My review of the HEDDphone TWO from late 2023 has this sentence in it:

I would encourage HEDD Audio to consider an audiophile-tuned version of the set, or at least release some recommended EQ profiles, that will showcase the strength of these AMT drivers more.

I am sure I wasn't the only one wishing for this, as HEDD Audio spent the next few months collecting user feedback and other reviews. The HEDDphone TWO, which continues to be sold alongside the new HEDDphone TWO GT, is priced such that the target audience there—music professionals wanting to use studio headphones for mixing/mastering etc.—is more likely to find solace with a less expensive closed-back set of headphones. HEDD Audio was quite new to the headphones scene in general when the HEDDphone ONE first came out, and I remember the CEO talking about how surprised they were to see audiophiles willing spend over $4-5000 dollars on headphones. This clearly meant the audiophile market was ripe for a new HEDDphone, especially if HEDD Audio was able to address the common concerns seen from content consumers, as opposed to content creators. Many seemed to want more bass especially, and the AMT drivers being able to push out so much more air compared to other driver types also lends favorably to having a warmer tuning with plenty of hefts to the notes. The more relaxed ear gain with the HEDDphone TWO worked nicely for some, especially with the tamer treble thereafter, although personally I wanted more to enjoy my jazz/classical music library more. A warmer tuning with more ear gain and treble would thus be nearly perfect for me, and little did I know what HEDD Audio was cooking up in 2024.

The HEDDphone TWO GT is, from the outside, near-identical to the HEDDphone TWO. The names are also so similar that I am worried this will be an SEO nightmare for HEDD Audio and its dealer network too. Changes made on the exterior are minimal, with the HEDDphone TWO GT going for an even cleaner look. The carbon fiber headband has a more subtle finish, the branding is mostly black, the rear plate on the AMT drivers are also black when you see them through the grilles in the ear cups, and it's only the white stitching on the suspension band which is brighter than before (black) on the HEDDphone TWO. The cables look the same too, although admittedly I only have photos of the HEDDphone TWO stock cables to go by, even though the newer cables are now using silver-plated copper as opposed to pure copper before. I do appreciate HEDD Audio providing extensive cable termination options though, and the cables themselves are among the best stock cables in the market too—at least once you have massaged out any kinks from how they come rolled in the box. The ear pads may look similar at first glance, yet they now use completely different materials—genuine sheepskin leather and velour pads come with the HEDDphone TWO GT, compared to the two sets of protein leather on the HEDDphone TWO. More notably, both ear pad sets sound basically the same here, which is rare and extremely hard to achieve, meaning you can easily swap between them based on what you prefer to use at the time.

We now get to the biggest change compared to the HEDDphone TWO, with the new drivers that use a different assembly and damping resulting in even lower distortion for anyone who likes to EQ headphones to their preference. The tuning of the HEDDphone TWO GT is also substantially different to the point where this is absolutely that audiophile version I was asking for. The GT in the product name stands for Grand Tourer, alluding to a set that is premium and comfortable for longer use. The HEDDphone TWO GT is easier on the ears thus, and goes for a warmer and bassier sound with more ear gain and treble too. Everything being generally more from before doesn't always work well, yet I would argue the HEDDphone TWO GT has one of the best tonalities for headphones in this price range and higher, where we tend to see more esoteric sound signatures which are specialists with some music genres, if at all, as opposed to having a more all-round compatible tuning. You get an extremely rich mid-bass here, arguably too much if you are like me, and the HEDDphone TWO GT does end up with a slightly narrower soundstage and less precise imaging too. I also found the lower treble to be over-emphasized to my ears, although please note that the nature of these AMT drivers and how they are assembled by hand can make it so that your experience could be different from mine. Regardless, the point is that the HEDDphone TWO GT is best treated as an alternative flavor of sound compared to the more analytical HEDDphone TWO. If you EQ, I'd even say get the older HEDDphone TWO for an easier time, and the ~$200 saved is a bonus. I am not sure why the HEDDphone TWO GT even costs more than the HEDDphone TWO—perhaps the drivers are more complex to make or the ear pad/cable materials are more expensive—but it is the safer and likely better option out of the box.