HiFiMan Edition XS vs Sennheiser HD 800 S
106 facts in comparison
Based on 6,735 Reddit opinions. Close race—Edition XSHiFiMan Edition XS edges ahead.
6.7K opinions
Edition XS leads by 1pts
VS
Reddit's Pick
82%
B+
Based on
6,992 Redditors
Winner
HiFiMan Edition XS
~$209
3,869 opinions
tldr; Ananda alternative. Similar tier, different flavor. Great value planar.
Check pricesVS
81%
B+
Based on
5,711 Redditors
Sennheiser HD 800 S
~$1,899
2,866 opinions
tldr; Soundstage monster. Legendary imaging, treble spike bothers some. Detail retrieval god.
Check prices🎵SOU
😌COM
💰VAL
🔧BUI
⚡FEA
63
Points
61
Points
Score by Category
Sound Quality
81%82%
Comfort
31%77%
Value
97%49%
Build Quality
12%69%
Features
74%58%
Why is HD 800 S better than HiFiMan Edition XS?
- Better comfort (77% vs 31%)
- Better build quality (69% vs 12%)
- Legendary soundstage
- Precise imaging
- Treble spike
Based on 12,703 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call
Reddit prefers the Edition XSHiFiMan Edition XS
Winning by 1 points (82% vs 81%)
Better bass
Better value
Better features
High confidence (12,703 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 12,703 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
Edition XS
8.2/10
6,992 mentions
800 S
8.1/10
5,711 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
Edition XS8.1/10
800 S8.2/10
BUILD QUALITY
Edition XS1.2/10
800 S6.9/10
COMFORT
Edition XS3.1/10
800 S7.7/10
BASS
Edition XS8.5/10
800 S2.9/10
VALUE
Edition XS9.7/10
800 S4.9/10
FEATURES
Edition XS7.4/10
800 S5.8/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | Edition XS | 800 S |
|---|---|---|
Sound Quality | 81% | 82% |
Build Quality | 12% | 69% |
Comfort | 31% | 77% |
Bass | 85% | 29% |
Value | 97% | 49% |
Features | 74% | 58% |
Category Wins
Edition XS: 3|800 S: 2
Head to Head
Edition XS: 3|800 S: 2
Sound Quality
Edition XS81%
800 S82%
Build Quality800 S
Edition XS12%
800 S69%
Comfort800 S
Edition XS31%
800 S77%
BassEdition XS
Edition XS85%
800 S29%
ValueEdition XS
Edition XS97%
800 S49%
FeaturesEdition XS
Edition XS74%
800 S58%
Edition XS
82%
81%
800 S
Edition XS82%
800 S81%
Close race - Edition XS edges ahead by 1 points
Key Specs
| Spec | HiFiMan Edition XS | Sennheiser HD 800 S |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Open-back planar magnetic | — |
| Impedance | 18 ohms | 300 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | — |
| Frequency Response | 8Hz-50kHz | 4-51,000 Hz (-10 dB) |
| Diaphragm | NEO supernano Diaphragm | — |
Key Highlights
HiFiMan Edition XSWinner
💰 Value planar
🎵 Fun tuning
😌 Comfortable
⚠️ Build quality
Sennheiser HD 800 S
🌌 Legendary soundstage
🎯 Precise imaging
⚠️ Treble spike
💰 Used value now
Topic Battles
Edition XS: 2|Tied: 1|800 S: 2
🎵Sound Quality
Edition XS
81%
800 S
82%
😌Comfort
800 S winsEdition XS
31%
800 S
77%
💰Value
Edition XS winsEdition XS
97%
800 S
49%
🔧Build Quality
800 S winsEdition XS
12%
800 S
69%
⚡Features
Edition XS winsEdition XS
74%
800 S
58%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for HiFiMan Edition XS
Best Praise
+136 pts“Sorry everyone. I am really horrible at describing the sound and am very new to this hobby. I spent more time with the XS and the Arya Stealth. The XS seemed a bit warmer to me and the price made it worth it! The HE 1000Unveiled was beautiful sounding. Not as flat as the SE, it felt like it had a little more color in the tuning. That Unveiled would be my dream cans. I loved the Arya Organic too. They sounded huge! It felt like I was in a concert hall and could point out exactly where each instrument was coming from. Depth!, the bass was a little lacking, but it was clean. The Susvara had the best separation. Even better than the Organics to my ears. But they also felt distant, especially vocals. They were detailed. I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a dumbass. LOL. I think my next step up will be the organics.”
r/headphones
ViewTop Criticism
+38 pts“Sundara: 3x (L driver failure, R driver failure, headband faulty) Edition XS: 3x (L driver faulty, faulty headband, damaged grills) Ananda Stealth: was fine but sold Arya Stealth: has been great, def seems to have higher QC. I'm stopping at Arya Stealth. I think the lower models have really crappy QC and Hifiman doesn't care. It's prob cheaper to keep the corners cut like they are and replace them than to invest in better QC. You get what you pay for. Unfortunately with Hifiman they sound levels ahead of their price point, but build quality is shit. I've had probably 10 Sennheisers over the years and never had a single issue.”
r/headphones
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 800 S
Sentiment Over Time
HiFiMan Edition XS
Sennheiser HD 800 S
📈Historical Price Data
HiFiMan Edition XS
Sennheiser HD 800 S
HiFiMan Edition XS
All-time low: $209(2025-10)
Sennheiser HD 800 S
All-time low: $799(2020-07)
$573 below 90-day avg
Which is Better?
Too Close to Call
Both products have nearly identical approval ratings (82% vs 81%). Choose based on your specific needs and preferences.
Why Edition XS
- Better Value for Money (97% vs 49%)
- Better Features (74% vs 58%)
Why 800 S
- 🌌 Legendary soundstage
- 🎯 Precise imaging
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
45%Positive
Positive
45%Neutral
45%Negative
10%Based on 6,992 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
41%Positive
Positive
41%Neutral
50%Negative
9%Based on 5,711 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, HiFiMan Edition XS or Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Based on 12,703 Reddit comments, HiFiMan Edition XS has a slight edge with 82% positive sentiment vs Sennheiser HD 800 S's 81%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy HiFiMan Edition XS or Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Both have similar approval ratings (82% vs 81%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about HiFiMan Edition XS?
Reddit users highlight: Value planar. Fun tuning. Comfortable. With 6,992 mentions and 82% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Reddit users highlight: Legendary soundstage. Precise imaging. Treble spike. With 5,711 mentions and 81% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 12,703 Reddit comments: 6,992 about HiFiMan Edition XS and 5,711 about Sennheiser HD 800 S. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
6,735 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/16/2026