The Edition XS, the newer kid on the block for planar magnetic headphones and the latest of the Hifiman headphones to hit the shelves. If the design looks familiar, it’s because it is. They have the same oval earcup design as all of the higher-tier products like the Ananda( MRP $999) and Arya(MRP $1599). But this product is a small adjustment to the headband structure that I actually like( I didn’t at first). In pictures, this looks like some piece of cheap plastic. It isn’t. It feels really well built with cushion and memory foam I believe. On top of this …you don’t have to worry about flimsy leather straps losing their structure and just falling all over the place like most he1000 straps are doing later in life.
Nope, the XS structure is better and more solid for the long life of the headband and headphones. Then you get also the same earpads found in all the other higher-tier headphones like the Arya as well. So you don’t have to worry about the feel of the pads on your ears. They just feel spacious and open as they did with others. You also get to replace them, just like you could with the other headphones as well so if you want a different pad or slightly different result in the sound you can experiment.
So along with looks comes a couple of turned heads of course. But looks are just one part of this. Hifiman has messed around and put inside its Edition XS drivers that align this headphone directly with its higher cost brothers the Ananda and Arya. Yes, the Arya is still better at its $1500, it should be. But the amount of advantage it holds in sound is marginal according to a number of owners on forms. Now, I have never heard the Arya myself but having the XS has been a game-changer in sound. I just didn’t think that I would get much more from sound than the Sundara’s but I did. Maybe the same jump exists for the Arya over the XS or maybe this jump on the XS is the biggest and last huge jump in quality with others only being slightly better here and there. No one can know for sure for all people but it does bring up the question and for some people, this possibility is all that is needed for them to doubt the need for $1500 more to be spent to get the Arya after hearing the Edition XS. I know I do. Again, I am sure you can find areas here and there that might be better but not $1000 better than the $499 Edition XS.
The sound is completely amazing. For the first time, I truly understand Soundstage and imaging the way I’m supposed to understand it. Yes, this is found in the Sundara’s but nothing on the scale of this. It’s like…and say this to the full extent of my statement…It’s like music was truly born inside my life when I put these things on. I’ve heard Music through the Sennheisers series of headphones, Sundara’s, and the like. But I never had this kind of result ever in my life, period…not even close. This headphone is truly worth the cost and more. And therein lies the problem for Hifiman. If this Edition XS exists…then what is the need to buy a $1500 headphone? It can’t be just because the headband is preferred because you can buy the exact headband for the Ananda and put on the XS for way less money. The results of the Edition XS are such a game-changer over every single headphone under $1000 that it literally blows my mind. And I seriously thought things couldn’t get much better when I first made my initial jump to HIFI Equipment from Bluetooth.
Ultimately the $499 XS vs the $349 of the Sundara…I see a $200 difference and more possibly. But I seriously doubt anything will give me a $1000 difference but most importantly most people won’t believe that difference exists and therefore Hifiman just gave them an outlet to justify it. Now if such a difference exists…I can’t say I’m ready yet. But if it is real, at least I know I have something to look forward to. Now if only Hifiman can just fix the QC issues I could trust them more to recommend to others. But right now after going through 3 Sundara’s for driver balancing issues and pad issues, getting this 1 unit that finally is everything it’s supposed to be, doesn’t make up for the loss of trust on the previous tries.
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