[Mr Trev]

I will only keep the one that I like best, as I try not to be a headphone collector!

I will try to explain more of my views over the weekend.

Wait a minute! Isn't that the whole point of this hobby?

 

[Nicolas from France]

Hopefully others will chime in also!

I reckon that if you are happy with the Sundara, then stick with it and maybe look at improving your other gear if required.

I have both and reckon that the XS is more of a side-grade with a different tuning, which could be largely due to the different driver shape and pads shapes as well as sizes.

I just got the XS yesterday and need more time to form my impressions.

Perhaps you could post some favorite pieces of music that you like, and then we can give our views between the two headphones?

Also, what gear that you are driving them with, this would be helpful as we might be able to suggest other ways of improving your sound?

So far, I find the Sundara to be more incisive and the XS sometimes has a bit of a bass bleed effect on the mids and highs, but a lot depends on the music being played.

I probably like vocals better on the Sundara.

Both are good and I reckon that opinions will be divided as to which is better!

I will only keep the one that I like best, as I try not to be a headphone collector!

I will try to explain more of my views over the weekend.

Thanks,

I ll wait for your future impressions. I mainly listen to classical orchestral music as well as a bit of jazz and rock/pop.

Cheers

 

[baunauf]

Enjoying these a lot, I haven't had a lot of time to listen to them since I received them this month but I'm on a 4 day vacation so it's time to catch up! They are very versatile since I like them with metal and EDM, something a bit rare for me.

 

[bagwell359]

Yes, different things, noise is not the issue here. eventhough balanced headphone outputs can actually be noisier!

Yes, I meant correct, I agree.

Actually it is Four times the power (twice the voltage swing)

Yes absolutely.
0.5W to 1W of good clean power is all one needs.

Some Dacs are designed in balanced mode from ground up, so to give SE output, the internal output of the DAC is either summed up, or half gets switched off to save power consumption. Look at ifi stuff, the battery lasts longer in SE mode, because half of the DAC section gets switched off!
However, to get high output from an amp (not the DAC side) one needs large output voltage (and low output impedance). If the amp is battery operated, the max. voltage will be that of the battery.
Unless you go balanced! it means you use that battery voltage twice - once in each half of the balanced amp.
So from a 4V battery, one can get 8V voltage swing, which means you get 4 times as much power out as you would do with mere 4V, this is desired!
Also, using two DAC chips working opposite each other, some of their distortion artifacts (even ones) can cancel out, reducing total distortion.
The negative is, that noise floors double up (usually not a big-e) and output impedance doubles up too (a big-e).

.5 wpc @ 18 ohms? They are rated at 92 db @ 1 watt @ 18 ohms.

The HE-500 have almost the same efficiency and most find one needs 2 wpc. I think 3-4 is safer.

Also I have never heard a balanced circuit that was noisier than a SE - but I'm sure it must be so in some cases.

 

[bagwell359]

I am a happy owner of the Sundara. I would not mind upgrading to the XS. What kind of upgrade to expect?

Which Sundara?

 

[baunauf]

Which Sundara?

Seems like you haven't heard the XS so why bother?

 

[bagwell359]

Seems like you haven't heard the XS so why bother?

I have actually. With all the reviews mine isn't needed. I was being nice. No version of the Sundara is as good as the XS.

 

[Kentajalli]

.5 wpc @ 18 ohms? They are rated at 92 db @ 1 watt @ 18 ohms.

The claimed! figure is 92dB at 0.001W. it is for one Milli Watt .
you are out by a factor of 1000.

The HE-500 have almost the same efficiency and most find one needs 2 wpc. I think 3-4 is safer.
Also I have never heard a balanced circuit that was noisier than a SE - but I'm sure it must be so in some cases.

Balanced uses two amps in bridged mode. each amps noise is added to the other, so does output impedance.
In most cases it is not important though.

 

[bagwell359]

The claimed! figure is 92dB at 0.001W. it is for one Milli Watt .
you are out by a factor of 1000.

Guess I looked at the wrong source.

Balanced uses two amps in bridged mode. each amps noise is added to the other, so does output impedance.
In most cases it is not important though.

Ragnarok 1 headphone output impedance

SE 3.3; 3 wpc @ 32 ohms
balanced .1; 15 wpc @ 32 ohms

 

[baunauf]

I decided to try these on my LG V50 because I hadn't used its headphone out in a while. Sounds terrible, source matters lol.

 

[yeboyi]

I'm listening the XS right now. Very good. Quite different than Ananda. I was expecting it to be more similar.

 

[baunauf]

I'm listening the XS right now. Very good. Quite different than Ananda. I was expecting it to be more similar.

Better imo.

 

[theMUKe]

I'm listening the XS right now. Very good. Quite different than Ananda. I was expecting it to be more similar.

What are the major differences?
Less detail retrieval? More weighty bass?

I have seen several comparisons but I would also be keen on your impressions.

How is treble compared to Ananda? Here I have read different statements so no clue in the end.

 

[yeboyi]

What are the major differences?
Less detail retrieval? More weighty bass?

I have seen several comparisons but I would also be keen on your impressions.

How is treble compared to Ananda? Here I have read different statements so no clue in the end.

Little early for me to evaluate since i couldn't listen too much. Soundstage and presentation overall very different. XS seem to have noticeably bigger soundstage and better imaging but small images. Ananda's soundstage is smaller, forward and intimate but the images are bigger, taller. XS have more lateral imaging and better separation. Ananda have more forward depth, instruments and vocals are on top of each other but it's see through so you can see what is behind of each instrument. While i find Ananda's presentation unique and immersive, i like the XS much more so far. I need to listen more to familiarize with the XS.

 

[baunauf]

I received a ifi zen air dac/amp yesterday, the XS sounds great on them, I normally use an Asgard 3/modi 3+. I thought the XS would be too hard to drive from it. Nicely done iFi, for 99 dollars this thing is solid. Anyway, still loving the XS, what a great pair of cans.