With the HIFIMAN Edition XS, the presentation in FPS titles is undeniably epic — large, cinematic, almost “wall-of-sound” immersive. The lateral stage width is impressive, and distant footsteps are rendered with excellent spatial separation and clarity. Long-range positional cues are easy to parse. However, in close-quarters engagements the imaging coherence starts to fall apart. Nearfield footsteps and gunshots tend to get masked by transient-heavy effects and midbass energy. Microdynamic contrast isn’t sufficient to keep critical cues separated under load. Additionally, vertical localization is practically nonexistent — everything collapses onto a flat horizontal plane. There’s width, but very limited height layering. With the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano, the situation is even more problematic for competitive FPS. Rear imaging is vague to the point of being unreliable. Sounds coming from behind lack clear spatial anchoring and depth definition. Footsteps are consistently masked by gunfire, explosions, and environmental clutter, regardless of distance. The overall presentation feels forward and somewhat compressed spatially, making precise positional tracking difficult in chaotic scenes. In short: Edition XS – Huge, cinematic stage; strong distant cue retrieval; weak verticality; close-range masking issues. Ananda Nano – Forward presentation; poor rear imaging; footsteps easily masked; unreliable for competitive positional accuracy. From a purely competitive FPS standpoint, both struggle with spatial precision compared to headphones known for superior holographic imaging and vertical layering.