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Showing 1 of 47 reviews about:
Massdrop x HIFIMAN Edition XX Headphones
Paddyirish234
57
Jul 17, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
The BEST Value for money one can get
I'd like to start by first detailing what headphones i have owned and had experience with. Audio technica M50x, m70x, Hifiman 400S, Hifiman 400i, HD650, HE 4XX, Sundara's and now currently the HEX V2 and XX. I'm doing this so you get an idea of the sound style i prefer so if you are quite similar i can certainly recommend this headphone as essentially a end game headphone for most of you. After several years with closed back headphones such as the Audio Technica i started to become frustrated with how closed sounding they were and how everything just felt so congested. Also how piercing the highs were and the bloated over exaggerated bass started to annoy me aswell.
I was seeking a more Open detailed sound while still being engaging and fun. The 400S were my beginning set and i loved them, how open and detailed they were alone was enough to justify moving to Open back headphones, later however as the dust settled i grew weary with the poor bass response and the highs would get quite sharp at times so i jumped on the 400i which i fell in love with and i knew from then there was no going back to a closed headphone. They were less sharp in the highs and smoother and also have a much meatier bass presence that made the sound feel alive. They later broke so i bought the 4XX which sounded identical to the 400i, i then bought the HD650 as they were hyped up to being one of THE best sounding headphone's for the price and to be honest i was kind of surprised, first in how similar they sounded to the 400i/4xx and second how it is still so hyped up with today's competition. The 400i/4xx does almost everything better, bass response is deeper and cleaner, vocals are more forward and present and sound-stage was much larger, the HD650's actually have quite a small soundstage for a open headphone.
I then decided to purchase the Sundara's blindly without listening to them, when they arrived and i had a listen i was quite underwhelmed with some aspects while at the same time impressed with other aspects. The lacked in that mid bass punch which for house/techno was quite underwhelming while also having a much larger sound-stage giving an airy sense of space in the sound, imaging was the best i heard in this price range aswell as being the most detailed i had heard in this area. It just lacked that presence and fun sound the 400i/4xx had so i decided to bite the bullet and get the HEX V2, i was BLOWN away. They have deeper, punchier and cleaner bass than the 400i/4xx while having a slightly larger soundstage and air of the Sundara's. Forward and energetic sounding like the 400i/4xx although with better clarity and alot more detailed.
I end up selling the Sundara's as i couldn't listen to them in comparison, they sounded like too much of a laid back over articulate non fun sounding headphone in comparison to the HEX V2 especially with house/techno and rock. I then decided to purchase the XX as a travel pair/backup to the endgame for me HEX V2 as i heard they were similar. After comparing both the XX and HEX V2 in terms of sound they are identical just as the 4xx is to the 400i. The XX require just a little bit more juice but apart from that they do everything just as good. If there is any differences it is MINOR and i couldn't hear it. Because of this you are getting a headphone for $600 that sounds as good and better than many headphones at $1000 and more. the sound here is certainly high end and what makes them so special is that they are an all rounder. People pay so much for headphones like the HD800 that apparently only do specific genres well. This headphone does all genres well.
Bass is netural as if the song requires then it will extend very low, punch deep in a crisp and clean manner and doesn't bleed into the mid's. The sound is quite a warm, lush, forward presence while giving the sense of being in a spacious environment. The Sundara's felt like an alleyway whereas these are more of a club environment. I was seeking a larger soundstage from each upgrade and honestly these are the most open yet while still feeling quite warm. These are the second most comfortable headphone i have worn after the HEX V2, the only downside i can say is that the lead i feel is poor quality. It kinks and wraps up on itself constantly which is quite poor for the price. Other leads are easily purchased however. Apart from that you are getting a high end headphone for $600. When you look at the headphone market today which is 50% about what features is offered these blow all competition in this price range away in terms of sound. If you want a fun, energetic engaging, detailed airy sound then for this price you'll get no better. Highly recommend
Recommends this product? Yes
robo24
130
Jul 17, 2019
Paddyirish234Sold the 4XX and 6XX to get the XX and agree with you about the description of all 3. I think of them as a Super 6XX, which these could have been promoted as. That makes much more sense than Massdrop touting the Elex as a Super 6XX. Warm, lush, detailed, and amazing soundstage. I don't miss the ones I sold at all!
Toshinden
0
Jul 20, 2019
Paddyirish234Hello,
Compare to the Sundara (350$) ,the edition XX which cost almost double price is worth the upgrade?
I am looking for the most neutral Headphone which has most details sounds as possible.
Paddyirish234
57
Jul 20, 2019
ToshindenI definitely felt it was worth it. In terms of being neutral and having detail the XX beats the Sundara in music that requires an impactful bass response while the Sundara'a are almost as good in genres like classical. The Sundara's really are quite different in that while they are very detailed and articulate in how they position sound they just don't have the energy and engaging fun sound the XX have. I think a lot of depends of what type of headphone your coming from, what you want to see improved upon and what type of music you like.
For me I love classic rock, rock/indie, house/techno/electronica, classical, pop, soundtracks, relaxation etc so I needed an all rounder and the XX was certainly the best for that.
Toshinden
0
Jul 20, 2019
Paddyirish234My type of music is Classical,Pop and"retrowave" song 80s/90s.
i an looking for the most details and neutral sound, (a "studio" headphone) with the best voice sound quality.
Currently i have the Sennheiser HD600.
The order from amazon(Sundara) come today...
So i should return the Sundara and sell my Sennheiser HD will be worth it?
Unfortunately,in my city i dont find a store where i can try headphone so i really have no clue how beautiful you describe the sound you hear...
Paddyirish234
57
Jul 20, 2019
ToshindenI'd only sell the Sundara and HD600 if by reading my review you felt the differences between the Sundara and XX was worth it. How are you finding the Sundara's so far? The fact that you are contemplating selling it might already be edging you towards an answer.
The XX has a neutral sound that edges towards the warm side. It has the most detail and is also the most energetic. It's energy is needed in pop/dance tracks which I felt Sundara just lacked. It really depends on how you find the Sundara's, the reason why I got the XX is because it made up for the areas the Sundara's lacked, do you feel they lack in any area?
Chester
3
Aug 14, 2019
Paddyirish234i have the 400i and want to upgrade them for a more comfortable pair.
but i really like that planar drivers and the only pair i could think of without breaking the bank are the XX.
is the old headband not a big deal or would it get uncomfortable after awhile on the head?
Paddyirish234
57
Aug 16, 2019
ChesterThe headband on the XX are nowhere near as uncomfortable as you may imagine, I found it very comfortable for long periods. The ear pads are more comfortable than the 400i. I'm not sure if I could say the XX headband is more or less comfortable than the 400i as Its been over a year since I sold them. In terms of sound the XX is a huge upgrade and i honestly reccomend them for that alone
(Edited)
Pakalini
26
Dec 4, 2019
Paddyirish234So $500 now, why no hype around it if it's thaaat goood? Cause it isn't?
Paddyirish234
57
Dec 18, 2019
PakaliniHifiman isn't as well know among the casual listener as Sennheiser. For someone who is just looking to enter the audiophile market for a well priced headphone for quality sound the number of different brands can be a bit overwhelming so they tend to stick to the ones they know and the likes of Senneiser is up there. Hifiman just isn't as well known so there will be less people willing to risk the purchase unless they know exactly what they are looking for
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