[Shane D]

Just to update my update, I spent lots more time with these after new pads and a few Dekoni Nuggets. I have been running a little Planar Playoff challenge the last two weeks on a thread on another forum. I will be updating it Friday/Saturday as I am pretty much finished. I got another planar a few weeks ago, The Fostex T60RP and I am just finishing up with that now.

Anyway, I am going to keep the Editions XX's. They do require some power to drive them properly, but luckily I have two amps with lots of power. And I am a quiet listener.

I find that these 'phones have a lot of width and depth. The mids are a bit recessed, but are there. When you give it some juice, the bass is very strong. At least on my Violectric V220. It does not have the clarity or the detail of the other planar's, but its presentation is unique in my collection. While it shares strong bass with the T60RP's, its presentation is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum (think very small/close on the Fostex's). The Dekoni Nuggets, just two in the centre, fixed my fit problem.
Since I wasn't getting good offers earlier, the new pads cost me an additional $140.00 landed and I never disliked the sound, I am going to keep them and try to make more time for them.

I am going to sell my Sundara's as the LCD-2 Classic's can match/beat them in clarity/detail and sound like "basshead" 'phones compared to the Sundara's.

In the last week or two I have enjoyed using these headphones. I am currently cutting back my collection (sold the Fostex TH-610's and about to move the Sundara's), but keeping a good variety. If I had to cut back my collection to just five or six pairs, I don't think these would make the cut. But that may change going forward as I use them more.

 

[Shane D]

I have been enjoying these headphones all weekend. I will definitely be keeping them. The Nuggets (just 2) fixed my fit problem. Not sure if the new pads changed the sound at all.

I pulled two pairs out of my cabinet to listen to this weekend. These and the Senn HD660's.
First off, they are Very different headphones, to put it mildly.
If I go back and forth the HD660's sound bright, which is not a term I would have ever used with them previously. I ended up settling on the XX's mostly.
I am really enjoying the sound, but with older music and quiet music I really have to crank up the volume. I raised the gain on my amp, but it was too loud. They seem to have to work harder than my other 'phones, but don't have as much detail. Usually I am all about detail and clarity, but I have been trying to expand my sound signature collection recently. I even bought my first OTL amp, an LD MKIII.

I love the smoothness, the presentation and the solid bass. It is certainly not like anything else in the collection.

 

[Condocondor]

It is weird. I sold other sets recently that didn't get this kind of low balling. Maybe it's a sign to give them another chance.

I think this is a fair interpretation of "a sign". They (Edition XX) really don't do anything all that wrong. They are far more dynamic than Sundara. Sundara has a smoother treble. That's true.... but Sundara has a smoother treble than just about anything so that's not saying much. I find these are a pretty chill headphone to just relax with but they're not dead like my Audioquest NightOwls. I certainly think thse are a better listen than HD6XX because they are so spacious and dynamic and yet clear. I love stringed instruments and acoustic music with my XX. Hope you do give them a chance without seeing them as potential $$$ to trade with.

 

[Shane D]

I think this is a fair interpretation of "a sign". They (Edition XX) really don't do anything all that wrong. They are far more dynamic than Sundara. Sundara has a smoother treble. That's true.... but Sundara has a smoother treble than just about anything so that's not saying much. I find these are a pretty chill headphone to just relax with but they're not dead like my Audioquest NightOwls. I certainly think thse are a better listen than HD6XX because they are so spacious and dynamic and yet clear. I love stringed instruments and acoustic music with my XX. Hope you do give them a chance without seeing them as potential $$$ to trade with.

I used to have the NightOwl Carbons. Did not like them at all.
I will keep going with the XX's as I do find them interesting. They will never be a favourite, but they bring something different to the table.
I am kind of feeling about these like I do with the LCD-2 Classic's. Some days great, some days they're okay.

 

[Condocondor]

I used to have the NightOwl Carbons. Did not like them at all.
I will keep going with the XX's as I do find them interesting. They will never be a favourite, but they bring something different to the table.
I am kind of feeling about these like I do with the LCD-2 Classic's. Some days great, some days they're okay.

I've not experimented with EQ but I have the iDSD BL with X-Bass and 3D+ switches..... which can add some deeper bass or a little sparkle up top when the source material or my mood calls for it. I'd say these would EQ good enough to put a smile on your face if you did some experimentation--they have a lot of raw potential this way.

 

[Shane D]

I've not experimented with EQ but I have the iDSD BL with X-Bass and 3D+ switches..... which can add some deeper bass or a little sparkle up top when the source material or my mood calls for it. I'd say these would EQ good enough to put a smile on your face if you did some experimentation--they have a lot of raw potential this way.

Yes, I use my Schiit Loki with them now and again, when I am in the mood for big bass. I recently bought a set of CFA Cascades and they give me all the bass I need when I am craving some boom.

 

[Condocondor]

Yes, I use my Schiit Loki with them now and again, when I am in the mood for big bass. I recently bought a set of CFA Cascades and they give me all the bass I need when I am craving some boom.

So the Loki was upgraded to the Loki+. Are you familiar with this?

 

[Shane D]

So the Loki was upgraded to the Loki+. Are you familiar with this?

I have heard about it. I like the Loki as it stands now.

 

[Oliver189]

I've had an edition XX for a little over a year. I've really enjoyed them, a sizable step up from my HE-400i which I also love. But the first one I ordered had a driver failure within 24 hours of using it. I got it exchanged and lived happily ever after until right now when my right driver suddenly clicked and stopped working while playing a game. The volume was not even very loud.

I think I'm SOL since I got these in January 2020. What are my options? Should I have them repaired? Repair them myself? Out of only 400 sold there are several posts on Mass Drop alone of driver failures.

This is a $500-$600 headphone that has been very well taken care of, I don't know if I can buy from Hifiman again and it pains me to say that because I honestly do not believe I can get a better sounding planar magnetic headphone for under $1000.

 

[Condocondor]

I've had an edition XX for a little over a year. I've really enjoyed them, a sizable step up from my HE-400i which I also love. But the first one I ordered had a driver failure within 24 hours of using it. I got it exchanged and lived happily ever after until right now when my right driver suddenly clicked and stopped working while playing a game. The volume was not even very loud.

I think I'm SOL since I got these in January 2020. What are my options? Should I have them repaired? Repair them myself? Out of only 400 sold there are several posts on Mass Drop alone of driver failures.

This is a $500-$600 headphone that has been very well taken care of, I don't know if I can buy from Hifiman again and it pains me to say that because I honestly do not believe I can get a better sounding planar magnetic headphone for under $1000.

I will be anxious to see how HiFiMan deals with you? I have an XX and need to know if they can repair their own products for reasonable.

 

[Oliver189]

I will be anxious to see how HiFiMan deals with you? I have an XX and need to know if they can repair their own products for reasonable.

I reached out to both Hifiman and Drop. Haven't heard back from Hifiman yet but Drop just said that there was nothing they could do. I knew that it was no longer under warranty so didn't expect them to do anything for free, but was under the impression that problems with products sold through Drop had to be handled with them. Hopefully Hifiman doesn't tell me to handle it through Drop.

Similar Hifiman headphones have had problems with the wire placement/soldering so resoldering the wire might fix it. I am hesitant to do anything because the plastic membrane is so thin that even touching it very lightly damages it. I just barely bumped it with a fingernail when taking off the earpads and it left a permanent ripple. My 400i has a cloth screen that fully protects the membrane. I really think that the build quality of these is lacking even by Hifiman standards.

I'm not an industrial engineer so what do I know, but how much would it have cost to put a similar cloth screen between the frame and the micron thick membrane, or solder a wire properly, or use a headphone cable on par with a $2 monoprice cable instead of what has to be the most absurdly bad cable ever produced? Is it true that their $1000+ headphones come with the same cable? Does their market research suggest that if they charged $20 more for a $600 product that they would lose more customers than from repeated product failures? It's really too bad because they did sound great. Oh well.

 

[Condocondor]

I reached out to both Hifiman and Drop. Haven't heard back from Hifiman yet but Drop just said that there was nothing they could do. I knew that it was no longer under warranty so didn't expect them to do anything for free, but was under the impression that problems with products sold through Drop had to be handled with them. Hopefully Hifiman doesn't tell me to handle it through Drop.

Similar Hifiman headphones have had problems with the wire placement/soldering so resoldering the wire might fix it. I am hesitant to do anything because the plastic membrane is so thin that even touching it very lightly damages it. I just barely bumped it with a fingernail when taking off the earpads and it left a permanent ripple. My 400i has a cloth screen that fully protects the membrane. I really think that the build quality of these is lacking even by Hifiman standards.

I'm not an industrial engineer so what do I know, but how much would it have cost to put a similar cloth screen between the frame and the micron thick membrane, or solder a wire properly, or use a headphone cable on par with a $2 monoprice cable instead of what has to be the most absurdly bad cable ever produced? Is it true that their $1000+ headphones come with the same cable? Does their market research suggest that if they charged $20 more for a $600 product that they would lose more customers than from repeated product failures? It's really too bad because they did sound great. Oh well.

It has to do with the arrogance of the Founder of HiFiMan. He knows better but he doesn't care. He and they are not oblivious. They hear the criticisms and refuse to grow as people and as a company. "My products sound so good that I should have to cater to the whining of my customers." He'll regret it someday. Someday a competitor will come along and kick his ass.....then he'll pretend to find humility.

 

[Shane D]

My XX's have really grown on me. But the quality is poor. I had an earpad and the fabric was not even glued in and had to be replaced. And of course I had to buy a pair from HiFiman. Not cheap.

Also, on my pair at least, you can spin the cups almost right around and the cups gets scratched from the yokes.

Disappointing, but the sound has really won me over.

 

[Condocondor]

My XX's have really grown on me. But the quality is poor. I had an earpad and the fabric was not even glued in and had to replaced. And of course I had to buy a pair from HiFiman. Not cheap.

Also, on my pair at least, you can spin the cups almost right around and the cups gets scratched from the yokes.

Disappointing, but the sound has really won me over.

Yay! They're relaxing and just enough sparkle up top to stay interesting. Sound stage is wonderful. Bass is wonderful.. But people who prefer Ananda feel XX is lacking. It's not lacking. It was designed with a particular sonic signature that would neither wow nor be boring. XX just sits in that sweet spot of relaxing. I hate headphones that are treble prone even though they sound amazing right off the bat. Clarity in the extreme is just fatiguing after about 20 minutes. You just want to relax, listen to music, and have the headphones disappear from your awareness....XX are your headphones.

 

[Shane D]

Yay! They're relaxing and just enough sparkle up top to stay interesting. Sound stage is wonderful. Bass is wonderful.. But people who prefer Ananda feel XX is lacking. It's not lacking. It was designed with a particular sonic signature that would neither wow nor be boring. XX just sits in that sweet spot of relaxing. I hate headphones that are treble prone even though they sound amazing right off the bat. Clarity in the extreme is just fatiguing after about 20 minutes. You just want to relax, listen to music, and have the headphones disappear from your awareness....XX are your headphones.

The soundstage and bass won me over. They need juice though. Give them some volume and it feels like you are in a club or at a hall. Nice change of pace.

To me, the upgrade would be the Arya. However, they are Really pricey and you have to wonder about the quality.
I think I would go to Clears first, since I LOVE my Elex's.