Edition XV

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.

I have HD490 since the release, but the choice is difficult. HD490 - with 2 pads feels like 2 different, extremely light and comfortable. XV - I had chance to test them on CanJam and they are reeeealy nice. Nice look, nice sound, 2nd gen headband with reasonable comfort optimizations. I have 4 HifiMan headphones and I love them. Never had any QC issues, but global feedback says that QC could be unpredictable.

While I think the XV sounds better, I’m taking the HD 490 Pro. Why? Reliability. Hifiman’s QA can be a bit dodgy. Once I’m in the $400 range I want to know that my purchases are with me for the long haul. Every Sennheiser that I’ve owned has done that.

If you get the Capra strap then they are great for long sessions- just as comfortable as the aryas then

Personally, I did not enjoy the XV much. I think the XS is a better offering from Hifiman. I'm also not huge on the 490, but if it's really between those two, then I'd take it over the XV for sure.

I would root for the XV - I really like the wide soundstage of Hifiman. I personally never had any quality issues.

ROG Kithara is probably the best „gaming“ headset, especially open back, because it’s basically a HiFi headphone with a mic - and for that price it’s a pretty good deal as well. I came from a mmx 300, but the Kithara are superior in sound and comfort. The sound is between hifimans XS and XV series with a slight tuning towards gaming.

Sennheiser 490 Pro is designed to be comfortable. Other options are the hifiman xs / xv / ananda / arya. Meze 109 and 105 are very comfortable. There are also options from Audeze, Meze, and DCA if you're looking to spend a couple grand on comfy headphones.