expiredt3t4 posted Jul 19, 2024 11:51 AM
Item 1 of 2
Item 1 of 2
expiredt3t4 posted Jul 19, 2024 11:51 AM
HIFIMAN Edition XS Full-Size Over-Ear Open-Back Planar Magnetic Hi-Fi Headphones
+ Free Shipping$269
$499
46% offAmazon
Visit AmazonGood Deal
Bad Deal
Save
Share
Leave a Comment
Top Comments
Rtings review: https://www.rtings.com/headphones...ed
A few basics to get out of the way first, since I know people wander onto these headphone deals not realizing these are audiophile cans for critical listening: these headphones are wired only (no bluetooth or wireless connections of any kind), have no form of active noise cancelling, have extremely poor sound isolation (you can hear whats going on around you, and everyone around you can hear what you're listening to), and are extremely heavy and bulky. They are designed to be used at home with a dedicated audio setup.
With a weight of 0.93 lbs (421.8 grams) they are somewhat heavier than average headphones, and may be uncomfortable for extended use depending on fit. They use the standard hifiman headband, which while not bad isn't anything amazing (at least in my experience), though this is obviously a matter of personal preference. The earcups are absolutely enormous, and the overall fit of this headphone is best for large heads, if your head is on the smaller side these headphones may not fit well.
The edition xs has an impedance of 18 ohms and a sensitivity of 92db. The combination of quite low impedance along with fairly low sensitivity means these headphones are current hungry and moderately difficult to drive, but as long as you're not planning on using eq (equalization) you can probably get away with not using an amp if you have a high quality integrated audio solution on your motherboard. Don't expect something low end like the alc987 to work though. To be clear, sound will likely be improved with a dedicated audio setup, but these headphones aren't hard enough to drive that an amp is 100% necessary to get good sound, just recommended. These headphones are not designed for portable use, and most phones and cheap usb-c to 3.5mm dongles probably won't do a very good job of driving them. If you'd be eqing these headphones to any meaningful degree (negative preamp of more than 3db or so), an amp is even more highly recommended. As planar magnetic headphones with low distortion they take rather well to eq, so eq is highly recommended if you have an amp.
The largest issue with these headphones is hifiman's quality control, unfortunately hifiman is infamous for poor quality control and poor product longevity. Poor driver matching, driver failure after months (or less) of use, crackling or rattling sounds when moving your head, and more are all relatively common complaints with hifiman headphones including the edition xs. This is not by any means guaranteed, the majority of purchasers receive headphones without glaring issues or premature failures, but hifimans quality control and product longevity still stands out as being distinctly worse than that of other major brands.
The edition xs come with a 1 year standard warranty, from what I've heard hifiman's customer service tends to be decent (at least in the US), but obviously ymmv.
Hifiman's warranty policy can be found here: https://store.hifiman.c
Overall, if these headphones would fit your use cases, this is an excellent deal.
34 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
With science of coarse.... That's why we have frequency response charts and measurements like the one below.
Which headphone sounds best? That will always be personal opinion and personal preference. Which headphone measures best? Well that's easy to show and talk about and it's the only way that we as opinionated individuals can really talk about sound. In a world of sound and the measurement of, the flatter the frequency response the better! This particular pair of cans measure very well, among the best of the best I've seen. But a little EQ work can certainly make them better.
To all of those asking what sounds better?: learn to read a frequency response measurement and look for the flattest response for the overall best sound quality. Everything else is purely subjective and personal taste or opinion. But the frequency response is something we can all measure and duplicate, it's the one thing we can all agree upon in this world full of noise/sound.
Consider heavily your listening environment. You will not be able to appreciate anything any "open back" headphones offer in even a mildly noisy environment. They're great if they're what you're looking for, but make sure you know what you're looking for too.
This in general is a great price, if this is what you want.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I typically just use my PC and iPhone for music.
I typically just use my PC and iPhone for music.
Mobile: Qudelix-5K [amazon.com]
I typically just use my PC and iPhone for music.
Like 90 percent of the audio experience comes from the headphones or speakers. Start with the Apple USBC 3.5mm dongle (not kidding, it's considered the best DAC under 40 bucks, which is impressive since it's 9 bucks on Amazon) to get a little more power than a built in jack on a mobile device or the afterthoughts they cobble together on most desktop motherboards. That can at least give you the max volume levels you're used to with other headphones without making anything sound worse.
If you still want something more, then the Moondrop Dawn Pro ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFQS2B6L ) can get you balanced stereo output for right at 50 bucks. You might need to get a balanced cable, though. The Amazon page says these headphones come with a 3.5mm cable, and the Dawn Pro use a 4.4mm jack for their balanced output.
I typically just use my PC and iPhone for music.
It seems that HiFiman headphones with this shape are either loved or hated in terms of fit. Their round ear cupped headphones are MUCH better for my mid-size head.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Really want one but taken aback by the thought I couldn't use them on an airplane.
Leave a Comment