It has been two months since a bought a pair of brand new Sundaras. And now everyone is saying Edition XS is a step up. Oh well.
Joking aside, there is no standardized measurements of these yet but, from the reviews, what I understand is Edition XS have better bass, (maybe doesn't roll off in the sub bass area as much as Sundara) and have classic 2k mid dip which in Sundaras minimal.
Sundaras are my only planars but I'm expecting a pair of Sendy Peacock to arrive. I guess I'm good without XSs.
Sorry for thinking loud.
Understand where you're coming from. Thing is here, one real important thing in the Sundara vs XS comparison really is the physical size of the headphones. You see, larger, egghead planars will almost always be better than the rounder ones (real few, maybe one odd exception here), but this is what will generally be the case. The Susvara is a different animal - yet even that is still a little larger than round Hifimans.
Same would be true when you'd compare the LCD1 with LDC2s or higher ones etc. Even with monoprice monoliths, the 570 variants when compared to the 1060/70,1570 variants. Larger - is going to have it's own advantages. This comes especially with soundstage, naturality, and airiness and openness.
But the Sundaras have been around for quite a while now - the XS is a new release, and for all purposes, a much economical, cheapened version of the Edition X, Ananda, Aryas for example. It's already being compared with those cans. You don't usually pit any He-400 series cans or something against those big dogs - but the XS has to be pit with them to see how it compares. And many folks around that I see are at least as happy with the XS as they would be with the Ananda.
Now, the XS may not make a lot of sense to existing Arya.Ananda,X owners, like I've stated before - but it really is something else entirely for He400/500/Sundara owners.
That's how I'd respond to the general perception of 'better', and why that is really happening.
Let's not forget - given the price (where it can go as low as $380 at some places), and the use of the better magnetic design (stealth), which well, let's not glorify is more than it deserves, but it's still a feature Hifiman stresses on, and even prices it's variants accordingly - so all that, does actually make the Edition XS a
breakthrough product. We may consider the Sundara an equally breakthrough product at the time - but that's old news now.
Guess you bought it a bit late. I always felt like buying it while it was making waves, but something held me back.
Now I feel content that I held back and bought the
better cans.