Closer Examination

The review sample of the HEDDphone TWO shipped with two hand-made cables that confused me until I learned they were only sent so we could test the HEDDphone TWO. You see, these cables terminated in a 1/4" and full-size XLR connectors whereas the marketing materials suggested otherwise. Also, I wasn't the biggest fan of how stiff these cables were in practice even if they did the job just fine. Then I found out that customers would be getting different cables and all was well with the world. The stock cables—yes, there are two—are kevlar-infused braided cables with copper conductor and they certainly appear to be quite pliable and easier to use. You will get a single-ended cable terminating in a 1/4" (6.35 mm) TRS connector and another going for a balanced 4.4 mm TRRS connector. There's also a HEDD-branded splitter leading to two 3.5 mm TS connectors for the headphones with L/R markings to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. I also see sufficient strain relief throughout and the usual gold-plating on the metal plugs for oxidation resistance. Additionally, HEDD also provides 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 with portable or desktop sources, be it single-ended or balanced in topology.


Now we get to the main course in the form of the HEDDphone TWO and it's something else to behold in person. I've seen people say this looks like something Batman would have designed and I get it—the darker colors and a design which prioritizes function first appeal to the engineer in me. It's not a set that most people will necessarily look at and think it is gorgeous at first glance but impressions only get better the more you hold it, feel it, and use it. The HEDDphone TWO isn't as imposing physically as the HEDDphone ONE and yet it manages to command respect for the design language, especially as you realize all the steps taken to address the ergonomic issues of its predecessor. Take the headband, for example, which now goes for a suspension style implementation. The headband is now made of a pre-curved light-weight carbon fiber with cutouts for further mass savings. HEDD branding comes in the form of an etched faux leather badge in the middle as well as printing on the sides where the headband meets the frame—ignore the improper printing on this pre-production unit. The suspension band has two foam pillows for added comfort with space in the middle and on the sides to help eliminate hot spots on the top of your head. The finished units will also have L/R markings on the inside where you see blank carbon fiber on this unit; this will also help customers identify the left and right sides.


With a punny name as HEDDphone, it should be no surprise that the new headband assembly is nicknamed HEDDband. This is a patent-pending 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. In theory it's a novel system that offers a lot of customization and helps achieve a comfortable and secure fit. In practice, it can be somewhat confusing if you haven't gone through the manual or watched this video. Even so, I 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. If possible, I'd like HEDD to release replacement straps with different hole spacings and lengths. There is also the potential to release different color straps for aesthetics.


The HEDDphone TWO also supports the ability to rotate and swivel the ear cups in a variety of manners. Indeed, as seen above, you can lay it flat and there is plenty of movement in either axis to pretty much guarantee you get a great fit around your ears. In fact, the new HEDDband can go so wide that you can almost fit two small heads in there which is remarkable considering the bottleneck now is the pre-curved carbon fiber band that can only curve in or out so much before giving up. Kudos to HEDD for tackling this problem in such a successful manner!


The HEDDphone TWO goes for a magnesium—I assume a magnesium alloy—frame to keep up with the mass savings without compromising on structural integrity. This is an open-back set of headphones with an aluminium grill 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. On the other side is the pre-installed ear pad which is easy to remove as you can simply pull it off. At this point, it becomes clear that HEDD has gone for a simple compression seal to keep the ear pads in place. There is a rigid frame on the ear cups with a rubber seal all around. Align the opening in the pad to fit around this frame and simply push it in place all around until you see no gap. There is also a seam on the ear pad which should face the same direction as the cable connector underneath. I saw some people speculate HEDD might be using magnets to keep the pads in place but the magnetic force is too weak this far away from the drivers to do that job. Removing the pads also provides a closer look at the AMT driver used by HEDD with the pole plate, the Kapton diaphragm with aluminium traces folded specifically to have variable thickness, the magnet behind, and the rear pole plate you see from the other side behind the grill. HEDD has in-house facilities to build and assemble the drivers and the headphones and experienced workers hand-fold the diaphragm using a jig.


We saw before how the HEDDphone TWO comes with a spare set of the same ear pads and these are decent pads to begin with. Protein leather of good quality—it feels plenty fine to me and has not shown any signs of wear in the weeks of use I've put it through already—and medium density foam are used here. The contact surface is flush with the pinna whereas the inner surface is fenestrated to likely help absorb unwanted resonances. The pads are slightly contoured to be thicker on the back than the front to fit better around the ears and this is why using the seam to install them properly is important. The pad opening measured at 60 x 45 x 26 mm so there should be plenty of room for the vast majority of users, if not everyone.


On the bottom of the ear cups angled towards the front is where we find small cutouts that accommodate female 3.5 mm cable connectors. This is a change from mini XLR on the HEDDphone ONE and was done on purpose to further reduce both mass and size of the final product. As a bonus, this means the HEDDphone TWO is compatible with a vast selection of aftermarket cables using 3.5 mm TS or TRS connectors. Feel free to ignore the photos with the hand-made cables, they are there only to show you how the headphones look with cables attached. Either way, choose the cable/adapter you want based on the source connector you wish to use and then install them to get the headphones ready to go. If you are going to use a headphone stand, keep in mind that supporting the HEDDphone TWO 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 get black colored stands if you want to continue this darker aesthetic throughout.


I've mentioned throughout this page how HEDD Audio has re-designed the HEDDphone TWO to help solve the user complaints from those who've tried, or even failed to do so, the HEDDphone ONE. HEDD was kind enough to send over a loaner unit of the original set so I could get a better appreciation of exactly how much has changed. I think I'll just let the two photos above do the talking this time round, although I must point out an underappreciated aspect of the HEDDphone TWO which allows for the pads to be in low-pressure flush contact with each other rather than just have pressure at the bottom and result in uneven wear with the HEDDphone ONE when not in use.