solderdude
Grand Contributor
My review of the HIFIMAN Edition XS is now up.
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Hifiman Edition XS
- Thread starter mr.at
- Start date
Guys I'm finding myself listening to all types of music with this new pair of headphones. I'm still using mobo + spotify and I can't believe that it could sound better than this honestly haha. I'm ready to be wrong though. Looking every day at dac/amps reviews and videos. I don't want to spend too much in case. Now I've come across the Topping L30, the DX1, JDL Atom and also just found the cute Ifi Uno. I'm listening to music at almost maxed volume at the moment with my pc, but it has become more a thing of curiosity now.
Always great to read your opinions!
Always great to read your opinions!
It doesn't sound much better no matter how much money you put into dac/amp if you already have necessary volume. The first three options you mentioned are all solid ones, the DX1 has also DAC so that would be my recommendation. If you want to future proof just a bit then the DX3 Pro+ is endgame level option for $200.
And do yourself a favor and stop going through amp/dac reviews, otherwise you just might start believe at least a bit that dacs/ams really have the flowery sound characteristics mentioned in subjectivist reviews and you fall into rabbit hole. Then you waste couple years/months and some money until you finally blind test the equipment and are forced to admit the boxes all sound the same.
Good one, pretty much agree with every thing.
But, why would you describe it as Semi-Open?
It is fully open, I know, I ripped it open when I first got mine.
There is nothing at the back! just the magnets, a mesh fabric for protection and the back metal grill.
That's what I thought.. but I had discussions with people saying that volume doesn't mean that I'm driving them correctly and stuff like that.
Btw, if you say that they make no difference pretty much, why would I go for a DX3 Pro+ instead of a cheaper one? (Bluetooth aside)
If you want it to sound better use EQ, then consider using other DACS/amps, but EQ will effect the sound more to the positive than just changing your DAC/amp equipment.
solderdude
Grand Contributor
Semi open is fully open back volume (rear) and closed front volume, so no 'leaky' pads and no porting from rear to front side.
I know it sounds weird to call it semi-open as it lets in sound virtually not attenuated and everyone around you can hear what is playing.
The DX3 Pro+ has many times more power and this might be useful with less sensitive headphones. I believe the DX1 might not be enough for high volume listening with harder to drive cans, something like Sennheiser HD600 series or Dan Clark Audios.
It's double the price but as it's pretty cheap even then I would go with that.
Mh ok makes sense. Let's say that I won't be getting a new pair of headphones (this might age like milk), using a calculator I found the EDXS needs around 1.00V to be driven at 110db. At this point, every neutral dac/amp combo with enough power would do the job? Or maybe even just an amp, without a dedicated DAC.
Yes, it's not that hard headphone to drive.
As for getting just the amp: currently you don't need even that. But if you want new equipment just for fun, get DX3 Pro+ and you are done, no need to look at reviews any more.
I suppose you can twist it that way!
But to most, a semi-open headphone, simply means, partly open back, like some Beyer headphones.
Just Google "semi-open headphones" and see how many people share your description.
It is a minor point, but can be confusing to some.
Good review and measurements.
I too, did a subjective review of the same about a 1.5 year ago, and just by ear ! I came up with a -1.5dB bass cut at 120Hz ( I wear glasses) and 3dB boost at 2100Hz ( Later 1.5K to 2.2k) .
Also, in my review, I mentioned that there was something at about 5.5kHz that I couldn't put my finger on, a shouty attribute! Now, look at your distortion graphs, that's what I was hearing. I later on suggested a mod. for it. I put it down to the ringing of the back-grill metal bars. Just give the large ones a flick with your nails (like a guitar) and hear them ring away!
That was in Dec. 21.
Who says you can't trust your ears? You can trust mine
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Ha, sounds like dangerous talk!I suppose you can twist it that way!
But to most, a semi-open headphone, simply means, partly open back, like some Beyer headphones.
Just Google "semi-open headphones" and see how many people share your description.
It is a minor point, but can be confusing to some.
Good review and measurements.
I too, did a subjective review of the same about a 1.5 year ago, and just by ear ! I came up with a -1.5dB bass cut at 120Hz ( I wear glasses) and 3dB boost at 2100Hz ( Later 1.5K to 2.2k) .
Also, in my review, I mentioned that there was something at about 5.5kHz that I couldn't put my finger on, a shouty attribute! Now, look at your distortion graphs, that's what I was hearing. I later on suggested a mod. for it. I put it down to the ringing of the back-grill metal bars. Just give the large ones a flick with your nails (like a guitar) and hear them ring away!
That was in Dec. 21.
Who says you can't trust your ears? You can trust mine
(I'm not involved enough in the detail of this to qualify or abuse!)
solderdude
Grand Contributor
I suppose you can twist it that way!
Nah, this is the official description as per IEC 60268-7, not mine.
It is not determined by a majority vote of internet warriors
I have tried, yet apart from that one post on reddit, I can not find anything else regarding official definition according to the IEC.Nah, this is the official description as per IEC 60268-7, not mine.
It is not determined by a majority vote of internet warriors
Can you? please send me a link to read.
solderdude
Grand Contributor
You are questioning what Oratory 1990 wrote about this ?
I question everybody!!
If there are not too many hits on the net, most would go with the common description of the phrase.
At any rate, as I said before, it was a minor point.
I still stick to my guns that it is confusing to most people, even though it might be correct by scientific standards groups.
Perhaps you could put in brackets, the definition of semi-open according to ITC.
solderdude
Grand Contributor
Already did include a small description in the review a few days ago.
Despite semi-open not sounding intuitively correct to most people the factual technical description is.
Despite semi-open not sounding intuitively correct to most people the factual technical description is.
There you go, I am proud of you.
Did you glance at my review?
It is amazing that I could, not only hear the distortion peak, but also guess the frequency of it (almost).
I am proud of my ears!
OP
mr.at
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Hi Ken,There you go, I am proud of you.
Did you glance at my review?
It is amazing that I could, not only hear the distortion peak, but also guess the frequency of it (almost).
I am proud of my ears!
What frequency range is that? Just curious.
I think, having just read @solderdude review, it should be around 4kHz.
Btw, It's probably hard for me to judge an headphone from those charts, but reading it almost made me feel like the EDXS is nothing special, and actually has more peaks and dips in the frequency response than a HD560s for example, but there's probably much more into the equation in being a good headphone than frequency response.
Anyways, my research for amp/dacs is still going, it's my favourite hobby atm haha
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