Cheapest i've seen for local stock for a while at least. These are always well reviewed but i haven't personally tried them. I've got too many headphones so i probably wont' pick up a set but i would love to at some point!
CamelCamelCamel.
Please supply head measurements to confirm
I'm guessing XS doesn't stand for 'eXtra Small', then.
Ananda down to $449 is a great deal too
Is the only difference the headband from what I can see?
Different sound signatures as well.
It looks like the ananda uses the same stealth magnets as the edition xs - so the only difference is the headband?
Does anyone have an opinion on the long-term comfort of the edition xs vs the ananda?
They sound slightly different too.
Tempting - have been eyeing off a new pair of cans this year and am deciding between these vs the Fiio Ft1 Pros which are ~$350.
Love these headphones .. just beware, they have a larger fit IMO.
Some people with smaller heads complain they slip off.
Arya Stealth is $857 now damnnnn
What's an upgrade to HD800?
HD800s.
LoL
Very minor, I already modified mine to sound like it lol
But it's not the offical HD800s. /s
Depends on what you are after, there is no "upgrade" from the HD800, just different.
next to my HD800s, my next fav is the Clear MG, albeit people complain about Clears OG being better. Everyone has their perferences. I like the warmer tones and tighter mid bass.
you could try LCD-5 or Susvara for that even tighter plannar bass. Susrava is slightly better IMHO, but the hifiman QC issues across the board made me select the LCD-5s intead. LCD-5s are cheaper too… hahaha.
If you haven't experinced planar, edition xs is a good start. I still have mine that i leave in for use with a 6xx. These 2 imho are the best "poision seed" entry level headphones for newbies.
You should definitely also try the Focal Utopia
Correct me if i'm wrong but when you get to this level of headphone, assuming you like how the headphones sound it's really about updating the amplifier.
HD800s owner.
Tube amps and tube rolling is the best thing you can do with a HD800s.
So addictive.
I am deep into the rabbit hole lol
For detail, imaging and soundstage? Nothing without compromise until you spend $3000 or more… for detail and tonal balance at the expense of some soundstage and imaging maybe the Moondrop Cosmo (currently $1000 on Taobao), for dynamics, soundstage depth, and tonal balance at the expense of some soundstage width there's the Nan-7 (via Taobao).
For timbre at the expense of everything else? The HD 600 or 6XX.
Outside of those, you may wish to demo the HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled or the HE1000 Unveiled, otherwise you're stepping up to stuff like the Audeze LCD-5 or the HIFIMAN Susvara.
These sound amazing, though comfort and build quality can be questionable. I wore mine with a hat on for awhile and then 3d printed a suspension strap for it which fixed my issues with the comfort. Build quality-wise they're a bit creaky, but for this level of sound quality at a low price I don't mind too much.
To comment more on sound - they sound big and open while still maintaining really great bass impact. Surprisingly they still sound really great even when plugged into my cheap audio interface vs my reasonably expensive dac + amp setup. They are perfect for both games and all music I've thrown at them. It'll be hard for me to justify ever upgrading from these tbh, unless they break
I decided to grab a set from Amazon. They have the 30 day return policy so gonna see how they sound. I've got the fiio ft1 and the Sennheiser hd560s so I was hoping for a little upgrade from those. Will see how I go!
I think you'll be quite pleased with them - I've got the Beyerdynamic Dt770pro, 880premium, Amiron Wirless, Sivga Luan, Focal Elegia, Hifiman HE4xx, Yanyin Canon II and previously owned the Sendy Aiva and Grell OAE1.
I'll take the Edition XS over these every time, at this point over half the collection sits in boxes unused and I'm listing stuff for sale
Definitely get yourself a 6XX when you clear those out, then start auditioning the next price bracket and investigating your audio chain a bit.
@jasswolf: If I can ever justify upgrading I'll probably move up to one of the Arya models. Extremely happy with my chain for the moment, Hifiman EF400 outputting to a Lyr 3.
I had convinced myself I didn't need to get a 6xx.. maybe next drop sale lol
@The Candyman: Arya Stealth is pretty cheap on Amazon at the moment, and can get even cheaper via AliE when they're offering higher rungs of coupons and better cashbacks, but in the meantime, there are different deals on Taobao that I've mentioned above.
You can't demo them directly, but you can read reviews and demo things like the HE-6 SE, the Susvara, and the LCD-5 to get a rough idea on performance.
@jasswolf: Yeah that price on the Stealth is very good right now, unfortunately though I'm pretty broke at the moment.
I completely forgot about the Cosmo! I had been reading the headfi thread about that one, there's a few very enthusiastic fans of it that make me want to try it out
@The Candyman: Here's a couple of good reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUtahM0cAcc
https://unheardlab.com/2024/09/21/review-of-moondrop-cosmo-t…
And the Nan-7: https://unheardlab.com/2023/04/24/nan-7-planar-headphones-re…
Outside of the stuff I spoke about in that post, there's probably the Focal Hadeyns (when on sale).
How does the 30 day change of mind policy actually work? The name suggests you can try the product and then return if you want, but the policy talks about stuff needing to be unused/unopen.
I have returned a TON of stuff I've trialled with Amazon and not had any issues, but surely at some point they will flag my account.
@jasswolf what is your impression of the comfort/fit of the Ananda vs the Edition XS?
The Edition XS definitely isn't for everybody; when I first got my pair, the top of my head would get sore after ~2hrs or so of use, but now after a year I'm used to it and I can wear my XSs for hours on end with no hotspots or soreness. They are definitely on the bigger side though, if you have a smaller than average head the fit's not going to be comfy.
The Ananda does have the headband, which the general consensus is that it's a lot more comfy than the XS. I was considering the Anandas, but I leaned more towards the tuning of the XSs and settled on them instead.
Thanks for that.
I'm bouncing back and forth between the edition xs and the ananda stealth - I think the edition xs will suit my listening tastes better (rock, metal), but comfort is also high on my list.
I've read that some foam padding like this and some double sided tape can help.
Do you regret going for the XS instead of the Ananda? (given they're so close in price)
I've been there, I know it's a difficult decision 😆
Do you regret going for the XS instead of the Ananda?
No, not really. I'd be happy to give the Anandas a go, but I'm also perfectly content with the XS. If I had fit issues then yeah I'd definitely reconsider but they fit fine for me.
Honestly, you'll probably be happy with either, though if comfort is high on your priorities, the Anandas are probably your best bet; worst case scenario with the XSs? Hotspots and discomfort. Worst case scenario with the Anandas? You have to EQ them a bit.
I've had these for a year or so.
I'm not qualified to comment on sound quality aside from that they sound really nice, the only thing to consider is that they're massive.
I've got a normal sized head (I think) and the bottom of the headphones reaches past my jawline, so if you've got a smaller head these might not be for you.