Monday, August 23rd 2021
Hyland Headphones Adds Two New Models To Their Range Of Bespoke, Handmade High-End Headphones
Hyland Headphones, a boutique manufacturer of headphones based in Watford, on the outskirts of London, UK, has introduced their newest headphones: the Eclipse—the first closed-back model in the firm's line-up—and the Venus, the latest step up in the open-back range. The new headphones are the latest products of Hyland Headphones' research and development and feature the firm's widely applauded approach to building their products with care, and in small quantities, from beautiful, ethically sourced hardwoods.
The closed-back Eclipse (priced at £850) uses a complex cup design machined from separate pieces of wood in a two-step, two-day process, to give a sound quality that is the equal of their open-backed designs, but with the advantage of the passive noise cancelling that makes a closed-back design so appealing. The cup features an inner and outer chamber, with sound-absorbent damping in the outer chamber to ensure no stray reflections colour or distort the sound that reaches the listener's ear. The multi-wood design of the Eclipse also allows for additional customisation options: "...how about a creamy white Maple cup with a deep red Padauk top? Or a dark, gold flecked Panga Panga cup combined with the beautiful figuring of rippled Ash?"
The Venus (£650) is Hyland Headphones' flagship open-backed design and is tuned for a romantic listening experience, with a more coloured, V-shaped sound signature than any of Hyland's previous headphones. Both headphones feature large and luxurious sheepskin leather and memory foam pads as
standard, but the Venus also comes with a separate pair of super-comfortable hybrid pads that give the opportunity to tune both the sound (to a more neutral signature) and comfort of the headphone straight out of the box.
Both models use the same 50 mm 32ohm dynamic drivers giving great fidelity and low distortion across the frequency range. The large surface area gives them the ability to plumb the lowest depths of the hearing range with confidence, while their power handling capabilities allow for EQing that can satisfy the most ardent bass-heads without driver break-up. A smooth treble roll-off ensures a sound that is never fatiguing and yet extremely detailed, with excellent separation and imaging that is the equal of any headphones in their price class, either boutique or mass-produced.
All Hyland Headphones models also now come with handmade cables from NLovell Audio as standard and are packaged in a hand-branded wooden box and with a hand-printed protective drawstring bag. Hyland Headphones' unique, super low volume production workflow allows a fully bespoke service, with almost any and every aspect of the headphones customisable upon request: "With the launch of the Eclipse and the Venus, we can finally show you the results of more than two years of research and development. We are very proud to say that the closed back Eclipse, our first closed back model, offer a sound quality usually associated with open back headphones, while the Venus is a further evolution of the previous models that our customers learned to know and love - just with an added "romantic" touch. In keeping with our tradition, we love to work with our customers to create products that they love, allowing them to choose every part of their new headphones from the wood of the earcups to the material of the headband, from the connectors on the cable to the sound signature."
Hyland Headphones Eclipse Details:
The closed-back Eclipse (priced at £850) uses a complex cup design machined from separate pieces of wood in a two-step, two-day process, to give a sound quality that is the equal of their open-backed designs, but with the advantage of the passive noise cancelling that makes a closed-back design so appealing. The cup features an inner and outer chamber, with sound-absorbent damping in the outer chamber to ensure no stray reflections colour or distort the sound that reaches the listener's ear. The multi-wood design of the Eclipse also allows for additional customisation options: "...how about a creamy white Maple cup with a deep red Padauk top? Or a dark, gold flecked Panga Panga cup combined with the beautiful figuring of rippled Ash?"
standard, but the Venus also comes with a separate pair of super-comfortable hybrid pads that give the opportunity to tune both the sound (to a more neutral signature) and comfort of the headphone straight out of the box.
Both models use the same 50 mm 32ohm dynamic drivers giving great fidelity and low distortion across the frequency range. The large surface area gives them the ability to plumb the lowest depths of the hearing range with confidence, while their power handling capabilities allow for EQing that can satisfy the most ardent bass-heads without driver break-up. A smooth treble roll-off ensures a sound that is never fatiguing and yet extremely detailed, with excellent separation and imaging that is the equal of any headphones in their price class, either boutique or mass-produced.
All Hyland Headphones models also now come with handmade cables from NLovell Audio as standard and are packaged in a hand-branded wooden box and with a hand-printed protective drawstring bag. Hyland Headphones' unique, super low volume production workflow allows a fully bespoke service, with almost any and every aspect of the headphones customisable upon request: "With the launch of the Eclipse and the Venus, we can finally show you the results of more than two years of research and development. We are very proud to say that the closed back Eclipse, our first closed back model, offer a sound quality usually associated with open back headphones, while the Venus is a further evolution of the previous models that our customers learned to know and love - just with an added "romantic" touch. In keeping with our tradition, we love to work with our customers to create products that they love, allowing them to choose every part of their new headphones from the wood of the earcups to the material of the headband, from the connectors on the cable to the sound signature."
Hyland Headphones Eclipse Details:
- Price: £850
- Closed back, circumaural (around ear) design
- Sheepskin pads
- 50 mm 32ohm dynamic drivers
- Cups turned from a selection of beautiful, ethically sourced hardwoods. Please contact us to
- find out about wood availability.
- Comes as standard with NLovell Cables 1.6 m cable terminated with a 3.5 mm stereo jack + 1/4" adapter. Other lengths and terminations available on request.
- Weight: ~450 g without cable (wood dependent)
- Comes packaged in a padded wooden box hand branded with the Hyland Headphones Logo. Also includes hand-printed protective bag and certificate of authenticity
- 3 year warranty
- Price: £650
- Open back, circumaural (around ear) design
- Sheepskin pads and Hybrid protein leather and velour pads
- 50 mm 32 Ω dynamic drivers
- Cups turned from a selection of beautiful, ethically sourced hardwoods. Please contact us to
- find out about wood availability.
- Comes as standard with NLovell Cables 1.6 m cable terminated with a 3.5 mm stereo jack + 1/4" adapter. Other lengths and terminations available on request.
- Weight: ~360 g without cable (wood dependent)
- Comes packaged in a padded wooden box hand branded with the Hyland Headphones Logo. Also includes hand-printed protective bag and certificate of authenticity
- 3 year warranty
30 Comments on Hyland Headphones Adds Two New Models To Their Range Of Bespoke, Handmade High-End Headphones
If you will excuse the analogy (which admittedly is imperfect, but holds up in more ways than one - both in terms of design philosophy, traditional production techniques, and price differential), some people buy Morgan cars, and they are unlikely to be the same people buying say, an Audi R8 and vice versa. Which is a long way of saying that I feel you may not be the intended target market?
If I am to assume that one of the high-end headphones your son pointed to is the HD820 then that is an ideal case in point - it's a fantastically well engineered headphone that is mass produced in multi-million dollar industrial production facilities using techniques that are way out of my reach. Alas, until I have access to Sennheiser (ie, never) levels of materials technology, I will have to continue making my headphones to the highest possible standard I can, using drill press, lathe, compound table and a couple of saws (and a 3D printer) in a garage workshop, my kitchen and indeed, my shed. Some people appreciate that personal touch and character, while others want the latest in materials technology - in which case, I have to say, Dan Clark's Stealth looks mighty impressive. Not cheap though!
In terms of the thickness of the wood (on the closed back model I assume?) I would love to be able to make them smaller (and lighter too), but a couple of factors precede it: the internal chamber needs to have enough space that energy generated from the back of the driver can be dispersed and absorbed so that it doesn't interfere with the working of the driver, and the wood needs to be thick enough to damp vibrations caused by that energy.
It's worth noting that "closed back headphones have more/better/meatier bass" is, in my experience, a common misconception. I think this is likely caused by a combination of cheap closed backs having boomy bass, and the most popular mid-fi open backs (Sennheiser 6XX, Grado) being somewhat sub-bass shy, which I reckon is mostly down to the size of the drivers used, and pad materials. My experience is that it is far harder to get decent sub-bass (and much of everything else, except for isolation) from a closed back design.
We are Toyota GR 86 people, even though we could afford a much more expensive car (Porsche). So we are not your target market, but you have our respect nonetheless.
Your explanation regarding "the thickness of the wood" is sensible and persuasive.
We will consider further research regarding the alleged "more/better/meatier bass" common misconception ... which is code for we don't agree. ;)
Good luck. Stay safe. We respect craftsmanship.
It strikes me that making closed back headphones that perform as well or close to open backs is a bit of a holy grail in the high-end headphone world - hence there being something of a furore around the release of the HD820 and Focal Stellia. Going on what I have been reading, it seems Dan Clark might have found it though, and huge credit has to be given for such an ingenious approach to the problem.
I just read that Morgan use Ash for their superstructure so that's another thing we have in common - it's my favoured wood to use too, though I can't imagine they like it for its tonal qualities!