Today, Marcus reviews the HEDD Audio HEDDphone TWO GT, a new ‘audiophile’ edition of these unique open-back Air Motion Transformer driver headphones. They are priced at €2,199.
Disclaimer: This sample was purchased with a discount in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links. Many thanks to HEDD Audio for their support
You can read here about previous HEDD Audio products I have previously reviewed on Headfonics.
This article follows our latest scoring guidelines, which you can read in more detail here.
While technically not a generation 3, the new HEDD Audio HEDDphone TWO GT has some significant changes to the original TWO version, which we reviewed at the start of last year.
Priced at €2,199, this new GT version is an exposé on informed community feedback combined with in-house learning from what has come before.
That means a similar, smaller ‘TWO’ headphone form factor with its distinctive and innovative pressure-adjusting HEDDband strap system.
However, this time, it comes with an even more comfortable wearing experience, an improved choice of ear pads, and perhaps more importantly, a refined AMT driver offering enhanced power and dynamics more suited to everyday listening.
Does it bring the fun factor compared to the older original HEDDphone, but keep the same enjoyable technical capability of the 2nd Gen TWO? I found out in my full review below.
Driver Changes
So what has changed from the TWO’s driver to the one inside the HEDDphone TWO GT version? Well, on a high level, you would probably think not too much.
This is still an open-back circumaural or full-sized open-back headphone with a full-range Air Motion Transformer driver, or AMT for short, rated at 41Ω impedance with a very close SPL of 88 dB/mW.
As was the case with previous iterations, you will still need to use a very capable amplifier to hear the best performances from the HEDDphone TWO GT.
However, if you dig a little deeper, you will find there has been a bit of change in how this driver is designed.
This includes a new multi-layered Kapton polyimide film for the diaphragm and a change to the dampening to reduce the potential for distortion, a key requirement for this driver (or any driver) if you want to stiffen the lows.
This new damping application is visible to the naked eye when changing the ear pads. On the TWO, it was a single, centered dark acoustic stripe and an exposed gold-colored ribbon driver.
This time, the driver is behind a white layer of acoustic material with a darker textured wedge on top and to one side of the surrounding baffle.
One of the clear benefits of these changes, at least to my ears, is a vastly reduced ‘crinkle-effect’ from the driver when placed on your head, something which the older TWO suffers more from.
Design
The HEDDphone TWO GT’s form factor and 500g weight are the same as the TWO. Save for the new velour pads, the materials are largely unchanged, with a carbon fiber headband arch combined with a mix of leather and foam for the HEDDband strap and a magnesium alloy frame.
And yet, it feels different. Now, this may be just a sample variation combined with the new acoustic dampening treatment, but the HEDDphone TWO GT sounds firmer and quieter.
What I mean by that is the general level of articulating noise or ‘creak’ from moving the headphones’ cups or putting them on my head is lower than the previous sample I have here.
I also briefly mentioned that the driver crinkle effect is vastly reduced in the new version, which also helps tame some of the physical noise when handling the headphones.
Aesthetically, the HEDDphone TWO GT differs in a few areas from the previous iteration. The most noticeable is the darker vibe from the driver enclosure to the new engraved pivot blocks and HEDD logo; everything has less ‘white’.
What white there is left is saved for the pressure strap stitching, which gives it more of a high-contrast two-tone effect.
I am not a huge fan of white stitching, but I love the new darker tone overall. If the stitching can blend in seamlessly, it would be perfect. This is just my taste in leather finishing, your views might differ.
Comfort
The HEDDphone TWO GT retains the unique HEDDband strap system, which can target head size and pressure balance at the same time. I know of no other headband that can do both in such a granular fashion as this.
I have been using the new system on the original TWO for a year, and I would say on reflection that it’s much better equipped for heads of all shapes and sizes compared to the original HEDDphone’s single headband and heavier weight.
However, lateral pressure is still a thing after an hour or two; even if you program the strap for a very loose fit, there is still some unease in the fitting after a while. You do not want it to be too loose or the performance drops, but it is also easy to overcompensate on lateral pressure when aiming for a secure fit.
The new HEDDphone TWO GT velour pads solve some of that lateral pressure, allowing me to go a bit tighter than the original without introducing any elevated discomfort.
You can still switch to the original quasi-perforated leather pads, which come as an optional extra, but given that the performance between the two pads is the same, I stuck with the comfier and better-ventilated velour pads.
The drop in driver ‘crinkle’ and the smoother articulation of the HEDDphoneWO GT build are also major factors in perceived comfort.
There is so much less noise throughout the headphones when on my head, which instantly makes me feel more at ease than using the original TWO.
Stock Cables
HEDD Audio has retained an excellent selection of cables for the HEDDphone TWO GT.
You still get two 8-wire Kevlar-infused braided 12 x 4 OFC copper cables in SE and balanced terminated. Alongside these, you get two adaptors, including a 6.35 down to 3.5mm SE and from 4.4mm up to 4-pin XLR balanced.
That should give you just about every useful connection option out there for portable devices and desktop amplifiers.
What they have changed is the finishing in two key areas: the wire jacket and the barrel shapes and sizes. The older cables were terminated with a tightly braided PET jacket, giving them a fairly small profile.
For the HEDDphone TWO GT versions, this jacket has been replaced by a softer (and lighter) fabric jacket with a looser braid that feels lighter in the hand than the previous design.
The low-profile matte black aluminum splitter, jack, and matching termination barrels have a curvier design with a recessed portion and grippy lines to allow you to grip them better.
The converter cable barrels are also slimmer with a slightly longer length of wire, which should place less stress on the joints when connected to amps.
Packaging & Accessories
The HEDDphone TWO GT packaging is virtually the same as the previous TWO in terms of box size, how it unboxes, and what you get inside for accessories. The only substantive change is the outer sleeve design and labelling, which has a darker ‘racier’ finish.
That means a big, heavy box, the kind of big that makes you feel you are getting your money’s worth.
Just be careful when unboxing the accessories. They come in two separate trays with covers tightly packed into the main container. They can be pulled out with a small tab, but if you pull too hard, you can pull off the tab, which happened to me with one of the older HEDDphone TWO trays a few months back.
If you are new to the HEDDphone TWO GT unboxing experience, it is a real treat. Everything is beautifully laid out, including the cables and pads in a single presentation tray with the main headphones inside their carry case in the second larger accessory box.
The HEDDphone TWO GT carry case is unchanged from the previous version. It is a stiffened design with a fabric and zipper finish and plenty of space to hold just about everything safely inside, including cables and even the spare pads if you position them just right.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
