Hifiman Edition X

[mbyrnes]

HEX has more mid-bass and impact.

HEK has some of the best sub-bass in the game.

personally it comes down to preference. Listening to the HEK and HEX back to back, I strongly preferred the HEX. Soundstage, bass, overall tuning was spot on, perfect for me. The HEK seemed great for classical and jazz. Didn't like it at all for rock. The HEX with movies and gaming, with SBX, seems perfect. Nothing sounds false, everything just matches what my ears expect to hear.

So much at this price point is personal preference. Truly no right or wrong "best" headphone. Believe me, I wanted to love the HEK more, but for me it was too much.

I'm also finding I prefer easier to drive headphones, really high efficiency. They seem to play at loud volumes much better, which I've also found very true in the speaker world. It's always a compromise, but the HEX gets it right for me.

 

[MikeRight]

I would like to share my impressions about Hifiman Edition X v2 with all of your after some tests.
Specially regarding soundstage.
 
In my opinion, the soundstage is higher than other headphones I have listened like EL8 open for example and some IEMs like JH Angie.
 
When you are listening a song like "Pure Imagination" by Jamie Cullum or the awesome "In my secret life" by Leonard Cohen, singers are in front of you but over your head.
The rest of the instruments are close to the voice and at the same level.
 
I the others headphones I have mentioned before, the singers are in front of you singing at your face but at your same level, not over your head.
 
It is not a good or bad characteristic about HEX but I would like to share with all of you because usually the comments are about the sound but not the wide or high soundstage.
And in my case it is a very important thing to understand how a pair of headphones works.
 
What do you think?

 

[tuna47]

The hex has a great 3D sound stage. Positioning of instruments and voices come from different high rt and left lower ft and left center for both
The sound stage imo is not as wide but better then 800s
I tested some audeze phones but soundstage was too narrow for my tastes

 

[Ampeezy]

3D, Holographic are all very good descriptions of the soundstage. Nothing expansive in my opinion, but the space created is sufficient for very good placement of sound. Very believable is how I would also describe it

 

[emergencylies]

Hey guys I am considering this HP, since it seems like on of the more musical summit headphones. It also has a sound signature I tend to like - with bass and vocals emphasized (from what I've read). I tend to be treble sensitive if its fast and foward and I read on headfonics that the cymbals and snares can be slightly overemphasized. This is one of the things I found annoying about the x2 - really abrupt and high 8K (iirc) treble spike that lead to me dying from cymbal overdose anytime they were in the mix. I prefer symbols to be under the vocals at least.
 
So my questions are: Is headfonics right about the cymbal emphasis? Is this a fun, or at least musical summit headphone? Are there other fun summit headphones? and do they translate well to a diverse selection of music?
 
Thanks!

 

[Ampeezy]

Treble is very smooth compared to most other HiFi cans imo. Bass though, I don't think is emphasized.

 

[MikeRight]

Emphasized bass? Not in my opinion. HEX has a quick and precise bass. For example Audeze El8 open has more sub-bass than HEX.

Regarding highs, I am extremely sensitive too to them and no problems at all.

Good luck!

 

[tuna47]

Find. The treble very smooth if anything under played

 

[emergencylies]

Interesting, how would you compare it to the PM-1?

 

[zeissiez]

The PM series headphones are no match for the Edition X, not even close. Soundstage, transparency, clarity, imaging, tonal accuracy, vocal, airiness, openness, no contest.

 

[ExplodedBreads]

I think I decided on these (HEXv2) as my endgame  (there is no endgame) daily drivers for awhile, now what to do about the cables... Coming from the oris, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality/quantity of bass for open cans, having been once disappointed by the HD650s; I can't really do neutral. Any suggestions for an amp/dac for under 1k to pair with these?

 

[casper3127]

It depends on what type of music you listen mainly at... Have you thought about a balanced dac/amp? Or should you go SE?
 
I've been always very fond of Audio-gd products. They have an incredible quality/price ratio. 

 

 

[ExplodedBreads]

  It depends on what type of music you listen mainly at... Have you thought about a balanced dac/amp? Or should you go SE?
 
I've been always very fond of Audio-gd products. They have an incredible quality/price ratio. 

 

I remember reading something about Hifiman saying they didn't include a balanced cable intentionally so that people didn't overdrive them. I listen to a lot of different types of music, from folk to symphonic metal to rap to jazz. I'm currently using an m9xx.

 

[casper3127]

  I remember reading something about Hifiman saying they didn't include a balanced cable intentionally so that people didn't overdrive them. I listen to a lot of different types of music, from folk to symphonic metal to rap to jazz. I'm currently using an m9xx.

 
I don't think you could really overdrive these HEX listening at a -so to say- wise volume... 

 
This one on the classifieds is like a "swiss army knife". I don´t think you could go wrong with it. 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/835293/fs-oppo-ha-1-w-original-accessories-and-optical-cable
 
Before my NOS11 I used to own a NFB29 from Audio-gd. Excellent implementation of the ESS 9018 Sabre chip.

 

[CoffeeCutie]

Yeah, I thought about a balanced hex, but after a few fabulous sessions with the hex 2, as far as I can tell the whole idea is meaningless with these cans.  They trounced the various balanced cans I heard at the NYC Canjam for instance running through various cavalli amps...  including those balanced aeons and ether flows, though only by small margin (and a few thousand dollars    ...and frankly all headphones I've had the privilege to listen to in general over years from hifi stores and studios and my ever changing assortment.  the signature is addictive, and while not at all a monitor, reference, or detail beast like the hd800s's or hek2, they are everything I personally want from hifi.  easy to satisfy upstream and easy to listen to, and tout a (quasi) "reasonable" price, especially factoring in the lack of an ES amp or balanced rig.  
 
$.02