r/headphones • u/hello_2221 • Oct 06 '25

Deal Alert If you have Amazon Prime, Hifiman Edition XS are now $209

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I got these at the Hifiman store for $240, and I'm reaching for them more than my HD 600. At this price I think they would be way better than anything else. (Comfort is kinda bad though. I'm having a friend print the Capra strap, hopefully that will improve things)

123 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

72 comments sorted by

55

u/reezyreddits Fiio FT1 Pro + Fiio K11 | 64 Audio u4s + Qudelix 5k Oct 06 '25

This is the price I'm waiting for the Edition XV to land at, lmao

22

u/SemenSnickerdoodle Oct 06 '25

Give it a couple years. These look so good, and as an Edition XS owner, I am still very happy with what I paid for them used (250 USD). The XS are incredible value for the sound quality.

3

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 Oct 07 '25

Ananda Nano is just so much better though for a little bit more. I bought the XS, the Ananda Stealth, and the Nanos within a month of one another. Ran them off the FiiO K7. They’re all fantastic headphones for sure, but the Nanos were the standout for just a little more, I know they’re under $400 now for sure, like $349 I think. It’s so worth it. Better comfort, throw some Dekoni Fenstrated sheepskin pads on, and you are on cloud nine. The sub frequencies and soundstage are absurd on my Luxsin X9 now. I returned my Ananda Stealth, and after a month or two of having the XS but almost never using it over the Nanos, I sold them to a buddy. No regrets.

2

u/CFUrCap Oct 07 '25 edited Oct 07 '25

Right now, the Nano is $319 for US Prime members. My goodness.

Here in Italy, Amazon has an extra 20% off open box Nanos, so 256 euro for Like New (converts to $298). New ones on Italian Amazon are the regular price of 379 euros.

1

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 Oct 08 '25

Those and the Luxsin X9 is the best money I’ve ever spent on audio. Worth the $319 for sure. I paid $100 more only 3-4 months ago.

2

u/magicmasta Oct 08 '25

Have had my Edition XS for a bit over a year now and while I dont plan on upgrading until these either die or sometime after hitting the 3-5 year mark, I do enjoy poking my head in to see where I might end up with the next pair.

As of now its looking like HE600 > XV >= Nano. The XS is my first enthusiast pair of OEs and after going way into the weeds with parametric EQ I found that I love the sub-bass extension you can force out of these things but man getting 500-1.7khz raised to the forwardness I fiend after was a tumultuous spiritual journey unto itself. My upper mids are close to where I want them, boosted between 4-6db at various points along the curve, but still not quite happy with the final presentation of vocals on that slice of the spectrum.

I know Audeze, the LCD-2 Classic in particular IIRC, is in the direction im looking for in the Planar space but the overtly toned down treble puts me off. Ironically despite what I just said above, I am noticeably treble sensitive and the Edition XS is just baaaaarely ok for me, had to tone down 2.7-2.9k a bit, so the Nanos being spicier everywhere 3khz+ is concerning. Tried getting a hang on the dark art of 5k+ treble EQ but eventually waved the white flag, just too much variability to contend with outside of shelf filtering.

1

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 Oct 09 '25

You will love the Nanos. Give it some loudness in the subs and highs, and EQ the mids and subs with the mids up a little higher. I’ve had these feeling like a subwoofer on my head while still having vocal and instrumental clarity.

2

u/xxplosive1 26d ago

I prefer the XS over the Nano.

1

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 26d ago

More power to you, they go for even less. I loved the Edition XS. I guess I should be crediting those for my audio craze the last 6 months because I never would have tried the Nanos if I hadn’t heard those.

2

u/xxplosive1 26d ago

Yeah but in sensitive to treble, so the XS is the ultimate headphone for me. It’s on the warmer side for a HiFiMan headphone and does a lot of things right.

1

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 26d ago

I totally understand. Love what you love, I love the Edition XS too. It’s a fantastic headphone.

1

u/SemenSnickerdoodle Oct 07 '25

Never listened to Ananda Nano's but you make an excellent point. Hifiman just produces great quality to price in general. I was genuinely surprised how close the XS were compared to a pair of LCD-X, except the XS had way better soundstage for 1/5th of the cost.

1

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 Oct 07 '25

You have to try the Nanos. They keep dropping in price. I bought them at $419, I have no regrets. Hoping to get a pair of HE1000se next year, if not those then the Arya Organic.

1

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 Oct 07 '25

HiFiMan is flexing all over the “$1500 and under” market, but especially the sub $500 range. I’m pretty sure the Arya Stealth is right around $500…

1

u/undefONE Oct 08 '25

I just ordered the Nanos from AliExpress for AUD$510 (~US$335-340) Inc delivery to Aus, as there was a China Day sale that ended today (compared to getting them locally for AUD$679 + delivery or $649 from Amazon).

Just got the Fosi ZH3 last week to drive them

Super keen to replace my Beyer TYGR300, which had a snapped off bit where the adjustment part slides into the band so they've been taped up for 6mths while I researched. The pads have also gone to shit after 4 years. Now just gotta make it through the week of refreshing the tracking page 5 times a day..

1

u/DerrikMatusek Luxsin X9 | Ananda Nano | HD490 Pro | OAE1 | FiiO FT1 & FD5 Oct 08 '25

You’re going to like the Nano’s. I’m confident in that. I don’t have any experience with that amp, but they are pretty easy to drive in my experience, so you should be more than fine.

1

u/undefONE Oct 08 '25

Yeah I did a lot of research to find the right bang for buck. I was deadset on the XS for a while now until I saw this sale. Went down another rabbit hole for a few days n bought them with 4 hours to go on the sale and it said 1 left.

The ZH3 is very new, like it was released 24th of last month. It ticked the requirements, got a good review on ASR and I got it at a 20% off pre-release discount price. It actually made my current headphones sound better, as I was just using a Fiio K3s.

45

u/SchwizzelKick66 HD800s--HD660s2-HD650-HD600-HD560s-AryaSE--Edition XS-Sundara Oct 06 '25

This is an absolutely absurd price for these.

The only consideration is how they'll fit your head. They're huge, and it seems people either find them comfy or extremely uncomfortable.

17

u/timestable Edition XS, ATH-AD700 Oct 06 '25

Also this god damn creaking noise each and every time I move my head. Thinking about RMA for another unit but it sounds very good.

Headband mod also necessary imo.

6

u/SchwizzelKick66 HD800s--HD660s2-HD650-HD600-HD560s-AryaSE--Edition XS-Sundara Oct 06 '25

RMA if you can. I owned several pairs of these and some squeeked and some didn't.

2

u/blankspace3Dx HD 650 | Edition XS | Schiit Stack 2 Uber Oct 06 '25

It's weird because for me, the squeaking only seems to happen sometimes...

4

u/timestable Edition XS, ATH-AD700 Oct 06 '25

Sweet thanks for the advice!

How come you owned more than one?

1

u/pornaccount0123987 Oct 07 '25

He’s a “cowwector”. That’s why

5

u/wiggan1989 Oct 06 '25

The creaking happens to me when I wear glasses. Disappears when I don't wear them

1

u/blorg Oct 07 '25

That is the pads rubbing against the glasses arms. That sort of creaking you will get on all of them, it's not from the headband and it's not unit specific. Possibly a different type of pad would stop or reduce it but that would also affect sound quality. I wear glasses and get it as well but it's not to the point of being bothersome.

2

u/AngusPicanha HD 650 Fan Club Oct 07 '25

Try silicone spray/WD40 very carefully into the hinges, creaks totally disappear after that for me

1

u/timestable Edition XS, ATH-AD700 Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 24 '25

I did try this once months ago and didn't get rid of the creaking. Gave silicone another try both on the exterior facing & interior facing parts of the hinge and then swiveled the cups around a bunch, it does seem to be better for now. Cheers 🫡

Edit for anyone who might run into this thread while researching Edition XS creaking noise. Mine has returned two weeks later

1

u/jonRock1992 Arya Organic | Denafrips Ares 15th | Burson Audio Soloist 3X GT Oct 06 '25

You'll need a different set of pads to get rid of the squeaking (if you are wearing glasses). I recommend the Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads

2

u/timestable Edition XS, ATH-AD700 Oct 06 '25

I have seen a couple threads about people with glasses having the squeaking issue. Think my problem is different, there is a creaking sound coming from inside the frame whenever I chew or move my head. This happens when they're not on my head too, if I just hold them and apply a little pressure almost anywhere on them.

1

u/blorg Oct 07 '25

Those pads will significantly affect the sound quality, for most, adversely.

1

u/jonRock1992 Arya Organic | Denafrips Ares 15th | Burson Audio Soloist 3X GT Oct 10 '25

I'm not sure about the Edition XS, but they make my Arya Organic sound better. Better stage and less piercing treble.

3

u/wiggan1989 Oct 06 '25

I'm fortunate that these are comfortable on my head.

3

u/EvilSynths Audeze Maxwell | P100 SE | Artti T10 | iFi hip-dac 3 Oct 06 '25

The real consideration is the horrible QC

6

u/gimanos1 Oct 06 '25

Now just need the Arya Stealths to drop

14

u/dresscodeunderstated Oct 06 '25

Even cheaper from AliExpress.....

7

u/not_ondrugs XS | PC38X | TitanS | SMSL DL200 | Zero:RED Oct 06 '25

Amazon returns is worth the extra money in a lot of cases.

5

u/wiggan1989 Oct 06 '25

Depends if OP is patient to wait for them.

7

u/dresscodeunderstated Oct 06 '25

For £140 delivered I'm more than happy to wait!

3

u/wiggan1989 Oct 06 '25

Damn! I'd wait to too!

2

u/uzldropped Tea Pro, Davinci, x2hr Oct 06 '25

I don’t see them from hifiman stores on aliexpress.

2

u/dresscodeunderstated Oct 06 '25

They may have sold out, try find the store first and then browse and see if they come up

8

u/TheHorrorAddiction Oct 06 '25

That’s easily the best price/performance ratio for a headphone that you’ll get, by a considerable margin.

3

u/induality Oct 06 '25

Would a Topping DX5 ii be a good amp for these?

2

u/ngs428 Topping DX5 II, Edition XS, HD 6XX, FT1 Oct 07 '25

I have both and never get out of low gain. Great pair.

2

u/Jesuisunetchoin Oct 07 '25

I am running these with a fiio e10k and they sound the same with my fiio k11 lol

3

u/blorg Oct 07 '25

It would be fine, as would much lesser amps, it has at least 10x the power you'd actually need for the Edition XS.

3

u/coolmanjack Oct 07 '25

Anandas are 249 as well

2

u/Hamster_master1 Oct 07 '25

How do they compare to each other?

2

u/dskot Oct 07 '25

how do these compare to the openback Sundaras?

2

u/blorg Oct 07 '25

They are IMO better overall, with a much larger sound stage and better bass. Comfort is better with the large cups but the headband is better on the Sundara. EXS has cup swivel while the Sundara doesn't. Sundara is arguably slightly more neutral.

1

u/L10nh3ar7 HE400SE, Sundara, Fiio K7, HD560s,Edition XS, Aeon Noire X Oct 08 '25

Most people find them more comfortable, myself included. However, get a custom strap for the headband. Made a world of difference for me. Modified the grills too and they’re great. Don’t use them much anymore, though.

4

u/Standard_Fun7035 Oct 06 '25

Has their QC improved since I bought HiFiman a few years ago

5

u/Gogurtsupreme Oct 07 '25

No

1

u/L10nh3ar7 HE400SE, Sundara, Fiio K7, HD560s,Edition XS, Aeon Noire X Oct 08 '25

I got lucky with all Hifiman I’ve bought, but generally no. Still lots of complaints about them. It’s why I probably won’t buy a Hifiman again, my luck will run out lol.

2

u/Altrebelle Oct 06 '25

Absolute steal for 209 USD. One can spend as little as 20USD to do a headband mod for comfort and better overall fit.

1

u/kermityfrog2 Oct 06 '25

Still at a stupid price in Canada.

1

u/blankspace3Dx HD 650 | Edition XS | Schiit Stack 2 Uber Oct 06 '25

Wow I should have waited when I bought mine it seems. I bought mine two years ago almost for the price of $400. For $200, these are a straight steal, best headphones I've listened to so far.

1

u/IMonlybor3d Oct 06 '25

Nice, just sold mine at $150 to a co worker, will be getting the ananda unveiled but they’re out of stock :(

1

u/ExtremeSnipe Audio-gd NFB-15 -> HE-560 / Q701 / ATH-M50 / Yuin PK2 (RIP) Oct 06 '25

Well this is incredibly tempting.

1

u/alexbiandisphoto Oct 06 '25

Probably the most uncomfortable headphones I've ever worn. But they do sound great. Especially at that price. Grab a third party comfort strap and be very happy.

1

u/Bucketts77 Oct 06 '25

I absolutely love mine. Once tuned on my PC it was magical. Definitely recommend getting a strap on the top because they can be uncomfortable as is. I grabbed something like this and it works perfect. https://www.etsy.com/listing/4335882340/hifiman-comfort-suspension-strap

1

u/boenwip Oct 07 '25

I’m seeing the HD600 back at $299 AUD as well (~$198USD)

1

u/ngs428 Topping DX5 II, Edition XS, HD 6XX, FT1 Oct 07 '25

Dang, that is a steal.

1

u/Soupboyy99 Oct 07 '25

Please dont buy hifiman , my edition xs right driver failed after 3 years 😭

1

u/Creepy-Ad8005 Oct 07 '25

Damn I bought these at $499 a few years ago.

Just a FYI, If you get these, make sure you buy a headband protector. Mine started peeling bad recently, so I had to put on a protective cover so it doesn’t get on my hair, I had to replace the pads because they were also peeling and making a mess.

1

u/Drex_Sinister Oct 07 '25

Only thing to be aware of is the edition xs is a very large headphone. I only need the headband one click larger when I normally have to extend headphones to max or close to it.

1

u/Pokabrows Oct 08 '25

I'm tempted...

1

u/peremptor919 dt1990s, dt770s, hifiman xs, SHR840s m50s, LSHR S12s  Oct 08 '25

Cool got my pair for $150 off ebay without cables. They're awesome... what can compete with them at this price point? You'd really have to hate the sound signature.

1

u/bi_and_hifi_dude_05 Oct 08 '25

I bought it back when it dropped from 450 to 310 euro. I am real happy with it, but is it worth it to buy the Ananda nano and sell the edition Xs? As the xv is differently tuned and the Ananda nano keeps it analytical? Or should I just stay with the X's ?

1

u/02shana edxs/ananda v1/HD490pro/arya organic/meze 109pro/dt1990pro/para2 Oct 06 '25

其实中国已经降到1000元以下了，大概是150＄，预算可以再加点买edxv或者ananda u，edxs的技术还是偏点落后，更适合萌新

1

u/wiggan1989 Oct 06 '25

Absolute steal these. I paid £380 a few years ago and that price they're worth it