Is the XS the logical step up from the HE-400se if I wanted to skip Sundara, or would the Ananda have a more similar, but more refined and detailed, sound signature to the HE-400se?
Thanks.
theyâre close tuning wise but the XS seems a little more balanced in its presentation and much much better bass than the ananda and that deep sub bass mixed with the all around better timbre makes for a really natural presentation. ananda has some slighly inconsistent front imaging depth that the XS doesnât have an issue with and overall soundstage on the XS in depth, width, and height is a lot more linear and seems really accurate. the XS has i would say more noticeable detail throughout the frequency response and the ananda has either some bleed problems or peaks somewhere that overpower other frequencies, though i could see that coming off as more detail in certain cases but definitely not all.
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Much appreciate the detailed response!
I received my Aliexpress shipment today. Basically, the hype is justified. These are great. Lots of subbass, vocals are amazing. Soundstage is huge. Very happy after my initial listening.
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I found an incredible offer on an used Topping L50 so I snatched it today.
I am looking forward to try the EDXS with it!
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Comparing them to the 58X jubilee and the m50x is not a good thing at all.
No shit, thatâs why I stated I didnât have any experience with decent gear.
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Why not? Iâve chosen the HD58X over of a number of more expensive headphones, including the DT1990 and LCD2C.
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Case in pointâI just started listening to some Dream Theater on my HE6Se and, wanting a thicker sound, I switched to my slightly modded and EQed HD58X. I am not disappointed.
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I agree. While the 58x doesnât have the detail or soundstage(on SS) as other headphones, it has that midrange that is only rivaled by its close relative the 6xx.
The 58x does some things fantastic, the HEXS does other things fantastic. To me they both complement each other nicely in a collection.
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Nothing wrong with a 58x. The M50x is sizzling hot garbage, but the 58x is a nice starter can that serves many people well for a long time.
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why is there a penis in this picture? 
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Hmmm I never looked at it that way before lolâŠ
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Probably because it was designed by guys, lol.
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This morning I got the Topping L50. Since I need the stack to do nothing else than serving for the EDXS, I thought of paring the L50 with the Topping D10 Balanced, but I am afraid it could be too bright. Is anybody knowledgeable about that combination?
Alternatives could be the E50 or maybe the ifi dac v2 (found a cable that splits the 4.4 balanced to two 6.35 balanced, it relatively adds to the cost though). In any case, I want to use the balanced connections of the L50 to feed it 4Vrms.
whatâs your max budget?
I am thinking around 300 usd max. But on âaudio science reviewâ the measurements of the d10 balanced seemed impressive so I wondered why not just getting that, since I need no BT or other functions. In that same forum, a user in the thread dedicated to the E50 mentioned his d10 balanced being harsh so I got concerned though. He mentioned it could be his unit malfunctioning though.
So I have been considering the d10B, the ifi zen dac v2 (which would take an expensive cable or cables and adapters to connect balanced to the L50), the E50, the SMSL M300 MK2. Do you advice me to consider anything else? By the way, where I live, I cannot find schiit products.
I was also thinking about eventually adding the Douk U2 Pro that you were mentioning.
I received my pair yesterday. Itâs difficult to add much after that precise review made by @Pokrog
Good stuff:
I can say that midrange tone and timbre is shockingly good for the price. Although these are my first planars, I expected to hear this kind of timbre on $1500+ planars, no less
What I also didnât expect is that they have great isolation while sounding completely open and stock pads are great for my preference
I didnât expect them to be that comfy. I have a big head, so that small amount of clamping force is just perfect for me
These are great all-rounders. I didnât find any music they didnât fit. Their FR looks like they are analytical and boring, but they are nothing like that
They are easy to drive and not amp picky
Bad stuff::
What immediately caught my attention is their deep subbass extension that was also distorting as hell. That is probably the main reason why they are considered mid-fi by hifiman. I didnât expect my first experience with planar subbass to be this bad, lol. That was easy to fix with EQ (EQ freak here)
That 11 700hz peak was killing my brain. I had to cut it out
Hereâs the result for EasyQ foobar plugin
Weird stuff:
They respond terrible to EQ in general, which I didnât expect, hearing all those stories about planars being responsive to EQ - nothing like that with this model. They remind me of HD 650; their tuning is at delicate balance. I donât recommend touching any peaks or dips unless you really have to
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This is were a strong amp comes into play with the xs. Running on an Asgard 3 I get clean sub bass. Both with music and test tracks.
What amp are you running them on?
Burson Soloist 3XP balanced out. Zen dac showed the same flaw. Iâm serious, just try the EQ and decide for yourself. Before it I couldnât hear subbass notes that I knew were there. My current dac is new and my pair of XS is new, so probably some burn in will improve it long term, though I doubt it, cus zen dac showed the same flaw. Itâs also possible that my pair is defective