[Kunal1991]

Hi all,
This is my first post on head-fi. I'm a joint replacement surgeon and have no background in music whatsoever. After listening to my first ever IEMs: the Moondrop Blessing 3, I got pulled into this hobby and have been adding to my collection since

Here's a quick tour of the gear I currently own:

ThieAudio V16 Divinity and Chord Mojo 2. My main portable listening setup.

Sennheiser IE600 and Ifi Hip DAC 2. Love the tuning on the Sennheiser IEM.

Fiio KA13 was my first proper DAC purchase with the Blessing 3. Since then, my sister has hijacked the Blessing 3 because she loved it so much.

7hz Legato and Ifi Go Pods for the intense weight training sessions in the gym.

And finally, just received my Topping DX9 today that has inspired me to create this post.

So, inviting all recommendations for the next step up from the Edition XS! I love these for music and also for gaming. I have owned them for 2 years and now it's time to upgrade

I would be happy to share my thoughts on these pairings and would love to hear yours too! Cheers!

 

[dunring]

I've had almost the whole Hifiman line for the business. A direct upgrade to the XS is the Arya Stealth for both music and gaming. The Sennheiser HD800s also would be noticeable, and the HD600 if you like neutral sound with great imaging and better group delay for spatial qualities than Hifiman usually has. For gaming the HD800s for headphones and Seeaudio Yume II has the deep and wide soundstage for gaming. I was surprised in Destiny 2 how far I could hear in front and back when playing with the Yume II. For tuning, the 7hz Timeless original (the AE version has a dynamic driver for bass, so no fun planar slam like the original) got it right, and I still personally like the Moondrop Starfield and Kato a lot more than the Blessing 2, 3 or Variations regardless of price.

 

[Kunal1991]

I've had almost the whole Hifiman line for the business. A direct upgrade to the XS is the Arya Stealth for both music and gaming. The Sennheiser HD800s also would be noticeable, and the HD600 if you like neutral sound with great imaging and better group delay for spatial qualities than Hifiman usually has. For gaming the HD800s for headphones and Seeaudio Yume II has the deep and wide soundstage for gaming. I was surprised in Destiny 2 how far I could hear in front and back when playing with the Yume II. For tuning, the 7hz Timeless original (the AE version has a dynamic driver for bass, so no fun planar slam like the original) got it right, and I still personally like the Moondrop Starfield and Kato a lot more than the Blessing 2, 3 or Variations regardless of price.

Thanks for the suggestions! I hear nothing but good things about the Arya Stealth and both the Sennheiser Headphones. Would you consider the Stealth/HD800 to be a substantial leap over the XS ? Folks over at r/headphones have been recommending the HE1000SE as the next upgrade. Since you have access to the entire HiFiMan lineup, what is your subjective take on the HE1000SE ? I've heard it can stage both wider and deeper than the HD800 and has a good bass extension down to 20hz while still sounding transparent: Something that the HD800 lacks.

The Meze Empyrean 2 also has some outstanding reviews, but I don't know how it would fare for gaming. The huge bass shelf would definitely be distracting. I tried the EQ using Equalizer APO but I'm not sure if the XS can produce a close enough rendition of the Empyrean 2. It sounds good but loses the transparency and is distinctly V-shaped to my ears!

 

[PinkyPowers]

Hi all,
This is my first post on head-fi. I'm a joint replacement surgeon and have no background in music whatsoever. After listening to my first ever IEMs: the Moondrop Blessing 3, I got pulled into this hobby and have been adding to my collection since

Here's a quick tour of the gear I currently own:

ThieAudio V16 Divinity and Chord Mojo 2. My main portable listening setup.

Sennheiser IE600 and Ifi Hip DAC 2. Love the tuning on the Sennheiser IEM.

Fiio KA13 was my first proper DAC purchase with the Blessing 3. Since then, my sister has hijacked the Blessing 3 because she loved it so much.

7hz Legato and Ifi Go Pods for the intense weight training sessions in the gym.

And finally, just received my Topping DX9 today that has inspired me to create this post.

So, inviting all recommendations for the next step up from the Edition XS! I love these for music and also for gaming. I have owned them for 2 years and now it's time to upgrade

I would be happy to share my thoughts on these pairings and would love to hear yours too! Cheers!

I've been on the warpath lately, proclaiming the glory of the HifiMan HE1000 Stealth. I don't know where these have been all my life, but I'm in love. At their new price of $1400, they're honestly too good not to own.