[MacedonianHero]

Is the 2nd revision just a bigger heddband?

Correct...the arms reach down about 2cm more.

 

[mixman]

Correct...the arms reach down about 2cm more on each side.

Thought that was 2cm more, total for both sides. I just measured mine and the total extension is about 2cm on each side. I should have the newer band on my set.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Thought that was 2cm more, total for both sides. I just measured mine and the total extension is about 2cm on each side. I should have the newer band on my set.

Correct. I fixed it. Not a lot...I would have preferred double that.

 

[mixman]

Correct. I fixed it. Not a lot...I would have preferred double that.

Me too, the pads just barely cover my ears. Luckily I am bald!

 

[pataburd]

Am enjoying the HEDDphone with a [Fitz-] upgraded Bada PH-12 hybrid amplifier [input: 3x 6SN7-->output: Toshiba 2SK1529]. Have 1x Hytron 6SN7GTB + 2x Sylvania 6SN7GTB in the sockets.
[Tidal Masters: Ray Conniff: "Memories are Made of This". Lots of horns, horns, horns!]
The teknorob23 4x 22 AWG Neotech UPOCC solid core copper wire--made just for the HEDD[!]--should be here in a day or two.
: )

 

[jarnopp]

In my case the M11 Pro only serves as digital source feeding a Chord DAVE via Hugo M Scaler. The DAVE's headphone output is quite powerful, so I'm optimistic that it will be a good match with the HEDDphone. It definitely is with HE1000se and HD 800, it could also drive a Susvara to my satisfaction during an audition and in fact sounded better that way than via the HiFiMan EF1000 amp.

@JaZZ , have you received your Heddphones? Any impressions yet?

 

[JaZZ]

@JaZZ , have you received your Heddphones? Any impressions yet?

Hi Jarnopp

Yes, I have it since more than a week now, but actually wanted to wait with posting impressions, with just about 45 hours on it.

However, since you're asking...

It wasn't love at first sight at all. Wearing comfort was the least issue: The weight didn't bother me, just the relatively small hole in the ear pads that doesn't allow for enough space for my ears without occasionally touching them. So although the wearing comfort isn't on HD 800 and HE1000se level, it is absolutely bearable even for more extended sessions. I have the headband extended to almost full length, just one click missing on one side.

As others have experienced, initially the sound felt closed in and even dull. Moreover there was a distinct lack of energy and speed, drum beats sounded lame and slow, lacking bite and high frequencies. I tried a lot of different EQ compensation curves, but none sounded satisfying in the long run. Maybe the HEDDphone just wasn't built for my ears?

When I don't listen to it, I sometimes have it break in on a Corda Symphony amp, fed by a FiiO X5 II with a V-shaped equalizer setting. No scientific background, I just wanted to take care for large amplitudes and at the same time fast impulses without excessive power. Once I was curious how that sounded and noticed that snare drums had the bite that I was missing. So I was going to reproduce the curve on my main system – with striking success. Still the sound wasn't completely satisfying, but now we're getting somewhere. So I tried to integrate the gist of Jude's and Crinacle's measurements into the V-shape and after some trials ended up with this (provisional) curve...

...which brought the sound close to my (damping-modified, Silvergarde-S3-recabled and equalized) HD 800. Note that a V-shaped characteristic never was my sonic ideal, and none of my other headphones are equalized like this – but the HEDDphone seems to need it, at least to my ears. What's strange is that the available measurements don't give any hint to this – so I ask myself if the headband revision could have run in parallel to some driver revision...

Still there are some issues: Imaging isn't as natural and airy as from my other four open-back headphones, it sounds a bit like a closed system, in some way even reminds of an IEM. The remarkable occlusion effects (e.g. audible pulse) speak volumes: it seems as if the AMT membrane offers enough acoustic resistance to make for a closed cavity between it and the head, while the big earpads provide an airtight seal, causing the membranes to rustle distinctly with every air-pressure change. This design more or less disables the pinna's decoding function, which is crucial for the superior naturalness of open headphones – the more open, the more pronounced. However, the HEDDphone's sonic characteristic compensates for this in the form of an intimate, intense presentation and really high resolution – and an impressive smoothness (after equalizing). The bass is very satisfying with both extension and dynamics, so the initial lack of bite was a matter of lacking upper mids and treble plus an over-all uneven amplitude response, particularly dominating midrange bands, which in my experience effectively can lead to this lack of bite and speed.

I'm still waiting for the Norne Silvergarde S4, which will certainly lift the sound quality even higher, maybe also some 100 hours more will have an effect (I believe in transducer break-in). Well, up till now it's not quite the high-flyer that I've hoped for, but I'm glad to own it nonetheless, as a valuable fifth variant adding to my previous quartet.

One curious thing is worth mentioning: When I move my head to the right – it doesn't have to be very fast –, some high-frequency band on the left driver gets accentuated for a second or so. The same doesn't happen on the right driver. – I wonder if it is a defect.

 

[jarnopp]

Hi Jarnopp

Yes, I have it since more than a week now, but actually wanted to wait with posting impressions, with just about 45 hours on it.

However, since you're asking...

It wasn't love at first sight at all. Wearing comfort was the least issue: The weight didn't bother me, just the relatively small hole in the ear pads that doesn't allow for enough space for my ears without occasionally touching them. So although the wearing comfort isn't on HD 800 and HE1000se level, it is absolutely bearable even for more extended sessions. I have the headband extended to almost full length, just one click missing on one side.

As others have experienced, initially the sound felt closed in and even dull. Moreover there was a distinct lack of energy and speed, drum beats sounded lame and slow, lacking bite and high frequencies. I tried a lot of different EQ compensation curves, but none sounded satisfying in the long run. Maybe the HEDDphone just wasn't built for my ears?

When I don't listen to it, I sometines have it break in on a Corda Symphony amp, fed by a FiiO X5 II with a V-shaped equalizer setting. No scientific background, I just wanted to take care for large amplitudes and at the same time fast impulses without excessive power. Once I was curious how that sounded and noticed that snare drums had the bite that I was missing. So I was going to reproduce the curve on my main system – with striking success. Still the sound wasn't completely satisfying, but now we're getting somewhere. So I tried to integrate the gist of Jude's and Crinacle's measurements into the V-shape and after some trials ended up with this (provisional) curve...



...which brought the sound close to my (damping-modified, Silvergarde-S3-recabled and equalized) HD 800. Note that a V-shaped characteristic never was my sonic ideal, and none of my other headphones are equalized like this – but the HEDDphone seems to need it, at least to my ears. What's strange is that the available measurements don't give any hint to this – so I ask myself if the headband revision could have run in parallel to some driver revision...

Still there are some issues: Imaging isn't as natural and airy as from my other four open-back headphones, it sounds a bit like a closed system, in some way even reminds of an IEM. The remarkable occlusion effects (e.g. audible pulse) speaks volumes: it seems as if the AMT membrane offers enough acoustic resistance to make for a closed cavity between it and the head, while the big earpads provide an airtight seal, causing the membranes to rustle distinctly with every air-pressure change. This design more or less disables the pinna's decoding function, which is crucial for the superior naturalness of open headphones – the more open, the more pronounced. However, the HEDDphone's sonic characteristic compensates for this in the form of an intimate, intense presentation and really high resolution – and an impressive smoothness (after equalizing). The bass is very satisfying with both extension and dynamics, so the initial lack of bite was a matter of lacking upper mids and treble plus an over-all uneven amplitude response, particularly dominating midrange bands, which in my experience effectively can lead to this lack of bite and speed.

I'm still waiting for the Norne Silvergarde S4, which will certainly lift the sound quality event higher, maybe also some 100 hours more will have an effect (I believe in transducer break-in). Well, up till now it's not quite the high-flyer that I've hoped for, but I'm glad to own it nonetheless, as a valuable fifth variant adding to my previous quartet.

One curious thing is worth mentioning: When I move my head to the right – it doesn't have to be very fast –, some high-frequency band on the left driver gets accentuated for a second or so. The same doesn't happen on the right driver. – I wonder if it is a defect.

Thanks! Well said and I hope to post more impressions later. I get what you are saying about the closed sound for an open-backed. It presents its own ecosystem, which is well detailed and “open” but definitely in a different way from most open-backeds.

 

[Uebelkraehe]

The HEDDphone sounds like a closed system and even reminds of an IEM?! All subjectiveness aside, this is an assessment which just leaves me baffled.

 

[Bucketron]

Anyone tried this cushion to relief the stress on head after long listening session? Any comment?

 

[jarnopp]

Anyone tried this cushion to relief the stress on head after long listening session? Any comment?

I’ve used it with success on HE-6. If your head is not too big, it should help if the Heddphone bothers you. But it will decrease the size head that fits.

 

[paulybatz]

How’s everyone. Have been so busy back to work and just got some
Listening in today
Oh how I’ve missed them.
I have a really nice cable on the way from the other side of the pond.

 

[pataburd]

Anyone tried this cushion to relief the stress on head after long listening session? Any comment?

I just reach for 2 Advil and a sip of Colonel E.H. Taylor small batch!

 

[pataburd]

How’s everyone. Have been so busy back to work and just got some
Listening in today
Oh how I’ve missed them.
I have a really nice cable on the way from the other side of the pond.

What cable did you get, Pauly?

 

[JaZZ]

The HEDDphone is growing on me, after some more fine-tuning. In fact some tiny adjustments to above posted curve which wouldn't even be visible were enough to make for a virtually perfectly even tonal balance without any audible coloration. And the previous lack of impulsivity has turned into the best impulse response within my top five – which shows once more the close relationship between amplitude response and transient response.

The HEDDphone sounds like a closed system and even reminds of an IEM?! All subjectiveness aside, this is an assessment which just leaves me baffled.

The misunderstanding is probably based on a negative connotation of IEM characteristic. In fact I am a fan of high-quality IEMs; sometimes the intensity and immediacy they provide feels like the greatest musical expererience, although that may change the other day. The HEDDphone has some of these traits, I would say predominantly in a positive sense.

It's entirely possible that it will become my favorite (and most musical) headphone. With still two arrows in the quiver: break-in and recabling.