Hi guys.
So guys, a little BACKGROUND first:
I'd heard the Hifiman Edition X a looooooong time ago (prob 2016ish) and was really like... wow. But it was out of my [wallet's] league. Couple of years down and we're graced with the presence of the Massdrop x Hifiman Edition XX. I wanted to take a bite so bad - but then the availability, shipping times, duties and the mixed reviews didn't get my anywhere.
I was just strolling on AliExpress casually and lo and behold - saw the Hifiman Edition XS on AliExpress; just stumbled upon it. For $441ish, it really got me going and then I decided okay, I gotta get this now. Stealth magnets - thinner diaphragm - but most importantly, a price tag at less than $450!
Finally filled my cravings and ordered one off Hifigo. Maybe I could have waited for some reviews. But I knew I had to get one of the egg-shaped Hifimans now, enough is enough. So I bit the bullet - and I'm so glad that I did when I did.
I'm really - REALLY loving what I hear. Again, this may be quite subjective at this moment, but I'll throw in some initial impressions and details here with some photos. I don't see an Edition XS thread here so I'm going to put some info here.
I've read that this is [at the moment], a China-only edition, and will arrive in other markets soon - not sure how true this is.
HIFIMAN EDITION XS
[Impressions]
BUILD AND COMFORT:
Build quality is fine. Cups are plastic, they look okay, probably help keep the weight or the costs down, so I can understand the choice.
Good to see a more flexible swivel mechanism. It can be a bit flimsy, as a bit freely rotating a bit free shaking, but not too bad. Feels good to see the notched stepped cups extension slider. And this doesn't seem like the cheaper, scratchy implementation on the Sundaras.
The newer headband is well padded, and although a bit firm, it contours nicely with the head.
Weight distribution is good. Comfort could be just a tad bit better.
- EARPADS: Some misses on comfort could be because of the pads as they're a bit firm, and the fabric material on the pads that touch your ears/face may interact with facial hair. It gets a bit off after sometimes, so I've also ordered sheepskin earpads for these.
The cable is average - it's the same cable as the one with the HE-4XX. No great, but not terrible.
The yokes and the grills are the visible metal parts.
Drivers: dual-sided stealth magnets with yet, an even thinner diaphragm <<< (according to Hifiman).
SOUND:
Overall sound signature: I find them quite balanced. Passive damping is very good - can hear everything outside when not playing, which adds to a natural, speaker-like presentation to the sound. Non-fatiguing, laid back listening with nuances ever so pronounced. I'd say, a V tending towards a U curve, something like that - if that means anything.
Soundstage: As with most Hifimans, and better than the 4X0 series cans - the soundstage is good, with the vocals often taking the center spot. The soundstage, though not being huge, is quite big and tall as well as wide.
Mids: The mids are good - soft, relaxed sound overall with really inoffensive vocal delivery - not the best mids, but quite natural (to me) at that - I like the whole package. They're a bit laid back, but never too extreme at any point - almost never.
Treble: the treble extended - may get a bit hot, but nothing to seriously worry about. There's always a bit of a shine up there in Hifimans, but I don't find it too bothersome.
Bass: The bass and sub-bass regions are well textured and extended, and though not super punchy or dynamic, still present and satisfying. An owner suggests they go down to 10Hz, but I'm feeling more like 20Hz here. Still, with such large diaphragms, a wall of sound would be safe choice of words, and that translates most definitively in the lower frequencies.
Definition: How the highs are delivered definitely makes them rich and detailed - the airiness and definition is sound is there, well textured in the upper ranges - like I mentioned, the nuances are quite there in that region. They're not crazy detailed, but enough to spot out the ambient sounds in orchestral recordings.
Airiness: Definitely airy, and that really increases the scale of the sound - the headphones do attempt often to be forgotten and add immersion to it.
Imaging: Imaging is one of the stronger points here - I feel quite stellar. Top, bottom and wide, imaging is definitely attempting to be precise here or at least closer, with distinction and layers there.
Presentation: The L/R separation is quite nice and more than my other cans. This is the second of third pair of headphones that gives me the feeling of bookshelf speakers when I'm listening to them - the other two being the EMU Teak (open back modded) and the Focal Elex. I adore this kind of presentation where one can easily settle for headphones instead at those moments, and one doesn't miss their speakers as much. How I perceive this is that it requires low damping and more pronounced dynamics, both of which I can find in the Edition XS.
Music I listen to: Electronic (Trance, Deephouse, DNB, Trap etc.), occasional Orchestral, Jazz, OSTs etc. Preferably music with good bass and sub-bass.
WRAPPING UP:
At the price, it's definitely a step up from the 4X0 series and a reminiscent of the Edition X sound to me (which I adore).
It hits the final nail on my planar collection really well (400i, 4xx, Monolith M1060C) and I can say that it's the best of my bunch. I do have a Focal Elex, Senn H6XXs, EMU Teaks and other [inferior per me] cans. I can say the Edition XS sound thick and laid back (what I like about the EMU Teaks), and more open and airy than the Focal Elex, with an even better soundstage than the Focals (many know the Focals are a bit shy there).
I don't have the Focals with me at the moment (those were my previous endgame headphones), but it seems that the Edition XS may be ahead of them in many attributes, except perhaps not in dynamics and punchiness. But these do feel like my personal end-game with the Focal Elex giving me a complimenting flavor.
I am very happy with them, though I must state that this may or may not apply to you, as I have not heard the Ananda or the Arya or the Edition X V2 or any others up the line to compare, so I can't quite comment how this would sound for an owner of either of those previous ones. But these probably may be mid-tier endgame for some folks.
For the price, the range of Hifiman's egg-shaped headphones cult has now been made even more accessible to the masses, and it's a welcoming move! I can finally sleep well!
PS: I did a little disassembly for you to see the components better if it helps anyone.
EDIT: A couple of us early buyers are giving out there impressions (you can check head-fi, hifi-guides etc.) and so far, we're all a happy little bunch - just sayin...
