Finally got a pair of these babies, which I have lusted after since they debuted as a China-only product last year.
First impressions: The Edition XS fulfill the hype ā and then some. Iām beyond delighted with these after the first two hours of listening.
Iām happy to compare these to a few headphones outside of the HiFiMan line ā Iāve owned/own HD 560s, HD 6XX, Elegia, Meze 99 Classics, ATH-M40x, ATH-M50x ā I think itās probably best and most accurate to compare to the HiFiMan headphone that I own, the HE-400se.
I know the Sundara is the step just below the XS in the HiFiMan, but Iāve never owned or tried it. Decided to jump straight from HE-400se to XS after my recent purchase of the Elegia showed me how mid-fi can be a considerable jump over entry-fi.
The Edition XS basically take whatās good in the HE-400se and elevate it about five times. And it takes the flaws of the 400se and fixes them.
All of these impressions are without EQ. Iām not a huge EQ guy, as I like the varying sound signatures of the cans in my collection (HE-400se, Elegia, HD 6XX).
First, the Edition XS bass. Itās more controlled, punchy and present than in the HE-400se, which already has good, entry-level planar bass. Thereās no grain, spike or congestion in the treble so far, which can be a problem in some complex passages with the HE-400se. But the biggest difference in the basic sound signature between the HE-400se and the Edition XS are the mids ā theyāre far more defined and present in the Edition XS than in the HE-400se.
Other thoughts about the XS compared to the HE-400se ā¦ Clarity? Better. Imaging? MUCH better. Soundstage? Considerably wider. Comfort. The same ā both are very comfortable, but the XS has even less clamping force. Good for my fat, bald dome.
Iām not an audiophile with decades of experience and a fat checkbook. Iāve been active in this wonderful hobby and with its cool people for about five years, and my finances finally have allowed me to graduate from entry-fi to mid-fi. But the Edition XS are the highest-quality all-arounders Iāve heard. The only headphone Iāve heard thatās better is the Focal Stellia, and thatās a $3,000 can.
Thereās just nothing in the XSā sound signature that offends my ears and brain in the slightest, which is rare since Iām very treble-sensitive and suffer from raging tinnitus. And thereās a HELL of a lot in the sound signature that matches my idea of audio nirvana.
Time to compare the Edition XS to the other mid-fi can in my collection, the Elegia. Yes, the detail and some of the treble in the Elegia match or possibly exceed that in the XS. But the Elegia donāt do bass or soundstage nearly as well as the XS. The Elegia are great for strings, classical, vocals, acoustic, piano jazz, bluegrass ā music that lives in the mids. But theyāre not so great for rock, alternative rock or metal.
So far, the Edition XS have been great with every genre, just like my HE-400se, which are THE definitive entry-level can, in my opinion. But the Edition XS are just significantly better at everything than the HE-400se.
Finally, I donāt get the fuss about power requirements for the Edition XS. Iām driving them to ample volume on low gain of my JDS Atom+ stack. The dial is at about noon or 1 p.m. Iām sure more powerful amps would elicit even more fidelity, but Iām already in rapture at what Iām hearing.
The Edition XS may stop my headphone churn for a while. Theyāre THAT good. I feel like I would need to pierce the four-figure spend range to get anything much better.
Iām so damn impressed ā and happy!
Feel free to toss any questions my way.
