If itās available in your country Iād try a jds labs EL stack or element AIO. These will definitely provide enough current as well as being a very linear but smooth sounding setup.
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Unfortunately JDS Labs isnāt available in Europe. Schiit has a European distribution point. As a matter of fact, I just pulled the trigger on a Schiit Stack with the Modi+ and the Heretic, the Magni+ was out of stock. Both in black.
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Should be a good stack. When you decide you want an upgrade take a look at the questyle CMA12, youāll be able to find it used under $1K.
So Iāve received a Schiit Magni+ and Heretic today. This stack certainly delivers to my Edition XS. On middle gain, the lowest is for IEMs I guess, for daily use 11 to 12 oclock is enough and thereās plenty of room left. However, when I turn on high gain and adjust to a similar volume it feels as if the imaging / details sound better than on the middle gain. Maybe itās just placebo, I donāt know.
So far, really happy!
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So I just agreed to a trade for a pair of Edition XS for my Aeon Open X and I have a few questions for you XS veterans out there.
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What kind(s) of amp do these prefer? Do they do best on super clean solid state? Do they take well to hybrid tube amps like the Schiit Lyr for example? Do they scale well with more power and or with higher quality amps/power? Examples of your favorite amps or signal chains appreciated.
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For DACs do they tend to pair better with R2R/Multibit or do they prefer DS chip based DACs? Examples of your favorite DACs or signal chains appreciated.
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Are there any common mods people do to the XS to increase performance? I know many of the Hifiman headphones have well known mods that people swear by, but Iāve never come across that for the XS so I figured I would ask.
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Does anyone have a travel case that fits the XS they can rec? Links would be nice.
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Lastly, are there aftermarket pads I should be considering or are the stock pads generally considered the best for the XS? If you have pad recs that would be great.
Thanks for any opinions/answers and any other tips you can think of.
I primarily used the singxer SA1 when I had the xs. Iād definitely lean towards a warm chain as there is, for lack of a better term, some grit in the treble region. Tubes always tubes lol. I didnāt enjoy them on a topping D90 as much as an R2R but at the time I was using an atrium as well so it didnāt have the natural sound I was accustom too. Cheap fitment mod is grabbing some dekoni nuggets as the older style headband created a hotspot for me and I also recommend dekoni pads as they had a very positive effect on my HE1K stealth.
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Interestingly for me, I do not enjoy them as much on the SA-1 as I do my tube hybrid amps. I agree with @Etroze86 that the XS responds well to the R2R/Multibit topology. I prefer it to the Delta Sigma DACs.
I donāt have a large head, so the fit on these things is terrible. In this case, the nuggets/headband mod might be something to look into. YMWV as no two heads are the same!
I havenāt played with pad rolling yet as the stock pads have been good for me but am looking at the Dekoni Audio Elite Fenestrated Sheepskin Replacement Ear Pads and will probably give them a try at some point.
Finally, I feel like these phones play well with OCC copper as the cable. The multi-core silver plated copper cable I tried was a little too bright for me. Good luck and enjoy those!
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Thanks for the replies @Raptor168 and @Etroze86 ! Iām basically planning on these guys being a travel planar and an addition to my secondary listening station so it would most likely run through the Schiit Lyr or Headlamp GS-X Mini with the Gustard R26 as DAC at home and the Modi Multibit 2 as the DAC on the road. From what you guys are saying it sounds like it should play nice with some combo of that gear, but I also have some other stuff I can try if the results are unsatisfactory.
Stupid question, but they have 3.5mm sockets on the cups right?
dual 3.5mm yes
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Oh youāre right I forgot that I had to bend the hell out of the headband to get it to clamp.
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Thanks for the prompt answer. Thankfully I have dual 3.5mm cables all over the place so I wonāt have to use whatever BS Hifiman threw in the box with them.
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Hey,
I swapted the cable for the tripowin dual 3.5mm. It Just feels way nicer and cost 50$.
For amping i just use a topping g5 and it sounds nice.
I also switched to dekoni sheepskin Pads.
The dekoni Pads make them sound more natural/warm to me which i like.
For the headband i orderd the comfortstrap from custom cans a few days ago. I hoppe that will make it fit a bit more secure/stable.
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I have cables from Hart, Norne, Effect, and several of my own making that will fit it so Iām definitely not short on options. Thatās why I was happy it has 3.5mm plugs at the cups. Let me know how the comfort strap works please. And Iāll order some Dekonis to try too.
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Okay, sorry i missed that in your post! My fault!
I think the comfortstrap is a excelente upgrade from the standart headband design. It Just fit my head better, i consider my head medium size but i have to wear the XS in the smalest adjustment. Now it Just sits better in terms of hight and stability.
Really good and easy Mod.
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The left ear has totally died on my xsās. Do I spend the couple of hundred to get these replaced or just wait for new better headphones to release?
I have the clear ogās now but I was really looking forward to using these headphones more now that I have the focals because I was babying the xsās and keeping them in the box it came in due to how precious they were to me
Whenever I see these on my desk I feel so sad
They canāt be very old, right? Itās at least worth a shot to contact Hifiman and see if theyāll do anything for you.
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I bought it back near launch via AliExpress. So hifiman did say it will take that much to get these replaced
Gotcha. That does indeed suck. If you can get another set for $200 thatās a good deal. Otherwise if you save a bit the Ananda Nano is absolutely incredible at $600.
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Its very much possible the contact dcād from the driver sandwich - the 3.5mm connector cable must have broken off. Why donāt you give it a shot try and see whatās going on?
Remember - pro car enthusiasts fix their own cars. I like to fix my cans myself as long as I can.
Hi everyone, hope you guys still keep the XS spirit.
I just got an used pair from my local store, everything work great, except 1 strange thing.
In the frequency 600 - 800hz (using https://squig.link/ frequency response test), when listening in low/normal volume, not thing happen so far, but if I increase it to high volume (i think >80dB?), I can hear the right earcup kinda distortion.
I have tried on multiple source: from my phone, my macbook, and the Atom Amp, all of them producing the same problem.
Have anyone faced this situation?