->Frequency response range – 8Hz-50kHz
->Sensitivity – 92dB
->Weight – 405grams
->Cable termination – 3.5mm
Total Score
Foreword
Considering the price, it’s a good value for money, but it’s not perfect. Hifiman Edition XS a high-end headphone killer if you ignore some flaws. Among headphones with planar magnetic drivers, these headphones have a very competitive position compared to dynamic driver headphones.
Build
Plastic and aluminum.
The box contains the product itself, the cable and some papers. Hifiman’s eye-catching box design is very nice, but I’m not going to let it fool me. It’s a shame there’s no case. The cable is pretty standard. The “family tree” in the user manual is very nice.
When we come to the product itself, we see the same standards of material. It’s not bad, it’s durable and usable, but there’s nothing eye-catching or with a very good feel. The ear pads are very good, thick and soft. The headband is also thick and comfortable but not as soft.
Hifiman Edition Xs can make things difficult for small heads. Otherwise, it’s very comfortable and suitable for long listening sessions. The fact that it doesn’t make you sweat is another nice feature.
In fact, we can see from all of this, they spent most of the budget on the drivers. Some frills can be sacrificed for good sound.
Sound
Let’s get to the part we’re really gonna focus on. sound.
First of all the resolution is excellent considering the price. The XS has a detailed and analytical sound. Although it’s a relatively easy headphone to drive, a good amp is required to bring out the microdetails. When you give the XS what you want, it gives you what you want, and it produces very good detail reproduction.
The soundstage is perfect. It is wide and consistent. Separation is good for the price and layering is excellent. The distance between the instruments could be wider, but that’s not a big deal considering the price.
Hifiman Edition Xs is a headphone that plays hard to be natural, natural to be hard. It’s quite resolute in this character and punishes you with a little distortion when you want to hear more of that wonderful bass. The fundamentally natural tone hardens as the highs shine, resulting in a sometimes tight, sometimes relaxed analytical presentation. This headphone can give you more than one sensation in a row. I can understand the reason for this brightness because there is a treble that extended quite well.
Bass
One specific thing I observed in the low frequencies is that most of the bass goes out. I know this is normal, but a lot more goes out than comes in. You can try this by leaning your ear against the back of the headphones. I think this is a sacrifice for that wonderfully refined bass. The Xs’ bass has good extension, resolution and not dissipate. I’m not a basshead but I wish there were more of them, I think if there were more they wouldn’t be as good. When comparing to high end headphones, of course the bass is weak compared to dynamic drivers but very good around the planar driver.
Other than that, the bass response is deep and effective. The drums are the most beautiful part of all these low frequencies. Natural, full and realistic.
Mid
The details and texture are satisfying. Female vocals dominate over male vocals. The strings are a bit unfocused and the woodwinds feel very good. The mids have an overall clean and transparent presentation. Considering the staging capabilities and resolution of the Xs, you can see that it does well in this area. Just like that, the mids give you everything you want, almost without makeup, unlike the treble. Apart from a little bit of adjustments and a little bit of extension, the mids are quite natural. This is the “too natural to be hard” part, I’ll get to the other part in a moment. I would like to point out that there is no extreme depth in this area, come on, it’s only 500usd (380usd now).
Treble
There is no flawless soul
The trebles have a very good extension and great detail, as well as a full “planar brilliance”. There is a sharp structuring in the very center of the treble. This gives a slight metallic flavor to the overall tone. While technically excellent, the physical comfort of the headphones does not match the listening comfort. No, this is not a headphone to enjoy music mindlessly. This is a headphone that wants you to focus and feel the details. At this point, the highs are “too hard to be natural”. But don’t let that put you off. There are clear, well-extended cymbals and well-tuned whistles that are pleasing to the ear. They’re just a bit bright.
As a Result For Sound
The sound is fantastic for the price. For $500, it’s hard to get a headset like this. Xs is a headphone that puts its more expensive competitors in a difficult situation. It provides a very similar experience to high end headphones 2-3 times more expensive.
Final Words
The Hifman Edition Xs is a true price/performance beast with sound and potential. It has no faults other than a slightly bright tone and the lack of a bag. If you don’t have an xs size head, you can buy it with peace of mind :). Jokes aside, this headphone plays according to the nature of the planar driver, and the pros clearly outweigh the cons.
