written review: "Intimate soundstage for an open back" and "an airy soundstage. Note that I said "airy." The stage feels natural, not cramped or compressed, but it favors intimacy over width." And also on your website " giving the listening some of the best soundstage and transparency in Hifi sound, and this is almost identical to the styling of some of their more expensive offerings." So what is it?
The soundstage and imaging are very good, and among the other HiFiMan products the soundstage is normal for their headphones. It's not the widest soundstage, but there is good separation and placement of all the vocals and the instruments. The vocals feel closer than headphones with a wider soundstage so it does sound more intimate. Hope this helps! 🙂
The headband on the XS is horrible, i wanted to sell them due to that alone. However, Custom Cans sells a nice leather suspension strap that works on that headband and takes them from one of my most uncomfortable, to one of my most comfortable. Great sounding headphones, and now can be purchased under $300. As for upping clarity, the best thing I did for these headphones was getting them an amp they love, the Drop THX AAA 789 gave them the wow factor that was missing (more dynamic). Great review, you earned a new sub.
I'm almost done with my "TH-cam" research regarding the XS, pretty much sold on the idea, this review was giving some more weight to my purchase option,... BUT.. the second you start plugging the custom cables for a "boost in clarity, detail and staging" you turned me right off, I sensed a drop in validity.
I have a question that's bugging me. Why is it that all audio and electronics experts agree about cables not making any difference whatsoever on headphone sound quality but cable manufacturers claim that the cable can make a huge difference?
We wouldn't say all experts in either field agree or disagree on cables making a difference. We personally find there to be a significant difference when using our cables and the best way to tell, is to try it out yourself. Here is a recent paper on cables making a measurable difference: boson.physics.sc.edu/~kunchur/papers/Interconnect-cable-measurements--Kunchur.pdf if you'd like to see some of the latest research on this. For further questions, please contact us via our Contact Us form www.moon-audio.com/contact-us
@@moon-audio I think you probably misread my comment. I said they don't make any real difference "on headphones". The study you just linked refers to line-level cables, where many times there's a noticeable difference, especially when shielding is poor.
@@edu6032 In the same way that there is a noticeable difference with line-level cables, interconnects, etc. we find there to be a different sound with headphone cables. Everything from the purity of the material, the material used in the conductor, the shielding, the conductor thickness, the quality of the connectors, and even the quality of the solder affect the overall experience to our ears! We recommend trying out different headphone cables to see if you can hear a difference yourself! We list all of our cable details on our respective cable pages: www.moon-audio.com/silver-dragon-headphone-cable-v3.html if you are interested.
I would say that stating a "significant difference" is pushing it, any difference perceived can be due to a placebo effect, and if not I imagine it would be almost negligible.
Thank you for the review. I enjoyed your presentation. I was dead set against getting these, but I got a real good deal on a set, so I took a chance. For the money spent, I am happy with them. As it turns out, they sound really good. Very good detail, a wider stage than I anticipated, treble that is not fatiguing for me, and well controlled mids. Bass is nothing to write home about, but with a little EQ help, you can get them to an acceptable/enjoyable level. They do EQ nicely. And yes, they are a bit power hungry. But with the right amp, they can scale up. They are wonderful when paired with my Liquid Platinum amp. So sonically, they are very good. That said, they are very cheaply built so you must take care when handling them, and the ergos are terrible. The headband flat out sucks. I should have returned them and got the Ananda instead. Lesson learned. I have done what I could to make them tolerable to wear. So, they will be fine until they eventually break and then I'll go get the Arya Stealth.
Great detailed insightful review! Loved the humor in the beginning. I have the XS and I'm thinking about jumping up to the Ayra, and I was wondering if the $900 extra is worth the sound upgrade.I value your opinion and won't hold against you! Thanks much- Steve
Hi Steve, we think the Arya Stealth has a cleaner and more neutral sound than the Edition XS. The Arya is also now on sale for $1,299: www.moon-audio.com/hifiman-arya-stealth-magnets-2021-planar-magnetic-headphones.html
@@bradhuskers I would recommend the iFi GoBar and get our Blue Dragon headphone cable with the balanced 4.4mm TRRRS connection. 4.4mm fully balanced output - headphones with a balanced cable/connector can benefit from the fully balanced circuitry of the GO bar. www.moon-audio.com/ifi-go-bar.html
We'd recommend the iFi GO bar Headphone Amp DAC, and our Blue Dragon headphone cable with the balanced 4.4mm TRRRS connection. Headphones with a balanced cable/connector can benefit from the fully balanced circuitry of the GO bar. www.moon-audio.com/ifi-go-bar.html www.moon-audio.com/blue-dragon-headphone-cable-v3.html
I am 195 cm tall, and Edition XS feel very loose on my head no matter the adjustment. Even when I reached to a drawer, they would always fall. Or if you drink from a mug, these would fall. The headband is very stiff, and I got headaches after half an hour of wearing XS. I also have Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and Sennheiser HD 560S and I can wear these for hours without noticing. Too bad, because I really enjoyed listening to XS, nonetheless, I had to return them because of comfort. I think suspension style headband would do better with these like on Ananda and Aria, but these are at least twice expensive. I think I would try Sundara...
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
She's got some serious onscreen presence and excellent delivery. Humor is always welcome.
written review:
"Intimate soundstage for an open back" and
"an airy soundstage. Note that I said "airy." The stage feels natural, not cramped or compressed, but it favors intimacy over width." And also on your website
" giving the listening some of the best soundstage and transparency in Hifi sound, and this is almost identical to the styling of some of their more expensive offerings."
So what is it?
The soundstage and imaging are very good, and among the other HiFiMan products the soundstage is normal for their headphones. It's not the widest soundstage, but there is good separation and placement of all the vocals and the instruments. The vocals feel closer than headphones with a wider soundstage so it does sound more intimate. Hope this helps! 🙂
The headband on the XS is horrible, i wanted to sell them due to that alone. However, Custom Cans sells a nice leather suspension strap that works on that headband and takes them from one of my most uncomfortable, to one of my most comfortable. Great sounding headphones, and now can be purchased under $300. As for upping clarity, the best thing I did for these headphones was getting them an amp they love, the Drop THX AAA 789 gave them the wow factor that was missing (more dynamic). Great review, you earned a new sub.
I'm almost done with my "TH-cam" research regarding the XS, pretty much sold on the idea, this review was giving some more weight to my purchase option,... BUT.. the second you start plugging the custom cables for a "boost in clarity, detail and staging" you turned me right off, I sensed a drop in validity.
In only two months I've had to send it for repair due to a failing right driver
I have a question that's bugging me.
Why is it that all audio and electronics experts agree about cables not making any difference whatsoever on headphone sound quality but cable manufacturers claim that the cable can make a huge difference?
We wouldn't say all experts in either field agree or disagree on cables making a difference. We personally find there to be a significant difference when using our cables and the best way to tell, is to try it out yourself. Here is a recent paper on cables making a measurable difference: boson.physics.sc.edu/~kunchur/papers/Interconnect-cable-measurements--Kunchur.pdf if you'd like to see some of the latest research on this.
For further questions, please contact us via our Contact Us form www.moon-audio.com/contact-us
@@moon-audio I think you probably misread my comment. I said they don't make any real difference "on headphones". The study you just linked refers to line-level cables, where many times there's a noticeable difference, especially when shielding is poor.
@@edu6032 In the same way that there is a noticeable difference with line-level cables, interconnects, etc. we find there to be a different sound with headphone cables. Everything from the purity of the material, the material used in the conductor, the shielding, the conductor thickness, the quality of the connectors, and even the quality of the solder affect the overall experience to our ears! We recommend trying out different headphone cables to see if you can hear a difference yourself!
We list all of our cable details on our respective cable pages: www.moon-audio.com/silver-dragon-headphone-cable-v3.html if you are interested.
I would say that stating a "significant difference" is pushing it, any difference perceived can be due to a placebo effect, and if not I imagine it would be almost negligible.
Thank you for the review. I enjoyed your presentation. I was dead set against getting these, but I got a real good deal on a set, so I took a chance. For the money spent, I am happy with them. As it turns out, they sound really good. Very good detail, a wider stage than I anticipated, treble that is not fatiguing for me, and well controlled mids. Bass is nothing to write home about, but with a little EQ help, you can get them to an acceptable/enjoyable level. They do EQ nicely. And yes, they are a bit power hungry. But with the right amp, they can scale up. They are wonderful when paired with my Liquid Platinum amp.
So sonically, they are very good. That said, they are very cheaply built so you must take care when handling them, and the ergos are terrible. The headband flat out sucks. I should have returned them and got the Ananda instead. Lesson learned. I have done what I could to make them tolerable to wear. So, they will be fine until they eventually break and then I'll go get the Arya Stealth.
I’m in love with this woman❤
I'm in the UK. Will you marry me?
Gross, don't be creepy.
I really do love the Batman stealth joke at the beginning
Wait what's the Batman part of the joke?
Great detailed insightful review! Loved the humor in the beginning. I have the XS and I'm thinking about jumping up to the Ayra, and I was wondering if the $900 extra is worth the sound upgrade.I value your opinion and won't hold against you! Thanks much- Steve
Hi Steve, we think the Arya Stealth has a cleaner and more neutral sound than the Edition XS. The Arya is also now on sale for $1,299: www.moon-audio.com/hifiman-arya-stealth-magnets-2021-planar-magnetic-headphones.html
@@moon-audio Thank you Sara for your valued input, much appreciated! Take care!
@@moon-audio I think that's the route I'm going to take.Thank you so much for your help!
@@moon-audio
Is there a dac amp dongle on the market today, that's sufficient to drive my edition xs headphones?
@@bradhuskers I would recommend the iFi GoBar and get our Blue Dragon headphone cable with the balanced 4.4mm TRRRS connection. 4.4mm fully balanced output - headphones with a balanced cable/connector can benefit from the fully balanced circuitry of the GO bar.
www.moon-audio.com/ifi-go-bar.html
Nice tat sleeves!
Is there a dac amp dongle on the market today, that's sufficient to drive my hifiman edition xs?
We'd recommend the iFi GO bar Headphone Amp DAC, and our Blue Dragon headphone cable with the balanced 4.4mm TRRRS connection. Headphones with a balanced cable/connector can benefit from the fully balanced circuitry of the GO bar.
www.moon-audio.com/ifi-go-bar.html
www.moon-audio.com/blue-dragon-headphone-cable-v3.html
Solid!
Thanks Joshua, we appreciate your support!
Hi! Could you make 2,3 recommendations?
I want to know bests headphones under 1k..
Thanks
Hello Roberto, we'd love to make some recommendations for you. Please reach out to us here: www.moon-audio.com/contact-us
You folks are a weird bunch. Keep it up🤪😜🤣🤣
Ananda or xs for better voice and trebble ?
Both are great options but we would lean towards recommending the Ananda out of those two options!
@@moon-audio thx mate , and one good portable amp ? Mojo ? Dragonfly red ? Or ?
@@simonecostanzini7514 Mojo 2 for sure! The Gryphon is a nice alternative to consider as well
Preferred her over all the other TH-camrs. Not keen on the sales pitch for snake oil (cables), but she should spin off and do her own thing.
I am 195 cm tall, and Edition XS feel very loose on my head no matter the adjustment. Even when I reached to a drawer, they would always fall. Or if you drink from a mug, these would fall. The headband is very stiff, and I got headaches after half an hour of wearing XS. I also have Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and Sennheiser HD 560S and I can wear these for hours without noticing. Too bad, because I really enjoyed listening to XS, nonetheless, I had to return them because of comfort. I think suspension style headband would do better with these like on Ananda and Aria, but these are at least twice expensive. I think I would try Sundara...
cable making noticeble improvement of the sound ... lol..that's when I clicked the dislike button !