[smodtactical]

@freddyknop any thoughts on the jv review ?

 

[ruselok]

Yes, will wait for the HEDDPhone One to arrive for some comparisons and contexts but I've been using the HEDDPhone Two for a few days now already.

Don't remember if I asked already, but what dac/amp are you using?

 

[vsg28]

Don't remember if I asked already, but what dac/amp are you using?

To be honest, it depends also on what I am testing at the same time. For example, right now I am putting this stack and this portable DAC/amp through its paces:

But usually I have a few different solid stage/tube amps out anyway, including some reference devices such as the FiiO K9 Pro, Gustard A26, Felix Echo 2, and the Hifiman EF1000.

 

[TaronL]

Hifiman EF1000

Good to see you're keeping it in the affordable range

 

[Uebelkraehe]

I'm not even close to being an expert, but unless the Heddphone 2 is practically the opposite of the first iteration, as a still rather enthusiastic owner i can only wonder what went wrong with Valour's review. At least speed and detail should be very obvious and undeniable strengths.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I'm not even close to being an expert, but unless the Heddphone 2 is practically the opposite of the first iteration, as a still rather enthusiastic owner i can only wonder what went wrong with Valour's review. At least speed and detail should be very obvious and undeniable strengths.

Every other review says that detail and micro-detail retrieval are class leading. The HEDDphone TWO might have other issues but detail retrieval is probably none of them

 

[S Crowther]

Hi, I can confirm that the distortion in the mids that could be perceived on the original version is pretty much gone with HEDDphone Two. It's a much cleaner set overall and ends up more resolving as well.

As far as dynamic range goes, I'll let you guys know when I get more time on the HEDDphone One that HEDD is kindly arranging for me.

What distortion on the mids?
I have the Hedd1 and have never heard any distortion.

 

[hjf3Gd]

What distortion on the mids?
I have the Hedd1 and have never heard any distortion.

Me neither, can you give an example of a track where it occurs please?

 

[vsg28]

What distortion on the mids?
I have the Hedd1 and have never heard any distortion.

It's more driver modes and resonance-related. The original HEDDPhone, and probably also the newer one, use variable fold width and spacing to get the air to move out at different frequencies/velocities. As I understand, the folding process was less consistent with the HEDDPhone One and also trying to stretch AMT tweeters into full-range drivers isn't trivial either. In my limited time with the HEDDPhone One, I could notice it slightly with strings and brass instruments from ~450-800 Hz or so (fairly broad, not peaky) affecting timbre and instrument separation. It's not something everyone will notice and certainly not with specific songs as such. I do have a loaner HEDDPhone One on the way though thanks to HEDD, so I can test it out further as part of my HEDDPhone Two review process.

Edit: Now that I think about it, one more reason could be I may have increased the volume of the HEDDPhone One more than I usually do given the noisy show floor conditions. So this could have also exaggerated the issue that would otherwise not be present in a quieter home/studio environment. As such, I'll say please take my previous comment with a grain of salt given the different testing conditions used for the time being.

 

[plumpudding2]

It's more driver modes and resonance-related. The original HEDDPhone, and probably also the newer one, use variable fold width and spacing to get the air to move out at different frequencies/velocities. As I understand, the folding process was less consistent with the HEDDPhone One and also trying to stretch AMT tweeters into full-range drivers isn't trivial either. In my limited time with the HEDDPhone One, I could notice it slightly with strings and brass instruments from ~450-800 Hz or so (fairly broad, not peaky) affecting timbre and instrument separation. It's not something everyone will notice and certainly not with specific songs as such. I do have a loaner HEDDPhone One on the way though thanks to HEDD, so I can test it out further as part of my HEDDPhone Two review process.

I thought it was mostly the 1khz peak that was audible to some users, at least I read from one user here on the forum he could hear it on a sine sweep.
However I don't know how accurate ASR's measurements are. It is a big shame they don't measure normal listening levels though, nobody listens at 94 dB at 1 Khz.

 

[vsg28]

I thought it was mostly the 1khz peak that was audible to some users, at least I read from one user here on the forum he could hear it on a sine sweep.
However I don't know how accurate ASR's measurements are. It is a big shame they don't measure normal listening levels though, nobody listens at 94 dB at 1 Khz.

I'll post an update next week to help settle this once and for all

 

[freddyknop]

Ah yeah, I don't know the length of the old headband extensions vs the newer ones off the top of my head. It's been a couple years since I had to contact HEDD for replacement parts (they did a sort of informal recall of the logo end pieces that go on the headband) but I think I filled out a form on their site, and they responded via email.

The difference is huge. To this day HEDDphone TWO has fit everyone who came along to listen, event giant heads as recently encountered in both London and LA (and several places in between).

 

[freddyknop]

Hmm, a slight departure ?What I would like to know from someone who can compare the 2 versions with large scale acoustic classical or similar acoustic genres music with instruments playing in a real acoustic space is HOW they differ and also if they have solved not only the "wearing a vice" around your head really annoying comfort problem I had with the V1 pair I had on home loan for almost three weeks , but ALSO its tendency to sound congested and a bit distorted when things got really busy with complex densely scored symphonic music on a large scale.
What I liked about Hedd V1 in my system was how well it reproduced solo piano music and orchestral up to Mozart and Haydn but it failed to impress me with more big dynamics larger scale symphonic music like Mahler symphonies or Wagner Operas,where it disappointed me.
Cheers CC

Appreciating your comment, capturing the sonic complexity of an orchestra is the hardest thing, also when designing speakers. Both me and my father (HEDD Co-founder Klaus Heinz) come from the world of classical / post classical music and active musicianship and tuning our products always includes long listening sessions ranging from super-delicate Bach Cantatas to piano music, from big 20 century orchestras playing Mahler / Stravinsky, to the post 1945-Avantgarde composers and Jazz. That's not because we don't like electronically made music (we are Berliners at the end of the day), it's because you need real-life / real recorded references in order to judge wether an instrument is reproduced correctly. We are all for measuring, but designing involves a ton of individual decision making based on our own listening skills and experience.

With that said: The bulkiness of the original HEDDphone had 2 main reasons, one being the choice of mini-XLR inputs which I (now) think wasn't a lucky choice. The second reason, however, is directly related to staging and stereo imaging design. By going for a relatively big distance between your ears and the moving diaphragm we created a wide stage (some say a kind of space around your ears), trying to make it easier for engineers and audiophiles to identify details, positioning of instruments etc. That distance is maintained in HP2. However, the new design is indeed improved both in terms of reducing distortion and inner-body resonances. Thus people often hear it as "cleaner" and "more analytical", which is indeed not everyones cup of tea, but one of our key design goals when making products. Personally I think HEDDphone TWO can handle complex music better than ever. Cheers!

 

[freddyknop]

I'd be interested in a consumer tuned version of the HEDDphone TWO without the subbass rolloff and a little more Bass presence in general (close to Harman)

@freddyknop maybe that's something for a future product?

Yes thats a possibility for sure. Key learning for me is: That there is a place for us in headphone world. Building a headphone portofolio over the coming years is one of our priorities.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Yes thats a possibility for sure. Key learning for me is: That there is a place for us in headphone world. Building a headphone portofolio over the coming years is one of our priorities.

Looking forward to it!