Hifiman Edition xs: different measurements, different reviewers

[KehaDNb]

Hi, the edition xs has been reviewed by rtings and miniklangwunder and they report that these headphones lean towards the harman targets response curve (40-50hz) but on the on the other hand oratory and resolve say there’s no bass elevation at all. Who to trust and where does this bass elevation comes from whatsoever?

 

[MC_RME]

Makes me wonder what measurements you refer to. The ones at rtings clearly show less bass than the target curve, so no 'elevation' there either.

 

[oratory1990]

Who to trust and where does this bass elevation comes from whatsoever?

They certainly have a linear extension into the bass (no elevation) when properly sealed against the head, as most planar magnetic headphones of that particular design do.

But the thing with low acoustic impedance drivers like that is that if a slight seal is introduced, the bass will increase slightly (at the expense of subbass).
I haven't tested it on the Hifiman XS, but I did a measurement series where I introduced varying amounts of leakage (increasingly breaking the seal) with an Audeze LCD-2:

 

[MC_RME]

You should repeat them with the XS. Glasses or not - no difference. In fact you can lift the cups a few mm away from your head, all around - no audible difference. Amazing effect. No other of my headphones is so easy on seal as the XS.

 

[staticV3]

@MC_RME frequency response is still affected by an air gap, but less severely than on other planars:
https://forum.headphones.com/t/hifiman-edition-xs/16492

 

[oratory1990]

Andrew's measurements do show expected behaviour when leakage is introduced: (red graph is the Edition XS, the teal graph shows how the Hifiman Ananda reacts to a similar leakage, they are not the same headphone)

Note that this happens at very low frequencies. Depending on the type of program material you're listening to, this may not be audible.

 

[KehaDNb]

It’s not a burn in thing??

 

[solderdude]

No... definitely seal.
That could also improve over time when pads slowly form to facial contours of the wearer.
The large pads of these particular hifiman models may not seal that well on some heads (depends on shape of the head).
A worse seal can actually make the bass more pronounced.

 

[oratory1990]

It’s not a burn in thing??

No, this has absolutely nothing to do with burn-in.

A worse seal can actually make the bass more pronounced.

At least partially, yes. It will add a resonance that adds SPL at some frequencies - but at frequencies below that resonance the bass will inevitably drop.

 

[Blorg]

@oratory1990 you can see in that graph the boost is much further down on the Edition XS compared with the Ananda. And that would mesh with my subjective experience- the bass boost creating a gap is much more noticeable on the Ananda than the EXS. At least my hearing is more sensitive at 80Hz than 45Hz, and there is more music content at 80 as well. Subjectively, I notice a much more significant change lifting the cups on the Ananda than I do with the Edition XS.

 

[Luke Lemke]

Hi, the edition xs has been reviewed by rtings and miniklangwunder and they report that these headphones lean towards the harman targets response curve (40-50hz) but on the on the other hand oratory and resolve say there’s no bass elevation at all. Who to trust and where does this bass elevation comes from whatsoever?

I own the Edition XS. They are light on bass but just use a little EQ and they become wonderful headphones. The two main reasons I like them is comfort and soundstage. It's hard to find any cans that will beat the edition XS in its price range.

 

[KehaDNb]

I own the Edition XS. They are light on bass but just use a little EQ and they become wonderful headphones. The two main reasons I like them is comfort and soundstage. It's hard to find any cans that will beat the edition XS in its price range.

U are right but comfortable I prefer others it just don’t fit with smaller heads like mine

 

[Luke Lemke]

U are right but comfortable I prefer others it just don’t fit with smaller heads like mine

Yeah, I can understand that. I have a medium size head and I use them at the "minimum setting".

 

[KehaDNb]

Yeah, I can understand that. I have a medium size head and I use them at the "minimum setting".

+ u look like an idiot wearing them xd

 

[apharma]

I own the Edition XS. They are light on bass but just use a little EQ and they become wonderful headphones. The two main reasons I like them is comfort and soundstage. It's hard to find any cans that will beat the edition XS in its price range.

I just got mine and while they are bass light if you're going for the Harman target the fairly linear bass response all the way down in the sub bass is without comparison in this price bracket for open back headphones. For many people that might not be "bass heads" as I was called these are really good, you can hear and notice the full range of bass without it fizzling out like I've found on every other open back.

I have them eq'd to the Harman target and they sound amazing, just make sure you're not using the rtings eq (technically you shouldn't anyway) as they had a drop in sub bass that happens with poor fit so they have a +5db adjustment that starts distorting the bass quite a bit. I use Oratory1990 and it's an absolute dream headphone, this is my endgame, I can't see anything giving me a better listening experience and being worth the price and it's pretty comfortable too.

 

[Blorg]

For people saying they are "bass light", what's your comparison? For me, they have just about the most bass of any open back headphone I own, the bass is quite linear. Most open backs, and certainly almost all dynamics, have roll-off in the bass.

They have more bass extension than the likes of the Sennheiser HD600, HD650, HD800S, Focal Clear, Utopia, or from Hifiman the likes of the HE400SE or Ananda.

I'd say bass-wise I'd put them similar to the Hifiman Arya and HE6SEV2, which also have linear bass extension.

I'm just surprised people saying these are "bass light", they are not. Not for an open-back headphone, anyway. Maybe compared to a closed-back with a bass boost, but few well-regarded open backs have this. There are a few, like the Dan Clark Expanse, but they are the exception, and possibly get it through electronic means.

I second the Oratory Harman EQ, that's what I use on them.

 

[apharma]

For people saying they are "bass light", what's your comparison? For me, they have just about the most bass of any open back headphone I own, the bass is quite linear. Most open backs, and certainly almost all dynamics, have roll-off in the bass.

They have more bass extension than the likes of the Sennheiser HD600, HD650, HD800S, Focal Clear, Utopia, or from Hifiman the likes of the HE400SE or Ananda.

I'd say bass-wise I'd put them similar to the Hifiman Arya and HE6SEV2, which also have linear bass extension.

I'm just surprised people saying these are "bass light", they are not. Not for an open-back headphone, anyway. Maybe compared to a closed-back with a bass boost, but few well-regarded open backs have this. There are a few, like the Dan Clark Expanse, but they are the exception, and possibly get it through electronic means.

I second the Oratory Harman EQ, that's what I use on them.

It's subjective if we're talking about opinions on bass light or heavy and will depend on genre of music.
I listen to rock, EDM, metal and a little bit of popular music but I also like the sound of the Harman curve, if that is your reference for a good sound then these will be bass light for you. Most closed backs I've come across have varying amounts of bass compared to open back headphones so if you've come from a closed back you will likely think it's bass light too.
If Harman isn't the sound you like and you prefer a flat bass with brighter mids/treble then these will appear to be perfect.

I fully agree that for open back headphones the bass on these is incredible and many competitors (even some several times more expensive) have that roll off between mid and sub bass. For me I wanted an open back that has a flat or even boosted bass, to get the wide soundstage too which I think these and a few other planar headphones are the only game in town. I wanted the sub bass as close to linear or boosted (for price) as I could so that when using an EQ you don't get lots of distortion, the wavelet app defaults to rtings EQ for the Edition XS and I can hear the distortion in the sub bass with it's +5dB boost, so look out for that if you use wavelet.

 

[srkbear]

I picked up a pair of these while in Germany recently, and when I returned home I auditioned them against the Arya Stealths, HE1000V2, HE1000se, and Susvaras. The Susvaras are a prime example of “bass light”, and since I am in the market for a rock and roll headphone, they were the easiest choice to send back.

Of the remainder, all had remarkable bass response, accuracy and punch, but the HE1000se was a little more prominent in the mid bass, giving them added warmth and fullness but a bit less slam. They also had a slightly (just slightly) less expansive soundstage than the other three, and some excess brightness that I found fatiguing after awhile.

The V2s sounded phenomenal—very wide soundstage, very smooth highs, and more sub bass compared to the se. But of the four the V2s don’t have the Stealth magnet, and they were audibly less detailed to my ears—not as fun or exciting either.

Narrowing down to the Arya SE and Edition XS, honestly they were extremely similar from a sound perspective, and I think they are both phenomenal. They both have plenty of bass, sub and mid, they both have the extraordinary comfort and fit of the oval pads. They also both share the stealth magnet, and they’re equally suitable to long listening sessions.

Their primary differences between them are in build. Although not as dazzling-looking as the HEK versions, which have an aluminum frame, innumerable swivel configurations, quality leather headbands and straps that alleviate the weight, and true metal grilles, the Arya SE is still very high quality and modern, and supremely comfortable.

Alternatively, the Edition XS, which I’d perhaps call a “bare bones” version of the Arya, has plastic instead of carbon fiber, a serviceable headband, metallic plastic for grilles, and no swivel options. But I don’t find them at all anemic in the bass as you suggest, and I think they’re the finest all-rounder for both critical listening and fun for under $500.

I ended up keeping the Edition XS for travel, the Arya Stealth for my workhorse option (I can’t stop listening to it), and the HEKse, because that brightness turned out to reveal an incomprehensible level of detail, and when it’s tamed with a bit of PEQ, they’re the most astonishing, thrilling and beautiful-sounding headphones I’ve ever heard.

 

[MrOtto]

Hifiman Edition XS on top for rtings' "neutral sound" category:

HiFiMan Edition XS Review

The HiFiMan Edition XS are open-back planar-magnetic headphones and are the next generation of the HiFiMan Edition X. Unlike their predecessor, they have a more ...

www.rtings.com