Philips Fidelio FidelioHeadphones with lightning connector

Great depth of sound and timing. Highly recommended.

At last I can listen to 48kHz high-resolution audio files from my iPhone for the first time. The sonic advantage of bypassing a flaky analogue headphone port are clear, crystal clear, in fact the clearest I have ever heard. The design is superb from the plug upwards. It's Apple's Lightning connector that separates these Philips Fidelio M2L’s from every other pair of headphones I have tried, however it means there's no way of inputting an analogue signal. It also means the connector, cable and volume dial are unaffected by crosstalk and audio noise that can degrade an analogue signal. The volume dial and playback controls are located on the right ear cup and you can also pause your music or answer a call by tapping the right ear cup as well. The soundstage is open and revealing with a particularly detailed dynamic bass response that has improved with each hours listening, through my first week of using these beauties. There's no hiss, or noise from the cable or headphone controls at all, so the sound is really clean and crisp with a superb bass response. The only negatives are that these headphones are locked to the Apple Lightning connector and can only be used on Apple devices. They are not wireless and do not have any noise cancelling, but for me this is a small sacrifice for such superb sound quality, go ahead try them, you will not regret it!

I've been living with these headphones for a week and moved to using them a lot as a result of their excellent sound quality. The M2Ls are incredibly well made, reflecting their premium price. The bass goes deep but is well controlled, so does not dominate like some other brands. Mid and treble balance is spot on, working well with more complex recordings. Comfort is improving, as the headband has relaxed a little with use. Although my ears do get warm with prolonged listening. The cable could do with some refinement in future, as the rubberised coating is quite stiff and retains any kinks. Overall I'm extremely pleased with my new headphones, given they were a 'blind' purchase, so would recommend anyone interested in exceptional sound on the move to give them a try.