HEDDphone Two impressions and reviews

Again I just got these but I think I agree with you. Having the Loki is what gave me the confidence to buy them just based on what I read, but when I use it the adjustments are minimal.

 

Thought I would post a bit more about these after living with them for several months. The cables have not failed yet and that is a real surprise. I still love these but would not want them as my only headphone. Also, they are maybe the most amp dependent headphone I own and that includes the HD800. All the love hate impressions really make sense now that I have had some real time with them.

I keep seeing that these need some power but not too much and that may be true to sound acceptable but from my experience they need a whole lot to sound exceptional. And I do mean a whole lot. While I am very happy I have them, all this is kind of a problem for such an expensive pair of cans. They sound a little dead and two dimensional with the wrong amp. It does not seem to matter if it is solid state or tube based. I have tried these with the MJ3, Ragnarok 2, an Eddie Current Super 7, an Amps and Sound Ovation and a Decware Mini Torii. I could be wrong, but think I am right on this. They literally sound the best in descending order based solely on the wattage. I listened to these first out of the Rag and if I had not I think I would have returned them; it still rules. The Decware is a close second….and it isn’t a matter of where the volume knob is for this or number three the Super7. The Super7 and Mini Torii could actually come down to tube rolling but I did not feel the need to go that deep. I really like the MJ3 but it is like the pairing highlights the weaknesses from both products. The Ovation sounds fine at low levels but I am talking about volumes nobody would realistically listen to…I can turn it up all the way here. Too its’ credit the Ovation still did not audibly distort at max volume here but was oddly two dimensional and this is absolutely not a two dimensional amp.

The sources used didn’t matter so much and those, along with any use of equalization seem to be just a matter of taste. I personally like to nudge the low bass up just a touch on the Rag but that is true with most headphones and that amp for whatever reason. It powers everything and is so smooth I can forgive it there.

I do think this could really benefit from pad rolling. Not just the material but I think they got the angle wrong on how it sits on your head. I have a massive head a that probably makes it worse but it feels like the stage improves if I push these forward on my ears and hold them out a little at the back without breaking the seal.

All this seems rather negative and I can’t deny that it kind of is. I kept questioning why I still like them. I do probably still overall listen to my other headphones more often. It isn’t the tone because my ZMFs are better at that though nothing here sounds off or plasically and it isn’t the staging because it is, even under optimal conditions, definitely not an HD800. I kept going back and forth here. I think it is the speed. Went on a bit of a metal kick for a while and these seemed to be the ones I reached for most often.

No golden ears here. Just wanted to add something here that isn’t noise.