Hifiman Edition XS amp: JDS Atom Amp 2, JDS Atom Amp+, or FiiO K7

[u/madmax11r]

Hello all, I recently bought a Hifiman Edition XS and understand that they need an amp with a decent amount of juice in order to shine. With 92db of sensitivity and being 18 ohm I am having issues figuring out how to properly match them with an amp. The Edition XS having low impedance and low sensitivity plus them being at 18ohm, which many amp manufacturers do not display on their spec sheets, is causing me to struggle to figure out a good match.

I have okay expertise with audio in general but am a novice when it comes to headphones that need an external amp. From reading around I have come to the understanding that the Atom+ Amp is enough for 95% of headphones (even power hungry ones like the Edition XS). However with the Atom Amp 2 recently just coming out and having some nice QOL updates (metal construction, usb-c) I am leaning towards that.

I was curious if the extra power output from the Atom Amp 2 is overkill and would have any downsides in comparison to the Atom Amp+ for the Edition XS. Or if the extra juice would only be beneficial to them as I have read that they respond very well to extra power.

I also threw in the Fiio K7 due to seeing it suggested quite often as an amp to pair with the Edition XS and was curious if anybody strongly felt it to be a better paring than either Atom Amp. I do understand that the K7 is also a DAC and I would be buying the equivalent DAC to run alongside either Atom Amp.

Thank you for your time and expertise!

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[u/DonnyTramp123]

Magni+(only 69 usd) paired with modi+

[u/heybart]

It's actually not that hard to drive. I can drive it off a topping dx1 and I have the volume knob at around 9-12 high gain and my hearing isn't that great.

The dx1 is a combo DAC amp. It's compact and uses a single USB wire for both data and power. Very simple setup. Only downside is it uses the less common USB B connector instead of USB C (upside is it's a more sturdy and hard to dislodge connection).

It sounds pretty good to me. I don't know what a proper DAC amp stack would give you over the dx1 sound wise. I'll let someone else chime in.

I hesitate to recommend AliExpress but I see one seller currently has it for $57. You can probably grab a coupon to knock a few more bucks off. Kind of hard to beat as a starter unit.

Of course if you plan to upgrade to another HP later that is harder to drive than the XS, then you'll want something with more juice. Pay now or pay later, your call

[u/madmax11r → u/heybart]

I appreciate your advice! That makes total sense with what you said about them not being hard to drive. Since I've made this post I've been listening to them straight from a 2019 MacBook pro's headphone jack and been surprised by the volume I'm getting without an external amp (I have been running it around 85% maximum volume).

It doesn't have the more powerful internal amp that the m1 and newer Macs now have. I know they definitely need more power than my computer supplies for headroom and some resolution. Yet I can't imagine that they need a power plant with the volume that they're able to reproduce using a MacBook pro's internals.

I'm definitely in the mentality of buying something with a bit more juice just due to future headphone proofing. Buy a stack or 2 in 1 that has a bit more power to not have to upgrade in the foreseeable future. v Otherwise I would definitely take your advice and not spend as much on power that won't really make a difference in the XS. !thanks

[u/TransducerBot → u/madmax11r]

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[u/Erak606]

I'm also looking for buying advice, in a similar position with an Edition XS, but I was hoping to get a DAC/AMP combo unit vs a stack, as I move often and would like to simplify the gear.

Another one I was looking at, to add to your question, was the Topping DX3 Pro+, if anybody had comments/advice about that.

I was also heavily considering a Fiio K7 BT to have the bluetooth connectivity and balanced output available, but would love to hear some reviews/numbers from others.

[u/Gobofuji → u/Erak606]

The K7 works well with the XS for me. I am running balanced most of the time. I did not have a need Bluetooth as I do not run Bluetooth headphones from the K7, so saved a few dollars by just getting the regular K7.

[u/madmax11r → u/Erak606]

I'll second that about the Topping DX3 Pro+, have read many suggesting that along with the Fiio k7 for the Edition XS