JM Audio XTC2 Open Back Dynamic Headphone

JM Editions XTC2 Open Back with earcups made of African Blackwood (one of the hardest types of wood available)

• 64-ohm Beryllium drivers - perfectly matched pair (measured between 10Hz and 30kHz), as confirmed by John M.
• Standard headphone cable (36-strand 26AWG OFC braided Litz) terminated with a 6.3mm TRS (single-ended) connector
• Upgraded 7N OCC internal wiring with matching Copperhead cable terminated with a 4-pin XLR (balanced) connector
• 3 sets of earpads: these observations are based on listening sessions using the Fluffy Memory Foam Angled earpads
• The storage case included is similar to those made by Pelican.

Please note, although I have been an 'Audiophile' for quite a while now (however clichéd that may sound), with a collection of headphones and some reasonably high-end 'HiFi' equipment that I use to indulge in my passion for music, this is the first time I have left a review or more to the point, shared my observations of a product so soon after receiving it and neither am I a professional reviewer and nor am I an influencer.

TL/DR: Yes, I am very happy with my XTC2s and impressed by the purchasing experience.

The XTC2s were delivered with the Fluffy Memory Foam Angled earpads installed, which sounded great from the get-go and are extremely comfortable. The African Blackwood earcups have quite the understated, classy look. Having got used to fairly heavy headphones (e.g. LCD-X and HEDDphone), the XTC2 is lightweight in comparison, which, coupled with its non-fatiguing sound signature, encourages long listening sessions, which is exactly what I was looking for – an excellent start!

Soundstage:
The XTC2s have a pretty wide, open soundstage, but, from memory, not as wide as the Sennheiser HD800S, which I loved, but couldn’t get past its distinct lack of bass. As such, the XTC2s have stepped up to the mark and filled that void perfectly. Chesky Records’ recording of Rebecca Pidgeon’s version of Spanish Harlem is an absolute delight – the soundstage and imaging is simply superb. The same goes for Santana’s Black Magic Woman (1986 SAMWEICH edition). Pretty much all tracks on this CD are well recorded and mastered – Aqua Marine is particularly good. Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged is another, and the best I have heard this compilation in a while.

Imaging & Instrument Separation:
Superb imaging, which is not a surprise due to the use of two drivers that are a near-perfect match over the entire audible frequency range, and beyond. This is especially true when playing good recordings of live performances, such as the Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over live album, or well-recorded vocals, such as Analogue Production’s SACD (DSD64) of Holly Cole’s 1995 jazz album Temptation. The second track (Train Song) is an absolute delight to listen to – the vocals and upright (acoustic) bass sound out of this world. The sounds of the triangles, bells and/or cymbals, struck lightly, alternating between left and right channels, are very detailed – one can easily visualise their placements. Listening to Hans Theessink’s 2007 album Slow Train was an absolute joy, with many “wow” moments, and the track Zambezi also included some spine- tingling moments.

Bass:
Tight, fast and articulate, without any bleed into the mid-range. For example, the start of Eagles’ 1994 rendition of Hotel California sounds pretty awesome with the bass notes starting and stopping as expected, something I am used to when listening to this track through my ProAc Response D30RS speakers. The acoustic bass in Holly Cole’s album sounds fantastic, with the plucking and reverberation of the strings sounding as they should without being muddy or ill-defined - Train Song is a particular favourite from that standpoint. The drums and conga on Santana’s Jingo (1986 SAMWEICH edition) really come alive and the bass on Evil Ways, separated from the well-articulated mid-range, is quite the aural delight. The XTC2s dig quite deep.

Mid-range:
A particular strength of the XTC2s. The piano and vocals on Holly Cole’s Take Me Home are well articulated and blend together very well. The acoustic bass is not as prominent in the other tracks, which makes the vocals and piano stand out. Sarah McLachlan’s live performances of Answer and Angel (from the Afterglow Live album) were superbly rendered, where one could visualise the placement of the singers (vocals), the various instruments, and the audience’s response/cheering, with a soundstage to match. Hans Theessink’s voice on the Slow Train and 70th Birthday Bash albums does hit you hard, but no sibilance.

Treble:
The XTC2s have the right amount of sparkle without being bright, which suits my tastes. Having said that they do not take kindly to badly recorded or compressed recordings. Try as I might, I could not listen to Metallica’s 1991 self-titled (Black) album (CD version), which is said to be the least compressed version of all those in digital form. One from Metallica’s The Videos 1989-2004 (2006 DVD) sounded okay, but, when it got to the busy sections, flaws in the recording/mastering surfaced, especially Lars Ulrich’s double peddling on the kick drums which usually sounds excellent, but not in this version, which sounds rather harsh, especially when the guitars kick in – the same track and reproduction from …And justice for All fares much better.

In conclusion, I have to say that JM Audio Editions XTC2 Open Back headphones are a true all-rounder, and something I am likely to enjoy for many years to come. Last but not least, the whole purchasing experience has been simply superb. John fielded many questions and, over a 3-4 day period, numerous emails were exchanged on the available configuration options and the merits of each one. Highly recommended! Having said that I could not resist a visit to JM Audio’s website for another look…however, it is now time to try out the other earpads, and do some comparisons with some others in my collection.


Equipment & Source:

• Windows 10 Pro (64-bit, 32 GB RAM) laptop with Audirvana Studio + Thesycon USB driver (ASIO), playing lossless FLAC (16-bit / 44.1 kHz to 24-bit / 192 kHz) and DSD64 / DSD128 audio files
• Denafrips Iris DDC
• Denafrips Ares II R-2R DAC
• SPL Phonitor 2 headphone amplifier (Matrix & Crossfeed not enabled during these listening sessions)
• XTC2 Open Backs connected to Phonitor 2’s XLR out via Copperhead cable – fully balanced analogue signal path

This review is going to be a love fest. I’ll just go ahead and get that out of the way. I’ve owned a lot of high end open back headphones since I started this lunacy. My all time favorite for years were the HE1000V2. I’d had Ananda, Arya V2, and then moved up to the hekv2. It’s still one of my favorites ever. But i was messing around on the classified board one day and lucked into a trade for a gorgeous pair of XTC 1. I figured…why not? I’d had John help me out with some Kennerton issues In the past and he was extremely friendly an efficient despite not making a red cent for the job he did for me.

I received the XTC 1’s and plugged them in and just sat back and became more and more impressed. I had not expected a DD to sound like this. I grabbed my he1000v2’s in an attempt to snap myself out of these delusions of grandeur. Long story short I sold the hekv2 3 days later and XTC 1 became my daily headphone.



Fast forward a year or so and John told me he was working on xtc 2.0. That it would have larger cups and he thought he could do something really special with the design. Take my money. Needless to say they are now my daily headphone and my favorite headphone I’ve owned.

I also grabbed a pair of Arya Organic because I still do really like HIfiman’s sound. I was really impressed with Organic. I thought the bass was improved and the stage had opened back up larger than the Stealth model. Having the Organic and XTC 2.0 in the house at the same time was really quite fun. Hours of nerding out ABing these things with different amps and dacs….really a dream for a dork like me.

The XTC 2.0 is the better headphone imo. FIrst of all the treble for me is much more controlled and doesn’t even approach fatigue. I couldn’t say the same for the Organic. She got a little hot with the extension. I found the mids pretty close from an enjoyment level. XTC 2.0’s Low end hits hard, extends lower and just has this incredible classy clean sound. In some ways a lot like a planar. I also found that the XTC was consistently achieving wonderful synergy with all the amplification I threw at it.

Ifi idsd signature finale
RME ADI -2
Woo wa7
and funnily enough they sound absolutely incredible with the Astell and Kern HB1. It’s an Impressive semi mobile pairing. Check it out….you won’t believe it!


I use the fuzzy pads and John’s silver cable terminated to 4.4. I have them on as week speak and Beck is working his magic all around my head. I think soundstage and imaging are probably the two most subjective things about this hobby. What I look for as far as soundstage is something about 9-12” outside my head, with height stopping at about eye level.

The other thing I look for is layering of instruments, both around me and sort of diagonally behind me. This headphone does things with acoustic guitar plucks that give me chills nightly.

I’ll mention the comfort factor again. They’re like helium filled or something. I grabbed a pair LCD-X 21 a couple months ago and my god. It was like a having a ship anchor fastened to my head. Brutal. Even the oval shaped Hifiman cups are not match for the overall comfort level of xtc 2.0.




So what do we have here?

Gorgeous headphone.
easy to drive
ticks every box to my ear
you don’t love the way it sounds? Email John, chat with him and he’ll get them exactly how you want them.

It really is the most customer friendly and unique thing going on in this hobby currently. If you’re on the fence, I would say go for it.


Bravo John!

I feel there is allot to be said about JMAudio's new product, the XTC2. I am going to just come out and say it - I feel this is the best "dynamic" headphone I've heard to date.. at any price point. Let's dig into the basics first:

Treble: Very carefully tuned. The treble has great extension and really helps the headphone show off sparkle, air, and excitement. Things sound exciting and crystal clear on the high end but never get too aggressive or fatiguing; just engaging with a good clean treble presentation.

Mids: Fantastic mids. These headphones present vocals and instruments in a very clean, clear, and natural way. Vocals just POP! when tracks call for it... almost in a shocking way in fact. When listening to certain songs by Kaleo for example, it's just impossible to convey how insane the vocals come through and just make you "shudder" as the emotion digs deep straight into your soul (lol). There are times where these present mids in a very HD650 kinda way but on some massive steroids... It's a beautiful BEAUTIFUL thing to experience...

Bass: The bass is just incredible. GREAT sub bass extension, very good and linear mid bass presentation (no humps or anything weird here), and the whole thing just feels very balanced sounding. Clean and high quality bass that never messes with the mid range and never sounds muddy. Nice, tight, impactful, punchy bass. You play some EDM tracks and this thing will slap you around in a fun way. It's just excellent all around.

Sound Stage and Imaging: Very very good.. the sound stage is a big step up over the original XTC. The XTC2 definitely presents things in a bigger and "grand" kind of way. The OG XTC is a more intimate experience where the XTC2 really opens up and plays in a broader space. It's nothing like an HD800S but it's also not exaggerated and the area things play in just sounds natural (you'll hear me use this term allot). Imaging is extremely precise on these - you can make out positioning easily of any instruments/vocalist/etc.

Comfort: Excellent. My guess from wearing them is that they're probably between 400-450g? Excellent clamp pressure.. not too tight, not too loose.. Solid all day comfort.



Okay, with basics out of the way now - why do I actually LOVE this headphone? What is it about them that a "graph" won't show you?

- The XTC2 sounds ALIVE. The music reproduction is always natural, full bodied, emotional, and fun. You get so much information but it is never forced at you. Lots of textures in the mids, bass, and vocals sound real / life like. The tuning is fantastic, there is absolutely nothing to complain about. Everything sounds balanced, clear, detailed, and completely deceiving of the fact that these only cost around $1000. These punch much much higher than their price tag.

Okay.. I can talk about how I like these all day long but how do they sound compared to some other headphones that I currently (or have very recently) own? Let's take a look: (Apologies, I am just going to provide my thoughts as they flow out of me in the moment).

XTC2 vs HD800S - HD800S definitely presents a little more detail to the tracks here. More sound stage as well and a more "laid back" sound compared to the XTC2. The XTC2 gets more aggressive with tracks.. more fun. HD800S has nearly non-existent bass when comparing to the XTC2 which has the ability to really rumble and vibrate your ear drums when the tracks call for it. HD800S has a bit of a treble peak on some tracks and XTC2 has a cleaner more polite treble presentation (better tuning). HD800S really excels at orchestra, accoustic, vocal, and jazz tracks for my preference. The XTC2 is warmer, more full bodied (but almost equally detailed), has more intensity and fun to the tracks, and plays better across more genres (especially modern genres).

XTC2 vs Arya Organic - I actually find the Organic Arya too sibilant for my tastes. The Organic to me has a much more aggressive V sound signature compared to both the Arya Stealth and the XTC2. The XTC2 has a fuller and thicker sound. The bass on the XTC2 has a very dynamic quality to it.. very hard visceral punch where as the Arya has that "planar" bass to it which is equally fun and powerful.. they're just different but both great. The Arya has a more immersive 3D way of presenting tracks but also less presence to the mid-range and vocals. The XTC2 has better tuning - it is never sibilant. It has that dynamic punch, equally good detail, and can convey emotion effortlessly in tracks. My biggest problem with the Arya is that there are just too many moments when I have to stop a track because my ears are going "oww" and the XTC2 is just far kinder to me in that regard. I will say that for those who are searching an aggressive V sound may prefer the Arya Organic.. but if you're looking for balance, emotion, and overall excellence, I think the XTC2 wins here.

XTC2 vs LCD-3 (fazor with latest open cell ear pads) - XTC2 has a harder hitting bass response no doubt. LCD3 has excellent bass but again, it is that planar quality bass. LCD-3 in comparison has a more "nimble" presentation to it. The mids sound creamy and smooth. Very rich but clean at the same time. The XTC2 has a bigger sound, the bass really thwomps around while digging harder and deeper providing an overall more exciting experience. The mids on XTC2 are fuller, thicker, more brash and less apologetic (they just come at you with power and intensity at times). The LCD-3 is a more "careful" sounding thing in my opinion.. really enjoyable.. but the XTC2 is just bigger, badder and more fun.

XTC2 vs DCA Ether 2: Both are excellent headphones IMO but Ether 2 is a more chill and reserved listening experience. Ether 2 has a tuning that is non-fatiguing but also less exciting. The XTC2 is non-fatiguing but MORE exciting. It's hard to explain but XTC2 just pushes more sound at you. Vocals sound better, cleaner, clearer and more natural. Ether 2 has a darker sound signature to it and I think that's what can at times be a less engaging experience than the XTC2. XTC2 has a more natural timbre to it while the Ether 2 just sounds like a fantastic darker leaning headphone (and I feel both are great).

XTC2 vs TH909 - XTC2 has better tuning but I find TH909 a ton of fun. The 909 has a weird "sub woofer" effect when you listen to music with bass. It also can make vocals sound artificially good in the treble region .. almost in an unnatural way but I actually like that about them. They are that "weird" sounding thing that I actually like.. The XTC2 is a natural sounding headphone that has a much higher quality bass presentation with significantly more sub bass (and it doesn't ever sound like a sub woofer in my car that I had in my early 20's lol). Vocals, instruments, and just about everything sounds more real and lifelike on the XTC2. I easily give the XTC2 my recommendation for most people on this one (unless you just enjoy the weird sound of the the TH909 like I do.. haha)

XTC2 vs Diana V2 - Honestly these are the two kings of my stable. The XTC2 is the dynamic king. It's excellent in all categories... bass, mids, treble.. it has it all. The Diana V2 is also that.. but in planar form. Do you want the greatest dynamic headphone of all time? Buy the XTC2.... Do you want the greatest planar headphone? Buy the Abyss... Only thing is the XTC2 is much cheaper so you gotta give it that value "win".

XTC2 vs HE1000 Stealth and HE1000SE: I feel both the HEK Stealth and HEKSE share a very similar sound signature and DNA. The HEKSE has slightly more detail and emphasis to its' treble presentation (compared to the HEK Stealth) while the HEK Stealth just sounded more balanced to my ears in regards to timbre and tonality (compared to the HEKSE). I really enjoyed the Hifiman stuff but it just didn't move me like the XTC2 does. I feel they lean a little more toward the technical side of the house when compared directly to the XTC2 which is a much more musical sound (but also very balanced at the same time). Personally I prefer the XTC2 but still found HEK Stealth and HEKSE to be excellent overall if you're looking for a more technical and planar sound.

XTC2 vs XTC-O (biowool): These really share allot of DNA. the XTC2 sounds very very much like an XTC-O but improves on several things - size/comfort. The XTC2 is bigger, more comfortable, and just more impressive. Sound Stage - improved where things sound bigger and more "grand". Tuning - I found the original XTC-O to sound a tiny bit sharp to my ears with the fluffy and leather pads. They were perfect however with the perf hybrid pads. With the XTC2, I feel they are perfect with the fluffy pads. I have yet to try the perf angled leather (John will send these to me to try soon and I will update my review of thow the pads compare).

XTC2 vs XTC2 (Biowool vs Beryllium): I found the Beryllium to provide a smoother listening experience with a more immersive (and slightly looser) sounding bass. I actually really enjoyed the bass allot on the Beryllium but felt it didn't have quite enough "bite" for me in the treble region. The Biowool just has a slightly "sharper" and more aggressive sound that I really tend to enjoy but I feel both headphones are excellent and you will prefer one or the other based on whether you're looking for a more "chill/detailed" or more "aggressive/detailed" sound signature... comparitively speaking of course. Also note that YMMV depending on pads + tuning. This was just the observation made between the two units I got to hear (The Beryllium had the JMAudio Reference tuning).



Closing Thoughts:

I find the XTC2 is the epitome of "dynamic" driver performance. They are excellent and go way way way beyond the price tag JMAudio is charging for them. In all honesty, if you want to buy something that sounds "better" you will have to look at really high end products (Summit-Fi) such as the Susvara, Ab-1266 / Phi / TC, Staxx SR009 etc. I can't think of a better product to spend $1000 on if that is your budget. These things ROCK. They are tuned EXTREMELY well, have detail, BASS, beautiful and engaging mids, crystal clear treble. Maybe one day, a dynamic headphone will come around that will dethrone the XTC2... but that day is not today.

Thanks for reading folks. Please note - I am no professional reviewer. Just a guy who is super passionate about audio. I apologize if my descriptions or comparisons rub someone the wrong way or if you disagree etc. These are my honest thoughts and feelings after I've personally heard and compared these products myself.

Note - My audio chain and testing gear consisted of:

Schiit Bifrost 2/64 > Schiit Lyr + > Various Tubes > Headphones
Burson Conductor 3XR > Headphones
Topping DX7 (og) > Headphones
Topping DX7 as DAC > Lyr+ > Headphones
Hifiman EF400 > Headphones
Hifiman EF400 as DAC > Lyr+ > Headphones
Hiby R6 DAP > Headphones