HIFIMAN Edition XS: No Brainer at $500?

The HIFIMAN Edition XS is a pretty fantastic headphone at $500. In this review, I share my thoughts and opinions on why.
For detailed specs, read BongoBilai's review here: www.head-fi.or...
Buy the Edition XS: store.hifiman....
Audiophile Style Articles: audiophilestyl...
HeadFi Discussion thead: www.head-fi.or...
#hifiman #editionxs #review #sajidamit

[@darindotson2874]

I own a pair of these, and I agree with your review points. It sounds so much better with a little amplification. This will be my flagship, and I've never heard any of the other top-dollar gear, so I'm completely satisfied! Great purchase!!

[@ohnonate]

Does classical orchestral music sound great on these?

[@peaceandquiet]

can fiio m11s digital audio player drive this headphones easily?

[@Juan_Pablo21]

@@peaceandquietI just bought this headphone with a Atom 2 Stack and I first tired with out the stack and the volume was barely any Loud so you do need a amp. I was able to use the low gain at max and at high gain it’s pretty loud I would leave the knob between 50%-70% to get my loudness preference

[@Bushviking]

As an owner of both the XS and the HD600 I agree 100% with your review. Excelllent, thank you.

[@roviccastillo9087]

Hello I wanted to ask you which one of the 2 would you think is better for music production, mixing, and mastering? I've been eyeing on the HD600 for years now but haven't been able to afford it, as time pass I then wondered if there are better headphones out there than the HD600 since the narrow soundstage can be an issue and saw that the Hifiman Edition XS is quite similar in terms of neutrality and how it presents audio. Do you think I should just go for the HD600 or save up some more for the Edition XS?

[@Bushviking]

@@roviccastillo9087 I'd have to say the XS. I grab my XS when I want all the detail, separation, and wide soundstage for detailed listening. I grab my HD600 on a tube-amp when listening to jazz and vocals, late night. Intimate soundstage but man, that midrange is something else. On solid-state amp I would definitely say: edition XS. Check out the Ananda Stealth as well, some like that headband style better.

[@roviccastillo9087]

@@Bushviking thank you for your insight and recommendations, will definitely demo these out and decide from there Cheers!

[@thecompanioncube4211]

​​@@roviccastillo9087 you can look into DT1990, 600s are really good for vocals, XS is good for everything else. But DT1990, if you can consider them, consider them. They're made for professional use, where as XS are more for music enjoyment. I have DT 770, and those feel like I can throw out of third story window and they'll still survive. But my XS are little flimsy in comparison, not bad but not very robust construction

[@towsifshahriarshovo]

Great comparison at the end, great review ❤️. Interested to see new hifiman Ananda steath with xs.

[@srgmatrix6970]

After watching Dank Pods for a while, I really wanted to get my first pair of audiophile headphones, and after finding the competitors, Meze 99, HD600, Sundara and HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite I randomly saw the HiFiMan Edition XS at a reasonable price slightly above my budget. Seeing that people generally appreciate it's bass for open backs and also prefering a bit more bass myself, I became really interested and eventually bought them. I also bought the DX3 Topping DAC to make sure I can use them well, but I was surprised to notice that, with my laptop at least, I cannot notice any difference with and without the DAC. Long story short, I simply adore them and they fit my needs perfectly; heavy metal, jazz, vocal focused songs and practically any game I play, anything works with them exemplarily.

[@jissanhuq3792]

Bro you are the human sounding reviewer. Lol kudos. Im a very technical person but don’t know a lot of sound based terms and i really appreciate your way of describing and reviewing

[@GlitzPixie]

literally just started seriously considering getting these, couldn't have come at a more perfect time

[@TheMaurob1979]

I had the sundara but i want woder stage and bigger drivers..tomorrow i ll get the xs and i ll let you know how scale against sundara

[@GlitzPixie]

@@TheMaurob1979 I didn't like them tbh

[@GlitzPixie]

@@TheMaurob1979 but my head is small so the fit was pretty awful

[@pushyoch.8252]

Thanks for the review. I got this for a while and the treble peak bugs me here and there. Now I know what to turn down

[@jaroslavfricek7772]

Great review...❗️👌

[@davidcoons89]

I so enjoy your reviews buddy!

[@diana73654]

thank you for a great review 🤗

[@hdsarma]

Please review the he1000 v2 currently it has hit rock bottom prices @ $1999 on Amazon (US), a comparsion with the Arya Stealth will be great too🙂

[@TheMaurob1979]

few weeks ago just for curiosity i bought a hd 650 ( my dac amp is a fiio k9.). good details but the mids were so recess to my ears,(retuned)...the 58x jubilee were much better on that regard...i have also owned the sundara(sold it).. nice headphones .. my last purchase was the hd 400se( im gonna keep those ones) and next i ll go for the edition xs becouse curious for the sound of the egg shape hifiman..about the arya muahh.. i guess are great but i can t stand the high enphasis frequency

[@spamcan9208]

Great video, answered some questions about its performance for me. I don't have much experience other than the HD560S and I don't listen to it much because I don't like how it sounds so harsh. On busy tracks it's hard to pick out and follow along with instruments but I don't know if that's a shortcoming with dynamic drivers, the HD560S, or that I'm not using desktop dac/amp for it. Unfortunately I don't know what's possible because I've never heard better equipment so I'm not sure if I even have realistic expectations.

[@Marian1st.]

My 2 best headphones / earphones are HD660S2 and iSine20 (iOS version). Is Edition XS an upgrade to what I have? I prefer iSine20 over HD660S2, but I don’t love those either as I find the bass too sharp without eq. I like the bass to linger a bit more. They’re also not comfortable and I need to keep around an iPhone X in order to use them. So they don’t get a lot of playtime anymore.

[@CovertOperative]

Perfornane to price ratio is high and thus, an attractive proposition. Fenale vocalists that excelled on the XS - Lady Blackbird, Amy Winehouse, Sade, Dinah Washingtun, Keisha Jackson and Dionne Farris.

[@TrueBlade-1889]

What are the measurements of the ear cup ? I have massive ears. Are they wider at the top than AKGs ? Thnx

[@ahmedshafiul3851]

Aural bliss for people with large, wide heads. Feels open, sounds open. Peak versatility under 1000 USD

[@GlitzPixie]

what about small narrow heads?

[@joshuasterling2144]

I probably have over 600 hours on mine and I use them for everything. TV, Movies, KZbin and of course Tidal. One thing I noticed is that I listen to dialogue at a much lower volume now. Between the speed and maybe that 8k peak he mentioned I just feel like I don't need the extra volume. All my systems are tied together so I can switch between my listening headphone station, my monitors and my main system all in the same room.

[@ahmedshafiul3851]

@@GlitzPixie will not seal, will not clamp = shrill sound with zero bass

[@ahmedshafiul3851]

@@joshuasterling2144 I like my 650 a bit more because of the much superior timbre. But XS is technically far more proficient and pretty great sounding for a planar. I use mine mainly for movies/ games and very often for music.

[@GlitzPixie]

@@ahmedshafiul3851 damn... might still try them out but that puts me off. I have such a hard time with Beyers for example bc the headband takes a lot of bending to apply pressure anywhere near correctly

[@zibikonti8901]

Excellent review - thx! Any comments on pairing it with a RME ADI-2 FS DAC / HP AMP?

[@ptshotsun]

I have the xm3,momentum 3+4, and most recently got the 58x which I plug into a reciever and wow what a difference that makes! I know we always want more/better things.I mainly listen to edm and hip hop. If the XS is my end game headphone is that the best you can reccomemd for $500? Id appreciate the feedback. Also if you can compare 58x to XS please let me know the differences. Thank You

[@lx6381]

i have it and i got it for 340€ on an amazon "thunder" deal. thinking of returning it.. sound is impressive, but not comfortable enough to be used as daily driver. also creaking when doing head movements. i react very sensitive to that... too heavy, too lose. idk. but the performance in music and gaming is just superb. either i keep this or the senn hd 600. i thought about keeping both and switching around (edition xs for having fun, senn for chilling). but not sure if i want to spend that much money..

[@nmatheis]

Curious if you've heard the first two Edition X. If so, any thoughts on how XS compares with them? I was able to audition the original vs v2 back in the day and preferred the original for the smoother upper end which let the bass shine through a bit better. And I really wish hifiman such with the original strap instead of a headband. I find the strap to be much more comfortable vs a traditional headband.

[@nirajktm]

Hi Sajid, how would you rate these against Focal Clear OG, you have said that you love the Clears, it's my favourite too.. I'm planning to get a planar, open back like the XS, or closed back like the Massdrop Dan Clark X. Thank you

[@jfleysh]

After watching this review and your Celestee review, do you think the Celestee could be a good step up from the xs? I know it’s closed vs open but I don’t really care and just want your honest subjective opinion if possible.

[@EnsoReloaded]

How does XS compare to Sundara regarding warmth and punch/slam?

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Much better in those areas than a Sundara

[@EnsoReloaded]

@@amplifyaudioreviews Thank you! That's very helpful!

[@chrispapa6700]

If you have one pair would you choose the xs or the 650? Paired with a k7. Thank you in advance.

[@christopherj8766]

Great vid and breakdown, do you think something like the ifi hip dac v2 can drive these well? or would you suggest a desktop amp for them?

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

May sound a big congested on the hip dac

[@RynoComesAlive]

I have bought hipidac 2 and I pair it with my studio krk kns6400 18ohm and it works even without power match so yea it will drive XS. I've ordered XS 20days ago still waiting and very excited about it, cuz ifi sounds so open and i LOVE the extra bass function great feature.. If i like it so much i will probably go for ifi hipdac v2 signature for desktop use

[@b3asle551]

I enjoy my Sundara's - can't decide if I should upgrade to the XS or Ananda. Any advice?

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

XS!

[@ChrisKeyman]

Hello, did you decide?

[@martinsoo6332]

Low level listening Is fine with this. Once you feel like adding volume for more punch, it will follow with harshness and aggressiveness up top unfortunately.

[@HobbyTalk]

I need help with speakers... but thanks as always for the video!

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Feel free to message me on HeadFi for a conversation. My handle is my name.

[@konna200]

Good review and now i really want these so goodbuy my 550€.

[@pslsaravanan1338]

Hi sir..very nice review. Can pls let me know whether Fiio M11 plus ESS can drive it well or suggest me any other portable DAP ..

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Should be great

[@pslsaravanan1338]

Thx for the quick response sir. Very nice of you.

[@jmilesfox]

I own the XS and really like the sound. Is the Arya SE a major upgrade?

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

It is a clear upgrade I would say but at the expense of a bit of treble brigthness

[@jmilesfox]

@@amplifyaudioreviews Thanks for the response! I’ll give it a shot.

[@rustamken4350]

@@amplifyaudioreviews hi, can I correct it in EQ to have same sound on Edition XS?

[@bradhuskers]

Is there a dac amp dongle on the market today, that's sufficient to drive my edition xs headphones?

[@RynoComesAlive]

Depends if you want bluetooth or not, try ifi go blue (bt) or hipi dac2 (not bluetooth)

[@ishanparikh5587]

I can drive em off the apple dongle, just not quite to louder volumes and without distortion. Sort of like painting on a canvas with cheap paints vs something expensive to me lol

[@bradhuskers]

@@ishanparikh5587 What about using the hip dac 2?

[@adaboy4z]

I own HE400se and HD6XX should I upgrade to these for better sound?

[@Ottis88]

Hello!!! The dust cover on the left driver of my Edition XS is somehow too loose and therefore always tickles the ear a little when playing bass. Is there any way to fix this? Or can I also remove the dust cover? It's my second Edition XS now - I sent the first one back because of exactly the same problem

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Wow. That's super unlucky. Send this in as well! Mine doesn't have that issue

[@ChrisKeyman]

Hello, which one is wider? Sundara, ananda or this one ?

[@erpelerley]

Hi, did you think an ifi go bar could drive this? 😊

[@DibsonAlexaBliss]

Imo edition xs the most Value for money headphone ever created

[@Aniki91PL]

Hi, a comparison with the focal clear og? :)

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Clear's a superior headphone

[@davidcoons89]

@@amplifyaudioreviews clearly 😂🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤣

[@davidcoons89]

I have the clear og and am curious if you think it’d be a worthy stablemate as far as sound goes to those. I also have LCD-XC which are just too shy in the bass region for me due to a bad seal bc of my stupidly small head. I’m hoping these being lighter may clamp enough to seal properly for accurate bass levels. Any input would be much appreciated. I’m not seeking the ultimate in any specific technicalities but want a headphone that’s still a nicely resolving set that has a pleasant tonality which is what this sounds like. My only prior hifiman experience was when I was brand new in the hobby and bought the drop he-4xx years and years ago. I do still have that set and enjoy their tuning enough (tho it’s def not perfect for my liking) but want to explore the egg-shaped hfm’s for their unique staging and imaging characteristics etc. Thanks in advance!

[@radissimo1]

I have a Clear OG, but prefer XS for some reason, it's magical for me

[@BaldyBaeby]

I hated the focal clear OG, only your brain will be the judge.

[@peaceandquiet]

Can Fiio M11S digital audio player drive these headphones easily?

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Yup

[@Robin-ky8vr]

How does this compare to the HD 560 S ? Is it a big step up or a completely different headphone?

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Yup. A big step up and a very different headphone.

[@GlitzPixie]

560S is tuned well but sounds very dry and technically unimpressive

[@megadoodoo5088]

If XS at 410$ and Ananda stealth version is at 510$, is Ananda a better buy?

[@jasonstl636]

Where did you find these prices?

[@H3m3n3x]

I saw these prices on AliExpress but I'm afraid that it's fake. Did you buy them?

[@mohammedyassermsire216]

interested in your opinion if you had the chance to listen to the sony Z1R

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Yup. Both the IEM and the HP.

[@mohammedyassermsire216]

@@amplifyaudioreviews what do you think of HP as i am thinking of getting it to complement my 800s

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

@@mohammedyassermsire216 Should be good bro

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

@@mohammedyassermsire216 Its good but misses the last bit of bass extension. Do you listen to bassy track and like subbass? Get something else then. What's your budget?

[@digitalnation2876]

VS 660s please,

[@wengezhu1]

Compared to HE6SE V2? Now Adorama is selling HE6SE V2 for $499.

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

HE6SE is a superior headphone

[@GlitzPixie]

@@amplifyaudioreviews why is it superior, and does it need a lot of power?

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

@@GlitzPixie Technically superior IMO, not a lot of power no

[@LandsPlanes]

So Sundara isnt better than Edition Xs?

[@Hakusiyah2]

Xs is sundara but with better bass

[@dunerrider]

​@@Hakusiyah2 and better soundstage, detail and much better imaging.

[@Hakusiyah2]

@@dunerrider yea

[@inderjeet3666]

I am using campfire cascade does they sound better then cascade

[@amplifyaudioreviews]

Not sure

[@nonchalantd]

!