[DecentLevi]

WoW, thanks for this info!
Will definitely try out the mods.

Question, what do u use to stick the materials to the headphones?

Both the leather strips and felt sheets have an adhesive backing. If you just get the same type I recommended, and some good scissors, and a pen to trace and are good at measuring things, then you should be all set.

Also in the works is an idea to use little circular cutouts of TA-102 dampening absorption material instead, you can see more on the link. Maybe someone else can herald a new formula using this on the HEDDphone.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aliexpress-cables.963919/post-17385026

 

[adeadcrab]

Great headphone from HEDD.
Light and airy tonality, can hear the tiniest details in songs. Nothing that nobody has mentioned already
They don't slam like my LCD-X or Focal Clear, however they are extracting basically everything from the record so I'm not complaining...

The sound was really unimpressive for the first few hours, muffled and without fine details.
After 6 or so hours, vocals started becoming clearer but everything else still needed more time, so I left it overnight burning in at 95+ dB. This is with a looping white noise file, been burning in that way for 50+ hours now.
After 15-20 hours, the edge came back to guitars but cymbals were still muffled in the treble. That came back after 30-40 hours.
By around 50 hours these are sounding probably at their best, though I will continue this burn-in process for the full 100 hours, listening sometimes when I can to evaluate.

A little cheeky for HEDD to mention in the packaging that 'No specific burn-in is required.' Technically not required, but will sound unimpressive if you don't!

Paired with an Eletech Inferno cable, adds a little sub-bass and lower treble bite. A review calls this 'the headphone cable that should have shipped with the HEDDphone' - having not heard the stock cable I can't comment on that (seeing the resistors IN the actual cable and its massive capacitance from earlier in the thread makes me hesistant to ever try the stock cable. If I want a clean, low capacitance cable I will try one from Custom Cans)
The link is here with a section regarding the HEDDphone - https://everydaylistening.net/2022/07/19/eletech-inferno-review-red-hot/2/
The bass still does not slam with this cable but it sounds quite good at this stage.
Spending this much on a cable is clearly ridiculous, but so is a 700+ gram headphone that we are adding resonance dampeners, headband straps etc onto!

Next up is the ZMF Crescent Snap headband to protect it + make listening more comfortable. And maybe some custom earpads? I never liked synthetic leather earpads...

 

[adeadcrab]

From 50 to 100 hours of burn-in, the overall dynamics and impact has solidified, with better bass definition and layering of instruments.
50 hours would be my recommended burn-in time.

I can get more impact and detail from heavy songs (rock / metal) at a lower volume after 100 hours burn in. It just didn't sound right previously and I was turning it up to 85dB just to get the information...
Layering is incredible with the HEDDphone - everything has its own place in the mix. Especially bass guitar - I can really pinpoint what effects the bass guitar is using and track it the whole way through a busy mix, where on other headphones I might lose it for a few seconds here and there when it crosses into the frequency of other instruments (kick drum, guitars etc).

Time to really get to know the HEDDphone!

My one gripe (besides the comfort) - as a drummer, I've listened to Klaus' interviews where they state this is the perfect tonality and frequency response for realism - I feel that cymbals are just losing that bit of high-frequency due to the massive 6Khz q-band. Cymbals sound a little plasticky and don't quite sound right. I'm not asking for that q-band to be inverted and turn the headphone into HD800S, or HE1000, but just make that valley a few dB less extreme to give a bit of that top-end detail into cymbals.
As it is it does help overall to get a good picture of the mix but I feel this information is lacking just slightly. Cymbals still sound good.. I don't know... I'll give it more time. I haven't done much actual listening to the HEDDphone yet

 

[plumpudding2]

From 50 to 100 hours of burn-in, the overall dynamics and impact has solidified, with better bass definition and layering of instruments.
50 hours would be my recommended burn-in time.

I can get more impact and detail from heavy songs (rock / metal) at a lower volume after 100 hours burn in. It just didn't sound right previously and I was turning it up to 85dB just to get the information...
Layering is incredible with the HEDDphone - everything has its own place in the mix. Especially bass guitar - I can really pinpoint what effects the bass guitar is using and track it the whole way through a busy mix, where on other headphones I might lose it for a few seconds here and there when it crosses into the frequency of other instruments (kick drum, guitars etc).

Time to really get to know the HEDDphone!

My one gripe (besides the comfort) - as a drummer, I've listened to Klaus' interviews where they state this is the perfect tonality and frequency response for realism - I feel that cymbals are just losing that bit of high-frequency due to the massive 6Khz q-band. Cymbals sound a little plasticky and don't quite sound right. I'm not asking for that q-band to be inverted and turn the headphone into HD800S, or HE1000, but just make that valley a few dB less extreme to give a bit of that top-end detail into cymbals.
As it is it does help overall to get a good picture of the mix but I feel this information is lacking just slightly. Cymbals still sound good.. I don't know... I'll give it more time. I haven't done much actual listening to the HEDDphone yet

Thanks for sharing your experiences! There is indeed a bit unnaturalness around 6-7 khz, it can be jarring at first but after a while it doesn't bother me. Nothing can compare to the treble accuracy of my Stealths anyway.. but in case of the HEDDs I've found Oratory's EQ to sometimes be exactly what the treble needs, maybe worth giving a try?

as you can see after the big 6khz q-band the response could use a few extra db.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/agws4knroyuq07e/Hedd Heddphone.pdf?dl=0

 

[adeadcrab]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! There is indeed a bit unnaturalness around 6-7 khz, it can be jarring at first but after a while it doesn't bother me. Nothing can compare to the treble accuracy of my Stealths anyway.. but in case of the HEDDs I've found Oratory's EQ to sometimes be exactly what the treble needs, maybe worth giving a try?


as you can see after the big 6khz q-band the response could use a few extra db.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/agws4knroyuq07e/Hedd Heddphone.pdf?dl=0

I would rather switch to a full silver cable and the Gustard A26 DAC...
Software EQ is one of those things where you can endlessly adjust.. but then again so is hardware EQ! But hardware EQ is more fun...

Edit: just changed foobar output from Cardas Clear USB ASIO, to my nice QED Toslink cable - satisfied with the top end from HEDDphone for now! Cardas Clear USB is a little on the warm side.. had to buy a sound card from the 90s (Asus Xonar AE) for Toslink as my motherboard had bad jitter issues but that's another story...

 

[DecentLevi]

I have a new custom designed quality shielded silver/copper hybrid aftermarket cable coming for my HEDDphone. Did someone mention that the original cable has resistors inside? If so, they must have had a specific purpose.

Also, for those that mentioned about a modestly unnatural sound and certain peaks, it would be well worthwhile to try my aforementioned external mod, which may improve these for you. Follow my specific parts and it will only cost around $40 for both things. If at all possible, I prefer a sort of hardware EQ - certain tweaks in various parts of the systems from dampening on the headphones to audio tubes, cable types, Faraday Fabric Tape, power filtering, etc. this can give a fuller bloom in the bass or a more natural mids, smooth characteristic to the highs, etc. which can be even more advantageous than the best EQ could ever do.

 

[adeadcrab]

I have a new custom designed quality shielded silver/copper hybrid aftermarket cable coming for my HEDDphone. Did someone mention that the original cable has resistors inside? If so, they must have had a specific purpose.

Was not a resistor but a PCB: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hed...-amt-technology.906270/page-144#post-15613085
Will let you draw your own conclusions..

Excited to hear how a silver/copper cable changes the sound

 

[seadog123]

Anyone prefer these or heard them against the OG Focal Utopia ?

 

[LCMusicLover]

Anyone prefer these or heard them against the OG Focal Utopia ?

Owned both — recently sold Utopia when I got ZMF Atrium.

Can’t really talk ‘preferences’ — they’re so different.

 

[Nisachar]

Anyone prefer these or heard them against the OG Focal Utopia ?

I have both. In an ideal world, the design and comfort of the utopia with the sound signature of the Hedd would be one of the TOTL, all time greats.

 

[nickrundall]

I have a new custom designed quality shielded silver/copper hybrid aftermarket cable coming for my HEDDphone. Did someone mention that the original cable has resistors inside? If so, they must have had a specific purpose.

Also, for those that mentioned about a modestly unnatural sound and certain peaks, it would be well worthwhile to try my aforementioned external mod, which may improve these for you. Follow my specific parts and it will only cost around $40 for both things. If at all possible, I prefer a sort of hardware EQ - certain tweaks in various parts of the systems from dampening on the headphones to audio tubes, cable types, Faraday Fabric Tape, power filtering, etc. this can give a fuller bloom in the bass or a more natural mids, smooth characteristic to the highs, etc. which can be even more advantageous than the best EQ could ever do.

I’d be very interested to hear how this cable affects the sound. The stock cable tip just broke off in a socket for me, so I’ll be investing in a new cable shortly! Just looking at Cosmic Cables…

 

[nickrundall]

Sorry if this has already been covered in the previous 264 pages, but is there a consensus on HP amps that work especially well with the HEDD? I'm leaning towards a Singxer SA-1 based on the reviews, but would be great to hear of peoples actual experience with the HEDD.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Sorry if this has already been covered in the previous 264 pages, but is there a consensus on HP amps that work especially well with the HEDD? I'm leaning towards a Singxer SA-1 based on the reviews, but would be great to hear of peoples actual experience with the HEDD.

I haven't seen a consensus. Of my headphone amps (DSHA-3F, cap-modded Liquid Platinum, Liquid Gold X, Bottlehead Crack/Speedball, TT2 direct out, Audio GD Master 11 direct out) I can't say that I have a clear favorite. BHC can only be used as a 'tube pre-amp' in front of LGX w/ Hedds due to impedance mis-match.

I might call the two extremes:

- Direct out of TT2
- TT2 ==> BHC ==> LGX

where direct out of the TT2 is dry and analytical, impactful and speedy, and the BHC/LGX chain is significantly wetter, but somewhat less dynamic.

Bottom line ... while I don't hear Hedds as quite as 'amp sensitive' as my Auteur, they definitely change character when driven by different chains. So 'best' probably depends on what you're trying to get out of them

 

[plumpudding2]

Sorry if this has already been covered in the previous 264 pages, but is there a consensus on HP amps that work especially well with the HEDD? I'm leaning towards a Singxer SA-1 based on the reviews, but would be great to hear of peoples actual experience with the HEDD.

The HEDDs behave like other low-sensitivity planars that need a good amp to shine, so it kind of depends on the budget. I'm running an Oor + Hypsos myself and it's quite perfect, on a more budget level I have heard good things about the Topping A90D or an LA90 running from the speaker taps.

 

[adeadcrab]

The HEDDs behave like other low-sensitivity planars that need a good amp to shine, so it kind of depends on the budget. I'm running an Oor + Hypsos myself and it's quite perfect, on a more budget level I have heard good things about the Topping A90D or an LA90 running from the speaker taps.

Oor + Hypsos would be a good meaty combo for the HEDDphone, I think even the Burson GT with its stock opamps would be quite good.