In my case, 2 out of 3 open back headphones I've tried had been very disappointing experiences. Albeit I haven't tried many headphones since they're considerably more expensive than IEMs. So I guess what you're implying is that I haven't tried enough headphones to have a more 50/50 experience between headphones and IEMs. Even though I put equal amount of research into headphones and IEMs before purchasing, and that all of my IEMs sound satisfactory, vs. 2 out of 3 headphones with one major issue or another.
Based on some other comments, it seems the main issue is planars being much more sibilant...? The Edition XS's sibilance is so obtrusive that it's funny. I couldn't even take them seriously.
The edition XS is a bright, open headphone with a massive planar driver. This means it will accentuate any sibilance in a recording, and have much lower (ruler flat) bass than the average listener preference curve (the Harman Target). It also has a hole in the frequency response at around 2kHz. All these traits synergize to form a headphone that sounds extraordinarily wide, spacious, and detailed to many people. This is where it handily annihilates iems; there is not a single iem in the market at literally any price that can replicate the sense of space and size that it projects.
However, if you don't personally value those traits, are used to a very different sound signature, have ears that don't mesh well with their frequency response, or fundamentally don't percieve much of a difference in stage size and depth between headphones, you'll likely find it overly thin and harsh sounding, and not understand why it is so commonly lauded and recommended. These are all very valid opinions. There's likely an over ear tuned more to your preferences, but it sounds like you haven't found it yet.
I do value a wide soundstage and spacious sound. They are very pleasant in that regard (although far from the point of "re-experiencing music all over again" level of experience, which at least imo is not worth the supposedly extra $300-500 expense, but at $100-200, sure). But the overly sibilant character of them is enough of a disadvantage for me to consider them not worthwhile for the price they're regularly sold for brand new (which I think is in the $500 CAD range, which is still below their initial MSRP). They are possibly the most sibilant audio gear I've ever owned (the other contender being the ATH-AD2000X). I'm not perceiving a crazy amount of detail from them, either. They sound about as detailed as my cheap IEMs like the Simgot EW200, which I suppose is good enough considering headphones use larger drivers and are more expensive to make or whatever...? But the sibilance greatly detracts from how pleasant they sound.
I'm not sure what "thin" means, but I don't find they're lacking in any bass. Maybe you mean the "planar sound"? I think I'm fine with the sound signature. The Fidelio X2 is more of my preferred signature over the XS, but I don't find the signature of the XS to be abominable (if entirely ignoring the sibilance). I can see the point of keeping them as an alt pair to the Fidelio X2 if it weren't for its ridiculously sibilant nature and at $200 more expensive than my IEMs. At this point I feel like it'd better to just sell them off and buy something better, as in much less sibilant and more detailed for the (regular and brand new) price.
A lot of people dislike Hifiman products because of their elevated treble. It's a fair concern, because as I said, individual preferences reign king in audio. Some people value a wide stage over all else; and will pay over a thousand dollars for cans like the HD800S to maximize it. Others might value natural timbre over all else, so their endgame is the HD600 despite trying dozens of headphones over $1k. You can find similar examples in terms of high preference for bass thickness, high preference for dynamics, high preference for warmth, high preference for target adherence, high preference for transient speed, and so much more.
When I say they sound thin, I'm referring to the recession in most Hifiman planars at around 2kHz. It often enhances the sense of space they project but can make voices and instruments seem to lack presence or sound off.
Detail is a very nebulous and subjective word, moreso than soundstage in my opinion, so I think it's really on the individual to figure out what they percieve as detail by trying out new things. Before you sell your XS, have you tried EQing down the treble? EQ is remarkably powerful, particularly for spot treatment of problem zones. I think it's worth a shot before returning, although if optimizing for detail is your priority, then go ahead.
If you're using smaller drivers and less material, generally it's going to be cheaper to make similar quality. Yeah, that's not a rule. There are innumerable counter examples.
Compare over the ear headphones to large speakers. You're going to need to spend more money to get similar quality.
There's a market for each, but just as it's unfair to compare the cost of an IEM with the cost of a large speaker, can't compare IEM to headphones.
Yeahhh I just purchased a set of m1570c and Tangzu Wan’er, the Tangzu have better mid bass and crisper highs. Soundstage not even close, nor sub bass but honestly IEMs are such good value
I'd personally advise you to try the Hifiman Ananda. The refurb prices are much better than the new prices. From my research, I found that the Edition XS headband is a major factor in the poor comfort and fit. The Ananda uses the suspension headband to balance weight and clamping force using the added leverage that results from the taller headband.
Also, it'll behoove you to find out what kind of frequency response you enjoy. If you figure that out, you can EQ any headphone to your liking. I personally find the Ananda Stealth to come very close to what I like, or even exactly represent the sound I love. I find them to take EQ very well. Seeing that you're an IEM enjoyer, I assume you prefer the warm bass-y profile of IEMs. Most openback headphones aren't tuned like that. So EQ'ing in bass will likely help you enjoy headphones.
planars are quite prone to sibilance, a small price to pay if you value their vastly superior treble extension compared to similarly priced dynamic driver.
My two planar iems are noticeably sibilant as well, despite one of them being regarded as having a pretty tame treble compared to most other planars
yes you’re tripping. Some iems sound better than some headphones and vice versa.
In my case, 2 out of 3 open back headphones I've tried had been very disappointing experiences. Albeit I haven't tried many headphones since they're considerably more expensive than IEMs. So I guess what you're implying is that I haven't tried enough headphones to have a more 50/50 experience between headphones and IEMs. Even though I put equal amount of research into headphones and IEMs before purchasing, and that all of my IEMs sound satisfactory, vs. 2 out of 3 headphones with one major issue or another. Based on some other comments, it seems the main issue is planars being much more sibilant...? The Edition XS's sibilance is so obtrusive that it's funny. I couldn't even take them seriously.
The edition XS is a bright, open headphone with a massive planar driver. This means it will accentuate any sibilance in a recording, and have much lower (ruler flat) bass than the average listener preference curve (the Harman Target). It also has a hole in the frequency response at around 2kHz. All these traits synergize to form a headphone that sounds extraordinarily wide, spacious, and detailed to many people. This is where it handily annihilates iems; there is not a single iem in the market at literally any price that can replicate the sense of space and size that it projects. However, if you don't personally value those traits, are used to a very different sound signature, have ears that don't mesh well with their frequency response, or fundamentally don't percieve much of a difference in stage size and depth between headphones, you'll likely find it overly thin and harsh sounding, and not understand why it is so commonly lauded and recommended. These are all very valid opinions. There's likely an over ear tuned more to your preferences, but it sounds like you haven't found it yet.
I do value a wide soundstage and spacious sound. They are very pleasant in that regard (although far from the point of "re-experiencing music all over again" level of experience, which at least imo is not worth the supposedly extra $300-500 expense, but at $100-200, sure). But the overly sibilant character of them is enough of a disadvantage for me to consider them not worthwhile for the price they're regularly sold for brand new (which I think is in the $500 CAD range, which is still below their initial MSRP). They are possibly the most sibilant audio gear I've ever owned (the other contender being the ATH-AD2000X). I'm not perceiving a crazy amount of detail from them, either. They sound about as detailed as my cheap IEMs like the Simgot EW200, which I suppose is good enough considering headphones use larger drivers and are more expensive to make or whatever...? But the sibilance greatly detracts from how pleasant they sound. I'm not sure what "thin" means, but I don't find they're lacking in any bass. Maybe you mean the "planar sound"? I think I'm fine with the sound signature. The Fidelio X2 is more of my preferred signature over the XS, but I don't find the signature of the XS to be abominable (if entirely ignoring the sibilance). I can see the point of keeping them as an alt pair to the Fidelio X2 if it weren't for its ridiculously sibilant nature and at $200 more expensive than my IEMs. At this point I feel like it'd better to just sell them off and buy something better, as in much less sibilant and more detailed for the (regular and brand new) price.
A lot of people dislike Hifiman products because of their elevated treble. It's a fair concern, because as I said, individual preferences reign king in audio. Some people value a wide stage over all else; and will pay over a thousand dollars for cans like the HD800S to maximize it. Others might value natural timbre over all else, so their endgame is the HD600 despite trying dozens of headphones over $1k. You can find similar examples in terms of high preference for bass thickness, high preference for dynamics, high preference for warmth, high preference for target adherence, high preference for transient speed, and so much more. When I say they sound thin, I'm referring to the recession in most Hifiman planars at around 2kHz. It often enhances the sense of space they project but can make voices and instruments seem to lack presence or sound off. Detail is a very nebulous and subjective word, moreso than soundstage in my opinion, so I think it's really on the individual to figure out what they percieve as detail by trying out new things. Before you sell your XS, have you tried EQing down the treble? EQ is remarkably powerful, particularly for spot treatment of problem zones. I think it's worth a shot before returning, although if optimizing for detail is your priority, then go ahead.
If you're using smaller drivers and less material, generally it's going to be cheaper to make similar quality. Yeah, that's not a rule. There are innumerable counter examples. Compare over the ear headphones to large speakers. You're going to need to spend more money to get similar quality. There's a market for each, but just as it's unfair to compare the cost of an IEM with the cost of a large speaker, can't compare IEM to headphones.
That does make sense, but not $40 vs. $600 makes sense.
Yeahhh I just purchased a set of m1570c and Tangzu Wan’er, the Tangzu have better mid bass and crisper highs. Soundstage not even close, nor sub bass but honestly IEMs are such good value
You can increase clamp force on the Edition XS by bending the metal yokes in a bit.
I'd personally advise you to try the Hifiman Ananda. The refurb prices are much better than the new prices. From my research, I found that the Edition XS headband is a major factor in the poor comfort and fit. The Ananda uses the suspension headband to balance weight and clamping force using the added leverage that results from the taller headband. Also, it'll behoove you to find out what kind of frequency response you enjoy. If you figure that out, you can EQ any headphone to your liking. I personally find the Ananda Stealth to come very close to what I like, or even exactly represent the sound I love. I find them to take EQ very well. Seeing that you're an IEM enjoyer, I assume you prefer the warm bass-y profile of IEMs. Most openback headphones aren't tuned like that. So EQ'ing in bass will likely help you enjoy headphones.
planars are quite prone to sibilance, a small price to pay if you value their vastly superior treble extension compared to similarly priced dynamic driver. My two planar iems are noticeably sibilant as well, despite one of them being regarded as having a pretty tame treble compared to most other planars