands, and am mainly familiar with more mainstream headphones. The Fidelio X3 therefore knows how to surprise me with its neutral sound and lets you hear music as the artist has in mind (or ears). No overly high tones or extra thumping bass. No equalizer in a smartphone app to adjust things. No, the Fidelio X3 uses its 50mm drivers for really good sound. That will sound like – sorry – music to audiophiles. Of course, headphones of 899 euros sound better, but that is also the price difference.
Although I like the sound quality and the wearing comfort of the headphones, I don’t like the open design. When I enjoy music, I prefer to hear as little as possible of what is happening around me. With the Fidelio X3 on my head, it must be really quiet around me, otherwise the ambient noise will quickly disrupt my focused listening pleasure. That’s something to keep in mind if you get distracted easily.
Conclusion: Want to buy a Philips Fidelio X3?
Do you want headphones to listen to your favorite music in a quiet room, for example via your hi-fi amplifier or DAC with another audio source? Then the Philips Fidelio X3 is definitely worth considering. The sound quality of the headphones impresses and it is comfortable to wear as long as you don’t have a smaller head. This reasonable niche product is well put together and is reasonably accessible at 349 euros. The main point of attention is the open design, so that you can hear a lot of ambient sounds and your environment can listen in with you. If you are looking for musical peace outside a quiet room, then you are better off with one of the many ANC headphones.
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