Hifiman Edition XS Review

[yamsboiii]

Hi all,

Thought I'd give my thoughts on my newly purchased (± 1 month) Hifiman Edition XS, specifically in comparison to my Sundaras (2020).

• Unboxing: both experiences were fairly simple affairs, but the Edition XS certainly wins in the style department. The box design and finish are both more engaging and premium in feel.

• Accessories: both headphones include a basic rubberised cable with a 3.5mm connector at 90°. While neither cable is special, the XS's cable is much softer and has much less memory than that of the Sundara (had to hang it for a couple of days to achieve a kind of 'stiff straightness'). The XS's box also comes with a removable foam support structure that doubles as a simple headphone stand. Nice!

• Design & Build:
  • I love the Sundara's headband design and find it to be incredibly comfortable. I've never experienced any kind of discomfort or irritation on the top of my head. The clamp force is quite mild, giving a snug but easy feeling. The usual adjustment marks on the inner headband mechanism are present, but my real gripe is the creaking that comes when opening and adjusting the thing. A really offputting byproduct of the rigid plastic upper headband and the cup-swivel-less earcups. My medium-sized ears fit well within the circular earcups and only need occasional adjustment when the headphone moves.
  • Comparatively, I really don't enjoy the headband style of the XS. While it is conforming and soft to the touch, it distributes the pressure much less effectively across my head and often causes patches of discomfort (a dull ache). It does, however, have cup swivel. This, combined with the egg-shaped ear cups, means that the margin for error in terms of head placement is much greater - I adjust the headphone for seal or ear irritation much less often than with the Sundaras. What the one loses out on, the other makes up for - a circle of frustration.

• Sound: they're both great, but in different ways.
  • Sundara:
    • Tonality: The Sundaras feel... desaturated. Bass and sub-bass roll-off is pretty aggressive and affected my ability to engage with this region. While the delayed ear gain in the upper mids definitely gives them a sense of spaciousness, it also makes them feel a touch lifeless, especially for female vocalists. Trebel is what I would call a 'mildly spicy' with a bit of planar zing!
    • Technical Performance: Exceeded my expectations, specifically in the treble region.
    • Soundstage and Instrument Separation: Solid across the board, but nothing sensational.
    • EQ: I found that these cans really benefitted from a touch of EQ. Evening out the sub-bass roll-off really brought me back into the music and made them more versatile - all genres became accessible. Moving that ear gain slightly down really revivified female vocalists (at the cost of some sound stage depth) and a touch of treble adjustment also made them smoother without any loss of detail.
  • Edition XS:
    • Tonality: The linear bass makes these much more engaging out of the box, but they lack the definition and impact of the Sundaras. While these also have delayed ear gain, they manage to remain engaging and rich in the upper mids, simultaneously giving great spaciousness and presence. Trebel = peaky. The 9kHz dip isn't really noticeable to my ear, but the 12kHz peak certainly is! Beware of the fatigue if you're averse to EQ or treble-sensitive.
    • Technical Performance: A definite step up from the Sundaras, specifically in the texture of the mids - it's like I can feel the pluck and vibration of strings.
    • Soundstage and Instrument Separation: I actually think that a great deal of the improved technical performance is made possible by the much larger sound stage and increased separation between instruments. It gives the headphones the breathing room they need to show off their technical chops. They also have a much better sense of height and width - I can hear exactly where the sound is being produced on the driver.
    • EQ: I needed to tone down the treble peakiness to make these listenable for extended periods, but once I did these became smooth, clear, incisive, spacious, rich, engaging beasts. Mids need less touching-up than the Sundaras, allowing the sound stage to stay the same whilst making female vocals that little bit more engaging. I also threw on a low-shelf filter to give these a bit of warmth. What I find really interesting is that they've managed to remain clear and precise, but also welcoming and easy.

And that's that.

If you have any questions I’ll do my best to answer them.

Thanks for giving this a read.

Let me know if you've found the same with either or both of these headphones!