HIFIMAN Edition XS

***The Hifiman edition XS is an open back over-ear headphone with planar drivers currently available for $379 (normally $500). I purchased the product myself to write an independent review.

Specs

->Impedance - 18Ω
->Frequency response range - 8Hz-50kHz
->Sensitivity - 92dB
->Weight - 405grams
->Cable termination - 3.5mm



Foreword

Considering the price, it's a good value for money, but it's not perfect. It's a high-end headphone killer if you ignore some flaws. Among headphones with planar magnetic drivers, these headphones have a very competitive position compared to dynamic driver headphones.

Build

Plastic and aluminum.

The box contains the product itself, the cable and some papers. Hifiman's eye-catching box design is very nice, but I'm not going to let it fool me. It's a shame there's no case. The cable is pretty standard. The "family tree" in the user manual is very nice.

When we come to the product itself, we see the same standards of material. It's not bad, it's durable and usable, but there's nothing eye-catching or with a very good feel. The ear pads are very good, thick and soft. The headband is also thick and comfortable but not as soft.

Xs can make things difficult for small heads. Otherwise, it's very comfortable and suitable for long listening sessions. The fact that it doesn't make you sweat is another nice feature.

In fact, we can see from all of this, they spent most of the budget on the drivers. Some frills can be sacrificed for good sound.



Sound

Let's get to the part we're really gonna focus on. sound.

First of all the resolution is excellent considering the price. The XS has a detailed and analytical sound. Although it's a relatively easy headphone to drive, a good amp is required to bring out the microdetails. When you give the XS what you want, it gives you what you want, and it produces very good detail reproduction.

The soundstage is perfect. It is wide and consistent. Separation is good for the price and layering is excellent. The distance between the instruments could be wider, but that's not a big deal considering the price.

Hifiman Xs is a headphone that plays hard to be natural, natural to be hard. It's quite resolute in this character and punishes you with a little distortion when you want to hear more of that wonderful bass. The fundamentally natural tone hardens as the highs shine, resulting in a sometimes tight, sometimes relaxed analytical presentation. This headphone can give you more than one sensation in a row. I can understand the reason for this brightness because there is a treble that extended quite well.

Bass

One specific thing I observed in the low frequencies is that most of the bass goes out. I know this is normal, but a lot more goes out than comes in. You can try this by leaning your ear against the back of the headphones. I think this is a sacrifice for that wonderfully refined bass. The Xs' bass has good extension, resolution and not dissipate. I'm not a basshead but I wish there were more of them, I think if there were more they wouldn't be as good. When comparing to high end headphones, of course the bass is weak compared to dynamic drivers but very good around the planar driver.

Other than that, the bass response is deep and effective. The drums are the most beautiful part of all these low frequencies. Natural, full and realistic.

Mid

The details and texture are satisfying. Female vocals dominate over male vocals. The strings are a bit unfocused and the woodwinds feel very good. The mids have an overall clean and transparent presentation. Considering the staging capabilities and resolution of the Xs, you can see that it does well in this area. Just like that, the mids give you everything you want, almost without makeup, unlike the treble. Apart from a little bit of adjustments and a little bit of extension, the mids are quite natural. This is the "too natural to be hard" part, I'll get to the other part in a moment. I would like to point out that there is no extreme depth in this area, come on, it's only 500usd (380usd now).

Treble

There is no flawless soul

The trebles have a very good extension and great detail, as well as a full "planar brilliance". There is a sharp structuring in the very center of the treble. This gives a slight metallic flavor to the overall tone. While technically excellent, the physical comfort of the headphones does not match the listening comfort. No, this is not a headphone to enjoy music mindlessly. This is a headphone that wants you to focus and feel the details. At this point, the highs are "too hard to be natural". But don't let that put you off. There are clear, well-extended cymbals and well-tuned whistles that are pleasing to the ear. They're just a bit bright.

As a result

The sound is fantastic for the price. For $500, it's hard to get a headset like this. Xs is a headphone that puts its more expensive competitors in a difficult situation. It provides a very similar experience to high end headphones 2-3 times more expensive.

Final Words

The Hifman Edition Xs is a true price/performance beast with sound and potential. It has no faults other than a slightly bright tone and the lack of a bag. If you don't have an xs size head, you can buy it with peace of mind Jokes aside, this headphone plays according to the nature of the planar driver, and the pros clearly outweigh the cons.

Hifiman Edition XS - A Long-Term Review​

Only maybe 3 or 4 times in this hobby have I come across a product that completely upgrades my expectation of the quality that I should expect when listening too music. The Hifiman XS has done that for me for headphones.



It’s been about 6 months now since I upgraded to the XS, so I felt it was a good time to write a long term review. For those holding out on Planar Headphones, it is time to jump on-board as these headphones fulfil an experience that you can’t get with similarly priced and highly regarded dynamic driver headphones.

Before I get into the details I thought it might be useful to provide a little background into my headphone audio journey:

A Headphone upgrade journey​

Having been a Sennheiser fan for many years starting with the iconic ‘yellow’ foam HD-414 (anniversary edition) then moving to the HD-560’s and finally getting the incredible well regarded studio reference HD-600, I had thought I was finished in my search for the best headphone, but then at the start of COVID I found myself working from home and wanting to experiment a little with headphones. From reading the latest research into the Harman Over Ear target curve, I decided to pick up an AKG K371 as this was Dr Sean Olive’s “baby” created to be a reference headphone for that preference curve and while I thought the bass was great (much better than the HD-600) being a closed back it lacked any decent soundstage and the midrange wasn’t nearly as good as the HD-600. I then thought lets go for a headphone with great / wide soundstage, this time trying the AKG K702 and while it has a great soundstage, the bass was lacking, and it wasn’t the most comfortable for long working hours.

And then this is when I realised that I had to get a planar that would provide that ideal ‘goldilock’ headphone with both bass and that wide ‘open back’ soundstage, some experimentation with different models for comfort, and it became obviously that the Edition XS was the most pragmatic choice.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing from them on, read on to find out why:

Give the Edition XS the power it deserves​

So initially I was using the Edution XS a few different amplifiers around my house but also using it with an older Macbook Pro and with my iPhone (using an Apple Lightning adapter sadly the underpowered European one). And while it sounded amazing from say my Volumio ‘Integro’, and even my Denon AVR the bass wasn’t quiet right on the Macbook Pro or the iPhone or even the cheap desktop headphone amp I had tried as an alternative to the Macbook Pro’s headphone socket.

I was curious and the Edition XS while realatively not that hard to drive can soar, especially in bass response when given enough power. I immediately bought a FiiO K7, and I was astonished how well it sounds, this combination has become my evening goto setup for listening to music. I also upgraded my Macbook Pro and found the latest models have much better audiophile headphone support and while it’s far better than before it is not the equal in power to the FiiO K7.

So how does it sound in practice?:

Sound quality​

Rather than give a list of my subjectively impressions of songs I will just focus on 4 areas where I think the Edition XS shines:

Bass worthy of a subwoofer​

It not just the bass is deep and natural with the Edition XS (as say the AKG K371 also has excellent bass) but the combination of bass with an open back headphone that is incredbile. It is like being in a room with no “room modes” because of well-placed subwoofers. The amount of tracks where I was in awe from the physical bass response in my ears (sometimes even ’textured’ bass which I have never heard in a room), it totally satisfied my need to listen late at night but not annoy the rest of the house with thumping bass.

Massive Soundstage​

Planars have a flat diaphragm and Hifiman Planars especially have extra thin diagphram’s providing much more sound from a larger surface in each ear. Further the earpads on the Hifiman XS are angled which enhances that sense of listening to music presented in front of you.
This together with the open back mean they sound much more like I can in a room than with other headphones (including the AKG K702) with different instruments / vocals in clearly separately distinct places in 3D space.

Midrange Clarity​

The midrange is a high point of these headphones. It’s transparent and natural, capturing the intricate nuances of vocals and string instruments with striking clarity. This makes the Edition XS ideal for genres that rely heavily on vocal accuracy and instrument detail. While I would say the Sennheiser HD600 has slightly better midrange tonality, the midrange on the Edition XS massively benefits from that wider soundstage. I have watched Movies late at night with the XS and have not missed my surround sound system and found the vocals clear while still having that bass punch when required by the movie.

Realistic Treble and Imaging​

Poeple sometimes complain about planar treble sounding metalic and maybe that is the case with cheaper planars but I think Hifiman have the right treble tuning with the Edition XS to give a nice ’edge’ or ‘air’ but still sound natural to me. I actually found the AKG K702 was slightly too bright (a bit sibiliant at times) and I was a bit worried that the Edition XS might be similar but I think the better bass evens out the treble response providing a perfect balance with percussive tracks with symbals and high hats and lots of details to the imaging.

Specs and Measurements​

Specifications:​

• Impedance: 18 Ω
• Drivers: Planar Magnetic
• Frequency range: 8 Hz – 50 kHz
• Sensitivity: 92 dB
• Weight: 405 grams
• Cable length: 1.5 meter (straight)

Measurements:​

It is problematic doing graph comparisons between planar’s especially with large angled ear pads and dynamic drivers, the headphone measurements rigs do not accurately represent the bass response and angled drivers cause other inaccuracies.

More details in this issue are described on diyaudioheaven here but a small quote:

The dip between 1kHz and 5kHz is smaller in reality than how it measures because of the so-called concha gain. This is because the drivers are angled (only 6 degrees) and thus makes slightly more use of the concha which ‘boosts’ certain frequencies that arrive under an angle.

Click to expand...

With that said here is a comparison from rtings.com between the Sennheiser HD-600 (in green) and the Hifiman XS (in blue) showing the a much stronger bass (in reality for me its even nearer that dotted line target):

Build quality and Accessories​

The Hifiman Edition XS inherits a mature design from previous models like the Edition and Ananda and is the build is both lightweight and durable. This ergonomic design ensures that even during extended listening sessions, fatigue is kept to a minimum.

However, it does have large oval ear cups so may not suit everyone, I have large ears so I appreciated the shape (say compared to the Hifiman Sundara which has massive circular shaped pads).

The Hifiman XS comes with a clever “stand” built into the box and a short 3.5mm to dual 3.5mm cable.





I have since upgraded my cable with a 2m one and given it a nice stand:

Alternatives​

There are alternative Planars both from Hifiman and others at various price points, for example the Sundara is typically a little cheaper but for me, it wasn’t as comfortable and while Planars are a fairly new technologies I believe other competitors (like the recent Moondrop Para) do not have the experience that Hifiman have in building Planars. Obviously there are many more expensive Planars but the Edition XS seems to me to have that correct balance of price versus performance.

Summary​

Priced moderately in comparison to other planar magnetic models, the Edition XS offers considerable value for the money. It provides a balanced combination of sound quality, comfort, and practicality, making it a compelling choice for those unwilling to compromise on either front.

I believe with the Edition XS, Hifiman succeeded in bridging the gap between high-end audio fidelity and pragmatic daily usage and have made an astonishing headphone that is a worthy upgrade for those seeking headphone nirvana.

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
The Hifiman Edition XS that I have with me today, shares some resemblance with its bigger brother, the Arya, the earcups in particular. The packaging of the Edition XS is similar to the HE-R9, HE400SE that i have tested, they came bundled with the same foam type headphone stand, even the cable is the same as well, considering the price is higher for the Edition XS, i do have a certain expectation in terms of better packaging as well as bundled accessories. The build quality is pretty good overall, it's just that the earcup itself is quite huge and it might be an issue for people with smaller heads. For me personally, it fits just fine without the need to adjust the headband, but the clamping force is a little weak to my preference and it feels as if the whole headphone is sitting on top of your head, although the headband’s cushion does a great job relieving the strain.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen CH-Amp
• iFi Gryphon
• Hifiman Edition XS stock cable and earpads

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
Edition XS’s tonality is quite neutral to my ears, there’s a hint of planar timbre but other than that, the bass has good slams and surprisingly, the sub bass extension is pretty good considering its an open backed headphone. Technicalities are very impressive as well.

Bass

• Bass is fast and precise with sufficient quantity and good quality
• The sub bass has very good extension, although it doesn’t extend that deep, but considering it being an open backed, it is really impressive
• The bass response is not basshead kind of presentation, but to my ears, they are sufficient and will present themselves well when the track calls for it
• Bass has good texture overall and doesn’t sound thin

Mids

• The mids are quite detailed and lush
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty

Treble

• Treble response has plenty of energetic yet it is not harsh nor sibilant, but do bear in mind that everyone has got different level of tolerance for treble, to my ears, they are not harsh nor anywhere near sibilant
• Fast and snappy transient response
• Very good resolution
• Good detail retrieval, micro details can be picked up easily
• The overall technicalities are impressive and definitely a few steps above the models that i have tested previously (HE400SE)

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head, not exceptionally wide considering this is an open backed headphone
• Good height and width perception for the soundstage
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from
• Excellent separation and layering
• A little disappointed by the soundstage as i expect it to be “bigger” sounding since it is as open backed, but then this is just nitpicking as the overall performance is quite good

Driveability

• The Edition XS is not that hard to drive, i am using it with the Earmen’s ST-AMP with 1.8w from 4.4 headphone out, the Edition XS sounds like it is being pushed to its optimum performance
• When i switch over to ST-Amp’s bigger brother, the CH-AMP, i am greeted with a more spacious sounding Edition XS, better control on the bass, and much more dynamics
• Overall, i find it to scale very well with amp as with several Hifiman headphones that i have tested

Final Thoughts
The Hifiman Edition XS is my 2nd planar magnetic headphone that i have tested, and I'm really surprised by its capability in terms of the sonic performance as well as its technicalities. Not to mention that the price is highly competitive as well given what it has to offer. It doesn't require a beefy amp to sound good, it is quite smooth to my ears, the only downside is that the earcup might be a little too big for some. Other than that, Edition XS is a fine headphone that has some serious sonic capabilities within it.

*The Hifiman Edition XS was sent over by Hifiman for the purpose of this review, I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review.



If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to their official store to grab one now! It is currently available for 449$ instead of the usual 499$
Hifman Edition XS- Non affiliated