HiFiMan Eddition XS headband mod failure

[@pursh5274]

Just buy Hifiman Ananda with Stealth magnets and enjoy. Same magnets like in XS and better sound overall.

[@CustomCans]

Yes a few people have told me to do that. I may get some in on our next batch

[@PimpmasterMcGooby]

Fairly debatable, a lot of people seem to prefer the Edition XS to the Stealth Ananda. In China the Ananda is actually the cheaper model, suggesting that it may not have been intended to be the higher-end product. The headband design is definitely superior though.

[@leegill2427]

Those Oakley's are worth a bob or two now...I do enjoy these vids, showing us the process of R&D on modding headphones, it's nice to see the failures, because that's real life, thank you for sharing it with us.

[@CustomCans]

Glad you enjoyed it ;)

[@sauhamm3821]

i have those same oakley's ... bought them 25+ years ago and told myself to never sell them... wish i still had the box! mine are in perfect shape cause i bet i've worn them 10 times in the entire time i've owned them :) cheers from a fellow alien.

[@CustomCans]

As you have probably found - they are awesome but there are very few instances where you can ware them in public without scaring people ;)

[@replacement6386]

I haven't seen those glasses in a minute! Oakley certainly made a great and interesting pair of shades there lol

[@CustomCans]

Yes... I purchased these when they 1st came out and could never let them go... They are mad. Not very comfortable and if you take the off wrong they try to scoop out your eyes but they get you noticed every where you go 😎

[@eddtru]

Can't wait to see what you come up with eventually. I love the EXS but I despise the fit, that headband is just the worst. I have a modded suspension strap, it still feels terrible but it doesn't hurt my head.

[@CustomCans]

We have quite a big queue of other things at the moment so I probably won't get round to it for a few months

[@hernanaqp25]

@@CustomCans Hi, maybe with the other headband he-400i :)

[@petergollnow1249]

Too bad you had all those difficulties. What I discovered was that a 6mm 12 point socket happens to fit on those pesky little screws and offers considerable precision for removal and installation!! I didn't have the problem with the brass inserts turning on the inside..my observation though is that those attachment points, with the fiddly little plastic washers, are perhaps the only weak point in the XS construction. Overall, great headphones for the money! I'm glad they spent more time refining the sound and perhaps sacrificing a little quality on the headband design!!

[@CustomCans]

Thanks for the tip, I will give one of those a go next time

[@final3119]

1/4 mm wrench is the perfect size to grab on and turn, too.

[@calvinshing-bl1zc]

Because of your previous video mentioned about to swap the headband, i have the same idea. Then i bought a ananda headband, but i failed to twist the screw. I mailed headphone to the hifiman factory, after consulting customer service, they told me they had customized screwdrivers to twist damn rare screw.

[@CustomCans]

I will have to see if I can bribe them into sending me one

[@sulgrave_]

"Wuddup peeps! And, uhh..." Oh, past Jason, my sweet summer child...

[@CustomCans]

Past Jason was much more up beat before the attempt 😂

[@joshw.2739]

Those are those goggles the angry kid in Spy Kids 3-D wore.

[@CustomCans]

It is true... I was that Kid :) I have chilled out and become more British since then

[@bryanwmills]

thanks for the vid, my search for a better headband for the Edition XS just ended thanks to you (well past you) wait...(future you?) i'm so confused. point is...there will be no modding from me on my new headphones. gonna just stick to the geekria thing i got on amazon. excellent video!

[@CustomCans]

We did come up with this in the end kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHfFqpRjeLWBq5o

[@bryanwmills]

@@CustomCans oh excellent. I just finished watching, great work! I'll be putting in a order next month (when i get paid)

[@user-mm5yb4ik5d]

I purchased Dekoni Audio Nuggets for my XS they fit perfect now / utilizing 2 of them just stick them on 😊

[@CustomCans]

That is a good idea

[@hernanaqp25]

on the top?, or on the sides (on the temple)

[@Bushviking]

I greatly enjoyed watching you "fail". Although I feel you will make them excellent given some time & thought. As a happy XS owner I can recommend a soft "sleeve" for the headband. It doesnt look very good but is extremely comfy. These are my most comfortable headphones now. Cheers!

[@CustomCans]

Thanks ;)

[@pierreg8562]

which one? which size?

[@marcp.1752]

Your outfit (with those cool Oakleys) looks like a mad professor, which could be working onto a super secret project inside Half-Life, Jason. :o)

[@CustomCans]

Oh man..... I used to love half life. I may have to give it another play through some time

[@marcp.1752]

@@CustomCans Me too, the original one, 1998...spent endless hours there with Gordon Freeman...

[@Think-Tank_Denkfabrik]

I would recommend "The Newly Enhanced Comfort Headband for HE400i" for $75.00 from HifiMan official store. I use it on the HE6se V2. Fits great, is cheaper, and conforms in angle like the Arya.

[@CustomCans]

Yes I have one of those as well. I think the pick up points on the XS are different so it does not fit unfortunately

[@Tutku35]

great pair of headphones but after headband is horrendously uncomfortable for mid-long sessions.

[@1000dreams]

Ahh pity it didn't work! The imposter Sundara headband I got from AliExpress fit my HE400SE's so well (after modding the holes so the stock pegs fit the holes), I was hoping this would be another success. Video was still entertaining to watch though!

[@CustomCans]

Yeah, it would fit the he400 nicely

[@Hakku1403]

the heaphone king👑is on fire again 🔥.good job. Thank you very much, Sir

[@CustomCans]

Thanks ;)

[@marcinkoscielny1481]

You climbed the fence only to see that the gate is open. Loving the videos. BTW Did you watch the announcement videofrom Sennheiser? They're doing technical Q&A.

[@CustomCans]

No - I will have to check that out

[@challenja]

Saved me the trouble. Thank you

[@CustomCans]

Glad it saved someone else from trying it ;)

[@PastafarianLemur]

What modded headphone do you have around your neck at the beginning of the video?

[@CustomCans]

They are a test pair to try out new design ideas. We have started designing a couple of pairs from scratch but still only at the very early design phase

[@LyK0sa]

had you considered maybe going for a full custom headband? the headband itself could just be a straightforward bent piece of spring steel, or AKG/DCA style twin rods. I'd have thought the simplest solution would be to make a 3d printed part to attach the original yokes that allows for some cup swivel, and just ditch the height adjustment entirely (you could even trim off the excess to keep things looking sleeker and tidier). for the height adjustment you could go for either an AKG style self adjusting elasticated headband, or maybe the sliding design used on DCA headphones. I think this could look quite nice if done well.

[@CustomCans]

Good idea i will have a play

[@LyK0sa]

@@CustomCans it'd be pretty awesome if you could figure something out. Also worth remembering that this would be applicable to everything that uses that awful headband, including the much loved HE6se V2! I think a DIY kit could probably sell pretty damn well if it looks the part. with the yoke attachment method I'm picturing in my head, all you'd really need is a drill, screwdriver, and either a hacksaw or dremel if you end up trimming off the excess length. So it should be a relatively simple installation for anyone with basic tools, and definitely a lot less involved and risky than the process to fit an old style HE400 suspension headband to the HE6.

[@truckerallikatuk]

If this also fit the he400se I'd buy one. I don't like the default headband.

[@Think-Tank_Denkfabrik]

A full custom headband for HifiMan would be a burner! I hate the new awful headband, I also changed this on my HE6se V2

[@LyK0sa]

Oh! By the way, what is future Jason wearing around his neck? Some new prototype? Or is it something you've already shown off?

[@rhalfik]

Looks like a pair of front baffles attached to their headband without the cups.

[@CustomCans]

We are designing a couple of pairs of headphones at the moment and those are an early test mule to figure out how to get big sound stage. Still a long way off but the plan is .... No wrong answers, try lots of ideas and learn as we go along.

[@surreptitiousscreamer]

hahaha, please don't ever change

[@CustomCans]

Never grow up.... it's a trap

[@zerotwo_.002]

Hifiman edition xs sound/comfort mod next eh.

[@CustomCans]

Yes eventually.. I have to complete a few other projects to make a bit of money first

[@ParallaTron]

I tried this mod and after a day went back to stock - it squashed my head badly. I think you need to try with a replacement for a complete headband with yokes from Ananda Nano.

[@CustomCans]

Yes, I went back to stock as the cups don't swivel enough on the sundara headband. I ended up designing a mod for the stock headband which has been pretty popular

[@frederf69]

got to get a pair of those shades ✌😎👍

[@CustomCans]

They are rare as rocking horse poop these days

[@frederf69]

@@CustomCans 🤣 be great to get some glasses/ sunglasses i can wear with me cans 🤷‍♂ ✌😎👍

[@SteveHuffer]

I absolutely don't know what I'm talking about, but since the XS is a huge set (my head is very large and I have them on the smallest setting), is there a possibility that a 3rd party headstrap could be attached as-is?

[@CustomCans]

Yes -that is a much better idea ;) I will have a go at making one of those soon

[@ihave7sacks]

There is never learning without first failing.

[@CustomCans]

That is often the case. At least these still work. We have killed a few headphones while learning.. I think I got through 3pairs of HE400se while designing mods

[@ihave7sacks]

@@CustomCans Ouch, Is the 400SE V2 even worth buying if I have the Edition XS?

[@CustomCans]

@@ihave7sacks probably not.. The XS is a step up from the HE400se

[@PimpmasterMcGooby]

Very unfortunate that it's so difficult. My Edition XS creaks tremendously from the swivel points, especially bad when I am chewing while wearing them.

[@CustomCans]

I am sure I will eventually come up with something for them but I am pretty booked up with other things for the next month or so

[@PimpmasterMcGooby]

@@CustomCans Oh no worries, I can probably just lube the swivel points to alleviate the problem, just gotta be careful not to get any lube on the drivers.

[@petergollnow1249]

That creaking I discovered comes from poor alignment of the metal bands in relation to the mounting points with the small screws. By removing the small screws, using a 6mm 12 point socket, you can then carefully adjust the angles of the metal bands by judicious bending and eliminate binding under the little screws and their associated small plastic washers. A fiddly job, but the problem can be completely fixed!!

[@rhalfik]

Are you not going to talk about the contraption on your neck?

[@CustomCans]

They are a test mule for headphone design ideas. They are modular to help us try out ideas.

[@zGunBLADEz]

I was trying to do that on my 400se with an aftermarket but its not an screw looks like a pin or some sort any ideas?

[@CavalierLiberty]

Where did you find the Oakleys?!

[@CustomCans]

I purchased them back in the day when they 1st came out

[@amphawanswinnen1919]

Just buy the anandas and do a padswap

[@CustomCans]

I will let past Jason know ;)

[@amphawanswinnen1919]

​@@CustomCans dekoni pads great and xinhs cables

[@iamwoteveriwanttobe]

Enjoy watching you fail you say? I always say it's about the journey not the destination. My wife doesn't agree with me though.

[@CustomCans]

Lol.. Yes, i often learn the most from failing initially then finding a solution

[@final3119]

A 1/4MM wrench will turn those little bald screws perfectly.

[@CustomCans]

I will have to bust out the socket set next time I try