I can tell you definitively, for sure, that it isnât the edition xx driver. Iâve had them both apart and looked at them both and when youâve seen the stealth drivers side by side next to the driver theyâre replacing you can definitely tell the difference.
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Interestingly, mine should arrive on Nov 3 as well.
Personally, Iâve 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.
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I really think youâll like them. Theyâre really really nice all around aside from very fixable clamp pressure inconsistencies.
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Thank you - I hope so, too.
Iâve 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 Iâve 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 canât 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 theyâll last a good while.
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I know itâs probably a pipe dream, but hopefully these will one day come to more âreputableâ 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
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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 theyâre glad I like them and that theyâre passing it up the ladder so fingers crossed.
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Ah, nice fingers crossed!
A poster on Head-Fi reported that the XS is a China only release, according to Hifiman. Maybe theyâll decide to release it worldwide someday, but I doubt itâs imminent.
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Yeah that was my assumption, hopefully it eventually gets the nod though.
Yeah thatâs actually what made me email hifiman lol
2 or 3 days
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Today, I posted this short reveiw on Headfi.
If interested, There is a bit of discussion going on there, since the review and before it as well.
Here it isâŠ
Hifiman Edition XS Mini Review. : 11-03-2021
Box : Typical Hifiman, has the dark lush soft packing.
Cable : Decent. Rubber. Short. Mild Jank
Headband : The Original Edition X and V2 have a superior headband. The XS headband is softly padded but singular. Just a bar, typical of the older Hifiman frames. Comfort of the headband is : 7.9
Pads and Clamp. : The clamp force is going to be moderate on medium heads and slightly firm on big heads. The Pads are ok, not quite soft at first feel, but this will change with break in time
How do they sound right out of the box?
Typical of Hifman, they have a somewhat airy treble, a very slight âVâ shape, and credible bass and plenty of treble extension.
Not a warm or cold sounding headphone, but other then the Susvara, the HE1000 series is more clinical and analyticalâŠ= And so is the XS.
Hifiman Headphones, from HE1000 - Susvara, have a slight V shape and are slightly Treble oriented in Sound.
Less so with the Susvara.
As compared to the original âEditionâ series", right out of the box, and not burned in it at all, I would consider the XS to sound more like the original Edition X, yet more controlled, FR balanced, and slightly more tonally smooth.
1.) Comfort: The headphones are comfortable, but not as comfy as the HE1000 series.
2.) Treble : Its slightly airy, and very typical of the HE 1000 series, but not quite as hyper extended as you find with the V2 and the HEKSE. Right out of the Box = There is PLENTY of Treble in the XS FR that manifests as extremely clean sound.
3.) Midrange : Hifiman does not design Audeze midrange into their headphones, and so, you wont find that type of âhonkâ inside the sound of the XS. Mids presented by the XS are very articulate, pleasant, not dry, and very slightly clinical. Vocals stand out, acoustic instruments sound truthful and cymbals are very nicely presented.
Electronic music plays well in the XSâs.
4.) Bass : Bass is similar to the Edition X series in tone and layering, but its a bit more controlled in that offers enough power and extension to work well with music that requires it to provide some meat, but its not a Bass Head slamming low end, its more finessed and articulate and balanced.
5.) Soundstage : You are not totally submerged inside a huge room as you find with the V2, yet, its a nicely immersive SS. The height of the SS is good, the depth is good, and the width is not disappointing, but not so wide that you lose the sense of instruments and vocals in front of you. The SS is perceived as âaccurateâ vs âenhancedâ.
6.) Timbre : Clean and Precise.
7.) Detail Retrieval : Here is where the XS shines brightest. Its a detailed headphone sound that manages to walk the fine line between being quite detail revealing yet still very musical. This is what Hifiman does so well⊠They donât give you that over-cookes lower mid situation that fights the clarity of the treble. Vocals pop in the XSâs with a lot of layering. It very impressive.
8.) Instrument Separation : Its very good like all Hifimanâs.
9.) Power requirements : These are not going to sound their best out of a cell phone or weak Dac/Amp. They do bloom with Tubes and they do shine sonically their soundstage best best when used with Balanced cables and a little bit of power feeding them.
If you only uses them in SE mode, then the Vocals and the center of the soundstage is more focused and in front.
Final Analysis : A good value. Fans of the Hifiman sound will find much to enjoy. The XS offers what Hifiman does bestâŠthe clarity, the details, the soundstage, the treble, and the unique overall sonic presentation that you can only get with a Hifiman Gear.
The XS is designed for listening enjoyment and offers fine detail retrieval and clarity.
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Totally agree here. Reminds me of Arya soundstage size without the exaggeration.
Exactly what Iâm getting too. The HEKv2/se have those occasional spicy peaks that if they arenât pushed give that little bit of extra treble detail but can be too much from time to time but Iâm not getting that with the XS. Right on the cusp of sibilance without actually getting sibilant. They found that stopping point and didnât push it.
I think this is what makes me think of them more along the lines of the HEK line than the HEX, the tuning is just a lot better IMO than the previous HEX iterations. Not to mention theyâre quite a bit more resolving than I remember the HEX line being.
This is why I think they stand out to me. I canât think of a single hifiman that doesnât sound at least a bit dry up until the HEK price point, with a proper synergized HE6 being the sole outlier.
Very clean and precise but somehow still sounds very natural unlike 90% of hifimans that come off as a bit tinny.
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I donât have my pair yet, but I remember with the Edition X V2 the tone changes some based on how the cups are positioned on your ears. If I recall correctly, the sound was brighter the lower they sat on your head. So, it might be worthwhile to experiment with adjusting the headband for the best sound. Iâm sure some of you were already aware, but I thought Iâd bring this up for those who are new to the large cup Hifimans.
Also, many people have issues with this type of headband, pressure at the top of the head and such. It was an issue for me with the HE400se, so in anticipation of the XS, I ordered a custom knitted headband cover. Other ideas for improving comfort include attaching a HD 600 headband cushion, or a ZMF pilot pad, or Dekoni Nuggets even. I also noticed a leather suspension strap on Ebay that might work. As mentioned earlier in this thread, it should be possible to bend the headband slightly to adjust the clamp too. Iâm sure some people wonât have issues with the stock headband though.
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I think I am keen to give these a try as well. Anyone decided to go the AliExpress route for purchase?