My written review of the HEDDPhone TWO just went up.
Probably the longest and most comprehensive one I've written so far at 3.5k words. There was a lot to talk about and I re-wrote this about 3 times.
I tell myself I won't write something this long again in the future but realistically if I review something like the Modhouse Tungsten I'll fall into this trap again.
tl;dr for those who don't have time but seriously, please read it because those 3.5k words are meant to answer all the questions that I myself would have had if I wasn't reviewing it. I only haven't heard the HEDDPhone 1 enough to comment for comparison. Also there's a bonus EQ in the end if you want to try.
Pros:
- Excellent ergonomics and build. Really goes to show how much care and attention HEDD Audio puts into the feedback they've gotten. The ability to control both clamp force and height at once is genius. And they didn't skimp on the headband surface area or padding. I usually don't wear headphones for like 2-3 hours at a time but I could with these despite it still being a hefty headphone. Oh and a 5-year warranty is nothing to sneeze at.
- The two standout features of the HEDDPhone TWO features are microdynamics and what I call "timbral resolution". Microdynamics is the subtle gradations between notes and within passages that capture the performer's emotional expression. Timbral resolution is all the little microdetails of a note that comes together to create the full character of an individual instrument you can hear. For example, when a cello is bowed, all the tiny little individual resonances in the strings that make up its timbre. It’s like suddenly realizing that there can be so many different shades of the same type of note and the HEDDPhone TWO is telling you exactly what shade it is. HEDDPhone TWO is the only headphone that I can remember where I've noticed these qualities so strongly.
- Stringed instruments and synths perform exceptionally well thanks to the above points. Vocal layering is also top notch.
- Despite the subbass roll-off, these AMT drivers do push air quite effectively. Notes can sometimes sound bigger and boomier than expected.
Cons:
- The tuning is an odd combination of warm and bright. It's honestly not reallllly a con but just something to know. Its more like a shotgun scatter of mini-peaks rather than a hard peak here and there. And yes, there is sibilance in the vocals.
- Macrodynamic impact and slam is lacking. This just isn't a Focal headphone. More like on the level of the MM-500 I'd say and better than HD800S or Arya.
- Along those lines, there's some poofiness in the midbass for drums - kicks and toms. Of course, this is highly dependent on the recording of your track. But with my library consisting of a lot of alt-rock tracks with less-than-stellar productions, it does show up. For better recordings this isn't much of a problem. For this reason, it took me a couple of days listening across my wider library to really start to appreciate what these AMT drivers can do.
- Staging is nothing to write home about. Just does not have the openness or size of the HD800S or Arya. It's more along the lines of the MM-500 but with less precise imaging.
I was extremely excited for the HEDDPhone TWO but ended up with some mixed thoughts. No headphone (or HEDDPHONE) is perfect. At the end of the day though I do think it's a very competitive offering. It manages to do one of the most important things in the headphone landscape: present a meaningfully
different sound. While I won’t go so far as to guarantee you’ll
love the HEDDPhone TWO, I’m positive it’s one you won’t easily forget.
Happy to answer any questions.
