Closer Examination

HEDD Audio is fairly generous on the cables front for either the HEDDphone TWO or the HEDDphone TWO GT we have here. Early pre-orders for the latter even came with a bonus 8-strand upgrade copper cable for free, and this costs over $600 by itself! If you didn't get it included with the cost of the HEDDphone TWO GT, then fret not as the stock cables are quite good as it is—at least once you've worked out the kinks from how they come placed in the accessory box as previously mentioned. We get two cables, each 1.6 m long, with your choice of 6.35 mm (1/4") single-ended or 4.4 mm balanced terminations headed to the source. These are placed on aluminium hardware in black, with HEDD Audio branding applied tastefully. In addition, we also get two short cable adapters, with one going from female 6.35 mm to male 3.5 mm and the other going from female 4.4 mm to male full-size, 4-pin XLR. This allows you to connect the HEDDphone TWO GT with portable or desktop sources, be it single-ended or balanced in topology. The stock cables are different from those that come with the HEDDphone TWO in that the conductor is now 5N (99.999% pure) silver-plated copper instead of just copper, and these are woven in four strands that have a soft fabric sheath on the outside. I found the cables to be quite pliable with no microphonics once setup properly, and the all-black aesthetic also matches the headphones quite well. The splitter also comes with branding and leads to two 3.5 mm TS connectors for the headphones with L/R markings to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. There is sufficient strain relief throughout and the metal plugs have gold plating for oxidation resistance.


If you have seen my review of the older HEDDphone TWO, then these photos of the newer HEDDphone TWO GT won't look out of place. That said, I don't think there is anything else in the headphones world which even remotely resembles these two sets though, with HEDD Audio having put a lot of thought into the design of these headphones. It's hilarious how functional the industrial design is, although elegance is not a word I'd associate naturally with the HEDDphone TWO GT. This retains the suspension-style headband mechanism from the non-GT set, with the actual headband being made of a pre-curved light-weight carbon fiber with cutouts for further mass savings. The carbon fiber weaves are more subtle here compared to the HEDDphone TWO, and the HEDD branding in the middle is replaced by the simpler logo for a cleaner look. The suspension band uses a leather top surface and has two foam pillows on the underside, with space in the middle and on the sides to help eliminate hot spots on the top of your head. There is more branding on the frame where the headband connects to it, and here too it is darker compared to the white lettering used on the non-GT HEDDphone TWO. The product name and L/R markings are seen on the inside to help identify the left and right sides, respectively.


The HEDDphone TWO GT also retains the use of HEDD Audio's patented HEDDband, which is an innovative headband system that uses two sturdy fabric straps for a few different things. The lower band, called the shape strap, helps with vertical sizing wherein you move the suspension band up or down and attach it in place by securing it in place with the pin on both sides. The upper one is called the tension strap and allows you to increase or decrease the clamping force and associated pressure on the ears from the ear cups. It's again unlike anything else on the market, and HEDD audio has more details in the included manual in addition to a dedicated video going over it. I strongly suggest taking your time to set up both straps properly and trying out different combinations. It's not a perfect system either since the pre-cut holes in the straps are like those in belts—inevitably you might find yourself having the perfect position in between two holes but then be forced to compromise by going looser or tighter. I was hoping to see perhaps some slightly softer straps used in the newer model, but perhaps they were not found reliable/durable enough.


The HEDDphone TWO GT also supports the ability to rotate and swivel the ear cups in a variety of manners, which allows you to lay these headphones flat on your desk when taking a break from listening if you don't have a headphones stand. Enterprising customers may also find a slimmer case working for the HEDDphone TWO GT thus. There is plenty of ear cup swivel and rotation to pretty much guarantee you get a great fit around your ears. This, combined with the HEDDband that can go so wide that you can almost fit two small heads in there, makes the HEDDphone TWO GT highly accommodating for pretty much anyone reading this review.


The HEDDphone TWO GT uses magnesium—I assume a magnesium alloy—for the frame to add to the mass savings without compromising on structural integrity. This is an open-back set of headphones with an aluminium grille that has hexagon-shaped cutouts to resemble a mesh screen that should be quite open and acoustically transparent. It also gives a sneak peek at the AMT driver underneath, with the rear plate being black here compared to the gray on the older HEDDphone TWO. The ear cups are still fairly thick, and the pre-installed ear pads don't change things in this regard either. We see that the ear pads are extremely easy to remove and replace thanks to HEDD Audio using a simple compression seal to keep them in place. There is a rigid frame in the ear cups with a rubber seal all around, simply align the opening in the pad to fit around this frame and push it in place all around until you see no gap to finish the process. There is also a stitch seam on the ear pad which should face the same direction outward as the cable connectors underneath. Removing the pads also provides a closer look at the AMT driver used by HEDD Audio, although we see this time the Kapton diaphragm is not exposed to the outside, instead showing some damping materials used to help achieve the new tonality on the HEDDphone TWO GT. HEDD Audio has in-house facilities to build and assemble the drivers and the headphones and experienced workers hand-fold the diaphragm using a jig, as seen in this video.


The older HEDDphone TWO came with two sets of the same ear pads, allowing you to effectively have a spare set for use down the line. Those pads used protein leather, albeit of quite good quality, and had fenestration on the inner surface. With the HEDDphone TWO GT, HEDD Audio has opted to go for two different types of ear pads. The pre-installed set uses sheepskin leather, have a protective screen to help prevent contaminants from hitting the drivers, and we see L/R stickers on the back to help identify the two sides. These pads use medium density foam and are quite thick/plush too. The contact surface is large enough as well, preventing any uneven pressure against the side of your head. The ear pads are also slightly contoured to be thicker on the back than the front to fit better around the ears, thus making it more important to properly identify the two sides and install them correctly. These also come with fenestration on the inner surface only for controlled airflow through the ear pads, compared to more typical pads used on other open-back headphones that are fenestrated on the contact surface and sometimes on the outside too. The replacement set that comes in the accessory box uses velour and is thus softer to the touch, albeit may not be as flush against your pinna as the leather ones. It should run less warm though, and HEDD Audio also says the HEDDphone TWO GT will sound very similar with either set, allowing you to effectively choose your comfort/fit/seal preference from the two options. The pad opening measured at 60 x 45 x 26 mm in either set, so there should be plenty of room for the vast majority of users.


On the bottom of the ear cups angled towards the front is where we find small extensions that accommodate female 3.5 mm cable connectors. This means the HEDDphone TWO GT is compatible with a wide selection of aftermarket cables using 3.5 mm TS or TRS connectors in case you prefer something other than the stock cables or wish to have a different source termination without wanting to use an adapter. Some may even prefer a cable which is shorter or longer than the 1.6 m length on either stock cable provided here, although I personally find it working well for both desktop use and more relaxed listening in a lounge/living room. I've gone with the 6.35 mm cable here for reference, and we see the cable is naturally directed away from your neck/shoulders too. The combo is predominantly black with some exposed gold plugs and white stitching on the headband. I would not say the HEDDphone TWO GT is a beautiful looking set of headphones as much as it is an elegant and well-engineered one. Also, if you are going to use a headphone stand, keep in mind that supporting the HEDDphone TWO GT off the suspension band isn't a great idea and I also recommend getting one that does not add pressure on the ear pads such as those omega-shaped stands. Something closer to the stand in the photos above is my preference, and you can even get black colored stands if you want to continue this darker aesthetic throughout.


Seen above is how the new HEDDphone TWO GT looks compared to the older HEDDphone TWO. The two clearly look and feel very similar, hence why the name is not HEDDphone THREE, with the biggest differences being with the updated drivers and the ear pads. Visually, the HEDDphone TWO GT is even more subtle on branding with a less obvious carbon fiber weave on the headband, black colored branding on the outside, a black rear driver plate, a different logo on the top, and then white stitching compared to the black on the HEDDphone TWO.