'Can't fault the HEDDphone D1 in any meaningful way': HEDD's progeny are emphatically excellent wired headphones at a not-unreasonable price

Date:
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
The HEDDphone D1 headphones are a stunning pair of mid-budget over-ears, with a proprietary driver design that kills audiophile-grade options three times the price

FULL STORY ======================================================================HEDD HEDDphone D1: Two-minute review The HEDDphone D1 are a quite frankly astonishing pair of over-ear headphones, trucking in a new line of innovative thought from the Berlin brand that also brought AMT technology to the
wearable market. Theyre open-back and passive, with eyes locked both on the world of pro audio and at-home audiophile listening.

While most brands struggle to occupy both spaces in any meaningful way, its
my view that the HEDDphone D1 are a rare and commendable success. They are full in heart and full in throat, with an expansive frequency range and a hugely expressive soundstage. Their Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) drivers make good on their claims of tonal balance and transient excellence, making these just as adept at clinical representation as they are at gratifying, fulsome home listening. The specs are friendly to both camps too, starting with the works-with-anything 32-ohm impedance. Traditionally, Im less fond of this in other devices, but here and with the D1s rich sonic capacity across devices, its a boon. Theyre comfortable to wear, innately and over long periods of time, and they never get fatiguing to listen through either.
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I dont like giving full marks to things. It makes me feel like Ive failed; like Ive missed something, somewhere, or that Ive even dared to be a bit
lazy. Mores my disappointment, then, that I cant fault the HEDDphone D1 in
any meaningful way.

Sure, the build quality might stoop a tad beneath the price in places, but then the pristine presence afforded by those unique dynamic drivers shoots well above. Likewise, a slight low-end boost might disincentivise some pro-audio folk from trusting them in their line of work, but that same lift allows these headphones to provide weight and context unlike any other set of open-backed headphones at this (or perhaps any) price. Every question an answer.

So, then, I resolve to put away my thoughts of laziness or journalistic inadequacy, instead settling with the thrilling and essential truth that must be my own final answer: these are the best headphones Ive tried in my career thus far. And they get full marks. Among the best wired headphones on the market ? Emphatically yes. (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw) HEDD HEDDphone D1 at Peter Tyson for 599 HEDD HEDDphone D1: Price and release date $799.99 / 599 / AU$999 Launched on 6th November, 2025 When a pioneering set
of headphones hails from a German brand literally called HEDD, its ones duty to take notice. HEDD stands for Heinz ElectroDynamic Designs, and is the another in a series of major audio-tech gifts from Heinz Klaus founder of ADAM audio, and key contributor to the development and improvement of AMT
(Air Motion Transformer) transducers. Get daily insight, inspiration and
deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

HEDD is a continuation of Klaus inventorial pursuits, first with a new suite of professional monitor speakers, then with bringing AMT and some clever material design to new territory: the world of head-fi. All lovingly designed and manufactured in Berlin.

The subjects of todays scrutiny are the HEDDphone D1, the fourth set of over-ears to come from HEDD, following HEDDphones ONE, TWO and TWO GT respectively. Where prior cans focused on combining AMT drivers with over-ear headphones, the D1 are an exploration of dynamic drivers through the lens of Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD).

The HEDDphone D1, then, purport to be every bit as stereotypically precise as one might expect from a pioneering German audio brand with emphasis on the stereo, and with pun very much smugly intended. If Heinz can do it, so can I.

At 599 / $799.99 / AU$999, the HEDDphone D1 certainly arent cheap; they
tickle the upper reaches of what might be considered mid-range in a broad market, increasingly filled with audiophile-grade cans that ask for four-figure sums (including HEDDs own flagship HEDDphone).

But the D1 pitches itself, sonically, as a pair of phones thatll go
toe-to-toe with most when it comes to detail, tone and depth to the point that theyre marketed quite keenly towards professional audio-folk and audiophiles alike. And, not to spoil you too soon, I think they more-than stick the landing. (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw) HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally HEDD HEDDphone D1 specs

Type

Open-back

Drivers

Driver: 50mm dynamic, thin-ply carbon diaphragm (TPCD)

Impedance

32 ohms

Weight

350g

Connectivity

2 x 3.5mm TS

Frequency range

Frequency range: 5 Hz - 40 kHz

Extras

Moulded EVA case, dual-TS to 3.5mm TRS cable, screw-on 3.5mm-6.35mm TRS adapter, drawstring velour cable bag HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Features 50mm Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) dynamic drivers 5Hz-40kHz frequency range 32-ohm impedance The HEDDphone D1 are a pair of open-back over-ear
headphones, designed as a mid-weight contender for pristine professional audiophile listening. Theyre a passive, wired affair, and about as operationally simple as headphones get.

The big sell here is HEDDs Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD): a diaphragm constructed with an advanced carbon fibre composite that maintains rigidity
in spite of its thin, low-mass design. The result is a responsive dynamic driver that doesnt need to trade its proverbial lightness-of-foot for distortion or tonal imbalance, and doesnt need conventional diaphragm-level dampening to maintain clarity either.

The HEDDphone D1 is outfitted with two 50mm TPCD-constructed dynamic drivers, which extend up to 40kHz and down to 5Hz a remarkable range, with a remarkably steady response curve where it counts.

These drivers field an impedance of 32 ohms, making the HEDDphone D1 a suitable candidate for practically any sound source. I usually prefer my monitor headphones to have a little more fight in them than this, but on this occasion, I certainly dont mind the results. Features score: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw) HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Sound quality Incredible clarity across frequency spectrum Deep, full and spacious low-end Expansive soundstage Being someone who encounters and experiences new audio tech as a matter of course, Im rarely in a position to be surprised by something. I usually have some vague idea of what to expect, and my expectations are usually somewhat in line with what I ultimately hear. Here, though: wow.

Having had plentiful experience with professional monitor headphones before,
I thought I knew what I was in for with the HEDDphone D1. I didnt. These ground-up Berlin-designed drivers are a marvel and, perhaps, a rare instance of experimental reality actually informing PR copy. The D1s got everything: depth, width, height; microscopic detail and macroscopic grandeur; pro-grade clinical clarity and gratifying, grin-worthy weight. They are full-range and balanced enough to work well as monitor headphones, but not clinically transparent to the point of flatness. Its a delicate balancing act that pays off.

Theres a lot to get into here, but lets start with the bass. Though impressively even with respect to frequency response, there is a slightly pronounced push in the low end the quality of which is, quite simply, astonishing. There is a bulging fullness, of the same heft that makes closed-back headphones so gratifying, but also a depth-of-field that only open-backs can achieve. Its the platonic ideal for low-end presence; the best of both worlds.

First impressions of this were achieved through digital streaming, listening to hi-res audio streamed from Qobuz. Piles All Fiction is a maximalist flood of roomy orchestrations, reverb-drowned voices breaking like waves, and huge blooms of messy low-end energy. It should not be an easy-to-parse record, but the D1 handle the heft of Loops and Poisons handily.

That deeply-impressive low-end control isnt all thats happening here. It serves to support an incredibly detailed upper register, too; things sail above it with ease. Mitskis Cats , from early-2026 heartbreaker Nothings
About To Happen To Me , is a supremely balanced slug of sad-folky Americana, carried on a wave of deep bassy richness and carrying a full, clear, near-sailing Mitski vocal. In fact, those vocals are a revelation of their own, every fathom and every miniscule wave rendered in the same amazing definition.

Definition, ultimately, is the word. The transients are, to my immense gratitude, tight and immediate without overextension or insistence. Mitskis Ill Change For You demonstrates this capably, through dead-on kick-drums,
rich clatter-y rim shots and the most tactile shakers youve ever heard hidden in a ballad. The light plosives in Mitskis voice are discernable, to great humanising effect.

To figure out some more of that definitional excellence, I turned to PJ Harveys Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea . Harveys vocals are an immediate, forthright affair, and pop into being with a refreshing urgency. Again, theres some excellent separation between voice and instruments, even
as things spiral away beneath as in Big Exit, Kamikaze and This Wicked
Tongue. Across the album, dry drums, harsh leads and percussive acoustic guitars build a clear and crisp picture of the D1s composure. (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw) Over on vinyl, things are just as impressive. Queens Of The Stone Ages Like Clockwork demonstrates the D1s soundstage admirably,
as well as their gutsy, gratifying treatment of distorted guitars. I Sat By The Ocean is cleverly rendered in space; My God Is The Sun is addictively propulsive, from its growling plinth of glistening bass to its tight trio of ever-climbing riffy guitars. Hommes voice is, as ever, a mile-long track of croon-y honey.

Between PJ Harvey, Mitski and QOTSA, the D1s aptitude for rock
instrumentation much like my personal proclivities for the same have been summarily proven. To change tack, and to make a small case for my actually-quite-eclectic-I-promise taste, I threw on my vinyl copy of jazz drummer Roy Haynes 1963 album Cymbalism .

Its a rich and free-wheeling collection of quartet-arranged brilliance,
opened up with fast-paced flute-led swinger Modette. Haynes snap-crackle
drums shine immediately, and Frank Stroziers flute, that threatens to be unlistenably harsh, comes in bright, beautiful and searingly insistent. The double-bass is a subtle, hollow, plucky affair, held up well somewhere
between kick and snare; the piano is unobtrusively clear, even sharp.

In Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes sprawling 1973 spiritual-jazz missive Astral Traveling , I found the D1s tonal strengths on full display.
In Search Of Truth s a slow, sure-footed hike, its footsteps a consistent
bass riff over which a spaced-out, upward-spiralling piano, disparate, immaculately-preserved percussive elements and a steady harmonium drone reach towards a mountains peak a full-throated, ensemble-derived answer to the call, and a truly expansive experience in these headphones.

Its clear to me how the HEDDphone D1 can be marketed simultaneously as a powerful home-listening audiophile product and a pro-grade monitoring headphone. The soundstage is broad and deep across the frequency spectrum; instruments and elements have their space, to be appreciated or scrutinised accordingly. That broad low-end lift could be argued as a platform by which
to better examine low-end information, but really, its a little gift for you and me. Sound quality score: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw) HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Design Unusual yet welcome grip on head Incomparably comfortable for long Slightly underwhelming material choices in places The HEDDphone D1 are some seriously comfortable headphones and not in the conventional way, either. Most headphones aiming for comfort have a light touch; theyre trying to be light, airy, and leave little evidence of presence on your head. The HEDDphone D1 are gloriously opposed to this approach.

Instead of a feather-light balancing act, the D1 goes hard, gripping your
head with a deep and encouraging firmness. Some super-soft ear cup cushions eat up a lot of that inward force, and a firm foam cushion beneath the headband provides supple support from above. Its a tight hug in headphone form, and all the better for it. They melt into your head, and, thanks to their open-back breathability, never get old.

Materials-wise, the HEDDphone D1 doesnt quite have the same quality of build as other headphones at this price point with a firm and reverential gaze levelled at the likes of Meze Audio. Besides the metal grilles protecting the diaphragm, and the spine of the headband, everything visible is plastic, foam and variably-breathable fabrics.

This is to say that the moneys been spent elsewhere; within. And given the incredible quality displayed within, Im actually not all that fussed by the less-rarefied material design here. Besides, things work where it counts. The headband adjustment feels firm and reassuring, and the foam used for the cushions couldnt be better-suited.

There is some semi-significant sound leakage out into the world, as is to be expected from anything open-back; that said, the same cant quite be said for the inverse at least, when musics playing. Its hard to be distracted when wearing these things. Design score: 5 / 5 HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Value An undeniably upper mid-range price point Sonic performance that outstrips pricier cans Unignorably high bang-for-buck Values always the hardest thing for me to pin down in a piece of tech. Circumstances differ, but MSRPs above
a certain point are almost always a big ask. And I think its fair to call $799.99 / 599 / AU$999 a big ask. But in comparing that to the value of other headphones on the market, something emerges. At least, to me. The HEDDphone
D1 pretty much clears them all for sonic characteristics.

Reservations may rightly be held for the plasticky nature of the chassis in places, but I think the D1s built well enough to see off any assertions of poor value for money, particularly when they sound as good as they do. As far as fidelity is concerned, this could well be the absolute best bang-per-buck on the market.

Let me couch that in something a little more tangible. Ive reviewed audiophile-grade over-ear headphones worth upwards of $2,000 / 1,899 / AU$3,550; Ive even loved them. But not as much as these. And thats irrespective of price. If the HEDDphone D1 can outperform something three times their price (and something Ive deemed more-or-less worthy of that
price, too), then they are stunningly under-valued.

Yes, $799.99 / 599 / AU$999 is a big ask for a lot of things, headphones included. But if you care about sonic fidelity personally or professionally, and when youre getting four-figure sound quality at a mid-budget price point, its hard to call this anything but a steal. Value score: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw) HEDD HEDDphone D1: Should you buy them? Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Passive, open-backed over-ear headphones furnished with some top-flight 50mm TPCD dynamic drivers. They boast a 5Hz-40kHz frequency range and a 32-ohm impedance guarantees they play well with pretty much any source.

5 / 5

Sound quality

An absolute delight to listen through, from a well-constructed and surprisingly robust low end to crystal clear highs, bywhy of excellent tonal control and some uniquely tactile transients.

5 / 5

Design

They look great, but they feel even better when worn. HEDD D1 arent fatiguing in the slightest, whether sonically or physically. A small shame that some parts feel cheaper than others.

5 / 5

Value

In spite of a slightly disappointing chassis, the HEDDphone D1 is incredible value for money. Its transient and tonal clarity reach far above its price point, giving many other more expensive audiophile- grade cans a run for
their money.

5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw) Buy them if...

You want to buy your last set of mid-range headphones In my view, the HEDDphone D1 achieve something marvellous for their price bracket. They sound easily three times their price, and, even with a slightly cheaper build quality, feel exceedingly comfortable while delivering that underpriced
sound. Theyre the be-all and end-all for mid-budget listening headphones, and could be the last you buy before something four- (or five-) figures entices you.

Youre an audio professional that wants some daily-drivers The HEDDphone D1 are unique in how readily they straddle personal and professional use cases. These are begging to be used in the studio all day, and at home on your hi-fi all night.

Don't buy them if...

You want some headphones to commute with Though the HEDDphone D1 ship with a robust-enough carry case, they are not the most commute-friendly of devices; theyre open-back, which means your travel companions will hear what youre hearing. Also, while surprisingly good at blocking out external noises,
theyre not great at it. These headphones are for home! (Or work.)

Youre stretching your budget The sound performance on display here is
nothing short of magical, but the price point stretches beyond what most casual or mid-range budgets allow. If youre looking for some pro monitoring headphones, youll find a suite of flat, clear and pristine (if slightly less thrilling) headphones in the 2-400 range; if you want some crystal-clear listening headphones for home, other brands like Meze are excelling in that same space. HEDD HEDDphone D1: Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0

HEDDphone D1

Meze Audio 105 Silva

Grado Signature

Open-back or closed-

Open-back

Open-back

Open-back

Driver

50mm dynamic, thin-ply carbon diaphragm (TPCD)

50mm dynamic; bio-cellulose, titanium-coated semicrystalline polymer

50mm dynamic

Frequency range

5 Hz - 40 kHz

5 Hz - 30 kHz

6 Hz - 46 kHz

Impedance

32 ohms

42 ohms

38 ohms

Connector

2 x 3.5mm TS

2 x 3.5mm TS

4pin Mini XLR

Weight

350g

354g

460g

Extras

Moulded EVA case, dual-TS to 3.5mm TRS cable, screw-on 3.5mm-6.35mm TRS adapter, drawstring velour cable bag

Carry case, soft pouch for cables, 3.5mm TRS to dual 3.5mm TS cable, 3.5mm TRS to USB-C adapter w/ integrated DAC, 3.5mm TRS to 6.35mm TRS adapter

Source connection 6.3mm; Signature Gold 12-conductor 6ft detachable cable;
new B Cushion ear pads supplied

Meze Audio 105 Silva The Meze Audio 105 Silva are another stunning pair of mid-weight headphones, though much more geared to comfortable home listening than anything else. Theyre a little cheaper, and they fall short against the D1 on a few sonic fronts, but theyre hugely comfortable, and slightly more remarkable on the material-design front. Read our Meze Audio 105 Silva review for more

Grado Signature The Grado Signature S750 are open-backed on-ears, and significantly pricier than the HEDDphone D1. These are the choice for luxuriant, up-close at-home listening, but also an illustration of just how high the D1 are punching. See our in-depth Grado Signature S750 review for more HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: How I tested Tested for 5 weeks Used as
primary home listening headphones, for streaming and vinyl Predominantly tested using Qobuz on a Windows laptop, connected to a UAD Volt 4 audio interface Also tested on a Vestax turntable setup with an Audio-Technica VM-95EN cart I spent a month with the HEDDphone D1 headphones, wherein they were used as my primary home listening headphones. They split their time between my attic office space and my living room hi-fi stack.

In the attic, the HEDDphone D1 were used to listen to hi-res audio on the streaming service Qobuz, as well as lossless audio in my digital music library, through the headphone output of my trusty Universal Audio Volt 4 audio interface.

In the living room, they were used to listen to vinyl records played on a Vestax PDX-D3 turntable, outfitted with an Audio-Technica VM-95EN cartridge, via the headphone output of my Vestax PCV-275 mixer. First reviewed: July
2026 Read more about how we test HEDD HEDDphone D1: Price Comparison voucher gift 549 View 599 View No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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