The Philips Fidelio X1S ranks #14 out of 523 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Philips
Prices on this page were last checked October 20, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
#14 Philips Fidelio X1S: $299 Discontinued eBay
Pros: An open back over-ear with a very high preference score of 92 and a midrange within about 1 dB of target. At 30 ohms and 100 dB/mW it runs well from a phone or laptop, and the ear pads are replaceable.
Cons: Sub bass rolls off, falling 6 dB below target at 28 Hz, and peaks of 6.6 dB near 10.6 kHz and 6.3 dB near 5.3 kHz make the treble bright. It is discontinued and replaced by the Philips Fidelio X3, and the score rests on a single measurement.
Is the Philips Fidelio X1S right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 92).
Skip it if
- you want more bass (about 3 dB below target).
- you need isolation or will use it in public: open-back headphones leak sound both ways.
- you want to buy it new: it is discontinued.
| Back | Open |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.50 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 50mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 92 (1 squig.link measurement, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 30 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 28 Hz (-5.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.33 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 92.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 26 Hz | +3.1 dB | 2.94 |
| Peak | 67 Hz | -2.4 dB | 1.37 |
| Peak | 1,675 Hz | -2.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,603 Hz | +2.6 dB | 3.02 |
| Peak | 5,157 Hz | -6.3 dB | 5.81 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -3.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 83.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +4.9 dB | 3.40 |
| Peak | 66 Hz | -3.2 dB | 1.23 |
| Peak | 1,676 Hz | -2.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,603 Hz | +2.6 dB | 3.01 |
| Peak | 5,157 Hz | -6.3 dB | 5.81 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 54.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +4.8 dB | 2.26 |
| Peak | 75 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.79 |
| Peak | 260 Hz | -2.1 dB | 1.04 |
| Peak | 1,169 Hz | +1.4 dB | 5.62 |
| Peak | 1,615 Hz | -1.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,533 Hz | +6.0 dB | 2.79 |
| Peak | 3,268 Hz | +1.7 dB | 3.53 |
| Peak | 5,174 Hz | -6.5 dB | 4.95 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 73.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.6 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 26 Hz | +3.0 dB | 2.77 |
| Peak | 66 Hz | -2.3 dB | 1.58 |
| Peak | 1,667 Hz | -2.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,453 Hz | +1.8 dB | 3.21 |
| Peak | 5,190 Hz | -7.7 dB | 3.10 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 74.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,675 Hz | -2.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,603 Hz | +2.6 dB | 3.02 |
| Peak | 5,157 Hz | -6.3 dB | 5.80 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -3.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 82 out of 100, up from 70.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,603 Hz | +3.1 dB | 2.41 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 99 out of 100, up from 84.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,654 Hz | -2.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,899 Hz | +3.7 dB | 1.94 |
| Peak | 5,050 Hz | -2.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 7,079 Hz | +2.0 dB | 2.27 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the Philips Fidelio X1S measures across the audible range, against the Harman over-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is a single measurement, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: a single measurement from the squig.link database of sai. Thanks to them for publishing their work.