Hifiman Edition XS Review - The Pinnacle of Value 

Listened to a lot of reviews on this and yours is top tier!!! Definitely subscribing for more content. Just enough "tech talk" yet not overdone and great job with adding the DAC/amp discussion at the end. For those of us considering this as our first purchase in headphones, I appreciated this "all in one" source. Don't know how big of a deal this is to do, but I would have benefitted with a written list of DAC/amp gear for reference as I am completely new to this. Cool that you defined sound stage vs imaging as so many assume we all know the difference. Many thanks!!

Great review and very informative. I always like you don't over complicate things when you talk about audio. I've been able learn a lot from you. I was going to purchase these then I found an Ananda Stealth about a month ago for a great price. I bought some Dekoni fenestrated lambskin pads also. This was my first planar magnetic purchase. I mad at myself I didn't dive in sooner. Thanks for the insight as always

Excellent review, you covered everything in a structured and clear manner!

a marvelous review and explanation! have been enjoying my XS together with iFi Gryphon for couple months. This duo sounds amazing!

Fantastic review! I own these as well, and found that Dekoni fenestrated sheepskin earpads are the most comfortable and give the best sound in my opinion. I cannot believe the soundstage on these things, but I have nothing above this price point. I will enjoy these for as long as they hold up! Thanks again for the review!

Awesome review, great talking points! Excellent presentation! Thank you!

Thanks for the thorough review and recommendations on source components

Nice review. Thank you.

I bought 560S and Edition XS within the last month. Came from a pair of DT 770 pro 80ohm, EPOS H3 Hybrid, HS80, and Arctic Nova Pro Wireless.. messed with all the tunings/EQ settings on all, and I have a Magni. So here is my take: 560S is an incredible value. The earcups are a little small so you might find as the pad breaks in your outer ear can touch the little nub inside. Same issue with ANPW. I bought these both and A-B tested at the same time. The ANPW has incredible detail and in-game clarity for detail, footsteps, layer separation, directional awareness. I'd put it on the same level as the 560S if not slightly above (shocking I know). It is a clearer sounding headphone. The 560S is better for music especially when EQ'd, it can really deliver some nice thump and warmth in the bass region the ANPW could not match. 560S sounds more natural, ANPW more synthetic and it is closed back so the sound is injected into your ears. One thing I did not like about the 560S is the nasally characteristic GT mentions in the vid -- it's definitely there. For a pure out of the box competitive FPS experience: ANPW if you can deal with the fit. 560S is thumpy in the bass for gun shots in Valorant and can be distracting. Also in the stock EQ setting, I found the 560S difficult to hear footsteps as they sound distant and recessed DESPITE what reviews for these headphones say. In immersive/single player games the 560S would be fantastic. For music, 560S wins by a reasonable margin. With an Amp, the 560S and ANPW are around the same price. Edition XS, it is superior to these other headphones in all the ways. 560S competes with it, somewhat, in bass impact but the clarity, texturing, details, sub bass is not equal. Everything on the XS is more pleasing to the ears especially untuned without EQ. The XS can accept higher volumes without distortion and has a bigger sound stage with even better imaging. Comfort is subjective but the XS is better here too and unless you have dumbo ears will not even touch the inside anywhere. When you watch streamers on Twitch normally their background music blends into the sound and almost gets lost... you barely hear it, but not on the XS, it almost sounds like it's playing from your own PC. You cannot overload this headphone with sound data, it will always show you everything with defined etched detail and precision. You WILL hear new detail you never heard before especially when it comes to atmospheric noises inside maps in Valorant. The footsteps are not just audible but you get a real texture and depth to the actual shoe making contact with the ground and lifting off -- very real sounding and cool. They sound fantastic and are worth the $500, will it give you a competitive edge? Unlikely, as most pros are using IEM or $80 HyperX headsets and still perform at top levels so keep this in mind. Will you ENJOY sound more? Yes, 100% definitely. Tl;dr if you want a 8/10 music experience and a 9/10 gaming experience (10/10 competitive experience) go with ANPW. They will fill the role for most people and are definitely worth around $300 on sale. You will have to dig into the nuances of the other headsets as things are not always a direct upgrade in every area even when you pay more. This annoys me, personally. I will be keeping the XS over the others but it's not by as large of a margin as you may think. Compared to lesser headsets like HS80 every other headset I've listed here makes them sound like trash in both music AND gaming.

Wow...Really liked this review. When you talked about these headphones it did not just sound like audiophile word salad like most reviewers. Even though I enjoy other reviewers videos I think the vocabulary sometimes just goes way out of left field and makes 0 sense to anyone but the reviewer, if even them. I have the Sundara and its been my goto for a year or 2 now and now with the Edition XS on sale for 379 I am thinking of picking them up. Been watching reviews to see if the upgrade was worth it, this video finally has me pulling the trigger. Thanks again for the great content.

Nice review mate. THere's not much poetry involved with you describing the sound which i prefer. ^^ Subbed!

A tip for those who might experience "hot spots" while wearing these, are Dekoni Nuggets.. they are small leather-bound blocks that are squishy and pretty small which helps alleviate the hot spotting that might occur.. I can wear them for hours with no discomfort. Definitely my daily drivers.

Nice review. Although I came late to the party, I have one recommendation you probably wouldn't expect. I've tried these planars with different DACs and amplifiers, but my favorite by far is the Cayin RU6, a marvelous R2R dongle, for my taste, it just fits perfectly with the Edition XS.

They are insane, I have them with Topping DX3 Pro plus and I would say they are well worth it. Got em on b-stock clearance too. No issues.

Excellent review! Good job. Can you please do a quick comparison between the XS and the Meze 109 pro? Technical performance (soundstage, imaging, resolution) and tonality (bass, treble

Hello! And merry Christmas @GadgetryTech Would like to ask if this is really close to the arya organic? I saw the measurements and they are damn similar with a few changes on the treble. Hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks for the in depth review. Is the Hip Dac 2 a good dac amp for these?

Great review! I have Senn HD650 and Beyer 990 250 ohm run off a Fiio K13 dongle on desktop mode. Fiio barely powers them on hard to drive tracks. Will the XS be easier or harder to drive?

I just purchased a schiit stack. Magnius/Lokius/Modius and have been looking for a new set of cans. Hard to decide even with great in-depth reviews like this... Thanks Currently I have a modded pair of m1060c's that I open backed and a pair of DT 1770 pro stock.

Great review. I have a joutenhrim 2 and want to use the XLR input since my system is all balanced. What aftermarket reasonable cable would you recommend?

Thank you!

Excellent review, Joe - I really appreciate how you review. Of all the headphones I’ve had the pleasure experiencing my biggest love is still the VZR Model One; they just do everything right with the music I’m mostly in to, which is abstract electronic music with a lot going on. I haven’t heard/auditioned the XS. But I am curious: How does the XS compare to the VZR in imaging, layering, and soundstage both lateral and vertical, width and depth? Cheers man!

You're doing a great job, thank you, I have problem with the proper EQ setting for CoD 2 (footsteps etc....) could you please post the EQ settings for Hifiman XS ?

I have been using the edition x for gaming story mode it’s just takes everything way beyond for such big drivers

I watched this *after* i ordered my XS's but awesome review thank you. I got a Fiio k7 coming. I'm leaving a set of Fidelio 2xhrs so I'm excited. I've got like 5 pairs of sub $350 headphones... hopefully this saves me from those

Thank you was waiting on this one! Best Dax/Amp for Xbox Series X & PC? Is it even possible? Will there be a Sonar tune video for this? I continue to share your channel with all my gaming and audio friends. Great content much appreciated!

My first pair of planars got them recently for 250$ off market place bought a upgrade xlr balance cable to pair with schiits Midgard and modius E it the sound is just amazing gaming and music

I just ordered an Edition XS refurbished from Hifiman for $279 with their full warranty. I've had an a30pro and an su-9 for my source. I also already have a balanced cable for my Focal Elegias so I'm pretty sure I can just plug and play

Another great review! Should I give up on finding a dac/amp that can hook up in between my headphones and my (low headphone jack powered) a/v receiver? There's no pre-amp outs on the receiver. there's a USB (for power only) Does anything I'm looking for exist since I do all my music/game listening off of my a/v receiver but I need more power for my 300ohm headphones, and apparently, my planar Sundara's at only 37ohms.

Question: would an audio interface like my Audient Id4 have good enough preamps to drive a headphone like this, or would you still get a decent standalone preamp to power this headphone in order to get the most out of it? I’m trying to look into a good pair without having to buy anything extra in the process.

Splendid review with plenty of detail. How would you compare them objectively and subjectively to the 109 Pro?

Are these actually good for competitive gaming (imaging and detail and the like) ? I love Hifimans style but have yet to hear one that excels in gaming which is my primary use case.

upgraded from the porta pro, paired with zen air dac, best bang for bucks for sure.

As a man with smallish head, I might look into thickening the headband to get the earpieces up a little

Will there be good synergy when pairing the XS with the Fiio K7?

Hi , thank you so much for the video. I have understand that it could be a wonderful gaming headphones. Can I use it one my ps5 , should I add a dac ? Is it very confortable ? Sorry for my poor English I.m French

Edition xs is peak vfm headphone. Probably the best all-rounder cans under 1000 dollars.

Would you choose these or the vzr model one.

The all new Yamaha YH-5000SE Headphones are coming out in a few months that will be a game-changer

Thoughts on these for FPS games over the HD560s?

Would you say that the sound quality of the Audeze Mawell is in par with the XS. Im an XS owner and I am patiently waiting for my Maxwell to arrive.

Have you reviewed the Monolith 1570 planar HPs..I just ordered them for $600..I’m going to order the XSs and do a comparison…I have the Magne Modi stack …two thumbs up

I'm planning on driving these with a 3d gen Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, would that be enough to make them shine while I don't buy a dedicated amp? Thanks!

Did yours come with owner's manual?

you say use a amp and not plug it in. I have a PC for gaming but i do have a propher soundcard. (BlasterX AE-5 Plus) This can run up to 600ohm it says. So driving it won't be a problem i think. Will this also be oke? Or do i really need the amp/dac?

Great review…. What size hat do you wear?

Will a Fiio M11 ESS audio player will be able to power it , to its fullest??

I knew I liked you. You like listening to Tool . Great review my friend

how are these with tube amps? i generally don't like planars with tubes..

do you use dolby atmos with it or is stereo enough for games?

I own the edition XS and the 660s V1 and 80% of the time prefer the XS, great headphones... looking for a better amp now (ifi zen dac v1) isn't enough... any suggestions for an amp under 350 or a stack7combo under 500...

Make sure you use the XLR input with the EF400 and the Edition XS.

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on the HifiMan Ananda. If you’ve tried it.

LMAO CoD .. At least I'm not the only crazy person using this headphone for playing games. I'm just up in the air about which DAC Amp combo to use for gaming. My old EPOS GSX 1000 not the new one is pretty damn good for just that, but it lacks the power so I'm thinking about adding an amp or just using the Dolby Access on some other combo. I'm thinking about the xDuoo TA-10R Tube DAC/Amp because it looks sweet and many people think it's good enough. Being real most DAC and or combos being real sound basically the same. Coloring your music from flat can be done in a EQ.

I like the Edition XS for almost every parts except for the headband. It is way too large that the headphone would not fit perfectly even on the lowest setting for most people. And for me personally it does create a hotspot on the centre of the head which I end up putting a few Dekoni Nugget to make it wearable (and it also help adjusting the position of the headphone). The weight is leaning on the heavy side, but the low clamp force such that it rest on your head instead of clamping to your head does make the Edition XS considerably more comfortable than what it weight would suggest. For the sound quality of the Edition XS is priced very aggressively, however I do recommend finding a demo unit before buying because of all the comfort issues it had.

Hi I wanted to ask if my FiiO k3 would be good for this

Will my Fiio K7 be enough to power these? I have the HD 600 and want more sub bass and soundstage. Looking at this. I find the lower mids of the HD600 a little shouty at times as well.

If I get the XS paired with a Topping DX3 Pro+ (for convenience) and I've never heard a planar (the best I have heard is the HD560S with an ES100,) will I finally get a taste of what real audiophile hifi is? I never use my HD560S, I can't stand how harsh it sounds and it never made me want to keep listening to music and discover new songs. My fear is I'll be throwing money at a problem that might be me fundamentally misunderstanding what headphones can do. Any insight would be greatly appreciated from anyone willing to help.

I Would love to see you review the hifiman ananda stealth magnet version i wish the hifiman arya stealth magnet version and the HE 1000SE had the edition xs Headband I plan to order the dekoni sheepskin for my hifiman edition-xs with a Magni Heretic sliver version with the ifi uno and use the dac inside it as little combo or the xDuoo MU-601 or xDuoo MU-605 and the earpads That touches your face are made of REPREVE a Material Made from high quality fibers from recycled materials including plastic bottles

This or focal elegia?

@GadgetryTech - HiFiMan Edition XS vs VZR Model One (powered by Go XLR) for Gaming? (Competitive and casual both, also playing on XBOX series X and PC) like apex legends or war zone and games like Destiny 2.

These would be the perfect pair of headphones for me but the quality control is putting me off. So many people on reddit experiencing the same issues with buzzing and and loose wires from within the drivers

Can Fiio M11S digital audio player drive these headphones easily?

would the iFi ZEN DAC V2 work with with balanced wire?

finally someone that kinda understand the difference between NEED a amp and WANT a amp !!! The edition XS works just completely fine with laptop, iphone dongle dac or even a ps5 controller and can get LOUD ENOUGH, yes even with 92db sensitivity. Most of the audiophile people are kinda over 50 with hearing loss so they say they NEED a amp but they are talking subjectively. Even some younger people listen to way loud music and damaged their hearing a little bit without even knowing, saying subjectively you HAVE TO use a amp. objectively the edition XS works just fine without a amp and an amplification only makes them sound LOUDER, its a comon audiophile mythos that with a amp something sound "better" but in fact, it only sounds louder. If you want to damage your hearing even more to get even more hearing loss, yeah buy a amp and cranc it full up so the edition xs sound "better", maybe sprincle some salt on them too, the salt makes them sound "better", trust me

Great review, but you may re-think your lights setup. Your right eye looks like someone would beat you up :)

I wish he would wear them with sound at moderate level and use mic to let us hear how much sound leaks out.

Would be nice if Hifiman got into producing gaming headsets.

what is soundstage?

whats about a DAP like Sony WM1A Enough power? thanks

18:37, hold on a second, Bit of a noob here. Won't modmics which magnetically connect to the base fuck with Planar magnetic drivers in the headphones?

Good review. I tried the Edition XS, Ananda and Arya Stealth. I personally liked the Ananda better than the XS but honestly for the price the XS is fantastic (I just hate the headband). The Arya Stealth is better than Ananda and XS but also considerably more expansive.

Is ifi zen dac v2 enough to power the headphones or I would really need to add the ifi can?

Wondering why you didn’t compare it further to the Ananda? It’s $200 more. Heard it sounds pretty much the same, with one big advantage that it runs off of anything. Looking forward to the Meze 109 Pro. I’m actually torn between getting an Edition XS, Ananda, SV023 or Meze 109 Pro

What producing / mixing / mastering headphones can I get that are accurate, detailed but with hard hitting, punch, slam, kick with flat extended bass? I almost exclusively make and listen to underground techno and house music. I don’t want a boring headphone that saps the fun and excitement out of this kind of punchy, hard hitting, sub heavy music. Focal clear mg pro seem to tick the boxes but they’re very expensive.

I just got xs edition for ps5.with 3d audio tempest turned on they sound dull, not very detailed.cant think whats go in on, as I am using ifi zen dac v2 amp.any thoughts please.

That's a huge desk.

Ayra Edition xs Others Am i right?

I'm still lost with this XS and Ananda, still can't decide which to buy. lol

I've used the Ananda and now currently own the Sundara. I found the Ananda to be better in the technical areas but found the tuning to be worse than the Sundara. I heard the XS is even worse than the Ananda, not sure if that's true. I prefer to have a more neutral tuning and the Sundara does that pretty well, so I can sacrifice detail/soundstage/comfort for that. The highs on the Ananda were too much for me. Sundara tames that. Haven't tried the XS.

Now that my pair are on the way, Hifiman is selling refurbed XS for $280. I rolled the dice and am betting on their warranty.

You should try listening to Kid A from Radiohead, that album sounds fantastic on these.

I just received my series XS. The sound is fantastic but I can’t get over people that are around me can clearly hear what I’m listening too and I can hear all outside sounds as well. Strongly dislike it! Anyone have a recommendation for headphone that doesn’t do this?

Fit Shaq !

Hi... pls suggest which portable dac is best suited for this edition xs headphone

This or the DT 900 Pro X?

anyone tried this with a chord mojo?

Can you tell how the Edition XS compares to Edifier STAX SPIRIT S3 ? Is it a massive improvement ?

my left cup on my 400i broke. i was going to buy the XS but after my 400i braking I bought the DT 1990 instead and i dont regret it.

Now it's 370 dollars 😊

I hear so many good things about the sound quality of these caps, but at the same time so many bad things about the build quality and poor customer service of hifiman, that I haven’t pulled the trigger on any of their products

I love these headphones, wow what a discovery. £500 doesn't seem expensive for these sublime excellent headphones.

I tried out the focal stellia yesterday. 3 thousand bucks lol yeah this is cheap.

So it’s like wearing Magnapans on your head?

oh i have 256ohm phones, where is the data? guess i have to check hp

And now they're only $380! Very tempting.

So much push from hifiman 😂

They haven't solved shit. The UI is still horrid. Good video,

Amazing,the down vote dos'nt work

These headphones suck. I have them in for audition. The HD600 and 1990 walk all over it.