How would you describe the sound to Someone who only has AKG K240mk2, K371, AT M50x and a brief experience with Sundara? Consideration getting this headphones.
The Hifiman HE1000 series is :
1. Airy Treble, extended upper FR, large soundstage.
2. HE1000 series : Slightly Bright upper Treble which elevates the sense of details in the music. An example is... where most good headphones let you hear a vocal clearly, the Hifiman is going to let you clearly hear the Vocalist take a breath before they start to sing.
3. HE1000 series : Midrange is somewhat clinical and tends towards analytical presentation vs fullness or "thick", as you find with Audeze or Focal Utopia.
4. HE1000 series : Upper Bass, or Low Mids, are recessed in favor of the high end being the star of the show. In some ways similar to the AKG 701 or an Abyss headphone.
5. HE1000 series : Bass response is : less upper bass and more sub bass.
Where Audeze is tonally low mid thick and full, the Hifiman is leaner and cleaner and more clinical.
Where Audeze is somewhat soundstage limited, the Hifiman HE1000 series is designed to put their entire sound inside a large space, as their sound signature, so that you seem to be in a very large room listening to the music. And this is happening inside the cups,,,,,as your perception of the sonics.
The XS, dials in the soundstage a bit, and adds a touch of midrange forwardness, while keeping the clean analytical detail retrieval that is the hallmark of the Hifiman HE1000 series.
