🔶 Hifiman Edition XS

Feels2PacMan · January 18, 2022, 12:18pm

Hello everyone,

I currently got the 5XX and im still happy with it, but ive been looking at egg shaped hifimans for quite a while now, and im thinking about getting the edition xs. Is it worth upgrading?

ATK · January 18, 2022, 1:48pm

Yes. mic drop

Nickster · January 18, 2022, 4:13pm

Made an account here to post about my experience with the XS. This thread is what inspired me to get them. Before the XS I had the 400i (2020 version) and my less impressive headphones the m50x and sony xm3. This is my first attempt at reviewing an audio product so take it all with a grain of salt. I use this for a mix of music and gaming. I tried these headphones on a few different audio sources:
Drop O2 + grace DAC
ifi hip-dac
pioneer elite sx-s30 audio receiver
A50s with the drop as the dac

I can say it is a step up from the 400i in just about every way. The is far more balanced , wider dynamic range and a far bigger soundstage. The sound stage isn’t massive but has outstanding imaging and position. The only spot it seems to lack with that is right in front of you. The detail that these headphones can reproduce is crazy.

The sound changed a lot with each amp I tried, even cables seem to make a difference. I’ve never had a headphone that revealed so much about the source. I can say that these headphones can have a very punchy base but you need a very powerful source to get it to behave. With my O2 amp everything sounded a little muddy when compared to others. If it was the only thing I had to listen from I would be happy but once you hear these headphones from better sources you crave more. The base was there just lacking a bit of punch and the rest sounded a little dark compared to other amps. The hip-dac reproduced wonderful highs and gave such an even sound it was lovely but just did not have nearly enough power to make the bass punchy and had some noise in the floor. The Pioneer was by far the best source. Maybe the other could pull a bit more detail out but the pioneer was able to deliver some insane punchy-ness for the base. Made these not sound like typical planar base. I got the Topping A50s to try and get some more power for listening at my desk. It is definitely better than the other smaller amps. Tons of detail, sound stage is improved, it just so well balanced I don’t feel like I am missing anything from the frequencies and the dynamic range is absurd all with zero noise floor. The a50s doesn’t seem to have enough power to truly get the bass to be responsive in the way the pioneer could. Maybe this is from using the SDAC in the O2 maybe a better dac would help. If anyone has any suggestions I am open to improving my setup.

None of this is to say the bass is bad on these other sources as on all of them it has great presence all the way to the sub-bass and is well defined, just that some can’t provide the same impact.

On a note about the cables, The stock cable looked much better then the one that came with the 400i but I swapped for a cable I had made for the 400i and saw the same thing that others here did. The sound stage increased by a good margin. This is coming from someone who thought cables didn’t really matter for sound. I guess sometimes they do though…

Thank you to everyone here for the great discussion around these headphones. I am really enjoying them! Hope this can help someone else make their choice.

TimpTim44 · January 18, 2022, 4:20pm

@Nickster Similar experiences with my Sundaras. Love 'em. Ck @WaveTheory new
series about cables (and much more!)

georgek558 · January 18, 2022, 4:48pm

try to move earcups in and out on your head and you will notice . Its mechanical sound not from the source

ATK · January 18, 2022, 5:03pm

Ok I see now - yes the diaphragms are very thin, that is the air causing them to do so.
Advice: don’t do it lol

They’re so thin and light, if you blow air into them, or quick pressurize/depressurize them putting them on and off, they will move and make those sounds.
Best not to mess with the delicate drivers like that though.
I treat my [good] headphones like babies’ butts. I’d advise the same to everyone.

georgek558 · January 18, 2022, 5:53pm

yes you are right that sound it even happens when i move head

Nailzs · January 19, 2022, 1:21am

I’ve been playing with these EQ settings, even though they’re for the Edition X, they sound pretty good. I’ve been switching around between that, flat EQ and Bit Perfect on UAPP.
I’ve been listening to a mix of songs from Fozzy, Slash, Alannah Myles, Stevie Nicks, Bob Seger, The Black Crows, Robert Palmer and others. I’m really impressed with the clarity of the XS. I think I’ll keep it!

In case of using fixed band (also called graphic) equalizer, apply preamp of -6.3dB (if available) and set gains manually with these parameters.

github.com

jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/blob/master/results/oratory1990/harman_over-ear_2018/HIFIMAN Edition X/HIFIMAN Edition X FixedBandEQ.txt

Preamp: -6.3 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 3.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -0.6 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain -1.6 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 3.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain -1.6 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 3.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 1.41

Xerosnake90 · January 20, 2022, 3:06am

That’s so crazy, I was just EQing and was pretty much exactly at what you posted here. It’s a really good EQ for the XS

TheGreatOilPainter · January 20, 2022, 4:35am

Another positive review here (in Spanish):

He positions the EDXS between the Ananda and the Arya.

TheGreatOilPainter · January 20, 2022, 8:06am

I have a question for the experts of the forum. I am using a Topping D10B+L50 at the moment. At high gain, I have to keep the volume knob of the L50 very low (the dac has no volume control, the volume of my system and player is kept at max). Would it be better to place a preamp between my dac and amp, for the sole purpose of controlling the volume, while keeping the L50 constantly at high game + maxed volume?
I have found a fully balanced passive preamplifier. Would this one do the job?

Or would it be better to use a dac equipped with volume control too?
Thanks for the help!

Pokrog · January 20, 2022, 9:26am

That or an NS-05p. The NS-05p has a nicer volume knob and a metal case. The MC2 is a bit light and stiff cables will make it hard to keep in place. Worth the extra couple dollars for sure.

Nr48 · January 20, 2022, 10:01am

Medium gain doesn’t get loud enough?
Volume control on the PC / player not possible?

Depends on if you like to have another big box around with big XLR cables.

I probably would save the money for the pre-amp, sell the D10 and get a E30. Yes, you would lose the balance connection but as we already talked about that doesn’t really matter with the L50 anyway.

Second idea, get a ZEN DAC. Gives You back the option for balanced and the Truebass will work well with XS. The DAC itself doesn’t measure as well though.

Or upgrade to the E50 of course.

B-side · January 20, 2022, 10:09am

What do you think about XS with Topping dx3pro+?

P.s.
You can vote XS for the rtings.com next headphone measurement at:

ATK · January 20, 2022, 11:23am

Let us rig these elections!

Nr48 · January 20, 2022, 11:42am

Until rtings is done and published them I am sure crinacle or headphones.com already have them available. Would be interested where it lands in the Soundstage ranking though. 4th place after the Arya!?

What about these graph somebody posted already (I think) ?

TheGreatOilPainter · January 20, 2022, 11:56am

Thanks for all the advices! That’s a good consideration, if possible I’d like not to have additional cables around… I shall consider the options you presented to me.
As for the quoted questions, I thought it is best practice to keep the volume of the system and the player at maximum.

At medium gain the situation is much more manageable, especially if with audirvana I perform the DSD upsampling with the “safe volume reduction (-6 db)” option activated. It depends on the recording, but in that scenario the volume knob is at 12 to 2. I don’t know to how much power this translates to.
Does switching to medium gain (or even low gain) influence how much power is provided?

Thanks to @Pokrog too, I didn’t know that unit was so cheaply built. Thanks for recommending a more robust option!

Nr48 · January 20, 2022, 12:18pm

Adjusting the volume digitally could compress the sound, it reduces the possible difference between the quietest and loudest sounds. It is not a good idea to set like the amp at max and then dial down on windows to 10 of 100 but if you only have to go down to like 95 or 90 I am sure you will not hear any difference.

Medium gain on the L50 is 0dB. 2V in 2V out, almost if there were no amplification (except of course the amp can provide current/power what the DAC can’t.)
High gain would be +14dB=3500mW.
3500mW -14dB = 139,34 mW the power the L50 provides on medium gain.
If the XS still gets loud enough and you don’t notice any difference in bass impact I would just use medium gain.

Feels2PacMan · January 20, 2022, 12:31pm

does anyone know if i have to pay tax when i order a pair at the hifiman website to germany?

Nr48 · January 20, 2022, 12:40pm

Probably, I ordered from Aliexpress to germany and had to pay tax. I know from other posts that hifiman has a warehouse in Europe, think in Poland. If they ship from there then of course there is no VAT applied but I guess they don’t have the XS there because they are not selling these in Europe yet.

Maybe its the easiest to just ask them.