15% of 123 verified Edition XSowners don't recommend it — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 68% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“I hate my edition xs so much because they're amazing, just don't work, they keep losing all audio on the right side and I'm not the only one with that issue”— Kolorboi on Reddit
“It's still not incredibly comfortable with those, IMO. The huge cups and pads never feel like I'm wearing them correctly, so I'm always adjusting them.”— Default_Defect on Reddit
“after a certain amount of listening time when you go back to your older headphones they all start to sound muddy and with less texture and resolution.”— ProfessionalTower655 on Reddit
“I would keep my senn hd550 over them any day of the week. I got the edition xs on special so I added them to the collection, now they gather dust.”— Existing-Charge1323 on Reddit
“I couldn’t even get it to work with EQ. It’s such an inconsistent, non-cohesive tune that I just find myself riding the volume the whole time.”— Daemonxar on Reddit
“That alone cause some sort of pressure push that warped diaphragms and caused a weird catastrophic driver flex that destroyed both sides.”— Audiofeeling-Vids on Reddit
“I got a pair but don't like them much. I feels theres a noticeable lack of low end slam compared with dynamics or even other planars.”— Nombre_Autogenerado on Reddit
“Personally I really hate the materials they've used though, even with a nice fit I rarely pick them out of my collection”— cog_94 on Reddit
“Had I originally known about their issues and how many people had them, I would have saved more and bought a better pair from a US or European company. I'm now saving up to replace the 2nd pair with either Tungsten or Tessidera. I'm done with Hifiman.”— 4TheBuzzAndTheFuzz on Reddit
“Too bright, even with EQ. My Edition XS has been delegated to the drawer in favor of the LCD-X.”— Crinkez on Reddit
“I tried to enjoy those and they were just so bright. No bass barely. I sold them after a week.”— Suspicious-Half5758 on Reddit
“they sound kinda odd, I have them too and want to love them. I just can't.”— facts_guy2020 on Reddit
Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.
“The Edition XS are a sneaky pair of headphones in terms of power reqs. Low impedance with sensitivity that rides the line between low/high sensitivity.”— magicmasta on Reddit
“People have different sound preferences, so there is no universal answer to this question. This model has a very strange fit on the head that may not suit everyone, and this can have a significant impact on the sound”— mihan1996 on Reddit
“The edition xs has a bright sound signature while the hd560s has a flat sound signature so I’d say having sharper treble should be expected.”— cosmaprc on Reddit
“The box looks legitimate to me, and the headphones do too. It's probably real and Aliexpress can have good deals on this sort of stuff since it's direct from manufacturer.”— Cold-Restaurant4567 on Reddit
“According to ssl specs, the mk2 should drive the xs without issue. https://support.solidstatelogic.com/hc/en-gb/articles/21551651147677-SSL-2-2-MKII-Audio-Performance-Specifications-Compared-to-MKI But I don’t see max power specified anywhere.”— lordvektor on Reddit
“The Edition XS fits too loosely on many people's heads, so headbanging with it will cause it to fall off.”— Clampet546 on Reddit
“I ultimately want to get a solid-state class A discrete amp, like the Schiit Audio Mjolnir 3. I gave the Edition XS to my son. His PC alone couldn’t drive it well, so I also provided him with my solid-state Schiit Audio Magni-3 amp, which drives the XS just fine.”— Joeclu on Reddit
“People who are interested in the XS... Just do one quick search about vibrating and dead drivers. Be aware of the reputation the XS has even in the Hifiman qc lottery.”— koikoikoi375 on Reddit