Hifiman Edition XS Launched

[bagwell359]

Am I the only one that puts my glasses on top of the headphones after I put the headphones on? It's awkward but beats having them under the pads.

No.

 

[Tachyon88]

Put your grasses on. Nothing will be wrong.

 

[bagwell359]

P

Put your grasses on. Nothing will be wrong.

Glasses wreck the seal - unless you style a pince-nez or a monocle

 

[Tachyon88]

P

Glasses wreck the seal - unless you style a pince-nez or a monocle

I've actually never had an issue with glasses on, it doesn't make a difference for me.

 

[Kentajalli]

I've actually never had an issue with glasses on, it doesn't make a difference for me.

The only difference it makes for me is a squeaking noise when the earpads rub against the handles!
it took me a day to track it down - sometimes the pads squeaked, sometimes not! was driving me nuts, till I discovered it was my glasses.

 

[scarfacegt]

Found this review on youtube.

Is the build quality really that poor,like he says in the video?

 

[Bonddam]

Feels funny in some ways as it's hard not soft. It's great that it has same thing with bass rumble as Abyss 1266 . So for you die hard edm heads this is a good choice in headphones. It's Hifiman, so build always looks cheap. I'd think they would be ahead in build with how big they look. I wonder if they messed up and didn't want the amount of bass the xs puts out because I've never heard this from Hifiman before. It's very spacious and very clear.

 

[yeboyi]

Is the build quality really that poor,like he says in the video?

If you see the headphones as an investment, heirloom type of products, stay away from Hifiman my 2cent. Hifiman headphones are kinda ''disposable'' headphones from build quality, QC to reliability of drivers and build in the long run. The sound is subjectively good though.
My Ananda died recently. I'm trying to get a replacement. If i was gonna buy a new headphone, i would definitely ''invest'' in other brands but Sundara and XS good deals at this price range. Hard to pass.

 

[millzy]

If you see the headphones as an investment, heirloom type of products, stay away from Hifiman my 2cent. Hifiman headphones are kinda ''disposable'' headphones from build quality, QC to reliability of drivers and build in the long run. The sound is subjectively good though.
My Ananda died recently. I'm trying to get a replacement. If i was gonna buy a new headphone, i would definitely ''invest'' in other brands but Sundara and XS good deals at this price range. Hard to pass.

Disposable

Pretty sure there's only been 1 reported issue from a user who purchased the XS, sure it hasn't flooded the market but thus far the failure rate is non existent.
It seems the Hifiman's past QC issues don't relate to the XS & perhaps to future models.
Perhaps Hifiman have taken QC issues more seriously, I mean, why wouldn't they? Returns would definitely hurt their profits.

The build quality of the XS is exactly what it needs & should be, It doesn't need anymore or less, it's totally solid, well built and fit for purpose.
Are we running over these with trucks? Many users have stress tested the bands with no issues what so ever, to improve head clamp, I've done it myself, if it was cheap it'd break.
If they invested in fancier higher quality materials which in my opinion is not required it would add cost and weight, one of the big positives of the XS, they're crazy light & comfortable.
The Cups are very well built, I don't understand what more they could have done? Pretty colour accents & RGB?
They're understated & exactly what they need to be.

To me it seems people try and nit pick just for the sake of it.

my 2c

 

[Mr Trev]

Is the build quality really that poor,like he says in the video?

I have a pair of 400i and considering the original MSRP of them, the XS is a huge step up in build (thankfully I bought my 400i when HFM was deeply discounting them)
They have a good heft to them. The fit and finish is much better. Earpads… no contest. Even the cable is better in every category.
I can see how people might think the headband is kind of chinzy and I'd agree it doesn't exactly ooze quality. I'd guess this is where HFM tried to keep costs down

 

[pk4425]

Is the build quality really that poor,like he says in the video?

No.

I only have purchased HiFiMan products in the last year, but my HE-400se and Edition XS are built fine. They're not tanks like Beyerdynamics and some Sennheisers, but mine hold up well. But they never leave my office, are hung on individual stands when not in use, are temporarily stored on a desk headphone hanger when I must remove them for a short time and are generally treated like the Crown Jewels. That's how I treat all of my headphones.

Remember this: How many people visit forums like Head-fi or communities like Reddit to PRAISE headphone build quality?

Almost no one.

But anyone who has a problem immediately heads to Head-fi, HiFiGuides, ASR, The Headphone Community and Reddit to bitch. So, for every five complaints you read about a brand or a model, there probably are 1,000 satisfied customers listening in silent bliss.

You must be vigilant if a brand or model has repeated, long-term, specific QC issues, such as the weak plastic headband on the Focal Elegia, which thankfully I know about and pay special care to protect with my Elegias, or the driver failures in the Focal Elex. Those are real. But general complaints about "this brand sucks on QC" or "this model sucks on QC" with no specifics are just noise.

The squeaky wheel gets all the grease. No different in audiophile land.

 

[Youcan1]

These things sound pretty dang good so far. They sound "bigger" and more open than anything I've ever had. They also feel lighter than I was expecting. On the flip side they are also harder to drive than anything I've ever owned, but the K5 Pro seems plenty capable right now. The headband shape isn't so bad to me, it's more the stiff padding that I don't like.

 

[Kentajalli]

Is the build quality really that poor,like he says in the video?

No.
I had (past tense) a pair of Focal Clears that were built like a tank and sounded like one too.

 

[Kentajalli]

No.

I suppose it takes all sorts!
can I have a picture of you with glasses on top of Editions?

 

[cel4145]

Is the build quality really that poor,like he says in the video?

You are asking if the guy on YouTube who only has one video on his channel is a reliable source of information???

Here is a very good reviewer for you to watch