In children’s swashbuckling tales, what did “X” mean? Well, if you read the same books as me growing up, “X” meant treasure. Now I am grown up, every now and then, the same logic seems to apply. Find the “X”, there be treasure.
Hifi Man have become an audiophile (particularly those with a love of headgear) household name in the last few years, and when you hear them you understand why. Following on from the resounding critical and commercial successes of the HE1000, Hifi Man knew that they had hit a sweet spot with planar magnetic. And so, the new generation has been ushered in with one particular pair leading the pack.
The stunning reference level HiFi Man Edition X Planar Magnetic V2 Headphones are a much lower price than the HE-1000 but are still a very high end model featuring much of the same technology, and even a few advances. So much so, they compete at this level of the market with Sennheiser HD800S and Oppo PM-1, all-the-while offering something decidedly different. As reference-level as the HD800S are, many have commented that the bass and midrange on the Edition X is far stronger, with comparable clarity. As an alternative, they’re definitely worth a fair listen.
It’s worth mentioning that they’re highly portable too. Great for use in and out the house, with or without a head amp.
Here’s what you get when you open the treasure chest:
– Ultra-thin driver technology (fast response, highly detailed, ultra low distortion)
– High sensitivity (great for smart device use – highly portable)
– Window shade grill design- greatly reduces sonic reflections for clearer sound
– Asymmetrical ear cups (shaped for the human ear and very comfortable)
– Hybrid ear pads (pleather materials and bevelled for the human skull – even more comfort)
Two more key benefits: they’re very lightweight yet robust (and rather ergonomic, might I add) and the high performance cable is user replacable. Seeing as it’s usually the cable that goes first with headphones (especially portable ones, this is a very welcome feature. Your treasure chest will come complete with 1.5m cable with a 3.5mm jack (portable) and a 3m cable with a 6.5mm jack (home), which means you’re all set regardless of what you intend to use them for. The window shade grill looks the part, and also reduces sonic reflections which makes for a clearer, cleaner sound.
And yes, they sound beautiful too. At home, and away. Excellent detail and imaging, and a real pleasure to wear. X truly marks the spot in this instance, so start digging.
Come and see them in store (they’ll be the latest addition to the headphone bar) or click here to take a look at the full specs.