HEDD Audio HEDDphone

"You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes.."
Billie Holiday


Hi friends!

In fact, I really want to limit this review to the epigraph that you just read. These heartfelt lines from Billie Holiday's "You Go To My Head" basically have everything I would like to say about the incredible HEDDphone ONE headphones that stole my peace and sleep and now will never go out of my head. The only thing, for the utmost accuracy, I would replace a couple of letters in the lyrics of this song: "You go to my HEDD". However, I understand that such brevity will seem too much to many, so there will still be a full review, don't worry.

So, our guest is HEDD Audio company from Germany with their first model of full-size headphones HEDDphone ONE! And for me this acquaintance was, without exaggeration, a revelation. As a great connoisseur of high-quality music, I have long broken the “fence” in my head between the concepts of Hi-Fi, Hi-END and PRO AUDIO. For all these terms apply to the distribution of audio equipment: for listeners, audiophiles and for musicians / sound engineers. For me, there are only two concepts: bad sound and good. And today we'll talk about excellent sound, sound in the highest degree!

HEDDphone ONE can satisfy both the true connoisseur of sound and the professional. Since its release in 2020, these headphones have made a lot of noise in the audiophile environment and have received a bunch of awards from the world's most prestigious audio publications. And no wonder, ONE is the first full-size headphones based on an AMT (Air Motion Transformer) driver that reproduces the entire frequency range!

Here it would be appropriate to conduct a brief digression into the history of the HEDD Audio brand, which appeared in Berlin in 2015. Heinz Electrodynamic Design (HEDD) was founded by physicist Klaus Heinz and his son, musicologist Dr. Frederik Knop. "HEDD products demonstrate what can be achieved today both in audio quality and control versatility. We believe that we have set a new benchmark in the industry and beyond." - Klaus Heinz, Founder of HEDD Audio says.
As a student of the famous Oskar Heil who invented the Air Motion Transformer (AMT), Klaus Heinz improved on the original Heil AMT design, making it more compact, reliable and efficient.

To understand Klaus Heinz's big contribution to the audio industry, suffice it to say that he is the founder of Adam Audio, which has made a name for itself by creating studio speakers and monitors used by top recording studios. And of course, at the moment, his new company HEDD Audio is making a big contribution to the world of sound. HEDD’s mission has been to build products aiming for complete accuracy and outstanding signal fidelity in Germany, that can accommodate a diverse range of sounds and eclectic spectrum of musical tastes. Judging by the HEDDphone ONE headphones, the company copes with its mission brilliantly! Well, now the promised review of "You go to my HEDD".





I will try to translate my Russian review into English

Text: Alexey Kashirskey (aka Hans Barbarossa)
audio-ph.ru


Specifications
Design: open-back over-ear headphone
Driver: AMT with full-range VVT® technology
Frequency Response: 10 Hz - 40 kHz
Efficiency: 87 dB SPL at 1 mW
Impedance: 42 Ω flat
Connection: symmetric 4-pin mini-XLR
Weight: 718 g



Appearance, kit and ergonomics

A large black box with excellent printing, in which the headphones are placed, by its very appearance promises us a meeting with even more wonderful content. On the front side, a stylish brand logo is located on top, a highly artistic photo of the headphones is in the center, and the “Made in Germany” marking is indicated below.





We remove the printing wrapper and take out the box-folio with the designation of the model in the center. Inside we find the headphones themselves, carefully placed in a protective foam base, and another small black package with a detachable cable and Velcro strap. Here we also find a beautiful insert, on the one hand a drawing that exactly repeats the cover of the package, on the other - a detailed description of the headphones and their technical characteristics.









And it seems that there is nothing special in all this, but at the same time you get real pleasure from unpacking, and also there is an understanding that you have a first-class product in front of you.







Let's extend this pleasure and admire the headphones themselves. Silver cups (once again I note the open acoustic design of the headphones), headband attachment elements and retractable headband arms are made of aluminum and upholstered in soft, extremely comfortable eco-leather.

The outer side of the cups is securely covered with a black metal mesh, and under it you can see an AMT emitter: a longitudinal grille through which the same yellow harmonica peeps out. Below are mini XLR connectors for cable connection.








Rectangular-shaped ear pads, voluminous and unusually soft, simply airy, are made of artificial leather with perforations throughout the inner surface. They are quite easy to remove, which allows you to replace them in case of wear.

Thanks to the ergonomic design and the softness of the ear cushions, the headphones sit quite comfortably on the head, despite their weight (718 grams). The design as a whole is quite comfortable, with a slight adjustment in headband height and limited rotation of the ear cups.

Yes, some users consider HEDDphone ONE quite heavy, but for my part I did not experience any discomfort. I will say this, I also met noticeably less weighty headphones in which I could not sit for more than an hour. And here, as for me, there is a competent balancing, and you just need to conveniently position the structure on your head. If the position is chosen correctly, then the head will be cozy and warm, you don’t even want to take off the headphones once again.







The quality of materials and assembly is beyond praise: everything is fitted extremely accurately and clearly, without backlash and gaps.

The headphones are equipped with a solid detachable branded HEDD cable made of pure copper, dressed in a black fabric braid. Jack 6.3 mm on one side, a pair of mini XLR "REAN" on the other, the length is 2.2 meters. The connectors are quite common, and you can easily choose another option for the headphones if you want. This cable did not cause any problems for me.







As we mentioned earlier, the HEDDphone ONE has an in-house developed emitter inside. Engineers led by Klaus Heinz have managed to turn the AMT tweeter into a full-range ribbon driver.

AMT is an electrodynamic transducer developed by Oskar Heil. The folded diaphragm (accordion) of the tweeter allows you to move air at a much higher speed than conventional speaker voice coils, planar and electrostatic systems. The diaphragm expels air four times faster during "breathing", which contributes to accurate and detailed reproduction of the sound signal without delay.







If you wish, you can easily find a more detailed description of this technology and its advantages on the Internet. Well, it's time for us to sum up the intermediate results.

The remarkable external and outstanding internal content of HEDDphone ONE deserves, in my opinion, five plus, but the most interesting, of course, is ahead!


Sound Impressions

Before listening, the headphones were burn-in for 70 hours.
Sound equipment: MyST DAC 1866OCU V.2, QLS DA9.1 Melokin, iFi iDSD Diablo, Lotoo paw Gold, QLS QA-361, iBasso DX300 & iBasso DX220 MAX+ iFi ZEN Can.

I want to warn you right away that HEDDphone ONE are quite demanding on the path and amplification and, therefore, show themselves in all their glory only with a good powerful device. But, nevertheless, the headphones played quite adequately with all the listed sound sources. With the exception of the iBasso DX220 MAX, which had connected to the iFi ZEN Can amplifier.







Using the site reference-audio-analyzer.pro, I made a comparison graph comparing the measurements of HEDDphone ONE with my Beyerdynamic DT 250/250 ohm and Hifiman HE-4. The overall picture of the frequency response of these three models is quite similar, if you do not take into account some minor differences, and it immediately becomes clear why I liked HEDDphone ONE so much. I could add here a comparison with another of my favorites - Hifiman HE-6, but I think there is no particular need for this, because their tonal balance is similar to HE-4.





Despite the fact that the tonal balance of the above models of headphones is some similar, the sound manner is still different. Moreover, it seems to me that HEDDphone ONE has absorbed all the best, both from the dynamic DT 250/250 and from the isodynamic HE-4/HE-6, and in this "competition" they are the absolute winner!


From the very first minutes of listening, ONE demonstrates amazing smoothness, informativeness and extraordinary naturalness of sound. This is an absolutely neutral, lively and very comfortable manner of sound delivery. Here, no register dominates the other, the entire frequency range is played out measuredly, cleanly and at the same time unusually expressive.

It is also worth noting the wide dynamic range, excellent speed characteristics and commensurate work with both macrodynamics and microcontrast.
HEDDphone ONE doesn't try to make it too small, sticking out all the "beads" of the composition, but they present the whole picture, lively and at the same time very carefully, correctly and accurately lay out the palette of sounds. And the headphones work out the dynamics (attacks and decays) simply at the highest level!







The audio canvas is drawn widely, with contrast, with excellent timbre reproduction and elaboration of all the details of the composition. Headphones are able to convey all the richness of sound coloring and reverberations in an unusually naturalistic way.

HEDDphone ONE impresses with excellent resolution and a fairly spreading stereo panorama with precise localization of apparent sound sources in space, where every musical instrument and every note played is exactly in its place. Here, every sound, its movement, as well as the force of impact, are clearly distinguishable. The breath of sound is felt, the way the air, together with the sound wave, moves, creating a unique feeling of realism.

When listening to music, the effect of immersion is created such that sometimes it seems that you can touch this or that musical instrument and even the sound itself flowing from the instrument. Musical images line up so picturesquely, as if in a hyperrealist painting, realistically and thoroughly, with an amazing transfer of volume.








This sound, like the nectar of the gods of Olympus, flows into the listener, fills him with a noble plastic substance and becomes one with him. This is a very comfortable, delicate and unusually lively manner of sounding, unlike anything else.

Such a style of sound presentation cannot be called dry or boring, not at all, on the contrary, it has a charming engaging power, harmonious and unusually melodic. This is supremely intelligent sounding!

The "sound stage" is spacious, it harmoniously and proportionately builds both in width and in depth.









Low frequencies are transmitted tightly, accurately and quickly, with good elaboration of textures and excellent articulation. There is a clear clap here, and a tight, biting beat, and a textured, articulated and agile bass. It is presented correctly, neutrally and quite correctly.
I will try, as an example, to convey my feelings from listening to Brian Bromberg's "Freedom jazz dance". The extremely accurate transmission of playing the bass guitar is simply amazing! You do not even hear the reproduced audio signal with your ears, but feel it, feeling the tension of the string, its beating against the pickup, plunging into the bewitching timbre variety and richness of overtones.
This is extremely accurate, fast and high-quality register transmission, combined with excellent balance.

The sub-bass region smoothly and harmoniously passes to the mid-bass, which, in turn, life-givingly complements the middle, filling it with depth and bodily substance.
It should be noted, however, that bassheads are likely to say that Lows is "not enough" for them. I will not enter into a correspondence discussion with them, but I will only emphasize that for me personally everything here is impeccable.


The mids are clean, smooth, rich in timbre, detailed and as natural as possible. This is a lively, beautiful and extremely reliable sound picture that harmoniously lines up before your eyes. Each sound, each instrument breathes, has its own weight, volume and texture. The positioning of tools in space is verified and realistic. Everything is in its place.

The delivery of the midrange register is smooth and completely neutral. The vocal parts do not excite the ear with sharp bursts and do not upset the failures, they are pure, natural and unconstrained. The emotional component of the composition is wonderfully conveyed. Guitar riffs smoothly cut through the air, keyboards richly saturate the timbre palette - everything is beautiful, relaxed and with the proper shade of expression. A truly live sound, and the thoroughness of its drawing is simply amazing! The presence effect is overwhelming.


High frequencies are reproduced remarkably cleanly, smoothly, clearly and harmoniously with good extension and precise attenuation. Quantitatively, they are not many and not few - more is not needed. The register is transmitted quite distinctly, comfortably, without excessive sharpness and distortion. He diligently contributes to the overall work, exactly matching the entire sound canvas.
Pure harmony and nothing more. Such extreme naturalness, accuracy and diligence for such a capricious register is worth a lot. There is no excessive brightness here, but there is an excellent development of this range and an unusually natural sound without harshness and distortion. You can immediately hear that the AMT driver is working!

In fact, the sound of HEDDphone ONE does not want to be divided into separate frequency ranges, it is so coherent, proportionate and harmonious.








In terms of genre preferences, ONE confidently show their universalism. In my opinion, they play quite interestingly both instrumental music, jazz, electronics, rock, and brutal genres.

And now, when I held on to the last and tried to still test, and not uncontrollably admire, I can finally say frankly: in my opinion, HEDDphone ONE is one of the best headphones in the world! Applause, turning into a long and stormy ovation, HEDD Audio for such a creation!
HEDDphone ONE receives five stars and "Audio-Ph Recommended" status. And mind you, despite a bunch of great headphones and audio gadgets that go through our testing, we give out stars very infrequently.


Conclusion

Not only did HEDD Audio hit the target right from the first shot, but, using sports terminology, set a new record that other manufacturers should now be guided by. HEDDphone ONE is a real masterpiece without any reservations, top-class headphones designed not just for listening to music, but for admiring and living this very music, getting deep and powerful experiences of an almost sacred order.

If I try to calm the poetic delights and return to the path of analytical prose, then everything is perfect with HEDDphone ONE: superbly balanced, clear and genuine sound that causes a storm of emotions, excellent design, the highest build quality (hand-assembled in Germany) and good ergonomics. Without a doubt, these headphones will be one of the most revered in the field of PRO Audio, as well as among audiophiles - true connoisseurs of high-quality sound.

At the time of writing, the suggested retail price for HEDDphone ONE is €1479. What can I say, if the price tag was € 2500, I would still recommend forking out for such an exquisite and high-quality sound.

NOTE: This review was originally published on HiFiGuides forum on 30 Jun 2021.

INTRODUCTION

It’s been some time since I was able to do a review. I moved! And moving is exhausting. But, the HiFiGuides community had my back as always and had plenty of gear stacked up for me to check out once I got settled. One piece of that gear is the Hedd Heddphone. The Heddphone is an exciting product because it brings a new driver technology to the headphone market, namely AMT drivers. Before Heddphone, AMT drivers had been mostly relegated to high-frequency reproduction in speakers. I know that as of this writing in late June 2021 the Heddphone isn’t the newest kid on the block, but it’s still one of the only AMT-based headphones out there (Goldplanar GL850 being the only other one that I know of), which makes it exciting to check out! Let’s dive in…

TL;DR

Sonically the Heddphone is an intriguing entry into the headphone world with its AMT drivers. Those drivers bring lots of detail and good timbre. Heddphone pulls off excellent detail retrieval without sounding forward or aggressive in its presentation, as well. The tuning of the Heddphone is likely best suited for mellow, acoustic music, with piano music being a real strength. It has a very pleasant, polite presentation that does little wrong, but isn’t very dynamic and does little to excite. Still, the future could be fun with AMT driver headphones. The physical comfort is poor, though, and will likely be a dealbreaker for many.

KNOW YOUR REVIEWER

My preferred genres are rock/metal and classical/orchestral music. I’m getting to know jazz more and enjoying quite a bit. I also listen to some EDM and hip-hop. My hearing quirks include a high sensitivity to midrange frequencies from just under 1KHz to around 3Khz, give or take. My ears are thus quick to perceive “shoutiness” in headphones in particular. I describe “shoutiness” as an emphasis on the ‘ou’ sound of ‘shout.’ It’s a forwardness in the neighborhood of 1KHz and/or on the first one or two harmonics above it (when I make the sound ‘ooooowwwww’ into a spectrum analyzer the dominant frequency on the vowel sound is around 930Hz, which also means harmonic spikes occur again at around 1860Hz and 2790Hz). In the extreme, it can have the tonal effect of sounding like a vocalist is speaking or singing through a toilet paper tube or cupping their hands over their mouth. It can also give instruments like piano, but especially brass instruments, an added ‘honk’ to their sound. I also get distracted by sibilance, or sharp ‘s’ and ‘t’ sounds that can make ssssingers sssssound like they’re forssssssing esssss ssssssounds aggresssssssively. Sibilance does not physically hurt my ears nearly as quickly as shout, though. It’s distracting because it’s annoying and unnatural. Finally, I’m discovering that I have a preference for more subtle detail. I like good detail retrieval and hearing what a recording has to offer, but I prefer what many would consider relaxed and subtle rather than aggressive or detail-forward. To my ear, more subtle detail-retrieval sounds more realistic and natural than aggressive, detail-forwardness. There is a balance here, though, because detail retrieval can get too relaxed and that can sound unnatural, as well, or simply leave out important aspects of the recording. Readers should keep these hearing quirks and preferences in mind as they read my descriptions of sound.

FEATURES & BUILD

I’m not going to go into much depth on the driver tech as that’s been done already in many places around the internet. Those drivers are housed in a mostly rectangular, open-back earcup. The Heddphone is big and heavy. The earcups and pads have a lot of depth to them, and they stick way out off the sides of the head. They are open-back so there isn’t much isolation. On the other hand, they are not as leaky as something like HiFiMan’s egg-shaped series of headphones. Still, don’t plan to use them in a cubicle because everyone will still hear your music.

Cable entry is dual-entry with mini 4-pin XLR connectors in the same style as ZMF or Audeze headphones. The cable entry points are flush mounted so it should be very easy to buy aftermarket cables.

I have to talk about the comfort. It’s…less than stellar. That’s a nice way of saying that for my head the comfort – specifically lack thereof – is a dealbreaker. This review was difficult because wearing the Heddphone for more than 4 or 5 songs at a time became really uncomfortable. It’s not so much the weight. Heavy headphones usually don’t bother me. It’s the clamp force, the way the pads rest on the side of the head, and how warm they get for me. Comfort is very much a YMMV type of thing. It may work for you, but it doesn’t for me and I’ve heard several other audiophiles say similarly. I advise purchasing Heddphone from somewhere where you can easily return them if the comfort is also a miss for you. I understand that there is a second revision out there (quite sure I have V1) that offers a headband extension to alleviate some of that. I don’t need to extend headphone headbands very much so I’m sot sure if that would help me. Either way, readers should know that such a thing exists too and that I was not able to evaluate it.

Finally for features and build, POWAH! The Heddphone is not an easy drive. It’s rated at 42Ω impedance and 87dB/mW sensitivity. You’ll need an amp with some juice to get it to sound its best.

SOUND

Test Gear

I mostly ran Heddphone off a chain of Singxer SU-2 DDC -> Berkeley Audio Designs Alpha Series 2 DAC -> Violectric HPA-V281 headphone amp. I also spent some time with a Cayin N6ii DAP -> Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC -> Monolith Liquid Platinum amp with Amperex PQ Gold Pin 6922 tubes.

Sound Signature

Heddphone strikes me as having an overall neutral-bright signature. To my ear the treble has just a bit of emphasis to it. It’s reminiscent of the Beyerdynamic DT880 in this regard, though not quite to that magnitude. The bass is extended but lean. The mids are smooth yet well-detailed. The overall presentation is quite inoffensive. The treble is crisp and clear but almost never introduces any sibilance beyond what’s in the recording. The mids are smooth, present, detailed, and I can’t recall a single instance where I thought it sounded shouty when it shouldn’t have. Overall, the sound just doesn’t really do anything obviously wrong, and it’s fairly forgiving of electronics and recordings once properly powered.

As mentioned, the bass has good extension and also brings with it some decent detail and texture. It is lean and lacks slam, though. The bass that is there is good. I have nothing to complain about in regards to what is there. Personally, I would like more bass presence and more slam. Bassheads should probably spend their money elsewhere.

The midrange and treble are both excellent. They are smooth while being detailed, and crisp and clear without being sharp, shrill, or shouty. Detail retrieval was excellent. Room reverb, drum ghost notes, any kind of tuning dissonance, all resolved well. Heddphone does this resolving without it ever feeling forced, too-forward, or analytical. It retains a pleasant smoothness and musicality with that high level of detail retrieval.

The timbre is also quite good. In general, voices and instruments sound much like they are supposed to sound. In the price range the timbre from Hedd is among the best I’ve heard.

Macrodynamics

This is where the Hedd doesn’t necessarily fall short, but isn’t for everyone. The sound isn’t the most dynamic or lively. There is a pleasantness and politeness to it – still detailed! – that translates to not much in the way of impact, slam, or physicality. The bass-lean-ness means there isn’t much in the way of rumble, either. For me, this meant there wasn’t much involvement with music like rock, metal, hip-hop, or EDM that benefits from some punch or slam. Heddphone also wasn’t particularly engaging to me on music that isn’t punchy but has lots of rumble – think of things like Hans Zimmer’s OSTs here. However, for piano music, or mellow acoustic music Heddphone is fantastic. There the timbre and the detail retrieval become the focus and the physical too-polite-ness fades away.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER HEADPHONES

From a comfort standpoint…there isn’t much comparison. Heddphone is the most physically uncomfortable full-size headphone I’ve used to this point. I’m having trouble coming up with a close second, to be honest.

Sonically the Heddphone feels rather appropriately priced at around $1900. Its timbre is very good – perhaps only being edged out in this price range by the ZMF line. I didn’t get quite the timbral magic out of Heddphone that I experienced with the ZMF Eikon, but it wasn’t far behind either. The detail retrieval also seems appropriate, being around, and perhaps just a hair ahead of, the HiFiMan Arya. I’m going from memory on that though as it’s been awhile since I’ve heard the Arya. Still, from memory, the two are close. I think Heddphone is more forgiving of poor recordings than Arya even though it maintains that excellent detail retrieval. Arya has a bit more punch in the low-end however. For me the tricky part with Heddphone at its new price is that the HiFiMan HE1000V2 can be found new for as low as $2200 at times, and when it’s used it’s frequently around $1500. To my ear that is a significant technical step up almost across the board for a similar price, plus its much more comfortable. The only advantage I can give to Hedd there is that it’s still more forgiving than the HE1000V2, especially in regard to sibilance. The HE1000V2 doesn’t hit very hard either, but it hits harder than Heddphone.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Heddphone is a good all-around sounding headphone if you’re ok with lean bass and not much slam. The timbre and detail are very good. Piano music and other mellow acoustic music sound excellent on the Heddphone. However, I didn’t find myself reaching for it very often. First, it’s not very comfortable and I know when I put it on that it won’t be on for long. Second, it’s not the best sonic fit for my preferred music genres. I mostly listen to music that benefits from more bass presence and more physicality than Heddphone brings to the table. Even so, there are enough good qualities here to give me hope that a future AMT-based headphone could be very intriguing for me. If Hedd can fix the comfort issues and offer a more bass-present signature with a more dynamic presentation, I’d be very interested.

Thanks for reading, all. Enjoy the music!

​

HEDD Audio HEDDphone is the first pair of headphones in the world to utilize a full-range AMT driver, previously used exclusively in speakers. It’s a beast of a headphone priced at $1899.

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Introduction​

HEDD Audio is not a new name in the audio industry. Originating from the well-known company Adam Audio, HEDD is oriented more toward high-end audio products.
They are famous for their AMT (Air Motion Transformer) drivers, which they now have implemented into their first headphone launch ever.
If you ask me – that’s absolutely bonkers. Launching the first headphone in Company’s portfolio and introducing a revolutionary technology at the same time, that’s what it all should be about. Of course, it takes some bravery to go this route, instead of sticking to something done in the past HEDD Audio simply called “all-in”, and well…what a great decision it was.

Packaging​

Huge.


Even though it’s their first headphone ever, you won’t have a feeling that you’re dealing with one. This pair is mature, innovative, and just simply striking, and all that starts with the packaging.

The box is actually huge, just like the headphone (or should I say heddphone) itself. Its design though is what I call “noice”, and I actually use it as a decoration on the shelf in my living room. There’s something “German” to it, combining refinement and simplicity. Inside this giant thing, we’re greeted by the headphone itself, a separate compartment that hides the cable and some paperology. Nothing more, nothing less. One could complain that with such high price they could’ve included a balanced cable or an additional bonus, but in my opinion, it’s all we really need. Don’t cut any corners and provide everything that is essential – that’s the way to go.


Welcoming.

Cable​

The cable included in the box is quite good, but don’t expect anything extraordinary. It is 2.2m long and it terminates into two mini-xlrs on one end, and 4-pin XLR on the other in my case, which means that it’s a balanced cable.
It should be noted that the cable is quite stiff and tanky, which suits the HEDDphone perfectly, but it’s not the most comfortable cable that I’ve ever used. Well, it’s actually below average in this regard, but it ain’t that bad, don’t worry.

It’s a pure-copper construction, and it uses high-quality REAN connectors. It makes for a pretty “German” approach – it’s reliable, sturdy, and good quality, but not really an “audiophile choice”.



Hedd Audio included cable vs Forza Audioworks Noir HPC.

Build quality and comfort​

They look intimidating.


Okay, now into the fun part. This thing is absolutely massive, huge, gigantic…and I love it. Yes, you’re gonna look a bit stupid with them on your head (well, at least I do), you’re gonna have some neck pain due to their ridiculous weight (718g), but boy oh boy…those are one rock-solid, tanky pair of headphones.

I find it very interesting that no photo I’ve ever seen (and the ones that I took too) can really show how well these are made. Before receiving them I was sure that they’ll be quite shaky and not really that sturdy, even considering the weight. How wrong was I…

The HEDDphone is superbly well-made, the fit and finish is extraordinary, and they are my first choice to use as a weapon when the zombie apocalypse will surprise me sitting by the desk, no joke. Oh, and I really dig that “raw” polish on the aluminum parts, it looks unfinished at first glance, but the more I look at them, the more cool they appear.

As far as the design goes, they are very professional and industrial looking. While some angles could show them as uninspiring and rather plain looking, the whole construction really screams “pro” and “engineering over design” kind of vibe. I’m a sucker for minimalism and for monochromatic themes (like you couldn’t have guessed by my photos already haha) and I absolutely adore this pair. There’s just something about them that gently screams sexy into my ears.

Now let’s talk about comfort, which probably interests a lot of you. Yes, the HEDDphone is comfortable, but not for long. The clamping force, plush pads and pleasant alcantara on the headband all make for a snug yet comfortable and “right” wearing, but the weight won’t let you wear them for too long, especially early on. You will get used to it just as I did after few weeks, but they will never be HD800 or Ananda/Arya/HE1000 kind of comfortable, no way. Don’t worry though, you’ll manage…it’s not like you won’t be able to use them for more than an hour and trust me, you’ll want to.

Tech​

Full-range AMT driver – never been done in a headphone before.


I mentioned the importance of the AMT driver used in these, so let’s specify a little bit what it’s all about.
See, AMT is not really a new technology when we speak about headphones, as oBravo has been using them as a tweeter for quite some time now. It has never been done as a full-range headphone driver though, so it’s basically the first headphone of its kind.

What’s AMT you’d ask? Let me quote Hedd Audio itself: “The Air Motion Transformer (AMT) is an electrodynamic transducer that allows moving air significantly faster than common voice coil, planar, or electrostatic systems. Their traditional piston-like movement is overcome by a folded diaphragm that squeezes out air four times faster: A breakthrough for capturing more details in a musical recording.”

What does it all mean in terms of sound performance? Well…let’s get straight into it.

Sound​

They do sound as they look – big.


The HEDDphone has been around for a while now, so you’ve probably seen numerous reviews that rate them as one of the best headphones on the market regardless of the price. I’m happy to report that all of them are hundred percent right.

The bass is tight, extremely agile and full of detail. The tonality reminds me somehow of a combination between electrostatic and dynamic driver, not reaching the top level of any, but still having benefits of both. It is as fast, as precise and controlled as some electrostatic competitors, but at the same time, its physicality and impact is more reminiscent of a good dynamic driver in terms of the low frequencies.
While it may not be on the same level as Stax 009s in terms of speed, nor as strong and impactful as the best dynamic headphones out there, it accomplishes a performance that is simply “the best of both worlds”, while maintaining to sound neutral and natural.
Don’t expect a superbly hard-kicking bass though, as the Audeze LCD3 and the Hifiman HE1000se both have more slam. Nonetheless, the HEDDphone’s performance is closer to that of Hifiman here, as its resolution and pace outplay LCD3 quite significantly.
While the “Random Access Memories” by Daft Punk is an absolute treat to listen to with the HEDDphone in general, its bass performance shines the brightest here. Just play the song called “Giorgio by Moroder” and get lost in that fast, rich and physical bass that is simply addictive.
The bass response might not be ground-breaking or class-leading in any way, but that’s probably its biggest strength. At the end of the day, the HEDDphone has a studio heritage, and it’s supposed to sound right, neutral and correct while maintaining its fun factor. It’s one of the best low frequencies in the price range for sure, but it’s not the star of the show.


Fun provider.



The midrange achieves something quite unusual, which I absolutely love – it’s rather dark and absolutely filled with detail at the same time. Its tonality is shifted towards the lower-mid section, which gives vocals that additional body that’s loved by many.
I’m not gonna lie, I’m a sucker for a thick, moist midrange performance and that’s what I found in the HEDDphone – lushness, warmth and body to die for.
I have some favorite male vocals that I use for testing every single device with, one of them being SYML. While his voice might not be the hardest to recreate, he can sound absolutely delightful with properly tuned gear, and he does so with the HEDDphone.
If I’d had to use one word to describe the midrange, it would be “romantic”. It’s very, very slightly veiled timbre combined with richness and sweetness make for one of the most melodic sounding headphones I’ve ever listened to.
All of the above doesn’t mean that the HEDDphone is dull or it lacks details, not even a bit. The resolution is spot-on throughout the whole mid section, with the upper-midrange being slightly recessed. It doesn’t hide any details though, as this AMT driver moves a lot of air that is filled with details. Listening to The Alan Parsons Project shows what these headphones are all about – retaining a neutral and accurate sound performance with a touch musicality added on top, which doesn’t dominate the whole image.

The treble is the most impressive aspect of the HEDDphone. While I said that the bass is a combination of electrostatic and dynamic drivers pros, I also stated that it isn’t really on the top level of either. It’s different with the high-end, as it’s as fast and detailed as the top electrostatic headphones on the market, but at the same time, it has that timbre and note weight of the best dynamic headphones out there.
I’d even go as far as calling the treble almost perfect. You’re getting details and air for life, but at the same time it would absolutely never be tiring or overexposed. Recently I’ve built a stereo setup that uses the Rockport Atria speakers and the Accuphase E-800 as the amp, and its treble performance really reminds me of the one found in the HEDDphone. The amount of details combined with such ease proves why this is genuinely a Summit-Fi pair of headphones. You’re never going to hear that they’re pushing more than they are capable of. What’s the most impressive though, as many superbly-detailed headphones tend to struggle with badly mastered albums, the HEDDphone is actually quite forgiving for those.
I recently rewatched all of the live performances of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest (yea, I know), and you probably know how bad it is in terms of audio quality. While listening to those on my HE1000se was quite unpleasant, the HEDDphone came in and saved the day.
Also, my number one track for testing the cymbals is Tool – Invincible from their latest album called Fear Inoculum. All I got was an extended, airy and razor-sharp sound with proper weight and thickness. I’m super picky when it comes to thin-sounding cymbals, and the HEDDphone proved that its treble performance is simply spectacular.



Built like a tank.



Now onto the soundstage. Its width is good, but not even close to the HE1000se level. If you’re a fan of a very wide stage, the HEDDphone isn’t actually that impressive in this regard. Don’t worry though, as when you’ll hear their depth, you’re most probably going to be left speechless. This is easily on par with the best headphones in the world currently. But wait, it doesn’t end there. Let’s get back to the Eurovision, as after switching the HE1000se to the HEDDphone gave me something that I really wasn’t expecting, which is the ease of projecting the sounds outside of your head.

What happened was that I instantly started to hear the audience differently. Except of it being the part of the whole sound bubble, the clapping started coming from around me. The HEDDphone really shines when it comes to live performances, recreating the feeling of big venues in full swing. The imaging is also great, you’re gonna be able to easily pinpoint the location of every instrument. While the overall size of the soundstage and its accuracy is even slightly better in the HE1000se, the HEDDphone leaves the Audeze LCD3 and Hifiman Ananda behind by quite a lot.

Comparisons​

VS Hifiman HE1000se


Hifiman HE1000se


While it might seem unfair to compare these two, as the Hifiman is almost double the price of the HEDDphone, it also proves how good the latter is.
Yes, the HE1000se is more detailed, more natural, transparent and even faster than the HEDDphone, but it’s less musical and fun. Nonetheless, it’s actually supposed to be this way. The 1000se is the second most detailed pair of headphones ever made, falling short only to the Susvara, and it’s actually a close call.
The bass is deeper and more physical in the 1000se, and its midrange is more forward and clean sounding. Overall, the tuning of the Hifiman is more neutral and uncolored, but thanks to that it’s way less forgiving to poor mastering. The HEDD on the other hand is more distorted (but mainly in a good way), it has a better sense of the sounds coming from around your head, and its treble performance is just as impressive as the one found in the 1000se. The Hifiman HE1000se is a better headphone, more detailed and its tuning is just extraordinary, but when it comes to sounding fun and enjoyable, the HEDDphone is just as good, even though the difference in price is significant.


VS Audeze LCD3


Audeze LCD3

Audeze LCD3 has been a very popular choice throughout the years now, but its age has started to show as never before recently. It’s priced on the same level to the HEDDphone, but in terms of raw sound performance, it falls short. Yes, you’re still getting that gorgeous build quality and great comfort (even though they are quite heavy as well). Also, LCD3 is one of the best looking headphones ever made period. But in terms of the staging, treble performance, detail and resolution, the HEDDphone is in its own league when comparing these two. Actually, the latter sound like a refined LCD3 with less emphasis on the bass response, but it also offers fatigue-free and enjoyable listening experience. The biggest difference is in detail retrieval and in staging capabilities, both of which are performed much better on the HEDDphone. It’s actually closer to the LCD4 when it comes to raw audio performance, which is very impressive. Audeze LCD3 has had a long, successful run in the headphone market, but the HEDDphone is a natural continuation of its philosophy but better executed.


VS Hifiman Ananda


Hifiman Ananda


If you’ve read our review of the Ananda (here) then you already know, that we called it the (probably) best headphone in the $1000 market. Even though the HEDDphone is more than double the price, it really shows. Not only the build quality is more premium and original, its audio performance is just in a different league. While the Ananda is a very, very neutral and technically-capable pair of headphones, the HEDDphone adds that natural warmth and smoothness, as well as having a more three-dimensional soundstage, without sacrificing any of the raw technicalities. Actually, it is even so slightly more detailed and definitely more refined sounding, offering a more universal and safe listening experience. You won’t have to worry about the mastering when you’ll be choosing the album to listen to. The Ananda is way more comfortable in the long run though, but the added weight on the HEDDphone won’t stop you from using them more than the Hifiman. Simply put – you’re getting what you’re paying for. It is way more expensive and simply better, but it’s actually impressive that the Ananda stood this battle quite well. The latter actually offers better value, but high-end audio isn’t really about that, so I’d say that it’s worth paying extra for the HEDDphone. You’re not getting a 3x better-sounding headphone, but it’s better enough to justify it.

VS Unique Melody MEST


Unique Melody MEST


Well, you probably didn’t see that coming, but there’s a reason why I included a comparison between the MEST as well. Let me put it straight – the HEDDphone actually reminds me of the MEST in many ways. It’s a Summit-Fi bargain, offering an excellent and rich tone, fantastic soundstage and it’s just a joy to listen to. The lightning-fast treble performance, natural voicing and imaging that comes way out of your head are present in both MEST and the HEDDphone. At the end of the day, both of them offer an excellent value in the High-End market and you simply can’t go wrong picking one up.

Summary​

Stunning.


The HEDD Audio HEDDphone is a dream debut to the headphone market by this German manufacturer. Revolutionary, well-made, great-looking, and sounding way above its price range. This is the new “best value” high-end headphones in the market, and it’ll make you listen to your favorite albums with joy.

Highly recommended.

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Gear used during this review for the sake of comparison and as an accompanying equipment:

• Headphones – Hifiman HE1000se, Hifiman HE400i 2020, Hifiman Deva, AKG K501, Audeze LCD3, Focal Clear, Little Dot GYFU, Hifiman Ananda, Unique Melody MEST, Fir Audio M5 custom
• Sources– Cayin N3Pro, JDSLabs Atom stack, SMSL SU-9 + SH-9, Feliks Audio Echo MK II, Little Dot MK III SE, Luxman 1040, Ayon HA-3 II