Hifiman Edition X Review:
Update: added Edition X V2
First, a little about the Hifiman HE1000
(History on Hifiman’s Flagship (big brother of the Edition X):
Let’s take a moment and back up so we can cover a little history about Hifiman’s success with their current top of the line headphone; HE1000. Many people commonly refer to them as the HEK or HE1K. The HE1000 has the claim to fame of the World’s first Nanometer thick diaphragms. Dr. Fang Bian, the owner and innovator of Hifiman, has studied long and hard to become a leader in the nano technology market. Dr. Fang produced a headphone with ultra-precise audio reproduction that only a handful of headphones could be considered competition.
The HE1000 comes in with an MSRP price of $2999! Hifiman has successfully set the bar very high for other companies to compete with the HEK. This supercan is able to surpass many of the limits of most headphones today. The HEK is truly an amazing piece of summit-Fi that simply needs to be heard to be fully appreciated. Hifiman has won countless positive reviews and awards for this Flagship headphone. Headphone Guru gave it the title of Headphone of the Year 2015, which is really not much of a surprise. It’s also won an innovation award from CES 2016.
Now, onto the Hifiman Edition X:
Dr. Fang decided to reach for a specific market which wants no limits, and demands a flagship headphone that is capable of being sensitive enough that it can be driven from most portable devices. Hifiman’s newest controversial headphone that hits a market niche that not many headphones have achieved. Is the Hifiman Edition X everything it promises to be, or is this a potential failure for Hifiman? The Edition X was officially announced, last year, in October of 2015 @ RMAF. This headphone caught everyone’s attention as it came as an absolute surprise to many.
The Edition X, a.k.a HEX, is Fang’s newest creation and priced at a fair MSRP of $1799. The performance of the Edition X is in-line with the HE1000, yet at a fraction of the price. Neither of these headphones are targeted at the entry level, mid-Fi market, etc. These are summit-Fi headphones for those who demand the best sound quality. How do they stack up? Is the HE1000 worth 1200usd more than the Edition X? Is the Edition X or HE1000 the right headphone for you?
Planar Magnetics have been known to be very inefficient, and often times large and bulky, yet the Edition X has changed this whole idea. They are ultra-light, comfortable, and insanely efficient to drive.
So to review the Edition X, below is a list of the control gear used to test these headphones.
Now, onto the Hifiman Edition X V2:
The Edition X V2 is Hifiman's attempt at fixing the shortcomings of the first revision. They all minor tweaks. So don't fret if you have a pair of HEX revision 1! The main changes you'll notice right away are the general appearance updates. The blue chrome finish of V1 is quite nice in my opinion and i'm sad to see it go or replaced with a new satin finish metallic black finish. A major improvement has been made with the yokes. The yokes are now metal with V2 and feel more solid and of quality than the V1. Another very welcome revision is the pad style change. The V2 pads are clearly thicker than the V1's. I've noted the issues with V1's pads being too narrow and allowing some people with large ears to touch the driver. These new pads address this issue quite well and further improve sound stage slightly. The dealbreaker with V1 has been addressed with an updated fitment and adjustment options of the headband. Now it is able to fit a wider range of head types. Great job Hifiman! Thank you for listening to your customers and reviewers! This is a prime example of a company that cares to improve their product and tweak it to make it just right. The new V2 is overall an excellent pair of cans that still remains to be one of my favorites.You might be thinking, "what about the drivers?!"... The drivers are the same as far as I can tell. It looks like nothing at all has changed. All sound improvements come directly from a pad improvement. But if you have V1's, don't fret! you're not missing out on much by upgrading to the V2 unless you have fitment problems or simple must have the newest, latest and greatest for bragging rights.
Below are some photos showing V2 and V1 side by side:
take note the V2 is on the left (satin finish metallic black) and the V1 on the right (blue/black chrome)
Clearly the pads on the V2 are thicker. Nice and soft! they tend to hold in sound a little better.
take note the difference between the adjustments and yoke designs. The V1's plastic yokes are thicker and adjustment range is limited.
This view shows the material changes of the pads. The new V2 has a less grippy/grabby material which is "cooler" less warm and fuzzy like the V1.
the new updated cables included in the V2 HEX. The box they came in is the same as far as I can tell. These cables are very soft and flexible. Kinda neat you can see the cable as it's clear silicone it seems. They are very soft silicone I think.
Testing Gear Overview:
Desktop Amp/DAC +Other/Extras:
Amp/Dac:
Audio-GD Master 11 w/Audio-GD DIU8 DDC modded with Crystek 957’s
Power Conditioning:
PSAudio P300 A/C Regenerator (SR Teslaplex/Gaofei Rhodium/Redcopper) (AudioHorizon Platinum Reference Fuse with WA-Quantum Chip)
Power cables:
Cerious Graphene Extreme Power Conditioner Cables/SR
Tesla T1 SE/PSaudio 6guage Lab Cable Cryo’d +AG/RC SonarQuest connectors
USB Cables:
LHLabs 2G split cable + Supra USB cable
Headphone Cables: stock Hifiman cables and Norne Audio Silvergard S/Zoetic/Eternus for HEX and HEK
Other:
Paul Pang V3 OCXO USB 3.0 card powered by Paul Hynes SR3 5V/7V/9V/12V LPS
Intona Industrial model High Speed USB Isolator
Portable Amp/DAC:
Iphone 6, Ipad Mini 3
Headphones in this comparison:
Hifiman Edition X, Hifiman HE1000, Sennheiser HD800, Oppo PM3
----------------
Update: My setup has changed since then and is now the following:
Desktop Amp/DAC +Other/Extras:
Amp/Dac/DDC:
LV3 Spring Dac +iFi Pro iCan amp (system 1) - Audio-GD NOS11 (modded with silvergarde S wire to replace all copper wire, added EiZZ RCA and XLR connectors) Paired w/Singxer SU1 DDC (system 2) Also testing with Sonore Microrendu
Power Conditioning:
KitsuneTuned 800watt OType Isolation transformer w/Mundorf Supreme Oil/Silver caps, Quad rectifier filter, one Furutech NCF duplex and one Synergistic research UEF black duplex - no fuse, this uses a breaker! wired up with 2mm pure silver solid core wire.
Power cables:
Cerious Graphene Extreme Power Conditioner Cables/SR
Accuphase 40th aniv + Maze Audio Ref4 carbon
USB Cables/USB other:
LHLabs 2G split cable + Supra USB cable + Jcat Isolator USB patch cable
Headphone Cables: stock Hifiman cables and Norne Audio Silvergard S/Zoetic/Eternus for HEX and HEK
Other:
Paul Pang V3 OCXO USB 3.0 card powered by Paul Hynes SR3 5V/7V/9V/12V LPS
Jcat Intona Industrial model High Speed USB Isolator
Holo Audio Titanis Turbo USB 800ma
Less Loss USB key Firewall
Wireworld Starlight 0.3M HDMi i2s Cable
Portable Amp/DAC:
Iphone 6, Ipad Mini 3
Headphones in this comparison:
Hifiman Edition X, Hifiman Edition X V2, Hifiman HE1000, Sennheiser HD800, Oppo PM3
Music for Testing:
Amber Rubarth – Novocaine (Sessions from the 17th Ward)
My first experience with the Edition X I decided to throw on some music that I’m most familiar with. I chose to listen to some Amber Rubarth and began with her track called “Novocaine. Immediately I was drawn in by strum of the acoustic bass and guitar thus became lost in the music. The detail retrieval was absolutely astonishing and greatly reminded me of the HE1000’s sound signature. It felt ever-so slightly more engaging due to the very wide soundstage, which is likely due to the massive-open grille design. David Chesky is a well-known binaural recording artist whom is likely responsible for this effect. Immediately the music drew me in and I had to hear more familiar songs.
Cold Cold Heart - Norah Jones
Cold Cold Heart - Norah Jones
Norah Jones has released albums that are bordering on perfection when it comes to recording quality. She has many songs that are quite popular in my playlists and surely are among collections of many lovers of high end audio. Treat yourself to some 24/192 recordings of Norah.
This is a song in particular which I’ve used for comparison with the DDC’s and their detail retrieval. There is a short and tight acoustic bass plucking in the beginning of this song that either is clearly pronounced or is muffled slightly depending on the power implementation, crystal oscillators, headphones etc. I have gotten it dialed in sounding absolutely stunning. This is a song I prefer with the Edition X over any headphone I’ve tried. Yes, any!
Video Games (Omid 16B Remix) - Lana Del Rey
Video Games (Omid 16B Remix) - Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey has so many great songs, yet oddly I’ve chose this one because of the dynamic changing soundstage. It is a remix which pans her voice all around in front of you. At the very same time, you’ll experience the rhythm of a deep thunderous bass beat while instruments flow all around you. It’s actually quite relaxing as much as it is hypnotic and mesmerizing to follow the movement of her voice. This is a great track to see how well a pair of headphones can image this information, all while pounding a deep sub-bass beat.
Robert Len - Brasilia
Robert Len - Brasilia
This song has so many different instruments going on at once, it’s quite difficult to list them all, from chimes, brass, classical guitar, maracas, cymbals, drums. It’s a beautiful track that draws you in deeper. The recording quality is phenomenal and stands out in my collection of headphone benchmarking music. The Edition X does very well here.
Bondax – Gold
Bondax – Gold
Heavier and more upbeat bass is found in this track. It has extensive deep bass that hits quite hard while mixing with piano and bubbly synth and higher male vocals. While Edition X holds its own, the HE1000 truly is the best at this track. There is no question about that. This can push a headphone to how well it can control bass notes for extended periods.
Wies Ingwersen - Wailin Wall (Siltech High-End Audiophile Test Demo CD Vol 1)
Wies Ingwersen - Wailin Wall (Siltech High-End Audiophile Test Demo CD Vol 1)
Quite possibly one of my favorite tracks in my list of music. This song caught me off guard at first. Ingwersen’s voice is so crisp and clear you can hear every tiny breath and annunciation. The music is very soft and calming. It has a piano melody, deep bass string beat, some cymbals and chimes to add contrast.
Glass Animals – Hazey – (Zaba)
Glass Animals – Hazey – (Zaba)
Glass Animals’ whole album is quite good and it is difficult to choose just one song that I would call my favorite. But Hazey surely won me over with its incredible contrasting choice of instruments and catchy beat. Starts with Deep bass and a snap of a finger for a snare like sound. The music videos from these guys are quite entertaining and just strange in general. I recommend you give the Glass Animals a listen.
Saint Preux – Concerto pour deux voix
Saint Preux – Concerto pour deux voix
Jean-Baptiste Maunier and Clémence Saint-Preux have joined together, to recreate an emotional song that pushes the limits of one’s ability to sing. Both of these young artists will leave you impressed with their talent. The song begins with the detail of a guitar strumming along with Jean-Baptistes’s opera like singing. Clemence soon joins in and they trade back and forth with notes that few could ever reach. It’s quite an experience to hear. Please give this a listen.
Wim Essed and Henk Sprengen – On the Job (Marantz Hi-End Audiophile Test demo CD Collection)
Wim Essed and Henk Sprengen – On the Job (Marantz Hi-End Audiophile Test demo CD Collection)
This song intro’s with some of the best strings I’ve heard in a track. Lots of plucking of acoustic guitar and double bass. This track you can hear the strings as the bow and fingers rub against it. You’ll likely be drawn into this track. The Edition X puts you right there with the players.
Anne Cambier, Stijn Saveniers, I Justiniani – G. Caccini – Ave Maria (Winter Music)
Anne Cambier, Stijn Saveniers, I Justiniani – G. Caccini – Ave Maria (Winter Music)
The most relaxing of all the music I’ve chosen. The voice of Anne Cambier can be soothing and healing. Her voice and the lute make me envision being at a very high class opera in Antwerp. Breathtaking.
Eden Atwood – Blame it on my Youth – This Is Always: The Ballad Session
Eden Atwood – Blame it on my Youth – This Is Always: The Ballad Session
Eden Atwood is actually a new find for me. However did I miss this, I don’t know. Her voice is stunning and recorded very well. I tend to be drawn to music with a double bass and female vocals of this nature. Perfect music to relax to and put your headphones to the test.
Puente Celeste - Chiquita
This a great song that tends to fade in and out of silence. A great DSD track that is free for download on nativedsd.com. This track sounds fantastic system 1 setup. The HEX V2 tends to further improve sound stage.
Album: Raizes
Artist: Laura Polence, Breno Viricimo
Song: Counting Frogs
This is another calm relaxed song that tests the sound floor. sounds coming from the deep blacks. Yet another female vocal track. I try to focus my reviews to female vocals. They tend to be the hardest to reproduce well. Yet the EditionX v1/v2 does this with ease.
Vanessa Fernandez - I want to be with you.
This track I really like the simplistic sound yet is a great example of the clarity that any headphone can deliver in regards to female vocals. Vanessa's voice is quite impressive through a pair of Edition X V2's. The whole album "use me" is recommended.
Sound:
With the Edition X being the newest Hifiman on the roster, I’d say it has one of the more unique signatures. Also, they likely the most neutral sounding headphones that Hifiman has released to date. According to InnerFidelity’s graphs;
Looking at these graphs show that the Edition X is quite a flat and neutral headphone. It does not dip down approx. 4-5db from 1.8Khz-2.2Khz like the HE1000. This actually sounds quite nice in presentation IMHO. I find that I enjoy the Edition X headphones with a lot of female vocal music. I personally find that it complements that style of music, therefore I chose many tracks to test that fit this criteria.
Overall sound:
Edition X
I’m not going to say either the HE1000 or Edition X is better than the other, since sound is subjective and quite simply the HE1000 and Edition X are not quite in the same category of headphone. I really do enjoy the Edition X headphones for particular styles of music. I find the Edition X is excellent competition to the HD800. I believe Dr. Fang had his sights set on creating a headphone that fit in the category of below 2000usd that would compete with the likes of the LCD3, HD800, and Ether etc.
This quite possibly would be my favorite headphone in this category by a long shot. The sound signature is absolutely addicting and suits the style of music I listen to most. It’s the most relaxed sounding of all Hifiman headphones. Simply put, I would not call this a bright headphone. In contrast to the Edition X the HE1000 has an air of brightness.
Overall, this a headphone I can sit and listen to for 8+ hours in a day and not feel fatigued from an overly bright sound. It’s NOT perfect, but no headphone is. This is a very well balanced headphone that does everything quite well, and really nothing it does poorly. Being that the HE1000 is approximately 1200usd more than the Edition X than it leaves me to say the Edition X is a bargain and can
deliver spectacular and competitive results in the sub 2000usd headphone range.
Edition X V2
I can't really say much other than with the new pads the sounds stage seems to have improved slightly and the mids are slightly more forward it seems. If you're using the stock cable, at least in my opinion... don't. As the V1 cable seems grainy or sibilant even. The new V2 cable is slight improvement but still not a very good match imho. I'm a bit disappointed they didn't release the V2 with the balanced cable. I think this headphone scales well with amps and benefits improved sound from a quality cable and summit grade amp. But the sound quality is hard to improve to be honest. I loved the signature of the V1, and it seems this may have changed so very slightly. I am aware a simple pad change can make a positive improvement or potentially make things worse. I truly believe Hifiman did their homework on these new pads, they are the highlight of the new updates for me personally. Thank you Hifiman!
Cable Comparisons:
note: Norne Audio Silvergarde S balanced, Norne Audio Zoetic balanced and Norne Audio and Eternus cables were used to compare vs the stock cable. The best match for the Edition X and HEK was a tie for the Silvergarde S and the Eternus, both cables were quite unique for silver cables as they did NOT add brightness to either headphone, yet they refined throughout the range and removed whatever subtle graininess that was found with the stock Hifiman crystalline cable. The Zoetic is a good alternative to save money and is still quite an improvement over the stock crystalline cable! Norne cables are known for their extremely high quality build and materials, each of these cables is terminated with a Tellerium copper pins and gold plating, the most ideal connector to have. Also some cables have the option for a wood splitter or even machined aluminum if you care for extra details.
Silvergarde S (bottom in photo): micro details are maximized, full range is incredibly detailed and balanced, smooths out subtle graininess without any loss in detail. This cable is excellent if every way! The only fault I can give it is that it's somewhat stiff and less comfortable than the other cables tested. The zoetic is by far the most comfortable, flexible etc. This still is my #1 cable for the Edition X V2.
Eternus (middle left in photo): same as the Silvergarde S but ever so slight increase in sound stage...yet too small to really put your finger on it.
Zoetic (top in photo): pure copper/textile based cable that brings solid bass control and sub bass response, pure clean mids and refined top end yet not quite as smooth and detailed as the silvergarde S top end. Although this is wise choice for keeping costs down for a cable, it's quite a bit better than the stock cable. The Zoetic is an all textile based cable with carbon fiber cores, It's ultra flexible and lightweight by design. It's an incredibly well designed cable that simple sounds stunning for it's price point.
Hifiman Stock cable (middle right in photo): Crystalline copper with Crystalline silver plating: This cable sounds a bit thin compared to it's compared rivals. Bass control and sub bass extension is clearly not as refined. mid range is slightly grainy and top end has a subtle amount of sibilance that is likely due to the silver plated copper. Sibilance tends to be common when using silver plated copper with certain headphones. Personally I believe the stock cable is not a great match for this calibre of headphones.
Overall what can you expect from changing the cable? 5-10% increase of sound quality is reasonable to expect depending on the cable choice. Each Amp/Dac and can can influence the cable choice that is best for your setup. But more than likely if you're looking for the ultimate cable for your Edition X, the Silvergarde S is the one to look at. That goes for the HE1000 as well. But if you can afford an Eternus, that would be another 1% yet at an enormous price. I can't recommend the Eternus as a cable due to it's price to performance ratio when comparing it to the Silvergarde S. I know we are to be talking about the HD800 and PM3 a little in this review as well. These headphones pair with difference cables! The HD800 is best paired with a Norne Audio Draug 2 as it will reduce the bleeding glare that HD800 is known for yet also increase micro-detail and bass extension and control. My wife's PM3 we found that the Zoetic is the best match for that headphone. (I have a Draug2 on order for my HD800's)
note: we had an accident with the PM3 Zoetic cable and accidently damaged the end connector. We sent it back to norne for repairs and my wife has since refused to listen to her PM3's as she says they sound too thin and tinny with the stock cable. I love this, and find it humerous. We are patiently waiting for her cable to return so she can enjoy her headphones again.
Comparison of HEX vs HEK:
This a great song that tends to fade in and out of silence. A great DSD track that is free for download on nativedsd.com. This track sounds fantastic system 1 setup. The HEX V2 tends to further improve sound stage.
Album: Raizes
Artist: Laura Polence, Breno Viricimo
Song: Counting Frogs
This is another calm relaxed song that tests the sound floor. sounds coming from the deep blacks. Yet another female vocal track. I try to focus my reviews to female vocals. They tend to be the hardest to reproduce well. Yet the EditionX v1/v2 does this with ease.
Vanessa Fernandez - I want to be with you.
This track I really like the simplistic sound yet is a great example of the clarity that any headphone can deliver in regards to female vocals. Vanessa's voice is quite impressive through a pair of Edition X V2's. The whole album "use me" is recommended.
Sound:
With the Edition X being the newest Hifiman on the roster, I’d say it has one of the more unique signatures. Also, they likely the most neutral sounding headphones that Hifiman has released to date. According to InnerFidelity’s graphs;
EditionX
HE1000
Looking at these graphs show that the Edition X is quite a flat and neutral headphone. It does not dip down approx. 4-5db from 1.8Khz-2.2Khz like the HE1000. This actually sounds quite nice in presentation IMHO. I find that I enjoy the Edition X headphones with a lot of female vocal music. I personally find that it complements that style of music, therefore I chose many tracks to test that fit this criteria.
Overall sound:
Edition X
I’m not going to say either the HE1000 or Edition X is better than the other, since sound is subjective and quite simply the HE1000 and Edition X are not quite in the same category of headphone. I really do enjoy the Edition X headphones for particular styles of music. I find the Edition X is excellent competition to the HD800. I believe Dr. Fang had his sights set on creating a headphone that fit in the category of below 2000usd that would compete with the likes of the LCD3, HD800, and Ether etc.
This quite possibly would be my favorite headphone in this category by a long shot. The sound signature is absolutely addicting and suits the style of music I listen to most. It’s the most relaxed sounding of all Hifiman headphones. Simply put, I would not call this a bright headphone. In contrast to the Edition X the HE1000 has an air of brightness.
Overall, this a headphone I can sit and listen to for 8+ hours in a day and not feel fatigued from an overly bright sound. It’s NOT perfect, but no headphone is. This is a very well balanced headphone that does everything quite well, and really nothing it does poorly. Being that the HE1000 is approximately 1200usd more than the Edition X than it leaves me to say the Edition X is a bargain and can
deliver spectacular and competitive results in the sub 2000usd headphone range.
Edition X V2
I can't really say much other than with the new pads the sounds stage seems to have improved slightly and the mids are slightly more forward it seems. If you're using the stock cable, at least in my opinion... don't. As the V1 cable seems grainy or sibilant even. The new V2 cable is slight improvement but still not a very good match imho. I'm a bit disappointed they didn't release the V2 with the balanced cable. I think this headphone scales well with amps and benefits improved sound from a quality cable and summit grade amp. But the sound quality is hard to improve to be honest. I loved the signature of the V1, and it seems this may have changed so very slightly. I am aware a simple pad change can make a positive improvement or potentially make things worse. I truly believe Hifiman did their homework on these new pads, they are the highlight of the new updates for me personally. Thank you Hifiman!
Cable Comparisons:
note: Norne Audio Silvergarde S balanced, Norne Audio Zoetic balanced and Norne Audio and Eternus cables were used to compare vs the stock cable. The best match for the Edition X and HEK was a tie for the Silvergarde S and the Eternus, both cables were quite unique for silver cables as they did NOT add brightness to either headphone, yet they refined throughout the range and removed whatever subtle graininess that was found with the stock Hifiman crystalline cable. The Zoetic is a good alternative to save money and is still quite an improvement over the stock crystalline cable! Norne cables are known for their extremely high quality build and materials, each of these cables is terminated with a Tellerium copper pins and gold plating, the most ideal connector to have. Also some cables have the option for a wood splitter or even machined aluminum if you care for extra details.
Silvergarde S (bottom in photo): micro details are maximized, full range is incredibly detailed and balanced, smooths out subtle graininess without any loss in detail. This cable is excellent if every way! The only fault I can give it is that it's somewhat stiff and less comfortable than the other cables tested. The zoetic is by far the most comfortable, flexible etc. This still is my #1 cable for the Edition X V2.
Eternus (middle left in photo): same as the Silvergarde S but ever so slight increase in sound stage...yet too small to really put your finger on it.
Zoetic (top in photo): pure copper/textile based cable that brings solid bass control and sub bass response, pure clean mids and refined top end yet not quite as smooth and detailed as the silvergarde S top end. Although this is wise choice for keeping costs down for a cable, it's quite a bit better than the stock cable. The Zoetic is an all textile based cable with carbon fiber cores, It's ultra flexible and lightweight by design. It's an incredibly well designed cable that simple sounds stunning for it's price point.
Hifiman Stock cable (middle right in photo): Crystalline copper with Crystalline silver plating: This cable sounds a bit thin compared to it's compared rivals. Bass control and sub bass extension is clearly not as refined. mid range is slightly grainy and top end has a subtle amount of sibilance that is likely due to the silver plated copper. Sibilance tends to be common when using silver plated copper with certain headphones. Personally I believe the stock cable is not a great match for this calibre of headphones.
Overall what can you expect from changing the cable? 5-10% increase of sound quality is reasonable to expect depending on the cable choice. Each Amp/Dac and can can influence the cable choice that is best for your setup. But more than likely if you're looking for the ultimate cable for your Edition X, the Silvergarde S is the one to look at. That goes for the HE1000 as well. But if you can afford an Eternus, that would be another 1% yet at an enormous price. I can't recommend the Eternus as a cable due to it's price to performance ratio when comparing it to the Silvergarde S. I know we are to be talking about the HD800 and PM3 a little in this review as well. These headphones pair with difference cables! The HD800 is best paired with a Norne Audio Draug 2 as it will reduce the bleeding glare that HD800 is known for yet also increase micro-detail and bass extension and control. My wife's PM3 we found that the Zoetic is the best match for that headphone. (I have a Draug2 on order for my HD800's)
note: we had an accident with the PM3 Zoetic cable and accidently damaged the end connector. We sent it back to norne for repairs and my wife has since refused to listen to her PM3's as she says they sound too thin and tinny with the stock cable. I love this, and find it humerous. We are patiently waiting for her cable to return so she can enjoy her headphones again.
Comparison of HEX vs HEK:
Just from observing the HE1000 and Edition X, one can tell that the Edition X is mostly plastic (lighter in weight) and the HE1000 is mostly metal, albeit aluminum (still heavier). I believe the goal was to create a headphone that was lighter weight as well as being efficient to drive. The problem with the HE1000 is that it simply needs a fairly decent amp to get the best sound quality out of it. The Edition X truly is not demanding of its source. An iPhone, Android, Mojo or other portable device is more than capable of powering the Edition X with plenty of headroom to spare.
But I personally believe the Edition X can benefit from a higher end source. I am not saying it requires more power, but a very revealing R2R dac can really bring the best out of either of these two headphones. I did my testing on my Audio-GD M11 to hear what these headphones are truly capable of. This is something an iPhone cannot do. I don’t think it’s entirely fair to compare these two headphones since they are in significantly different price ranges. Although if you want to compare bang for buck than the Edition X definitely wins. The HE1000 is technically a very fine tuned instrument and delivers uncanny speed and precision and superior imaging to any headphone on the market. The Edition X also does these things quite well but a few steps behind its big brother.
When it comes to vocals I still find myself listening to the Edition X more than the HE1000. Certain tracks are just addicting and alive with the Edition X. Although with the HE1000 I’m amazed at its super tight and controlled sub-bass. There’s no question the HE1000 is superior to the Edition X in sub-bass. Just check the graphs from Inner Fidelity to prove this statement. The HE1000 is slightly better at upper end detail at the sacrifice of being marginally bright.
Note: I’ve found that pairing a proper headphone cable can make minor adjustments to the sound signatures and reduce the top end glare, and further extend the bass/sub-bass. I’ve tested the Silvergarde S cable from Norne and found this cable to improve the full range and reduce slight graininess in the Edition X in addition to the HE1000.
Comparison of HEX vs HD800:
Comparison of HEX vs HD800:
It was wholly entertaining to compare these two wonderful headphones. I can fault the HD800 on its cheap looking finish and ear bleeding peaky sound. For my tastes, I’ve found I need to use the Sonarworks plugin to enjoy the HD800’s, along with many other mods such as the Anaxilus mod, internal wiring upgrade and a Norne Audio Draug2 to clean up the sound and make this headphone absolutely spectacular. After all that, the HD800 costs more than a stock HifiMan Edition X. In comparison, the Edition X is very well tuned right out of the box. It’s not quite the same level the HD800 is with portraying a detailed image or wide soundstage. BUT, it’s very close.
I believe these two headphones both do so many things very well. I would leave it up to you to audition them and try for yourself. If you’re sensitive to treble peaks, the HD800 may need a bit of modding for you to “accept” it. The Edition X would be a great choice if you’re sensitive to sharp peaky treble since it’s quite pleasing to the ear and extremely musical. It doesn’t quite have the speed/decay of the HD800 but its close! The HD800 does some very key things better than the Edition X. I still find myself listening to the Edition X most of the time and letting my pair of HD800 collect dust. I wonder, why is this? Likely the reason is that I simply prefer the Edition X.
note: I am waiting for a Norne Audio Draug 2 cable to be made for my HD800's. I know this cable is quite amazing for the HD800. I've had one for a while to audition and I can't live without that cable and the HD800. In the meantime the HD800 collects more dust until then.
Fit and Finish:
note: I am waiting for a Norne Audio Draug 2 cable to be made for my HD800's. I know this cable is quite amazing for the HD800. I've had one for a while to audition and I can't live without that cable and the HD800. In the meantime the HD800 collects more dust until then.
Fit and Finish:
Personally, I absolutely love the Edition X’s styling and overall quality fit and finish. The grilles are quite attractive and directly from its big brother the HE1000. I personally really like the blue/black chrome finish and find it more attractive than the odd colored wood used on the HE1000. I also like the black headband with contrasting stitches. The black plastic frame, IMHO, is more attractive than the aluminum one used on the HE1000. Some complain about the plastic parts, yet they are quite durable and really lighten the headphone up. I have neck problems and find headphones such as Audeze to be unacceptable for my needs due to their bulky designs that add extreme weight. For instance the LCD4 is around 680grams vs the 399grams of the Edition X vs the HE1000 weighing in at 480grams. My previous pair of Hifiman’s before this were the HE-560 @ 375grams. I found the HE560’s to be one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever owned and I’m quite pleased with the Edition X as a formidable upgrade.
update: HEX V2
The V2 has increased transparency of the sound, the ear pad material has been changed from the former Velour ear pads. They are now Polyester to make the sound more crystal clear.The headband has also been updated similar to that of the HE 1000 V2.
Asymmetrical Ear Cups
Follows the natural shade of the human ear.
Hybrid Ear Pads
Beveled design conforms to the shape of the human skull while velour and pleather materials provide optimum comfort.
Lightweight, ergonomic headband
For better fit, improved sound and comfort for longer term listening
High Performance Cable
That is user-replaceable. Simple connectors allow easy switching or replacement to other cables.
One thing I noticed is that although the pads of the Edition X and HE1000 are the same, the ear room is limited in the Edition X. The HE1000 has a slightly more recessed driver that allows for maybe 1/8” or so more clearance inside. This is quite nice if you have larger ears. Personally I don’t find this to be a problem for me. If you have larger ears, you may want to be sure the fitment of the Edition X is acceptable for you. The most annoying thing I’ve found with the Edition X is the fitment of the headphone itself seems as if it was designed for quite large heads! I happen to have quite a large head yet I still find myself about 1-2 adjustments on the headband away from bottomed out. This shocked me, since on the HE1000 I have a lot more room to play with. My wife’s unable to wear the Edition X headphone since her head is too small, yet she can wear the HE1000. So if you do have a small head than I highly recommend you audition these Edition X’s before going out and purchasing them!
UPDATE: Edition X V2 pad changes in detail - they are my highlight of the update! these make the headphone quite special. But hard to justify upgrading from V1.
Amping needs:
The Edition X really is impressive in this regard. There isn’t much required to drive this headphone quite well. It’s driven quite well out of everything I’ve tested it with. @ 25ohm and 103db Sensitivity! The Edition X may be the most efficient Planar Magnetic headphone yet! My wife’s Oppo PM3’s are a bit like this @26ohm / 102db Sensitivity and would be the second most efficient planar magnetic driven headphone.
These are powered quite well from our Ipad Mini 3 and is my preferred way to listen when mobile. Personally I think these headphones scale better to a higher end amp and dac specifically. But the Ipad 3 Mini was quite impressive sounding and I even had a little headroom to spare in the volume control! On the other hand you may gain another 5-10% or more sound quality using a higher end amp/dac which in my opinion is quite significant. Surely not as much as you'd gain if it was a pair of HE1000's we were talking about; In this case, you'd gain 20-30% better sound quality going from a portable device to a high end amplifier and dac.
The Iphone6 powers these about as well yet I think the sound quality is slightly better with the Ipad Mini 3. My take on portable audio is that i'm not as critical due to the likelihood you're possibly not going to have a quite listening area and there may be noise around you. The source is not quite as important when you take that into account. You can get a lot of enjoyment from these headphones more than you would with the HE1000 for portable use. The HE1000 simply requires a bit too much power for most average portable devices to power them properly. Albeit you can listen to HE1000's on an iphone and it's not terrible, just not impressive. The Edition X is capable of sounding quite impressive off an average portable device.
Specifications:
Frequency Response: 8Hz - 50kHz
Sensitivity: 103dB
Impedance: 25 ± 3 ohm
Note: Dr Fang made a comment online about powering the Edition X’s.
“Don't use amps with more than 1W to drive them or else they will distort. I've seen people use EF6 to drive them which is silly...” (the EF has 5000mW @ 50ohm) "
Well, I can’t help but feel silly to power these Edition X’s on my M11 which has 16000mW of power per channel @ 25ohm or a better way to compare against EF6; M11 has "(8000mW @ 50ohm)". Fortunately it will scale well. I’m using approx. 40-45 steps out of 100 on my M11 amp. The volume control is super exponential and translates to about 2-2.5% of it’s power output. Or 320mW-400mW. This amount allows the Edition X to be capable to reach around 90-95db or so. update: Even my iFi amp is overkill for these cans. I found the Pro iCan to pair very very very well with these cans, my most preferred amp without question. The manufacturer some how believes too powerful of an amp is a problem. I don't agree. You just need a well built amp that scales well to all impedance of cans. the iFi Pro iCan has just that, and even my NOS11 scales to almost everything except the most sensitive of iems.
Misc Accessories Included:
The Edition X comes with two cables. One is a 6.3mm SE cable and the other is a 3.5mm SE cable. Sadly Hifiman did not include a 4pin XLR balanced cable like they did with their HE1000. The Edition X comes in a nice leather wrapped box and foam liner to protect these lovely headphones during shipping.
Note: Hifiman has mentioned that they fear people could over drive them with a balanced cable. Personally, I didn’t spend much time testing the Edition X with the SE cables. I used the HE1000 balance cable with my Master11 and almost exclusively listen to them with a Norne Audio Silvergarde S balanced cable.
Portable Use:
I must add this part of the review since this is something Dr. Fang claims to have built the Edition X for. Personally I don’t feel the Edition X is suited for portability in all situations. They are simple large, too expensive IMHO, and most importantly they are open backed! I think its borderline rude to share your music with others around you on an airplane. They simply won’t seal out sound around you either.
I must admit how alien it feels to walk out of my listening room with a pair of Hifiman Edition X headphones on my head. My body tells me I can't leave the room or else the cables will pull the amp to the floor or disconnect them from the headphones. It's quite a feeling of freedom to walk around with high end audio on your head. I made a point of folding the laundry while wearing my headphones and just walking around the house in general. It's simply awesome that Hifiman has truly achieved something special with the Edition X. Sure, you can do this with the HE1000 yet the sound will be much thinner, and no headroom for particular tracks. The HE1000 is also way too heavy imho for mobile use. I would find it could slip off your head potentially. The Edition X is just the right weight that it grabs your head enough that it won't fall off.
They did do an excellent job at keeping them as light weight as possible! Unfortunately there is still no portable case available from Hifiman for these headphones! Either way, these will mostly stay in my listening room. They simply can’t compete with a good trusty pair of Oppo PM3’s in the topic of compactness, portability, durability etc.
The Oppo PM3, my wife owns, are the best headphone for its price class. They are on par with the Edition X as far as efficiency and ease to drive. Sound quality, not as good of course, but the PM3’s do not disappoint! I’d much rather take a pair of PM3’s out on an airplane, bus, etc. The Edition X’s are somewhat silly looking when you actually wear them. The Oppo PM3 is quite stylish looking. My wife loves them simply because they fit her better than any other headphone. Plus they are quite immersive with the ability to lock in/out sound. The Edition X does not rate highly in many regards to portable use. This is my opinion.
The HD800, well do we even need to go there? It's NOT a good headphone for portable use in any way.
Pricing* and Value*:
*The Edition X V1 has an MSRP of 1799usd yet can be found for a little over 1500usd if you do some shopping around.
*This is likely the best valued headphone in the price range of 1200-2000usd.
*This headphone is fairly priced and I don’t see it’s priced being lowered anytime soon, as well as the HE1000.
*Either 2500-2999 for HE1000 is common
Or 1500-1799 for Edition X is common
*If you don’t have unlimited funds, the Edition X is a great choice!
The new V2 is priced lower than the V1 and a bargain imho. $1299 msrp.
Final words:
update: HEX V2
The V2 has increased transparency of the sound, the ear pad material has been changed from the former Velour ear pads. They are now Polyester to make the sound more crystal clear.The headband has also been updated similar to that of the HE 1000 V2.
Asymmetrical Ear Cups
Follows the natural shade of the human ear.
Hybrid Ear Pads
Beveled design conforms to the shape of the human skull while velour and pleather materials provide optimum comfort.
Lightweight, ergonomic headband
For better fit, improved sound and comfort for longer term listening
High Performance Cable
That is user-replaceable. Simple connectors allow easy switching or replacement to other cables.
One thing I noticed is that although the pads of the Edition X and HE1000 are the same, the ear room is limited in the Edition X. The HE1000 has a slightly more recessed driver that allows for maybe 1/8” or so more clearance inside. This is quite nice if you have larger ears. Personally I don’t find this to be a problem for me. If you have larger ears, you may want to be sure the fitment of the Edition X is acceptable for you. The most annoying thing I’ve found with the Edition X is the fitment of the headphone itself seems as if it was designed for quite large heads! I happen to have quite a large head yet I still find myself about 1-2 adjustments on the headband away from bottomed out. This shocked me, since on the HE1000 I have a lot more room to play with. My wife’s unable to wear the Edition X headphone since her head is too small, yet she can wear the HE1000. So if you do have a small head than I highly recommend you audition these Edition X’s before going out and purchasing them!
UPDATE: Edition X V2 pad changes in detail - they are my highlight of the update! these make the headphone quite special. But hard to justify upgrading from V1.
Amping needs:
The Edition X really is impressive in this regard. There isn’t much required to drive this headphone quite well. It’s driven quite well out of everything I’ve tested it with. @ 25ohm and 103db Sensitivity! The Edition X may be the most efficient Planar Magnetic headphone yet! My wife’s Oppo PM3’s are a bit like this @26ohm / 102db Sensitivity and would be the second most efficient planar magnetic driven headphone.
These are powered quite well from our Ipad Mini 3 and is my preferred way to listen when mobile. Personally I think these headphones scale better to a higher end amp and dac specifically. But the Ipad 3 Mini was quite impressive sounding and I even had a little headroom to spare in the volume control! On the other hand you may gain another 5-10% or more sound quality using a higher end amp/dac which in my opinion is quite significant. Surely not as much as you'd gain if it was a pair of HE1000's we were talking about; In this case, you'd gain 20-30% better sound quality going from a portable device to a high end amplifier and dac.
The Iphone6 powers these about as well yet I think the sound quality is slightly better with the Ipad Mini 3. My take on portable audio is that i'm not as critical due to the likelihood you're possibly not going to have a quite listening area and there may be noise around you. The source is not quite as important when you take that into account. You can get a lot of enjoyment from these headphones more than you would with the HE1000 for portable use. The HE1000 simply requires a bit too much power for most average portable devices to power them properly. Albeit you can listen to HE1000's on an iphone and it's not terrible, just not impressive. The Edition X is capable of sounding quite impressive off an average portable device.
Specifications:
Frequency Response: 8Hz - 50kHz
Sensitivity: 103dB
Impedance: 25 ± 3 ohm
Note: Dr Fang made a comment online about powering the Edition X’s.
“Don't use amps with more than 1W to drive them or else they will distort. I've seen people use EF6 to drive them which is silly...” (the EF has 5000mW @ 50ohm) "
Well, I can’t help but feel silly to power these Edition X’s on my M11 which has 16000mW of power per channel @ 25ohm or a better way to compare against EF6; M11 has "(8000mW @ 50ohm)". Fortunately it will scale well. I’m using approx. 40-45 steps out of 100 on my M11 amp. The volume control is super exponential and translates to about 2-2.5% of it’s power output. Or 320mW-400mW. This amount allows the Edition X to be capable to reach around 90-95db or so. update: Even my iFi amp is overkill for these cans. I found the Pro iCan to pair very very very well with these cans, my most preferred amp without question. The manufacturer some how believes too powerful of an amp is a problem. I don't agree. You just need a well built amp that scales well to all impedance of cans. the iFi Pro iCan has just that, and even my NOS11 scales to almost everything except the most sensitive of iems.
Misc Accessories Included:
The Edition X comes with two cables. One is a 6.3mm SE cable and the other is a 3.5mm SE cable. Sadly Hifiman did not include a 4pin XLR balanced cable like they did with their HE1000. The Edition X comes in a nice leather wrapped box and foam liner to protect these lovely headphones during shipping.
Note: Hifiman has mentioned that they fear people could over drive them with a balanced cable. Personally, I didn’t spend much time testing the Edition X with the SE cables. I used the HE1000 balance cable with my Master11 and almost exclusively listen to them with a Norne Audio Silvergarde S balanced cable.
Portable Use:
I must add this part of the review since this is something Dr. Fang claims to have built the Edition X for. Personally I don’t feel the Edition X is suited for portability in all situations. They are simple large, too expensive IMHO, and most importantly they are open backed! I think its borderline rude to share your music with others around you on an airplane. They simply won’t seal out sound around you either.
I must admit how alien it feels to walk out of my listening room with a pair of Hifiman Edition X headphones on my head. My body tells me I can't leave the room or else the cables will pull the amp to the floor or disconnect them from the headphones. It's quite a feeling of freedom to walk around with high end audio on your head. I made a point of folding the laundry while wearing my headphones and just walking around the house in general. It's simply awesome that Hifiman has truly achieved something special with the Edition X. Sure, you can do this with the HE1000 yet the sound will be much thinner, and no headroom for particular tracks. The HE1000 is also way too heavy imho for mobile use. I would find it could slip off your head potentially. The Edition X is just the right weight that it grabs your head enough that it won't fall off.
They did do an excellent job at keeping them as light weight as possible! Unfortunately there is still no portable case available from Hifiman for these headphones! Either way, these will mostly stay in my listening room. They simply can’t compete with a good trusty pair of Oppo PM3’s in the topic of compactness, portability, durability etc.
The Oppo PM3, my wife owns, are the best headphone for its price class. They are on par with the Edition X as far as efficiency and ease to drive. Sound quality, not as good of course, but the PM3’s do not disappoint! I’d much rather take a pair of PM3’s out on an airplane, bus, etc. The Edition X’s are somewhat silly looking when you actually wear them. The Oppo PM3 is quite stylish looking. My wife loves them simply because they fit her better than any other headphone. Plus they are quite immersive with the ability to lock in/out sound. The Edition X does not rate highly in many regards to portable use. This is my opinion.
The HD800, well do we even need to go there? It's NOT a good headphone for portable use in any way.
Pricing* and Value*:
*The Edition X V1 has an MSRP of 1799usd yet can be found for a little over 1500usd if you do some shopping around.
*This is likely the best valued headphone in the price range of 1200-2000usd.
*This headphone is fairly priced and I don’t see it’s priced being lowered anytime soon, as well as the HE1000.
*Either 2500-2999 for HE1000 is common
Or 1500-1799 for Edition X is common
*If you don’t have unlimited funds, the Edition X is a great choice!
The new V2 is priced lower than the V1 and a bargain imho. $1299 msrp.
Final words:
If you’re in the market for a headphone and your budget is not to exceed 2000usd than the Edition X should surely be at the top of your list. This headphone is supremely comfortable as well as audibly comfortable in a very musical way. It’s NOT a bass-head headphone but does everything quite well with very few negative aspects. The HE1000 is a better headphone in many and most ways, yet not all. I highly recommend you audition both headphones if you can afford them. But I think most people will find the HE1000’s just out of reach and should not feel bad for choosing its little brother the Edition X. Hifiman has truly created a very well thought out headphone and extremely hard to beat at this price point, assuming you find them around 1500usd than that’s an insane amount of bang for buck performance.
If you're in the market to get a new pair of cans, the Edition X or V2's should definitely be on your radar. Many V1's will likely pop up for sale as some will think they need to have the V2. I'm torn between what to say here. I really like the pads of the V2, but do NOT like the satin metallic black finish of the V2. With Hifiman's new V2 pricing of $1299 it's aggressively priced in this market and MORE than fair price, it's a steal. Overall I still would choose the HEX V2 as it's just a polished version with the metal yokes, better fitment options and most important, the awesome new pads.
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View previous replies…
Toolman
Thank you and I enjoyed reading your review. Do you plan to do a comparison between HEX and Elear since they are now selling for about the same price range?
bimmer100
I just picked up a pair of HE1000 V2's as well. So I will add to this review on the updates of the HE1000V2.
I was also at RMAF this last weekend and listened to the Focal Elear and Utopia. But didn't think the sound stage of the Focal (either) were very good. Somewhat small imho. And definitely not my taste of sound signature. FWIW.
I prefer the Hifiman signature any day! The EditionX is wonderful mids and my preference for female vocal type music. The new V2 HE1000's are quite nice and will be a/b'in with the V1's soon....
but comparing Focal... meh. Sorry, I have no intention to buy them or borrow them. I had my listening time in at RMAF. If someone wants to send me a pair I would be happy to review them on my own gear. But the amps/dacs I listened to were GSX-Mk2, Chord Dave, and I think it was Hugo TT or Mojo (forgot). But wasn't really my cup of tea. The Utopia was actually a dissapointment for me.
I was sooo excited to hear them, but let down when I heard them on the Chord Dave. They sounded better on another setup with the GSXmk2, but they had a 7K silver cable on them!!! hahaha. Way to fancy for me. I'm happy with my Hifiman V2's...
I was also at RMAF this last weekend and listened to the Focal Elear and Utopia. But didn't think the sound stage of the Focal (either) were very good. Somewhat small imho. And definitely not my taste of sound signature. FWIW.
I prefer the Hifiman signature any day! The EditionX is wonderful mids and my preference for female vocal type music. The new V2 HE1000's are quite nice and will be a/b'in with the V1's soon....
but comparing Focal... meh. Sorry, I have no intention to buy them or borrow them. I had my listening time in at RMAF. If someone wants to send me a pair I would be happy to review them on my own gear. But the amps/dacs I listened to were GSX-Mk2, Chord Dave, and I think it was Hugo TT or Mojo (forgot). But wasn't really my cup of tea. The Utopia was actually a dissapointment for me.
I was sooo excited to hear them, but let down when I heard them on the Chord Dave. They sounded better on another setup with the GSXmk2, but they had a 7K silver cable on them!!! hahaha. Way to fancy for me. I'm happy with my Hifiman V2's...
Matrixnobu
Thanks for the detailed review : )