syedinsaf123 OP t1_itcgtbd wrote on October 22, 2022 at 4:13 PM

Reply to comment by maXXXjacker in Hifiman EF400 by syedinsaf123

Will they pair well with Hifiman edition xs

maXXXjacker t1_itclvoc wrote on October 22, 2022 at 4:48 PM

XS sounds beautiful on the EF400.

What I am using to represent the ESS side right now is a Topping D10s DAC paired with a Schiit Asgard 3 amp which tilts towards the warmer side but power wise, is a fairly close-ish match to the amp in the EF400.

The XS sounds more enjoyable on the EF400. At the end of the day is the differences worth upgrading, debatable. The ESS still sounds good with it, just not MY favorite with the XS and others might not feel the difference is worth paying out $$$ for.

With that said you need to figure out other things to justify spending the $$$ over your current K5Pro.

Basically some of the pro's:

+ Sound is subjectively better with the XS on the EF400 to my ears

+ Lots of headphone outputs, XLR, 4.4mm, 6.5mm and 3.5mm all on one unit. This can open a lot of doors for cables options and lets you use balanced cables.

+ Has basically two DACs in one, the NOS and OS. OS would be more similar to a AKM chip, which would be kind of a refinement. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference, if at all.

+ More power at your disposal compared to the K5 Pro which can be helpful for harder to drive headphones to unlock their potential.

Sorry for the wall of text.

syedinsaf123 OP t1_itct833 wrote on October 22, 2022 at 5:38 PM

Really really grateful to you for giving me such a good insight on this. What is the best output on ef400? I use usb on my k5 pro. I found that ef400 really opened up my xs to a whole new dimension. K5 pro felt too warm and hit my face after using ef400 for a while.

maXXXjacker t1_itcwnpl wrote on October 22, 2022 at 6:01 PM

No worries, you are welcome. The EF400 is about equal on all of its outputs but there is a very slight magic kiss from the balanced outs. I typically use XLR but will sometimes do 4.4mm. As far as input, I use the USB B input as I have a pretty decent cable. Haven't tried the USB C input yet but pretty slick that it is an option.