Hifiman Edition XS - Updated Review

Still great and now cheaper than ever

One of my first headphones reviews over a year ago was for my Edition XS, at that time my main long term experience was either with Sennheiser ( and I do also still love my HD600 ) and AKG headphones. But honestly, I had not really spent enough time with enough other headphones to really appreciate how good the Edition XS was, so this review is really to flesh out that original review and share my long term thoughts.

Read on to find out.

In this updated review will dive into the key aspects of the Edition XS while also highlighting how the new unit performs straight out of the box compared to my year-old well-used version.

Background: A Headphone upgrade journey

I had been a Sennheiser fan for about 20 years starting with the iconic ‘yellow’ foam HD-414 (anniversary edition) then moving to the HD-560’s and finally getting the incredible HD-600 (still a favourite). I had thought I was finished in my search for the best headphone, but then at the start of COVID I found myself working from home and wanting to experiment a little with headphones. From reading the latest research into the Harman Over Ear target curve, I decided to pick up an AKG K371 as this was Dr Sean Olive’s “baby” created to be a reference headphone for that preference curve and while I thought the bass was great (much better than the HD-600) being a closed back it lacked any decent soundstage and the midrange wasn’t nearly as good as the HD-600.

I then thought lets go for a headphone with great / wide soundstage, this time trying the AKG K702 and while it has a better soundstage, the bass was lacking, and it wasn’t the most comfortable for long working hours and I wasn’t convinced by its tonality.

At this point, I realised that I had to get a planar that would provide that ideal ‘goldilock’ headphone with both bass and that wide ‘open back’ soundstage, some experimentation in a local hifi shop with different models for comfort, and it became obviously that the Edition XS was the most pragmatic choice.

Unboxing Experience: A Familiar Presentation

The unboxing experience remains unchanged between the original Edition XS and the updated model.

The box design and contents are consistent, which is great for buyers who appreciate continuity.

Opening the box you get the familar Edition XS and a box with the cable:

• Included Items:
  • The headphones themselves.
  • A 3.5mm to dual 3.5mm cable.
  • A clever box design that doubles as a display stand.

Here is the Edition XS on this stand:

Build and Comfort: Durability Tested Over Time

The Edition XS is as relatively lightweight and ergonomic as before and obviously the large Egg shaped earcups are the defining feature:

You can see the Stealth Magnets through the earpads:

The grill offers some protection to the planar driver (unlike the new ‘Unveiled’ Hifiman models) and a nice premium look:

Though I do wonder how long before we get a Edition XS ‘Unveiled’.

The headband and the extension mechanism offer some flexibility and comfort (though I do like the Sundara headband better):

But overall I think the Edition XS looks great as a piece of audio equipment to admire on a nice stand:

My older unit has stood the test of time, with no major wear or tear despite heavy use, though the ear pads have aged gracefully, maintaining their shape and comfort, with a slight change in the pleather:

The new Edition XS ear pads as new come across as slightly stiffer, which may contribute to a marginally different sound (discussed below) though this could easily be unit variation.

Given how well the older pads have worn in, I expect these to soften with use, offering similar long-term comfort.

Sound Quality: Year-Old Reliability vs. Fresh Crispness

The hallmark of the Hifiman Edition XS is its consistent sound signature, and the new unit stays true to this reputation. After extensive A/B testing, here are my impressions:

Bass

• Original Edition XS: Deep, textured bass that remains a joy to listen to even after a year of use. Tracks like " Billie Eilish – Bad Guy" deliver an authoritative sub-bass response with excellent control.
• New Edition XS: Slightly crisper and more defined bass, likely due to the firmer pads. The punch feels tighter, but I expect it to mellow as the pads wear in.

Midrange

• Original Edition XS: Warm and transparent, with vocals sounding natural and rich. “Adele – Hello” continues to showcase the midrange clarity I’ve come to love.
• New Edition XS: The midrange is equally engaging but feels a touch more forward, enhancing vocal presence. This slight shift may be a result of the newer pads or unit-to-unit variation.

Treble

• Original Edition XS: Smooth and detailed, with no hint of sibilance. High-frequency instruments like cymbals and hi-hats in “Fleetwood Mac – Dreams” are rendered with precision.
• New Edition XS: Treble is a tad crisper, giving percussion a slightly more defined edge. This extra sharpness adds sparkle without becoming fatiguing.

Soundstage and Imaging

Both units excel at presenting a wide and immersive soundstage. The angled ear pads and open-back design create a sense of space that rivals much more expensive headphones. Imaging remains precise, allowing for clear instrument separation in complex tracks like “Pink Floyd – Money”.

Specifications and Measurements

Specifications:

Measurements

Note: All these measurements where taken with my KB501X soft ear pinnae and a 711 clone coupler and are avaialble on my measurements DB here

Frequency Response

Comparing my year-old Edition XS to the new one reveals near-identical frequency response curves:

• The bass, midrange, and treble responses are almost indistinguishable.
• The new model has slightly better bass extension (probably due to the new earpads)
• Any slight differences in the treble likely stem from pad stiffness or unit variations within the normal manufacturing tolerances.

The channel matching is mostly pretty good though I do see a slight variation in the treble between the left and right channels in the new model:

People have asked me to measure the effect of wearing glasses on headphones and with the Edition XS there is a very nice bass boost if the seal is broken with thin rimmed glasses:

Distortion

The Edition XS like most planar is minimal distortion so can be easily EQ if you feel you need more sub-bass:

As a percentage the distortion is minimal barely getting to 0.5%:

Comparisons

First with some of the other Hifiman in my collection:

I highlighted 3 areas in this graph where the Edition XS shines:

• Bass extension is better on the Edition XS with that deep textured bass that I mentioned earlier
• The 1Khz-2Khz has that recessed which helps with the Soundstage effect (obviously the very large egg shaped earpads also help )
• The treble on both the Edition XS and the Sundara is excellent

Next let compare against some of the other recent headphones that I have reviewed:

All these headphones are excellent, but if I was to nitpick a few areas:

• The Aune AR-5000 has a mid-bass boost which can muddy the midrange in some songs
• That ‘Soundstage’ effect is an area all these headphones go for - but I think the physical size of the planar diaphragm in the Edition XS gives it the edge.
• The FT1 Pro and the AR-5000 has “spiky treble” while the Edition XS is much smoother

One headphone that is very complimentary to the Edition XS is the Sennheiser HD600:

Mostly these are 2 amazing headphones going for 2 different targets (Soundstage or Tonality):

• Edition XS has that smooth bass extension and that recessed “soundstage” recession
• HD600 has a bass rolloff (and typically needs some EQ help in that region) but goes for Tonality instead of “soundstage”
• Both headphones have similar smooth treble

Rating

I have been very fortunate in spending considerable amounts of time listening too and ultimately reviewing over 30 headphones in the past year, I feel I can re-evaluate just how good the Edition XS is. If you were to read those reviews, you would see that the Edition XS is my most referenced headphone. Specifically in comparisons where I talk about sound stage.

So, the Edition XS retains the 5-star rating I gave it a year ago. In fact, I have the increased the ‘value rating’ from 4-star (as the Edition XS was $500 last year) to 5-star at the current $269 as I feel even with new competition like the new FiiO FT1 Pro, the Edition XS is a fantastic headphone at an amazing price.

Conclusion

The Hifiman Edition XS remains one of the most compelling planar magnetic headphones especially at it new price. Whether you’re using a year-old unit or a brand-new one, the sound quality, build, and overall experience are consistently excellent.

It is also still my goto headphone for relaxing after the family have gone to bed and I imagine it will continue to be my goto headphone for many years to come. The best recommendation I can give for a headphone.