The Hifiman Sundara and Edition XS are two of Hifiman’s most popular headphones. The Sundara was launched in 2017, Edition XS was launched in 2021. The XS, however, is based on the previous Edition X, launched in 2015 with an updated Edition X V2 following in 2016. The Edition X was a “trickle down”-headphone from the HE1000. It was easily seen on the exterior design, with the oval/egg shaped cups and the suspension headband. The Arya, which came about in 2018, also was a headphone taking inspiration from the HE1000. It was introduced as a step up from Edition X. Thus, the Edition X, and now the Edition XS, are the most affordable of the HE1000-inspired headphones.
The Sundara was an all new “standalone” product. It had an all new suspension headband (also seen on the Ananda and some later product) and new non-detachable grills but kept the circular pads. It has remained unchanged since, with the exception of the pads, which got a new type of glue to increase durability in 2020, according to Hifiman.
The Sundara and Edition XS are different in many ways. First of all, the Sundara has circular cups and a suspension headband, as opposed to the XS’ oval cups and padded headband. Further, the Sundara has a single-sided magnet driver, the XS has dual-sided magnets. Both have the “Neo Super-Nano Diaphragm” and “Stealth magnets”. The Sundara had a launch/list price of 399, the XS 499. They are, however, at the time of writing available for significantly lower prices, making them both great value headphones.
Check the current price on Amazon here: SUNDARA
Check the current price on Amazon here: EDITION XS
They both ship with the same cable and in the same simple but very efficient cardboard box with a clever styrofoam headphone stand included.
When it comes to wearing comfort this will of course depend on personal preferences. Some might find the XS a little too large and the suspension headband of the Sundara more comfortable, others might appreciate the larger cups of the XS and find the padded headband better.
HIFIMAN EDITION XS SPECIFICATIONS
- Open back circumaural type
- Planar Magnetic Drivers with Stealth magnets and NEO Supernano Diaphragm
- Dual-sided magnet driver
- Impedance: 18Ω
- Frequency response range: 8Hz-50kHz
- Sensitivity: 92 dB
- Weight: 405 grams
- Detachable cable with 3.5 mm TRS connectors on headphones
- Included cable: 1.5m single-ended 3.5mm with 6.35mm adapter
HIFIMAN SUNDARA SPECIFICATIONS
- Open back circumaural type
- Planar Magnetic Drivers with Stealth magnets and NEO Supernano Diaphragm
- Single-sided magnet driver
- Impedance: 37 Ω
- Sensitivity: 94 dB/mW
- Frequency range: 6 Hz – 75 kHz
- Weight: 372 grams / 9.4 oz.
- Detachable cable with 3.5 mm connectors on headphones
- Included cable: 1.5 meters with 3.5mm with 6.35mm adapter
COMPARISONS
I’m going to compare the two headphones with different amps, and also comment on several other amps. I will focus on the differences, but want to say right away, that all the amps I used with these headphones worked well. However, to squeeze out the last few percent of performance, there are differences. But first, here are my track-by-track comparisons of the Sundara and the Edition XS:
ROUND 1 – TOPPING A90
Cinema Paradiso by Marcin Wasilewski Trio
A very toned-down and tender piece of jazz improv. The XS sounds terrific. The piano has a nice, but rather neutral timbre, the percussion is rendered with lots of fine detail, the bass is well-balanced and the soundstage is large and open.
The Sundara has a fuller-sounding presentation. The piano has a warmer sound and timbre. There’s plenty of detail but the Sundara feels a bit thicker, the soundstage is wide but the imaging is not as precise.
10:15 On a Saturday Night by The Cure
The Sundara sounds very good, the bass is satisfying, and the sense of spaciousness is good.
The XS is, however, a lot more spacious sounding, with better instrument separation. The vocals are however thinner sounding, which makes it a trade-off. The XS is generally a bit brighter and lighter feeling, the Sundara more meaty. The bass on the XS is however solid as a rock, nothing thin about that.
All For Us by Labyrinth
The XS is way more spacious and has better imaging. The bass is also stronger and has better definition. The detail level is higher all along with the XS, but the Sundara has something else. The thicker, fuller sound of the Sundara might be technically inferior, but it is more enveloping and cranking up the volume it really sounds good.
Black Crow by Cassandra Wilson
Again the Sundara is thicker sounding, a bit warmer in the mids, with less upper treble energy and “air”. The XS’ bass is impressive. Everything sounds good on the XS, but the Sundara has an edge in terms of mid-range and vocal timbre.
In My Tree by Pearl Jam
The XS is performing on a technically superior level. Better separation, definition and detail. This is a busy track, and the XS just nails it.
Never Forget the Good Ones by Solveig Slettahjell
This is a toned down, slow song. The differences aren’t as obvious as with more busy tracks, but they are clearly different. The Sundara has a sweet tonality, but the XS is good too.
Midnight City by M83
This is a busy-sounding indie-pop/rock track that sounds excellent with the XS. It sounds good with the Sundara as well, but I feel the urge to crank up the volume a bit. Again, the XS has better separation and detail, the Sundara is more fleshy and dense sounding.
Lovers on the Sun by David Guetta
This is my go-to track for testing electronic dance music and fatiguing brightness. The Sundara does an excellent job, it’s full-bodied, has good bass, the vocals aren’t harsh and the treble is under control.
Although giving a very different presentation, the XS is also very enjoyable. There’s a lot more detail, the soundstage is huge, and there’s much more air between the instruments.
Janacek String Quartet no. 1 by Emerson String Quartet
The XS is beautifully detailed and the strings have both body and texture. You can really separate each note and hear which instruments are making them. The Sundara is also enjoyable, but again, it’s thicker, slower and not as detailed.
ROUND 2 – BRYSTON BHA-1
The Sundara’s scalability with a good and powerful amp was one of the takeaways from my review of the Sundara earlier this year.
The Topping A90 is a good amp, but the BHA-1 is better. The Sundara really opens up, gets better instrument separation, becomes more dynamic, the bass increases in quantity, quality and depth. The XS, on the other hand, doesn’t change very much.
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83
The XS is still more spacious but now the Sundara is brought to a level where it’s more different than “not as good”. The Sundara now sounds more punchy with better macro dynamics, almost as spacious as the XS, with a more meaty but very tight presentation.
Mississippi Ringing by Floratone
They are more similar now than with the Topping A90. The Sundara has a stronger bass than with the A90, but still not quite as strong as the XS. The soundstage and separation are very good with the Sundara, but even better with the XS. The mid-range is much more present with the Sundara, and it sounds more balanced in my ears, the XS being a bit heavier on the bass and treble, although I like both presentations.
Bored by Deftones
This sounds stunning with the Sundara. The fuzz guitars are awesome. Headbangingly engaging. The XS sounds great too but it is more analytical and even though it is technically superior it is not as engaging.
Morning Bell by Radiohead
The XS is more spacious, has a stronger bass and lots of details. In direct comparison to the Sundara, however, it can sound a bit dry.
Muggen Fallskjerm by Jøkleba
Nice slam and punch with the Sundara. The XS is more open-sounding and has more deep bass, it also sounds even more dynamic.
Cold, Cold Heart by Norah Jones
The XS excels at technicalities, the Sundara has a thicker mid-range, making Norah’s voice richer and warmer sounding.
Don’t Panic by Coldplay
Both sound very good. The XS offers better resolution and separation, the Sundara has a denser and thicker way of presenting the music that’s more intimate sounding.
ROUND 3 – CARY SLI-80 SIGNATURE AND SCHIIT VIDAR 2 SPEAKER AMPS
In my Sundara review, I found the Sundara to perform fantastically powered by the speaker taps of my speaker amps. Now, using headphones with speaker amps from the speaker taps is a bit of a hit-and-miss, but it can really bring some headphones to a new level.
For some people, this is a bit controversial; they are refusing to accept that speaker amps are good for headphones. Basically, you have to hear it to believe it. To me, there is no doubt that certain headphones benefit strongly from very powerful headphone amps or certain speaker amps. Not necessarily to get loud enough, but to get the dynamics, headroom and detail levels maximized.
Not all speaker amps do the trick, but the Cary SLI-80 Signature usually does. With the Cary SLI-80 Signature, the Sundara sounds awesome from the speaker taps, but from the headphones’ output, it’s tame and flat sounding in comparison. The Edition XS doesn’t respond in the same manner. It sounds basically the same from the speaker taps and the headphones output.
Similarly to what I experienced with the Bryston BHA-1, the differences in terms of soundstage width and depth are much smaller now than with the Topping. However, the Sundara is even better now. The Sundara sounds wider, deeper and more precise, almost matching the XS. The dynamics are also now greatly improved. Even the bass quantity is significantly increased on the Sundara.
I put on some metal/grunge tracks: Outshined by Soundgarden, Man in the Box by Alice in Chains and Unforgiven by Metallica. These tracks sound absolutely sinister on the Sundara with the SLI-80. Compared to the A90 the dynamics and low-end punch are really something else. There’s a full-bodied and meaty sound with better separation as well as macro and micro dynamics compared to what I heard with the A90. Not huge differences in absolute terms, by it feels like the Sundara is much more alive.
The Edition XS, on the other hand, sounds a bit thin with these tracks. It has great bass and spaciousness, but not the same body and tonal weight. I prefer the Sundara here. It’s thicker and fuller sounding, but with the SLI-80 it has got the dynamics and imaging to satisfy me.
Running through my playlist, there is no doubt the Sundara sounds fantastic with this amp. The XS is also good, and they have both different strengths.
At the end of my review, I got hold of a Schiit Vidar 2 power amplifier, and it basically did the same fabulous job with the Sundara as the Cary SLI-80 Signature.
I realize that recommending a huge and expensive speaker amp for the Sundara is bordering on ridiculous. However, I’m trying to make a point: The Sundara scales a lot more with the amp than the Edition XS. That’s not necessarily saying the Sundara is the better headphone, but it certainly is enjoyable.
OTHER AMPS
SCHIIT MAGNI 3 HERETIC
After ranting about how good the Sundara is with my huge tube amp, I’m pleased to say that the small Schiit Magni Heretic also does a nice job. It is really good, actually. And not only the Sundara, the Edition XS sounds great too.
Compared to the Topping A90, I personally prefer the Sundara with the Magni Heretic. It’s more lively and sounds both a little bit tighter and slightly warmer. With the XS, I basically find the same. In conclusion, the Schiit Magni 3 Heretic seems to be a solid budget choice for both.
FIIO K5 PRO ESS
This little, friendly priced DAC/amp tends to sound a bit towards the warmer side, and that suits the XS well. Actually, it’s a really great match, as good as the Magni Heretic. With the Sundara, however, the Heretic is better – probably because it’s more powerful.
SPARKOS LABS GEMINI
A generally terrific-sounding hybrid amp with a tube in the input stage. It does well with both the Sundara and the XS. It sounds a bit warmer and more organic without losing detail compared to the Topping A90.
REBEL AMP
Ukrainian Rebel Amp makes one product: The Rebel Amp. Single-ended class-A headphone and pre-amp. It really sounds good with both cans. It’s especially good with the XS. Great control and a hint of warmth.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound-stage and imaging: The XS has a bigger, wider, taller and deeper soundstage. It’s nothing short of impressive. The Sundara is quite open-sounding but lacks the precision of the XS. There’s much more space between instruments and better imaging with the XS. With well-matched and powerful amplifiers, the Sundara gets more precise with better imaging.
Treble: The XS is brighter sounding, with more treble energy. It’s also cleaner. The Sundara has more treble weight, but again, with the right amplifier the Sundara levels up.
Midrange: The Sundara has relatively speaking more mid-range. The XS is generally more detailed, but I tend to prefer the tonality and timbre of the Sundara’s mid-range, especially when the amp combination is right.
Bass: The XS has more bass quantity and better quality with more texture and depth. The Sundara’s bass depends on the amplifier, a powerful and well-matched amp gives it more and better bass.
Dynamics and detail: Both have good macro dynamics. The Sundara needs a proper amp to really get that punchy sound. With regards to general detail and microdynamics, the Edition XS is better.
Amplifier Requirements
The Sundara scales more with the amp than the XS. You get perfectly fine results with the Sundara using modest amps, but it’s harder to get a “perfect” match than with the XS, and the Sundara tends to need a lot of power to get the maximum headroom and dynamics that it’s capable of and bring out the last bit of bass and refine the treble. When you get the Sundara completely right, it’s insanely good – and remember, it’s already good with normal amps.
The XS is less picky and power-hungry. It generally, however, pairs better with amps that give a warmish tonality. This, however, depends often on the match between the specific amp and the specific headphone combination, so it’s hard to know without having tried.
All that being said, both these headphones sound good from all the amps I’ve tried. It’s all relative.
CONCLUSION
Hifiman has got two great headphones here. The Edition XS is technically better, with more detail, a wider soundstage and more precise imaging. It also has relatively more bass and treble. The Sundara is more midrange-oriented and tends to sound a bit warmer and more intimate.
At current prices both the Sundara and the XS offer great value. As much as I like the Sundara, however, the Edition XS is one of the best bargains in the world of audiophile headphones.
Buy on Linsoul: Hifiman Edition XS
Buy on Amazon: Hifiman Edition XS
Buy on Linsoul: Hifiman Sundara
Buy on Amazo: Hifiman Sundara
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