HiFiMan Edition XS Headphones Review

The HiFiMan Edition XS look a bit different from other headphones in the manufacturer's lineup. They have a typical headband rather than a ski-band headband design. That said, the headphones are large, and we have to put foam underneath our unit's headband so that it better fits our dummy head's ears. There have silver grilles with an elongated ear cup design that rests around your jaw. That said, they come in only one color: 'Black'.

These headphones have a comfortable fit. They're well-padded, and the headband material feels nice. However, the headband feels heavier than other headphones in this manufacturer's lineup, like the HiFiMan Edition X and HiFiMan Arya. The headphones are also quite large and can be too big if you have a small head.

These headphones have sub-par portability. They're big, bulky, and can't fold into a more compact form to help save space. While they can fit into a large bag, they don't come with a carrying case to protect them when you're on the go.

These headphones have a good build quality. They have a mostly metal design with silver grilles. There's faux leather padding on the ear cups and headband. However, the plastic hinges feel cheap and can be prone to damage over time.

The HiFiMan XS have mediocre stability. They're big, bulky, and not designed for sports use, so they can move around and fall off your head with moderate movement. They'll stay in place while you're listening to audio at your desk.

• HiFiMan Edition XS headphones
• 1/8" to 1/4" adapter
• Detachable audio cable
• Manual

The HiFiMan Edition XS have a fairly neutral sound profile, suitable for a variety of audio content. They lack low-bass, which is normal from open-back headphones, but they can still deliver more thump and rumble than the HiFiMan Ananda. Vocals and lead instruments also sound clear and present, making them a solid choice for genres like classical or folk.

Note: The headphones are quite large, even when compared to other HiFiMan products like the HiFiMan Arya. We had to put foam under our unit's headband in order for them to fit on our dummy head. That said, there isn't much of a difference in frequency response with or without the foam in place.

These headphones have outstanding frequency response consistency. Once you achieve a good fit, expect consistent bass and treble delivery. However, this may be tricky if you have a small head, as the headphones are quite large.

The HiFiMan Edition XS show remarkable compliance with our bass target. Their low and mid-bass are slightly underemphasized, so EDM fans who love extra thump and punchy kicks might find these a bit lacking. However, their high-bass range closely approximates our target, with just a small boost to give basslines a little added warmth.

These over-ears have great mid-range target compliance. Most of the range is fairly flat, so vocals and lead instruments like Lionel Richie's voice in the chorus of Hello sound clear and present. However, a dip in the high-mids slightly weakens these sounds, making vocals sound a touch distant.

The HiFiMan Edition XS have outstanding treble compliance. Just over midway into the song Static by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, strings, and guitars are clear and detailed but not harsh. The small dip in the low treble is a continuation of the dip in the high mids and can make vocals sound just a touch distant. The mid-treble is well-balanced, so cymbals are bright without being too piercing.

The HiFiMan XS' peaks and dips performance is okay, meaning they generally follow their own sound profile. A small dip in the high-mids pushes vocals to the back of the mix slightly, and a couple of peaks in the low- and mid-treble range can make vocals and sibilants like S and T sound a little piercing.

The HiFiMan Edition XS have an amazing imaging performance, indicating good quality control and ergonomics from the manufacturer. The group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers are also well-matched in phase, amplitude, and frequency response, which results in the accurate placement and localization of objects like footsteps in the stereo image. That said, imaging can vary between units.

The HiFiMan Edition XS' passive soundstage performance is outstanding. The soundstage seems fairly natural, wide, and as if sound is coming from speakers placed in the room around you rather than from inside your head. The soundstage also seems open and spacious.

The weighted harmonic distortion performance is good. There's some distortion present in the high-mid and low-treble ranges, but this can be hard to hear with real-life content. Most frequencies are within good levels, resulting in fairly clean and pure audio reproduction.

These are the settings used to test the HiFiMan Edition XS. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The HiFiMan XS have a bad full-range noise isolation performance, which is to be expected from open-back headphones. Their design allows ambient sound to enter the ear cups to create a more natural and spacious soundstage. As a result, they won't block out most kinds of sound around you.

These headphones are intended for use in an enclosed space, so they don't block out sounds from dynamic environments like on a plane, at the office, or on a busy street.

These headphones leak audio by design. If you're listening to audio near others, they can hear it, even if it's at a moderate volume.

These headphones come with a detachable 1/8" TRS cable and a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter if you want to use them with an amp or other audio equipment.

The HiFiMan XS can only receive audio when connected to your PC via an analog connection.

These headphones can connect to PS4 and PS5 consoles by plugging their analog cable into your controller. However, you can only receive audio as they don't have a mic.

These headphones can only receive audio when connected to your Xbox console's controller via analog.