Testing dsd playback on the dx3 pro. Headphone is fidelio x2hr, tracks are “The Best of Satana”, playback software is foobar2000. Not very impressed. Music sounds very closed to the ear, clarity is nothing revelatory. Nothing compared to the binaural stuff from Dr Chesky’s Ultimate Headphone Test. I don’t understand when people say a headphone has a wide soundstage, what kind of audio file do they listen to? If it is just simple 2-channel non-binaural file, even in high quality dsd, I feel the soundstage is very narrow. Only the binaural tracks can give me that sense of spaciousness.
yeah tbh i'm also of the opinion that soundstage perception has more to do with the recording than with the headphones themselves.
i might get flak for this but i personally wasn't that impressed with the HD 800's "soundstage". still thought my HD 600 is a much better buy.
as for DAC differences, they are mostly small which i agree. still, digital volume control, good amount of clean power, BT input, easy to carry around... still makes it worth buying for me. also, having that integrated DAC that actually performs quite well also means you don't have to worry about the DAC in any computer you plug it into.