The Drop Edition XX is almost the exact same specs.
I wonder if they used the Drop XX Driver and just added the new headband.
That would certainly be easier to do then designing a new Driver …as this way there is no real R&D to drive up the cost, which may explain the low cost of the XS.
Lets see…"we’ll use the Drop XX Driver, and put on a new headband, and sell it with Stealth magnets, and call it “NEW”.
Could it be so… or is that too …clever…
I don’t think they’ve been hoarding XX drivers for years, so they could slightly modify them, pass it off as a new design and sell them for less. Apparently, the lower price is the result of more efficient manufacturing.
Won’t be surprised. They have been Stealth magnet modifying everything recently, like the 400se, 1000se, arya etc.
Is this meant to be the successor of edition X or Ananda?
As i said.
If we think it through…and we know that the Drop XX Driver’s Exist…and if you take 34 seconds to compare the Drop XX specs to the “new” XS specs, you’ll see that that are basically identical.
How did that happen?
Is it luck?
Hummmmmmm.
See, there is always slight variations between units.
In other words, you can take a brand new Audeze LCD-5, and compare it to another brand new Audeze LCD5, and they won’t match perfeclty, but they will have similar tolerances.
So, is it just LUCK that the XS Driver, is nearly identical to the already created XX Drop Driver?
You seem to think that its not possible that a Chinese Company would use old tech in a new box.
And just so you know.
Mine will arrived on Wed, Nov 3rd.
They are sitting in Customs, in Alaska, as i write this to you.
ok, i’m out.
I can tell you definitively, for sure, that it isn’t the edition xx driver. I’ve had them both apart and looked at them both and when you’ve seen the stealth drivers side by side next to the driver they’re replacing you can definitely tell the difference.
Interestingly, mine should arrive on Nov 3 as well.
Personally, I’ve been eyeing the large egg-shaped Hifimans ever since I tried the Edition X at a meet, 2015-ish. Edition XX came quite close to the wallet years ago, but finally bit the bullet on this one.
Hopefully if no QC issues etc., this will be my last purchase after a plethora of cans - if these are half as good in sound, I will cherish them for a long time to come. Will quid pro quo soon - have a Monolith M1060c (opened cups) on hand to compare atm. Can compare (from memory) with the 400i, 4XX, Elex, EMU Teak, 6XX etc.
I really think you’ll like them. They’re really really nice all around aside from very fixable clamp pressure inconsistencies.
Thank you - I hope so, too.
I’ve been reading all that you put up, probably the first guy around, or at least one of the very first ones who shared their experiences on these - been very reassuring, really.
So I’ve had them apart a few times and everything seems slightly improved in the build quality from the HEXv2 and XX. All the tolerances are noticeably tighter and given the price I can’t find a single complaint, honestly. HEXv2 over time got kinda rickety but these look like those fail points are reinforced a little and I do have faith they’ll last a good while.
I know it’s probably a pipe dream, but hopefully these will one day come to more “reputable” NA based dealers in the future, or at least the ability to directly buy them from hifiman themselves. They seem to be very elusive.
The 400se were out there for a while before selling officially internationally
I emailed hifiman about that and told them I really think they should bring them to the US market and actually got a response saying they’re glad I like them and that they’re passing it up the ladder so fingers crossed.
Ah, nice fingers crossed!
A poster on Head-Fi reported that the XS is a China only release, according to Hifiman. Maybe they’ll decide to release it worldwide someday, but I doubt it’s imminent.
Yeah that was my assumption, hopefully it eventually gets the nod though.
Yeah that’s actually what made me email hifiman lol
2 or 3 days