HIFIMAN Edition XS Full-Size Over-Ear Open-Back Planar Magnetic Hi-Fi Headphones with Stealth Magnets Design, Adjustable Headband, Detachable Cable for Audiophiles, Home, Studio-Black

Great headphones overall. I found both the sound quality and physical quality to be really good. Overall, these headphones have great balance, are neutral in nature, and sound very good as-is, but switch to greatness with a little EQ (bring out the warmth and bass). If you’re looking for crazy bass, you’ll either need to EQ or look for a closed back mainstream headphone. I find the Edition XS to be neutral and more focused on the mid and upper mids. With a little EQ, they sounded very warm and drew me into wanting to listen to more music. You won’t be disappointed, and for the price, I would highly recommend them!Pros:- Wide soundstage, you truly get a sense of separation and being in an environment- Detailed sound while remaining non-fatiguing- Very comfortable (I saw some of the reviews say otherwise, but I found these to be exceptional when it comes to comfort. It takes a few days to break the bands in, but once you get use to them they feel light and comfy, you don’t feel their weight. I’m hoping my Anandas break in to this level of comfort.)- Good for gaming, I felt the wide soundstage provided great positional awarenessCons:- They bleed a lot of sound; everyone knows what you’re listening to- They need an amp to properly drive (I’m using a Schiit Hel and Magni/Modi stack)- If you want bass, you will need to EQ. Out of the box they are not going to give a lot of bass, and even with EQ I don’t imagine you’re going to sense crazy amounts of sub bass. I would think for that you’d probably have to go with a sealed headphone if you want boomy sub bass. I do feel the Anandas with EQ outperformed the Edition XS in this area, but not by much.Random Thoughts:- Cable is a bit short, not an issue for me, but you may need a longer cable if your AMP isn’t within arms reach.- The foam inside the packaging doubles as a headphone stand. I thought it was a neat touch, but nothing you’ll be using for more than a few days.- I purchased these and a set of HiFiMan Ananda headphones, I’m keeping the Ananda. Right off the bat the sound of the Ananda were more for me. They sound similar, however, the Anada’s are more immersive, have a closer soundstage, have warmer bass, maintain the same non-fatiguing sound signature. I do find the Edition XS to be far more comfortable. Overall, you can’t go wrong with either one and I would recommend both in a heartbeat.- I had also tried the HE400i headphones a from HiFiMan a few years ago and was not a fan at all, without hesitation would recommend the Edition XS and find it to be leaps and bounds better.

Keep in mind the Hifiman egg style headphones have huge ear cups, and the lack of a suspension band on the Edition XS means it only fits well for large heads by default. Otherwise workarounds like buying a headband pad will be required (search for 'Headphone headband padding'). The Ananda Nano and Edition XV does have a much better headband, although the cost definitely reflects that.The provided ear pad material is also not as comfortable as some, and movement on the head with glasses on causes squeaking noises due to the material rubbing on temples. To fix this, and improve comfort I highly recommend getting the Voarmaks Velour earpads for Edition XS which solved the issue for me.It can be a little hard to drive (getting up to full volume), the MacBook Pro can drive the headphones with good volume but a Desktop with motherboard audio is very quiet. I recommend the Qudelix 5K for a fully featured DAC/AMP with Bluetooth and great EQ capabilities.If it does fit well it sounds great, very open sound stage with strong treble performance, very accurate mids and treble without being overly clinical. Some treble harshness reduction and low end bass increase does benefit from EQ. I used oratory1990's Harman target EQ with some small adjustments.The Focal Elex has more 'dynamic' bass and is more fun but the Edition XS feels more accurate and has a wider sound stage. For the price, the value of the Edition XS is incredible, the sound is comparable with headphones in the $400-600 range.For those who havent had open back headphones before - keep in mind these have a opening venting the entire back of the driver, this means they are very breathable but all noise will be let both in and out so it's best for home use (unless you want your coworkers to hear your music).Photo attached showing the size difference between the Airpods Max and the Edition XS (with no headband extension)

I own Sennheiser HD600. Without EQ I prefer the Sennheiser. With the treble turned down, I prefer the HFM ed XS. There is too much treble.If I had it to do over, I would probably wait and try the more expensive Ananda Nano for $499.I have not went back to my Sennheiser HD600 since I have owned the XS. But, they aren't the cleanest sounding headphones. They are good but still at $269, I think it is priced all it is worth.The cable is nice and I like the 3.5mm ( jacks that release at the headphones.My favorite thing is the comfort. My mom said they are too large for her head and she had difficulty keeping them on her head. The HD600 are comfortable but I think these are more so. Also, keeps my ears cooler than the Sennheiser's.The best part of these over the HD600 is the bass. The mids are cleaner on the Sennheiser, IMO. The highs are overbearing and make the phones sound thin if left unequalized. The HD600 never required equalization IMO.It's a good headphone and I have thoroughly enjoyed them but they have clarity issues and are not the best balanced with a rather harsh and sibilant treble. If you are looking to upgrade headphones in this price range like the Sennheiser HD600 (probably the most popular rival of these) you can probably get better comfort, a nice cable and 3.5mm jacks instead of the proprietary Sennheiser junk (at the headphones). Also, the sound has more bass but at the expense of mid clarity and maybe instrument separation. It is very close but 5% better IMO. Not as much better as I hoped but I did keep them and haven' gone back but I am not blown away so to speak.