The Best Deal in Audio... Period.

too bad they are not gaming headphones

What’s better the XS or 1990 MKI

Opening song had me groovin

Sooo they are better than the AirPods Max? lol

I have the Ananda Stealth. I just ordered this one as well.

How would anyone compare these to the Hifiman HE-R9 modifed by JM Audio?

Tempting but I really like the bass of my HD6XX. Still going to keep my eyes peeled for deals though

I got these a few months ago for 350 lol

dislike

I got these 1-1.5 months ago when I saw their clearance sale. I must say, it really changed competely how I listen to music. I am a massive jazz nerd and a musician myself, music is just *that" thing in my life. I dont have thousands to dish out to hifi gear from niche brands, so ı wanna make my dollar (well, euros in my case) count. Tbh I am running them through the phones output of a behringer xenyx 1204 usb mixer, so its not even a good pre-amp for these headphones by any standard, but the low impedance really helps these cans, I still get great sound out of them. I can drive them no problem. Even on my phone if I crank up to volume it starts to get in to crazy good territory.

With these headphones, get ready to think that the entire band is in your room. The sound stage is so good that often I think I forgot to turn off my speakers, and then I take my headphones off and realize that they were off. Really really crazy buy for its price. If someone has a amp recommendation for these bad boys let me know (something around $100-200 range?)

I have the Meze Elite.
So, call again later

I had the Edition XS for half a year and found the sound to be too harsh for my taste, swapped for an HD 600 and had never been happier, just personal preferences I guess. Got the HD600 for about 270 during Black Friday as well

Last Hifiman I had last 2 months before falling apart, and the price dropped from $500 to $200

I dont know if I like these more than my Pad modded HE4XX more "open" but not significantly and thats only due cause driver size.
but also a bit colder in some areas. yes the treble sparkles a tiny bit more. but the audeze maxwell might the better investment. yeah.. its the Maxwell with less bass
and its the HE4XX with a larger diaphragm, slightly better treble but a bit colder sound.
you loose a lil warmth unless you raise the volume up

do you have a tesla, i am curious what sound system do you have in your car if you are doing other trims.

Strange everyone complains about the fit and headband....these are the most comfortable headphones I've ever used in my life. Also daily usage now for two years and I toss em around a fair bit without issue.

damn I thought I was gonna see something better than my arya stealths or LCD-2C , gonna have to work a lot the rest of the month damn.

It's so true. I bought them on sale and they are so freaking awesome, couldn't believe it. Games, Music or every day stuff... I just use them. I think your earlier review made me pull the trigger if I remember correctly.

Do these require an amp? Or will they play well off an iPhone 14?

I actually got them from AliExpress for £160! Amazing deal and fantastic headphones!

he400se @ $70 is arguably a better deal, got mine for $50

Is it good for small head that I have ?

I got the Ananda over the XS simply due to the headband. I had the Sundara which has the same headband as Ananda and they were so comfortable to wear. I also had the Deva Pro which has the XS headband and it was SO loose fitting they fall off if I even tilted my head back. Also it feels heavy due to the pressure in the middle which also causes it to feel hotter when wearing them. However if my Ananda break, I will definitely get the XS and driver swap them so I keep the headband.

HD600 is better

How do these comopare to the DT 880 or K702 for Classical Music use?

Correction, for $75 the Phillips shp9500 headphones are absolutely the best deal in audio headphones right now. Actually they’ve been the best deal in headphones for years now that I think about it.

can I know what microphone did you attached to the hifiman edition XS in the video?

I LOVE my edition XS. Currently listening with an ifi HipDac 3 and use the bass boost mode for the sound I enjoy.

fwiw, the k702 from akg, with oratory1990s harman eq curve, makes those cans into absolute gems.

they’re as detailed as anything, and as wide as the senn 800s.

the suspension system is amazing and the pads are comfortable.

real leather headband and quality craftsmanship all around.

nothing against the creator or the XS, i own those too…

but if you’ve got $200 to spend, and you’re willing to play with eq… do not overlook the often overlooked diamond that is the akg k702.

Ahh to remember those times where the HD6XX came out

This hurts to hear on my hifiman ananda stealths...

I would love to see a comparison between XS and the recent FT1 Pro. They are both planar at affordable price point and FT1 Pro is trending on the positive reviews.

what's intro song?

I wonder whether the 18 ohm rating makes them really easy to drive. My wife plays a digital piano through 'phones and likes the Sennheiser HD595 & 600 but they need an outboard amp because the piano's built-in headphone amp is just slightly under-powered. It might be good to bypass the extra amp if these 'phones were loud enough.

My arya's are the only "high-end" headphones on my wall of 20+ headphones that peeled like a complete piece of logitech-level shit. I'm never buying hifiman again. Nevertheless, at that price, sure. An entry level stepping stone to something better.

I bought it. Loving it. Works like a charm for movies, games, bassy musics, rock/metal... My Fiio K7BT is more than enough to power it. Perfect all arounder. It works even with my phone for medium volume listening. The only problem is... Will it last for many years? The infamous Hifiman QC issues...

how does it compares with sub $269 iem ?

Will the bluesound Powernode be enough to power the headphones? Power Output: 35mW
* Impedance: Minimum 14 ohms
* THD (Total Harmonic Distortion): 0.0055% @ 1kHz

these are trash. all open back are trash. im returning them you wasted my time

i have both, arya is superior to xs, but if i will have at first xs i would not mind about upgrade, because it is a pleasure to listen

I mean I would buy the XS but I still have the OG ananda. But if I didn't it would be a no brainer to buy.

Wow. My son just gave me this as a gift and I am quite impressed. I have higher-end headphones but this is one is almost up there with them. He caught a great deal and I'm proud of him!

Hi, I really enjoy your reviews. I typically use my Airpods Max as my main. I really like the transparency function. I also have Sony XM4, Beats Studio Pro, B&W PX7, AKG 702, and a bunch of nice IEMs (Westone W60, AKG NC5005, Shures, etc.). I saw your video on the price drop for the Hifiman Edition XS and I've always been curious about the improvements offered by planars over my current kit so I visited the Hifiman website and found the ANANDA Stealth Magnet refurb available for $259. At this price, which would you recommend? I would probably need an amp as well. Should I refrain and just be happy with what I already have?

im a casual, i use audio for media and i dont wanna spend extra money on amp or dac, is this worth?

@Josh - HELP! I took the plunge and ordered these. What dongle DAC do I get for them??

Great review mate can I ask a quick question how would you compare these against the Sennheiser HD 660 S2 and also the Bayer dynamic DT 1990 Pro 2

Some people say ananda v3 its even better, you should talk about them since de difference in price is short

the ananda stealth for 300 usd is a much better deal than the xs at 258 usd.

Just tried these with my Schitt Fulla-E I am pretty sure I should get a better DAC/Amp solution for this guy if I want to drive it better.

I have my Edition XS paired with a topping stack. D70 OCTO DAC/A90 Discrete amp. The sound is incredible! A real upgrade from my HD6xx's and a Modius/Midgard Schiit stack.