Thanks for the reply!
70% of the time iād say is classic rock (60/70s). Besides that its varied, everything but Hip-hop/rap/EDM. And I intend to use for movies/gaming ocasionaly, so thats one of the reasons I was looking for the Ananda vs the Sundara, because it has a better soundstage/imaging.
I was leaning towards the XS, and I think is the better choice for me.
I usually dont have problems with higher frequencies spikes. Oh, and yeah, EQ is no problem for me, will be using it as needed.
Cool - then I think the XS is definitely the choice 
With EQ you have the option of cutting some of those frequencies I mentioned if they bother you and inserting a bass shelf if so inclined. Iāve settled on a +2dB low shelf @ 85Hz in conjunction with 2.5dB cuts @ 3.1kHz & 4.9kHz. Sounds great to me!
Oh and just keep in mind that the XS clamp force is really light - a bit disconcerting at first if you are used to tighter fitting cans but youāll get used to it. Just donāt make sudden head movements 
I donāt get distortion on this either. Really brings out the sub-bass extension the Edition XS has, thanks for that. Itās very noticeably more extended on this track than other Hifimans I have (Ananda, HE400SE).
+1 on this, this style headband with the egg cups arguably wasnāt the best idea, it does feel like itās going to go flying if I shake my head. This style headband is fine with the round cups on the HE400SE, and the suspension band with the Ananda holds far more securely. Itās certainly not a dealbreaker but it does feel noticeably loose on the head, and the looseness contributes to quite a bit of creakiness with head movements.
I was worried about buying these as Iāve had a lot of headphones feel way too tight etc, but these are just right. So they might be designed for a slightly larger head.
The THX AAA 789 is on sale at Drop for $200 US, should I grab it to pair up with the Edition XS?
Hard no. Save that money for something like a used singxer sa-1. Iāve seen them between $350-400 quite a few times. The 789 has pretty poor resolving capabilities.
Thanks for the recommendation,as of now a second hand Singxer sa-1 is pretty much non existent in Australia and getting a second hand one from overseas is not as much cheaper as well, but Iāll definitely keep an eye out for this model, I really appreciate your input.
Hi Iām new here and new to this hobby for just about 2 months now. I got my Edition XS last week dec 23 and had been listening to it mostly and leaving it with pink noise at night to burn in, I really like it and the best Iāve heard so far but Iāve only had the HD560s, HD650 and HE400se to compare. The resolution, soundstage, imaging and separation is really great and the sound is just bigger and more grand especially compared to the Senns.
My setup is Apple Music in Mac Mini > Qudelix 5K > Liquid Spark. and I did set the Liquid spark to high gain and max volume and control my volume from the mac (I kept Qudelix at 1 vrms)
What bothers me is just that there are some tracks that has too much spiciness on the cymbals and āSā and I need to EQ or just lower the volume a bit, but 95% of what I listen to I donāt need the EQ and prefer it that way.
I also found it to be the most comfortable, I have a big head and have to pull up to 6 slots on the He400se but with the EDXS I only need to pull out 1or 2 slots. the clamp force is on the light side but the the yokes are easily bendable and I managed to make it tighter. I have no problem with the headband as well, I can wear it for several hours without discomfort.
What I also noticed is that since the cups are bigger and taller, it can be positioned different ways, I found that I liked it best when the back of my ears are almost touching the padding which mean most of the driver is in front.
Hi @seabiscuit23, welcome to HIGF !!
Sounds like you have found a headphone that you are really enjoying. Not surprised, Hifiman makes some very nice headphones that suit a lot of different tastes. I hope that you continue to enjoy your headphones for a long time to come.
Today my XS arrived. Ordered on November 30th on aliexpress. They took a strange shipping route. China - Belgium-Netherlands-Germany. Thought this is for avoiding customs but still had to pay VAT. Seller was so nice to declare the value at 60ā¬ instead of the real 360 ā¬, so VAT went down from 80ā¬ to 11ā¬.
Donāt really have time today for a big listening and comparison so I just burn them in a little with pink noise until tomorrow.
Looking very nice. I ordered mine on 25th Dec in the Linsoul sale and itās on itās way although hasnāt left China yet.
looking good - yeah talk about strange routes. I got mine quite fast (hifigo), like more or less a week but yeah the path also was like: China>Germany>France>UAE. They travelled half the world beyond, only to come back half the way. Anyhow, allās well that ends well.
Iām intrigued by these. How much would you say theyāre a step up from the Sundara?
I really enjoyed the Sundara but ultimately sold them because, while I think theyāre a phenomenal value, they werenāt any more enjoyable or different than my Clear Mg the way that a 6XX on a tube would be. If these were substantially better in some or all areas I could definitely try them out on my Bifrost 2 / Jot 2.
I definitely enjoy the large pad form factor.
Courtesy of pokrog, whenever he gets it in, I will be getting to try theseā¦ Thanks again and I look forward to sitting down with them man. I do have Sundara and Arya here to check them againstā¦ hopefully they are better to my taste and resolve better as well.
I mean, thats quite a leap though isnāt it? Your comparing a Sundara to focals flagship new headphone lol. Same time 6xx is a different beast entirely on tubes
I think the tuning change here compared to the usual hifiman sound is what has more the most intriguedā¦ definitely appears more balanced out now which I am all for
lol yes I mean donāt get me wrong, I didnāt expect them to be. But I guess Iām wondering if I can move into the mid-high planar world without having to buy a Susvara. I had a pair of DCA Aeon Noire also which were fantastic but just soundedā¦ kinda dead to me. If these punch way above their price point Iād be very interested in pulling the trigger - looking forward to your thoughts on them when you get them!
once lurker, now poster, etc.
My first foray into mid/hifi headphones and what do you know: ordered the XS through HiFiGo on 12/9, finally received the package today (12/30) in the US through DHL eCommerce via USPS. Knew it was bad news as soon as I picked up the box and from a quick look a sizable hole had clearly been punched and taped over. Opening the box, it was filled with nothing but empty package envelopes of other empty DHL (or posing-to-be DHL) envelopes all with the same From Address that someone on reddit has already posted as fraudulent: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/lcvk7n/fraudulent_shopping_website_alingwavecom_bfe/
A sticker on the box, presumably from HiFiGo, says, āAttention recipient: please check the content of this carton upon receipt. If you accept the package and later discover that the contents are wrong or missing, we cannot be responsible.ā Iāll take that as their awareness of these kinds of issues.
Wanted to share this as a warningāthough Iām not sure what can be done on our end with such limited purchase and ship options at this time. Needless to say I am pursuing all communication channels possible to try and at least get the money back for these, but itās not looking good so far.
Well that fucking sucks. Send pictures to your credit card company ASAP and dispute the charge. Definitely not your fault but be careful on taobao and AliExpress. Always try to use a store thatās been in business for a long time and has certified good seller ratings and awards. Maybe reach out to hifiman directly and see if theyāre willing to help. Sorry about your experience with this whole thing. Sounds like hifigo was using other sellers to fulfill their orders, probably one of the many reasons theyāre not an authorized hifiman reseller. Complain on their discord if you can. They need to be called out for this shit.
Jeez man - shit.
And just reach out to Hifigo. Tell them, what the hell! Theyāre always chasing the customer for feedback (least thatās a good thing).
Well, hereās their bloody moment. Could be the middlemen fucked up.
Either way - their responsibility to sort this shit and compensate you as well.
Weāre going to go in as a team here, our boys, you got our back - let us know if you need protestors. And keep us posted.
This shit does not go on.
God damn it!!!
yeah, i almost feel obligated to post a screenshot of this all to the hifigo discord and see how fast they take it down. pretty awful business practices, but if they are willing to make it right, i guess thatās better.
