HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1

[masterhw]

Weighing the D1 as a potential successor to the HD 650 I’ve enjoyed for close to a decade now, but also strongly considering the DCA Noire X/XO. Not afraid of a bit of EQ, just want the most smiles per dollar. Any thoughts?

 

[Morla]

Here in germany you can buy and return no questions asked

 

[Chagall]

Weighing the D1 as a potential successor to the HD 650 I’ve enjoyed for close to a decade now, but also strongly considering the DCA Noire X/XO. Not afraid of a bit of EQ, just want the most smiles per dollar. Any thoughts?

IMO D1. It’s lighter, open, good build quality and I can't imagine it having seal and positional frequency response issues across real heads DCA has. I would go for DCA again only if closed-back is an absolute must.

That said, you need to try it for yourself. Maybe for you, DCA will work as it measures - perfect.

 

[Albert Dagger]

Weighing the D1 as a potential successor to the HD 650 I’ve enjoyed for close to a decade now, but also strongly considering the DCA Noire X/XO. Not afraid of a bit of EQ, just want the most smiles per dollar. Any thoughts?

I own the HD600 and I wasn’t impressed by the Noire X and XO, even if they are great headphones. I found the HD600 more comfortable and relaxed sounding (take this with a grain of salt). I went to the store with the intention to buy a pair and I didn’t. So even if I admire their performance on paper, they didn’t persuade me. I would love to listen to the D1…

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Interesting.
I find the Noire x much more comfortable.
The DCA was one of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. The 600 was one of the most uncomfortable.

In terms of sound quality, the Noire x is in a different league for me.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

I am immediately very impressed with the D1.
The 2018 EQ profile fits perfectly.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

The bass is phenomenal.
No clipping, even with very very high volumes, EDM and bass shelf.

Oh man...These punch...

 

[Morla]

Check
modeselektor Hello mom!
Daft Punk Alive 2007

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

In my opinion, HEDD has achieved a true sensation with the D1. The D1 is the most natural-sounding headphone I have ever heard.

It sounds even more natural than the Utopia or the Clear Mg. Despite my problematic skull shape, I find the D1 comfortable to wear.
700€?! Sensational!

 

[Soria Moria]

Any distortion measurements?

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Any distortion measurements?

Seems to be well behaved when you consider it being dynamic not a planar driver.

 

[Morla]

I wouldn't use that target for measurements done on the older KB0065 ear (which is what GadgetryTech uses). I would recommend using the 2013 target (warmer) or the 2015 target (brighter), both of which were actually made on that system.

View attachment 494641
Preamp: -4.5 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 4.0 dB Q 0.200
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 150 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 0.500
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 450 Hz Gain 1.0 dB Q 1.400
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 3200 Hz Gain -1.0 dB Q 3.000
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 4300 Hz Gain 5.0 dB Q 3.000
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 11500 Hz Gain -6.0 dB Q 1.800

There ya go! Try that. If you need more treble feel free to just boost with a high shelf filter of Q: 0.4 and frequency of 2500 Hz (to taste).

So... I could use those values in a topping dx5 ii blindly? The dx5 ii uses a slightly different format for q which is x.xxxx instead of x.xxx but 0.200 would translate into 0.2000, I assume (not 0.0200)? PK => Peaking Filter, Fc => Center Frequency.

 

[Cylphio]

So... does this mean something? Some reviewers said the peak in the 11k is a problem on their head, and the senneiser 505 doesn't have it. Instead it has a more desirable elevation in the air region. The rest is the same.

 

[Soria Moria]

View attachment 495898
So... does this mean something? Some reviewers said the peak in the 11k is a problem on their head, and the senneiser 505 doesn't have it. Instead it has a more desirable elevation in the air region. The rest is the same.

Is the peak real or is it a rig/HRTF difference?

 

[IngMishael]

Is the peak real or is it a rig/HRTF difference?

Can be there for certain people. Didn't notice any mid treble grain from my demo though

 

[Lifer]

View attachment 495898
So... does this mean something? Some reviewers said the peak in the 11k is a problem on their head, and the senneiser 505 doesn't have it. Instead it has a more desirable elevation in the air region. The rest is the same.

I have no way to back what I am about to write with science and it's purely my subjective take:
I compared and A/B the 505 with the D1 and while the graph looks the same, my ears didn't hear the same at all.

D1 is drastically more dynamic, have more impact on bass, has more micro details, a larger soundstage, much better separation. In complex passages, the 505 completely collapse and become blurry while the D1 remains coherent.

So while I am all for measurements and science based reviews, I still think a single graph doesn't tell the full story.

I am comparing the D1, HD6XX, HD490 and HD505 for a week now. And if I could only keep 2 it would definitely be the D1 and HD6XX.

 

[Chagall]

I have no way to back what I am about to write with science and it's purely my subjective take:
I compared and A/B the 505 with the D1 and while the graph looks the same, my ears didn't hear the same at all.

So while I am all for measurements and science based reviews, I still think a single graph doesn't tell the full story.

Yes, but it’s infinitely better to have that data point - or rather the five that Amir provides (FR, distortion, impedance, sensitivity, and group delay) - than to have nothing at all.

 

[Lifer]

Yes, but it’s infinitely better to have that data point - or rather the five that Amir provides (FR, distortion, impedance, sensitivity, and group delay) - than to have nothing at all.

100% !
But I still stugle to find in those data the correlation with for example impact and dynamic, or separation/layering. Two headphones can virtually have almost similar measurements and still have very different behaviour in those characteristics.

I am not saying it cannot be measured, just that I don't see it in the current set of measurements. Or maybe I dont interprete them well.

I read interesting theories but have no clue on the sientific research behind (bigger driver, angled driver, excursion...)

 

[Chagall]

100% !
But I still stugle to find in those data the correlation with for example impact and dynamic, or separation/layering. Two headphones can virtually have almost similar measurements and still have very different behaviour in those characteristics.

I am not saying it cannot be measured, just that I don't see it in the current set of measurements. Or maybe I dont interprete them well.

I read interesting theories but have no clue on the sientific research behind (bigger driver, angled driver, excursion...)

I think about it like this:
- FR measurements and target adherence matter most if you’re not using EQ.
- Distortion measurements matter if you use EQ and/or listen loudly, also for excursion limit of the driver
- Sensitivity matters if you don’t have a dedicated amp.
- Impedance matters if you don’t have a dedicated amp.
- Impact (as I understand it - punch/slam) is reflected in the FR (and can be improved with EQ).
- Dynamics (as I understand it - punch/scale/explosiveness/volume swings) are reflected in the distortion measurements and channel balance.
- Microdynamics detail - is reflected in the FR (and can be improved with EQ).
- Driver size and angle doesn't matter if FR and distortion measurements suck.
- Separation/layering - I think is just FR, distortion and channel balance.

Overall, the combination of all these measurements can give you a good indicator of which headphones might be worth trying BEFORE buying, because human ears are not measurement rigs.

 

[Lifer]

I think about it like this:
- FR measurements and target adherence matter most if you’re not using EQ.
- Distortion measurements matter if you use EQ and/or listen loudly, also for excursion limit of the driver
- Sensitivity matters if you don’t have a dedicated amp.
- Impedance matters if you don’t have a dedicated amp.
- Impact (as I understand it - punch/slam) is reflected in the FR (and can be improved with EQ).
- Dynamics (as I understand it - punch/scale/explosiveness/volume swings) are reflected in the distortion measurements and channel balance.
- Microdynamics detail - is reflected in the FR (and can be improved with EQ).
- Driver size and angle doesn't matter if FR and distortion measurements suck.
- Separation/layering - I think is just FR, distortion and channel balance.

Overall, the combination of all these measurements can give you a good indicator of which headphones might be worth trying BEFORE buying, because human ears are not measurement rigs.

I use to think exactly like this until I started to try and compare headphones for myself.

For example on Impact, a Focal or the D1 will have drastically more impact than an hd490 with producer pads, or other headphones which have a boosted bass and lower-mids. D1 has more slam (or at least quicker/snapier) than a HD6XX while having almost the same FR in upper bass and mids.

On Separation/layering, while some headphones (hifiman, hd800s...) can have this scoop in the 2k region to simulate this effect. There is also a real difference between an HD6XX, HD505 and D1 which have very similar FR

If the driver size and angle don't matter if the rest sucks (I agree) it could play a role with how sound interact with the ear pinna (I dont know).

I agree with your last statement