Edition XV

Its the other way around... The XV has less peaky treble overall and is therefore easier to EQ.

The Arya Stealth is a very different headphone though. Just look at listener, he loves the Edition XV but hates the Arya Stealth (like me). The Arya is not an upgrade from the XV, its a different headphone entirely. Do you want a bright egg-shaped Hifiman? Arya Stealth. Do you want a warm smooth egg-shaped Hifiman? Edition XV.

>However, with a good peq it is easy to make the Aryas smooth as well, if that is the preference.  No, thats my point. The Arya Stealth has wild treble peaks. Its not easy to PEQ at all. The Edition XV behaves much more linearly on a variety of heads, same as the other newer Hifimans like the Arya Unveiled. Ive owned a Arya Stealth, I have never had any other headphone that were as frustrating to EQ as the Aryas. >Arya is definitely a step up in technical performance "Technical" performance is kind of an audiophile myth IMO. The Arya Stealth is significantly brighter, which may be perceived as being more detailed, apart from that its not more advanced than the Edition XV. I might even argue that the more predictable treble performance of the Edition XV is a "technical" strength because that is very hard to impossible to replicate with EQ.

>I find Sennheisers in general to be too analytical or harsh Then you are likely to hate Hifimans entire lineup except for the Edition XV. They are as bright or brighter than any Sennheiser except for maybe the vanilla HD800.

I demoed these and I was not a big fan of the sound. I preferred Ananda Unveiled and Edition XV from Hifiman. Would love to hear the FT7 with some EQ next time.

The new lineup seems specifically designed to address their reputation for bad QC. I've owned several Hifiman cans and the XV are a significant step up in terms of build quality. I remember basically being afraid that my Sundaras would fall apart if I dropped them. If those were a 3/10 for build, these feel closer to a 7 or 8.

Would strongly recommend planar headphones Hifiman edition XV would be a great one within your budget

I’ve heard the ft1 can muddy up the bass on heavier songs, so I’m considering the sundara. I have the edition xv eq’d to like +10db under 60hz so it sounds like a sub for hip hop and edm, but that doesn’t really come into play for other genres. I need a closed back for work though, do you think I’ll be disappointed with the sundara? I have a feeling eqing the ft1 like this will absolutely ruin kick drums for rock music

XV. Or I save another $100 and get the Arya Stealth.

Arya is definitely a step up in technical performance, but I can see how people prefer the XV, unless we is an option. The XV is much less bright. However, with a good peq it is easy to make the Aryas smooth as well, if that is the preference. 

And meanwhile, the soundstage and grandness of Arya is nowhere to be found with XV. 

Hifiman Edition XV for sure