Hey,
I swapted the cable for the tripowin dual 3.5mm. It Just feels way nicer and cost 50$.
For amping i just use a topping g5 and it sounds nice.
I also switched to dekoni sheepskin Pads.
The dekoni Pads make them sound more natural/warm to me which i like.
For the headband i orderd the comfortstrap from custom cans a few days ago. I hoppe that will make it fit a bit more secure/stable.
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I have cables from Hart, Norne, Effect, and several of my own making that will fit it so Iām definitely not short on options. Thatās why I was happy it has 3.5mm plugs at the cups. Let me know how the comfort strap works please. And Iāll order some Dekonis to try too.
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Okay, sorry i missed that in your post! My fault!
I think the comfortstrap is a excelente upgrade from the standart headband design. It Just fit my head better, i consider my head medium size but i have to wear the XS in the smalest adjustment. Now it Just sits better in terms of hight and stability.
Really good and easy Mod.
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The left ear has totally died on my xsās. Do I spend the couple of hundred to get these replaced or just wait for new better headphones to release?
I have the clear ogās now but I was really looking forward to using these headphones more now that I have the focals because I was babying the xsās and keeping them in the box it came in due to how precious they were to me
Whenever I see these on my desk I feel so sad
They canāt be very old, right? Itās at least worth a shot to contact Hifiman and see if theyāll do anything for you.
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I bought it back near launch via AliExpress. So hifiman did say it will take that much to get these replaced
Gotcha. That does indeed suck. If you can get another set for $200 thatās a good deal. Otherwise if you save a bit the Ananda Nano is absolutely incredible at $600.
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Its very much possible the contact dcād from the driver sandwich - the 3.5mm connector cable must have broken off. Why donāt you give it a shot try and see whatās going on?
Remember - pro car enthusiasts fix their own cars. I like to fix my cans myself as long as I can.
Hi everyone, hope you guys still keep the XS spirit.
I just got an used pair from my local store, everything work great, except 1 strange thing.
In the frequency 600 - 800hz (using https://squig.link/ frequency response test), when listening in low/normal volume, not thing happen so far, but if I increase it to high volume (i think >80dB?), I can hear the right earcup kinda distortion.
I have tried on multiple source: from my phone, my macbook, and the Atom Amp, all of them producing the same problem.
Have anyone faced this situation?
Hi and welcome to HFGF 
Sounds like driver crinkle, make sure thereās no hair or anything else stuck between the drivers, if you canāt see anything then Iād return them because if itās a driver fault thereās little you can do, some makes are more prone to driver crinkle than others and itās not unheard of when it comes to Hifiman either.
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Thanks, but i bought this from user, it canāt be refund, itās okay if I listen at normal volume, just curious about if that is driverās fault or my amp did not drive it well 
So i finally took the risk and modded my Xs with Sundara headband (40$ off aliexpress), its not perfect but it works (adjustment mechanism doesnāt work, but i dont need it to)
The only downside is that you have to destroy the OG headband of the XS to do it, mine was particurally problematic since one of the screws was stripped from the factory.
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I just got a chance to listen to these. Not my cup of tea. Tried them with stock pads and some Voarmaks sheepskin pads, neither quite did it for me. Some eq to pull up the 1-2Khz region helped, but when listening with these itās hard to forget Iām listening with headphones.
For comparison, I pulled out my Verum One. That thing just disappeared and I got lost in the music.
Looking good! Yeah I do have this headband with me for a spare project. Hmmm I mean Iām sure for you this is better than stock, I personally have some grievances with this headband (the no side swivel thing). And hmm, if you lost the adjustment mech, I think I may prob pass.
It does suck that any type of upgrading of the XSās headband is quite a challenge. Do wish there was an easier way to try different things here, but also, the cups are designed as such (I mean I do appreciate their epic size and all) that it does inherently limit what can be achieved.
Anyhow - does look good though! Itās nice of you to fine a way around, keeping the stock forks here. Yeah, thatās where all the trouble is when modding.
Iām seemingly one of the minority that thinks the XS actually sounds better than both Ananda and Arya SE. Its unfortunate that the XS is gimped with a crappy headband and subpar build. If it had a better headband, even the Sundara/Ananda hybrid headband, it would be endgame material.
Both the Ananda SE and Arya SE just donāt soundstage like the XS. They both feel a bit narrow in comparison, and their headstages are both weird. Arya almost tapers on each side, which is bizarre for me. They are also both too bright for me.
XS is an easy listen while also being exciting somehow. Stage is huge to my ears. They seem to have a bit more warmth than Ananda/Arya and are much easier to listen to. They just sound so enjoyable to me. But Iām constantly annoyed with squeaking joints and an otherwise awkward and huge fit. Its unfortunate, but I guess its why Hifiman can price them lower than the others.
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Welcome to the forum! I am with you on this. I still enjoy the XS very much. It seems like they sacrificed build quality to deliver this set to a certain price point. And it can be annoying at times. But overall, this has been a killer headphone for me.
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Yeah I heartily agree - the XS is the last headphone I bought. That was way back in Nov 2021. I have put some padding in the headband and wrapped a leather cover. Weight distribution has improved, but it can fall off more easily.
Yeah I wonder why they just didnāt go with the Arya style headband, but I dont think itās cutting costs. I mean look at the RP R9s and the RP R10s- those are pricey cans, the latter ones, and even at $5,500 theyāre using this same silly headband, kicking it right from the bottom with the new He400sās. I think THEY think this is the better headband, yet this He400i/Arya/HeX headband is really the one they should hold on to - itās stood the test of time, and is simply the most functional/most comfortable - especially since the introduction of the metal wire/bar thatās been fused inside since the second edition of the he400is.
Itās a shame I canāt repurpose my he400i headband as well, round is not compatible with egg-head.
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If you are willing the conversion isnt hard, losing the height adjustment is a bummer but not the end of the world IMO.
Itās fairly straightforward, you wiggle off the plastic bits at the end of side of the headband, peel back the PU leather padding on either end exposing the screw and you can take out the driver + yoke (the yoke that comes with the kit doesnt fit the large egg shaped driver of the XS)
If you use the same kit that i use you have to do a minor modification but aside from that it fits - but like i said the major downside is that you need to lock in the height adjustment (you can leave it free moving but i preferred locking it, feels way more sturdy)
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@ATK All great points. Iāll be honest, I hate the headband! I initially didnāt want anything to do with them. I was focusing on the HE1000. But saving up for them was taking a while, they had a great sale, and I decided to just try the XS. It was a good decision. I bought one of those Geekria headband pads and it helped quite a bit. I have a periapt cable on there also, which was a nice change for me. Heck, I am still using the stock pads. Changing out the pads will be my next move, I think.
@Naturallymorbid I was tempted to try this, but I chickened out! I think I want to retain the height adjust, and knowing me, I will break something. Besides, I do have the HE1000 V2 now, so the XS isnāt getting the play they used to. For me, Iāll leave her as is. Glad it worked for you, though. That is awesome. 
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For anyone who has upgraded from the edition xs what did you go with besides the logical answer of the arya? Looking for a bit more variety and hopefully some more wow factor.
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