I know itās not going to have a similar sound signature, but a good compliment that you could get for that price, and still be fatigue-free would the Focal Elegia. That can often be found on Adorama for, I think, $399? Someone can correct me if Iāve got that price wrong. But they run it dirt cheap a lot.
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The Smsl sh-9 is not balanced. The XLR connector is just there for convenience (and to fool people). You wonāt get any extra power from it.
After ASR measurements Smslās power rating with 3W at 32 Ohm seem to be wrong too. It only measured with 1.7W. Still he says it drives his Ether CX well. (23 Ohm, 92dB)
Yeah I understand that, but Iāve already bought into it.
I expect that at least itāll be fed 4 volts from the Tone2Pro balanced to offer some advantage at least.
Also, I understand it should have enough juice overall for this. Otherwise I still have my emotiva bas-x A-100 for infinite single ended juice.
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I donāt have the XS (yetā¦) but Iāll say the dan clark closed backs sound like open backs and people that have compared the DT1770 to the 177xGO say the go is a bit more relaxed in the treble
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How do you feel the XS compare to the 1990pro in imaging, detail, soundstage, bass, mids, and vocals?
Sorry for the difficult question
My XS arrived. Iāll post a detailed breakdown in a little while, but I think it would be useful for you to look at some videos comparing the DT1990 and Sundara as a starter. From my brief time with both, the XS has better bass extension and various improvements/differences in soundstage compared to the Sundara, but when put alongside the DT1990 the Sundara and XS are more similar than different. Many arguments for DT1990 vs XS are going to mirror DT1990 vs Sundara.
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I can use the DT1770 rolled (modded hybrid pads) as is the Elegia rolled (Dekoni Stellia LE pads) and the DCA/Drop Aeon flow X closed for the day. As to extended wearing, all great for comfort though the Beyer and Focal depending on the person could find fatiguing (bass and they can be aggressive etc).
All good cans with differences (also Planar Vs Dynamic), most of my canās are open but these are my choice of closed cans.
The Aeonās are one of the most comfortable headphones for me along with the XS, The Elegiaās not far behind but I find them all comfy and enjoyable for long periods. Biggest issue for long periods closed backs can be a bit warm etc if itās warm/hot weatherā¦
Yeppers, I have em and listening to them todayā¦ Damn my pet parrot can get loud/noisy lol, TG for closed back cansā¦
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Thank you for the brief breakdown. Looking forward to your deeper thoughts on the XS.
While Iām putting the comparison together - whatās your use case? Preferred genres of music? Gaming? Any considerations for use in music production or travel?
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Anybody using Arya V2 that also tried out the XS? Thinking of grabbing a pair
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Iām using them for gaming, music, and Iād like for them to work well off a portable dac too, but thatās not the most important thing. I listen to music ranging all over the place. Pop, rap, hip hop, rock, indie, r&b, reggaetĆ³n, Spanish music of the same and more varieties. Thanks for the question.
I actually have the 1990 coming in soon, my friend had a pair and they blew me away, but Iāve never heard any other HiFi headphones so thatās why Iām so curious about these because in the price range I donāt see any other headset competing. If I donāt end up loving the 1990 after some testing Iāll return them and get these if they turn out to be significantly better.
If I had the budget Iād say screw it and buy Aryas. All my research and reading has led me to believe those are what Iām looking for.
Get the Arya and call it a day. 
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For @TheBlueBlurb
DT1990 Pro vs Edition XS
There have been a few reviews that summarize each well individually: DT1990, Edition XS, so Iām just going to pick out a few points of difference. Since these use different driver types, this video might be good viewing for you as well.
Ergonomics:
The Edition XS has a very loose clamp depending on the size of your head. Iāve found itās fine when sitting upright, but laying back on a bed or couch the cups slide backward out of position. Iām not sure how much flex the headband will take, so Iām unsure how much this can be remedied by brute force. That said, it is comfortable to wear sitting, and the low clamp force probably helps some complaints with jaw pain that can be found in the similar Arya and Ananda headphones. Since youāve handled the 1990 I can skip describing that - I had no issues with it in any position.
Soundstage / Imaging:
The XS sound like a pair of speakers. Itās a much more open design than the DT1990, with much better definition of depth and a larger space to place sounds. The XS seems to have deeper Left/Right fields compared to foward/back - it reminds me of the AKG K7xx series. The DT1990 feels even on all sides, with perhaps a little better cohesion on forward imaging compared to the XS. The XS seems to gave better separation, giving a more ādiscreteā feeling to instruments / elements of the sound.
Presentation:
Both have good presentation of bass. The XS is more detailed but both have enough bass quantity. The bass impact is somewhat different; Iād describe it like the DT1990 feeling more āfocusedā and the XS more ādiffusedā this is probably just down to driver technology. Neither is bad.
Treble on the DT1990 is aggressive and fatiguing over long listening sessions. This is common of most Beyerdynamic headphones, part of a sound that is useful for highlighting details when mixing, or listening for footsteps when gaming. When I was using the DT1990 casually, I used third party pads or a foam disc insert to reduce the treble energy and reduce instances of sibilance. I havenāt found any issues with the treble on the XS, and Iāll leave description of the mids to the reviews at the start of this post.
Power:
The XS benefits much more from extra power. Iām running both headphones off a Schiit Jotunheim 2. As decribed by Wavetheoryās review the single-ended (TRS) out has a warmer sound compared to the balanced out (XLR). The SE out also has about 1/3 the amount of power available of the balanced out. Due the warmer character of the SE out, I preferred to use this with the DT1990 and didnāt notice any impairment compared to balanced (my pair was modded, so I could use either). While the XS sounded adequate off both outputs, I noticed more power in the low end presentation moving from SE to balanced. I think youād be doing yourself a disservice running the XS from most $100 amplifiers. Comparatively, you could run a DT1990 from an S1220 motherboard if you had to, although that still comes with a performance penalty.
Iād suggest getting a Schiit Asgard 3 or better. Wavetheory has a comparison of entry level amps that will be useful.
Overall, I think both are good headphones depending on how you tolerate treble. The Edition XS is better in a few ways, but has a higher cost of ownership due to being pickier with amplifiers. Since this is your first foray into the hobby, it might be worth looking around at cheaper stuff if your DT1990 doesnāt pan out. If youāre set on getting the XS, make sure you donāt underpower it.
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First off, can I buy you a cup of coffee? You are amazing, and I really appreciate your response. Itās exactly what Iāve been looking for.
Second, I have the Fiio K9 Pro, I think I can utilize pretty much any headphone with it, no? Iām truly new to the hobby so Iām still learning a lot. From what youāve told me I should be happy with the 1990s for now, but down the line once Iāve saved up Iāll definitely be looking at the Aryas as a true upgrade.
I bought the K9Pro due to the recent DMS and Josh video reviewing it. It seemed like a no brainer in the price range. Itās a bit uneducated but going off of strong reliable reviewers I hope it was a good decision.
If only it were that simple!
I bent the metal bits, and that helped a lot with the clamp force. It was much too loose for me stock, itās much better now. You do need to be somewhat careful, aluminium can snap particularly if you bend it back and forth. So Iād try to get it right the first time.
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K9 pro is fine for most things. Although Iād look for specific experiences before committing to purchase a lower* efficiency planar (like the XS or Arya) to pair with it.
In the time of supply chain shortages, the best amp is the one you already have.
Edit: Resolveās review briefly mentions powering the XS from the THX AAA ONE, which is another THX amp with similar power ratings to the K9 Pro, so it might be ok.
*Low efficiency planar is kind of a relative term when the HE-6 exists, but youāve got people up-thread running the XS off speaker amps, so I think itās close enough.
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Another review there
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Did somebody compare these with the Aeon RT Closed? I love those headphones and was looking for an open planar around the 500 bucks mark
Chain : Denafrips Ares II + Singxser SA 1
I have the Aeon RTC as the XS. For me they compliment each other very well.
This is a very high level comparison.
The XS has bigger soundstage, more detail and deeper sub bass.
The Aeon RTC has more mid bass and a fuller mid range.
Both are great. Just get it 
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