A taste of HIFI: Hifiman Edition XS REVIEW! 

Audience Q&A is here 👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BWvHn4ffMpg.html Missed the Q&A but still got a question? Follow me on Minds and start a Supermind with me for guaranteed response. www.minds.com/superreview/

I'm a new owner of Hifiman Edition XS, which I'm running off the Topping DX3 pro+. I admit that I'm new to this hobby, so perhaps my standards are a bit different and I'm not as fussy as other customers. In short, these headphones are a noticeable upgrade from the Philips Fidelio x2hr that I also own. Comfort: no issues. A lot of people are complaining about the lack of clamp tightness, but it seems fine to me and I don't have a big head. Certainly, they are not as tight as the Philips Fidelio and but after listening to the XS for a week now I find my Philips a bit too tight, so as you can see it's a matter of perspective. Once you get used to them, you don't notice they're on your head. Having said that, they will fall off if you try to dance with them on your head, but for normal lounging and listening to music, they're just fine. . As far as the sound, it's heaven. I think I prefer the Philips for heavy rock, but for everything else (jazz, classical, instrumental, vocals) the XS is on another level. The music has an almost haunting presence; it pulls you in. I'm not going to pretend that I know all the audiophile lingo about sound stage, imaging, etc. Suffice it to say, they are the best headphones I've ever owned and for me they're the endgame for this hobby. I have no reason to spend any more money on anything better. This is most likely the point of diminishing returns. I hope this help. I've certainly read many comments before finally pulling the trigger.

So excited that you're doing more headphone reviews and measurements

Just grabbed a refurbished edition xs with free shipping for 279 ... Cant wait to get it :)

I was an audio skeptic for a long time. Tried a slew of entry level audiophile gear and never really being blown away but recognizing there was some potential there. Didn't believe in amps. Etc. Well I am here to tell you guys $500 XS is that entry point to being "impressed" if you are just a normie. These are great cans. They are natural and smooth, and honestly they make my 560S sound harsh. I EQ'd the 560S like crazy to get them to sound good I find their flat profile to be boring AND shouty. The one area the 560S can compete with these XS planars is bass impact and extension but the XS is just a league (or two) above in every other area... and even some areas you are not expecting because you haven't experienced it yet. If you can stretch the budget, skip the whole HD 600 range and go straight for XS.

Ostensibly my favorite headphone reviewer

It's crazy how inexpensive good headphones have become. Edition X was priced at 1700$ and Edition X V2 at 1300$. Edition XS is a steal at 500$ IMO. The sound is just another flavor of Ananda and it's really close to Arya, which was considered a good deal at 1600$

I personally own the XS, and so while I do enjoy them immensely, I agree on the hotspot thing (I almost max out the sliders, I have a large noggin), so I tried out Dekoni Nuggets, put two of them on the spots where the band curves down a bit, and can wear them for extended periods of time with no fuss.

I can see why you chose the sundara as its a very common recommendation and i really loved this review! Though i feel i missed out on the livestream haha but i think a third headphone for comparison should’ve been the ananda instead? Being the same price and design but without the drop collab, but maybe you’re saving that for the venus review? Anyway its a suggestion not a criticism as the video was great as it is

Good job. Thanks 👍

Seems pretty good. Just started on the hobby this year, so far I have Hifiman Deva Pro and it sounds stellar. Would it be kinda a night and day difference between the two?

Everybody talks about EQing but no one explains how. What if you mainly listen to Apple Music on an iPhone using a dongle like Cayin RU6? How do you EQ that setup?

Nicely Done. Off topic question. Last week you suggested that I compare the Shanling M3 Ultra to the M11s. I was hoping you might have this unit in your que for review ? Before pulling the trigger I was hoping something might of stood out for you that I would want to know before hand ? It looks good on paper but know one has reviewed it yet :( Thanks

My Sundaras have no issue holding position with adjustment.

Hello, What is the model of the Parametric EQ and the Headphones Amp that you're using? And do you also use those to test IEMs? Thanks in advance

Hi, I'm just wondering, is buzzing in planar headphones are normal? In my case, my Edition XS left channel buzzing in a constant 600hz test, but everything normal when using normal song, even in high volume. Should i be worry about this condition?

Hi, great review! I was wondering if they benefit from a balanced cable and amp or better said are these truly balanced or not? I have a zen dac v1 and it has more power on balanced output than on single ended....

Can you give a quick comparison between these and the 109 pro. And which one do you prefer and why? Thanks

I tried out the Ananda which shares the same cup size. I didn’t like that the bottom of the cup sat right on my jaw so I’d I moved my mouth I could feel the cups move and change the sound since it changed the seal.

I tried the XS, it arrived with an intermittent connection and felt like it was assembled/designed by a 5-year-old. I had a peek inside and the cables are just forced into place, no attempt is made for cable channelling because they didn't allow any space. My picks are the DT1990 with Dekoni Velour pads for less money or the Meze 109 Pro which are an absolute joy to own. Oh and on single ended (Topping A50S) it sounded pretty crap because the drivers are incredibly power hungry, on balanced (aftermarket cable) it sounded substantially better, but the intermittent connection caused my AMP to shut down/freak out.

Just got the XS. And I can say I am blown away. I have got 58x for comparison and these planar magnetics feel like they're from another planet. The subbass extension is just... Chef's kiss. And it doesn't sacrifice the top end for that too

If You're talking big heads, I'm Your man. I was wandering how Edition XS would fit me with those drivers, since I have Hifiman's budget he400se... Sporting preety much the same headband. Let me tell ya it feels bad to stretch them to their max for the drivers to sit on my ears. But when they do, they are quite comfy and I wear glasses too. So that's a pleasant suprise. I'd say they would fit me and not slide to much. Most headphones do, and I'm used to some pressing on sides of my head. But, there is a "but" assosiated with my globe of a gnogin. If I buy something remotely expensive, and those are to me. I would go to the physical store selling this model and listen/try them on just to be sure they fit.

I EQed some low midrange back into the XS, and that’s all it needed to put that tiny touch of weight into the notes. You have to be careful or it starts to kill the sound stage, IMO.

What does hifi taste like? How do I prepare it well? Do I need to go organic or locally produced?

Why doesn't one reviewer stick a ruler next to the cups ?

For over a year now I've been trying to replace my Fidelio X2HR. I loved everything about that headphone except that the bass is a tad overdone and the bass/kicks don't come in that fast/punchy. I purchased an Edition XS because that came up a lot as suggestion as the perfect upgrade to the X2HR. I was pleased with the sound, detailing/imaging was so much better and the bass was exactly what I expected. However, I had a QC issue with a screw on the headband/earcup. Also the headband was uncomfortable for longer sessions (I do 6-8H sessions on weekends) and the headband even on it's lowest setting was too big (and I don't have a small head!), just didn't sat correctly on my ears. So I sold it. Now I've been searching for a while looking to replace that X2HR. I've tried a Drop HD6XX, that's not my taste at all. Now I was looking at the Fiio FT5, and I see you and other reviewers mentioning the Edition XS as being much better. Considering how I liked that Edition XS my questions is more like, what is an alternative for the Edition XS but without that terrible headband? Any suggestions?

any chance of reviewing the sendy apollo?

If a big soundstage is what you like (many don't in the end so best not to assume that it's a plus) then these are an excellent choice and value. Usually big soundstage comes at the cost of macrodynamics, separation in busy passages and bass and it's no different here, but still everything sounds at least good. Wouldn't pick these for EDM or metal primarily, but they can handle some with EQ. Wearing them right now. Well tuned, but EQ does improve them still. I don't see any reason to go for Ananda or Arya over these since the value drops a huge amount (and Arya has some timbre issues), but an HE100se V2 would be a worthy upgrade for sure. For value the HE6se V2 and these are just in a league of their own imo when it comes to sound quality. Build of course not the best, but I think perfectly worth the savings.

Love the XS, but I sold mine in favor of the 6XX, which is now my third pair. The 6XX sound is alluring and sexy, especially with my tube amp and various choices of tubes to change the sound signature.

I have been eyeballing the XS for a bit, anyone know how to get a discount or where to find a black Friday deal?

Hey, im just a casual listener who wants to try out some better headphones than i normaly do. Right now im owning a gaming headet (not very fun because mine lack in bass a lot).... im looking for a headphone that i can use for watching movies, gaming and listening music with. My budget with AMP is about 500$. Im mainly looking at the Harmonicdyne Zeus, Sundara, hd6xx and the Hifiman Deva pro. Which headphone would you recommend for Casual listeners who want to have a fun experience rather than an analytical?

Which do you prefer more These or Moondrop Venus?

Well placed in the HIFI ladder :-) EDIT : for body and weight, maybe climbing the ladder to the Arya Stealth is needed ?

It's possible to push this headphone with the Fosi K5 Pro Gaming ? someone can help me ?

How do these compare against the Fidelio X2HR?

mm500 review coming?

I wish your review came out 5 months ago. I bought these based on the reviews. Your review correlates with my experience. They lack body and are a little too bright for me. I gifted these to myself so they're too sentimental to sell.

IE 600 vs XS what do you say Super? :)

I'm receiving mine on the 2nd of april, paid €430 with tax included, and I'm on western Europe. I honestly can't make much sense of most of the info on frequency, I just hope it doesn't make my head hurts, I really bought it on impulse. I have a Sennheiser headphone I got because it was recommended to me, and it makes my head hurt after some time using it, its so weird.

There are no word to describe how much your videos help us men 💞💞

This year this is 370 us it’s a no brainer buy

It's funny that you think XS as just thin and bright. I just eqd the upper midrange and put even more 5k energy lol... and i remove 2db in 500hz region and add 5db in 40hz. I think i really like brighter sets.

I just bought a pair of Ananda Stealth's for 350 bucks. What. A. Deal.

In terms of sound, how does it compare to my Moondrop Blessing 2?

There is a stealth version.

I honestly think this headphone doesnt give enough sound volume. Whats your take on that?

Maybe you are evolving into an essential over ear headphone guy. 🤔

Again, pretty sure your sundara doesnt work as supposed. There's smth. wrong. Trebble should be a tad too much, not vice versa. And the Sundara really shines in the mids. What you describe sounds more like a 20$ Bose or JBL or smth. :D

When we get the day that a headphone does everything well this hobby will ends.😬😬

Looks like I can cook bacon on that grills

the "gap" people are talking about is like -1.5db to max 3db for 3k.... It's almost nothing

I got my xs last april and it did not come with a stand lmao. rip me

Sundara is better than the XS for me, better tonality and comfort. The Ananda Stealth is a better option than the XS if you care about soundstage and want an egg shaped Hifiman.

Have you by chance heard the Sundara? I have it and I don’t really like it all that much and was wondering if the edition XS was a worthy step up