how would you compare the soundstage of xs to the clear mg?
I kind of feel the same with my XS and Elex. Thatās why I have both complimenting each other. I think weāre in great hands!
@tunc_akinguc Iāll just say it here for you, as good as imaging is on the Focals (and maybe better on occasions, I think, a bit intimate sounding, but a tad bit more detailed) the soundstage on Hifimans is usually bigger and more expansive. Itās definitely much bigger and wider than on my Elex, so expect the same from @alphamarshan on his Clears. Overall the XS will sound bigger, and they simply are that, physically, the cups and the drivers anyhow soā¦
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thank you very much for the quick response on this, as an owner of the og Clear, Iāll probably get the xs as it sounds like a good compliment. cheers.
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One of the things that interested me about the XS is the āshapeā of the stage. My understanding is that it presents the stage out in front of you, rather than being more surrounding/wrapping around you.
I wasnāt sure what type of presentation I preferred until I tried a few headphones out but it was the GL2000 that made me realise I preferred that kind of staging for the music I listen to.
Mids recession was fully fixed for me with balanced connection, midrange was not so good with SE. Frequency balanced was changed with balanced - currently midrange became fuller, low frequencies much less prominent(what i dislike) and highs much more torelable.
Any HifiMan Egg Open back can literally be used as desktop speakers sitting on your desk. They are built where when you wear them, it literally sounds like nothing is covering your ears. One of the most open back, open back headphones on the market. Sound leakage with any open back is expected, usually to a high degree - but with the Eggs, itās extremely evident. (Note this is not a bad thing, just need to have the right environment for it, I love this about them).
On a side note, the Monoprice Monolith M1570C closed back planars are a set that do sound pretty open for a closed back. Not claustrophobic at all, I really enjoy them. I would say they sound more open than the Dan Clark but I would need to test to verifyā¦ too tired right now. M1570s are a great set of cans, especially for the sale price they were all holiday season ($200 off MSRP).
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Going from HD 560s sound leakage to Ananda was a whole different planet. If the 560s leaks sound then the Ananda/XS are straight up small speakers lmao
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TouchƩ - and that indeed is the beauty of the eggheads.
The XS are (my) second cans that seem like speakers are playing. Focals were the first for me. Took me years to find open backs that could do that as I was a hardcore closed-back basshead. Saying that goes a long way as Iām still an EDM listener by a profound margin.
Iāve not tried the HD8X0 series (and now I donāt plan to, as Iāve hit my hifi-wall), but itās quite a feat how these handful few open backs (at least these Hifimans, and those Focals) can be so open and yet hit almost as hard in comparison to closed-backs which, by design, are made to hit hard.
Egghead Hifimans yeah I mean TBH any variant of this lot is really something. I got the XS cuz itās the first time such a design has been upgraded at such a low price. I always only āenvisionedā myself owning an egghead. And with the XS, I now finally do.
I donāt think one can fault any egghead really - Ananda Arya or Edition X. You could be set with either one, cuz the biggest contributor to the presentation is simply the physical design of it - those huge asses - bigger is better lol.
Hifiman aced it with the design - and now theyāve just check-mated the competition, with the price.
PS: This thread is finally going bonkers and making waves as more people are getting on board the idea - and it is quite the idea, really. Value for the dollar is crazy here!
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My favorite thing about the Hifiman egg shape is how huge it is. I know thatās an issue for some people with the cups resting on their jaw but mine is able to sit snuggly underneath my ears. Depth wise itās so big, your ears donāt touch anything and I feel itās a big reason you get that large hifiman Soundstage.
If the XS clamp that much less than the Ananda then this is a homerun for me. Ananda clamp force was way too much for me
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I HATE those headbands (Sundara and Ananda) TBH; that was always was a bummer for meā¦ good thing I never got the Sundara. Iām happy I was patient - the (hidden & unknowing) wait was well worth it!
Itās weird, I hate the headband on the XS but only on the circle cups. Something about the added grip on my noggin from the extra surface area on the egg cups doesnāt bother me on the XS. Still prefer the fit of the HE1000se but the XS comfort is just fine for my head size I guess.
Those older suspension strap headbands are not too bad - though the He1000 series, with them using much better materials - and then those large holes in the strap, I think that is the headband done right.
Iām going to get some real leather and even have holes on my straps and check em out (for my he400i, and another one I grabbed from ALIExpress here: . This looks at least sexier to me than stock Hifiman bands of that type), but strap will have to be swapped:
Hey guys I just ordered that thing from HiFiGo as my first nice headphone (also my first planar and first open back). It will be an upgrade to my daily driver DT 770 80ohm. So one more pair of these already sold (kind of supporting the hype) : ) Should arrive in 3 weeks. I really appreciate all the detailed comments and feedback I found here from much more experienced enthusiasts. And I am happy that I skipped the Sundara and directly ordered XS.
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The Sundara is really a great headphone at the price point but I do think for the extra $150 the Edition XS is a huge improvement and worth saving up for.
Itās like, would you rather get a $350 headphone that sounds like a $500 headphone, or a $500 headphone that sounds like a $1000 headphone? Itās the latter for me.
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I totally agree. I got the Sundara back in early 2021 and was very happy with it, but from here on out my advice to anyone who can afford the jump is to go EDXSā¦
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Hello there.
Sorry for my english from that point.
Have read litterally every post on that tread (some multiple times).
Finally decided to create an account, since i have bought the xs. Thanks to all of the beautiful people here expressing their thoughts, which helped me convince myself to spend such money (half of a good salary) on a pair of headphones. I will express my sound opinion on XS vs He-560 later.
Now, I will have a question. I power my headphones with a class A DIY integrated amp (i am not the author of this amp). Its beefy enogh, huge capacitors (physically), a toroidal transformer (also speaker amp sized). It has a 6.3 SE headphone out with a resistor (about 3 times reduction in voltage). It wasnāt measured, sadly āit shoud be good for about 30 wattsā is my only datasheet. However it sounds wonderfull, better then any A/B class amp i was lucky to listen to.
I have bought a 3.5 to 3.5 5m long cheap cable. My plan is to tear it right in the midle, therefore creating a ballanced cable, by connecting left/right on the each cable to plus/minus of my amp outputs (left and right channel, respectable). I know about the existence of speaker to balanced 4 pin xlr adaptors (they are extremly expensive). If my little experiment improves the sound, i will try to make one, if not, why bother.
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he-560 v2 vs Edition XS
Dac - DIY ak4399 dac (better than my Topping e30 anyway)
AMP - see above.
I already love those huge cups. The headband gives me a hot spot instanly, however it is pretty much cured by an old hd600 pad put right on top of my head (hilarious, i know)
He-560 are harder to drive. The stock He-560 tuning is awful, eq cureās it easily. Xs stock is much better, although far from perfect. I fill the upper mid dip, tame the treble peaks a bit and add some bass 
I listen mostly to metal (Tool, Primus, Pantera, Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, Slipknot, SOAD, Slayer, RATM, Periphery, Kreator, Gojira, Gojira), different elecrtonic music, rock, etcetera.
Xs is a bit faster, more resolving overall. Xs creates more air between instruments, which helps dissect busier passages. I dont thinks it gets much deeper in the subbasse, however the bass punch is much more noticeable. Isntruments throughout the whole frequency range have more tactility to them. Music sounds more dynamic. Imaging is definitively more acurate, however, i fell that the front imaging is lacking. It can go front, but only when the mix is really calling for it. The STAGE is much taller, not much wider. Timbre is better, especially i feel this on guitars.
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How does the XS compare to the arya? has anybody compared them?
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Has anyone, or is anyone planning to send their pair to Oratory1990 for measuring? It would be nice to get a proper graph for these if anyone is willing.
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