Amazingly musical sound!
HEDD Audio
HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1 Headphones
Regular price
$799
Sale price
$799
Regular price
$799.00
Unit price
per
HEDD Audio
HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1 Headphones
HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1 Headphones
Regular price
$799
Sale price
$799
Regular price
$799.00
Unit price
per
No Fee 365-Day Returns*
Don’t love it to start? Don't worry, you have 365-days to return with no fees*.
The best headphone release of 2025
Cup style
More information
Open-back headphone designs are often higher-performance but have poor noise isolation and leak sound. Closed-back designs provide better noise isolation and leak less sound.
Open-back headphone designs are often higher-performance but have poor noise isolation and leak sound. Closed-back designs provide better noise isolation and leak less sound.
Open-Back
Wearing style
More information
Over-ear headphones sit over your ear and surround your ear with a ring of padding. On-ear headphones are padded but rest on top of your ear. In-ear monitors are worn inside your ear canal.
Over-ear headphones sit over your ear and surround your ear with a ring of padding. On-ear headphones are padded but rest on top of your ear. In-ear monitors are worn inside your ear canal.
Over-ear
Driver type
More information
Speakers and headphones use a device called a 'driver' to create sound. Different types of drivers have different strengths and weaknesses, but can all produce great sound. Common varieties include dynamic, planar magnetic, and electrostatic.
Speakers and headphones use a device called a 'driver' to create sound. Different types of drivers have different strengths and weaknesses, but can all produce great sound. Common varieties include dynamic, planar magnetic, and electrostatic.
Dynamic
Amp required
More information
Some headphones require the power of an amplifier to reach comfortable listening volumes.
Some headphones require the power of an amplifier to reach comfortable listening volumes.
Yes
Connectivity
More information
Connectivity refers to the method in which the headphones connect to the audio source. Headphones can be either wired or wireless.
Connectivity refers to the method in which the headphones connect to the audio source. Headphones can be either wired or wireless.
Wired
Portability
More information
DACs and amplifiers can either be carried around or meant for static desktop use
DACs and amplifiers can either be carried around or meant for static desktop use
Not Portable
Description
The first of its kind. Precision without compromise.
The HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1 represents a major step forward in headphone design. It is the first dynamic driver headphone to use Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) technology, combining advanced material science with more than 40 years of HEDD’s acoustic engineering expertise. The result is a headphone that delivers the clarity, realism, and tonal integrity of a reference studio monitor in a form built for pure, fatigue-free listening.
Redefining the Dynamic Driver
Dynamic drivers have always involved trade-offs such as speed versus stability and weight versus comfort. The D1 changes that equation. By re-engineering the diaphragm itself, HEDD has created a transducer that offers studio-grade precision along with the warmth and intimacy of a truly great headphone. Every element, from the ultra-light diaphragm to the compact driver structure, is tuned for balance, control, and natural dynamics.
Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD)
At the center of the D1 is a new material called Thin-Ply Carbon. Used in Formula 1 cars and NASA’s Mars helicopter "Ingenuity," this composite provides exceptional stiffness and low mass. In the D1 it becomes the Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm, a driver membrane that controls resonances structurally and removes the need for traditional damping. The result is faster, cleaner, and more accurate sound reproduction across the entire frequency range.
Natural Innovation
Just as HEDD’s Air Motion Transformer redefined what was possible in studio monitoring, the D1 brings that same level of innovation to dynamic driver design. It is built not just for technical precision, but also for musical connection, delivering realistic and emotionally engaging sound that keeps you listening.
Lightweight Comfort for Long Listening
Weighing only 350 grams, the D1 combines an ultra-light diaphragm with a refined driver structure and perforated velour pads for exceptional comfort. Its open-back design and balanced sound make it ideal for long sessions in the studio or at home.
Universal Performance
With a 32 ohm impedance and 100 dB sensitivity, the HEDDphone D1 works well with a wide range of sources. It performs well with modern DAC and amp setups or portable players, while also scaling with high-end desktop systems.
Made in Germany, Built to Last
Each D1 is handmade in Germany using components from HEDD’s partners at Composite Sound of Sweden. All parts are fully serviceable and backed by an industry-leading five-year warranty. This is a headphone designed for long-term reliability and lasting performance.
Key Features
- First dynamic driver headphone with Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) technology.
- Studio-grade precision and tonal balance inspired by HEDD’s Air Motion Transformer monitors.
- Lightweight 350 gram design with perforated velour pads for all-day comfort.
- 32 ohm impedance and 100 dB sensitivity for excellent source compatibility.
- Handmade in Germany using components from Composite Sound in Sweden.
- Fully serviceable design with a five-year warranty.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Design | Open-back, over-ear |
| Driver Type | Dynamic with Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) |
| Frequency Response | 5 Hz to 40 kHz |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB at 1 mW |
| Impedance | 32 ohms |
| Inputs | Dual 3.5 mm |
| Cable | Textile-covered premium cable |
| Ear Pads | Perforated velour |
| Weight | 350 grams |
| Warranty | Five years |
| Included Accessories | Two 3.5 mm textile-covered cables, 6.35 mm adapter, carry case |
| MSRP | $799 USD / €699 EUR |
What’s in the Box
- HEDDphone D1 headphones
- Two 3.5 mm premium textile-covered cables
- 6.35 mm adapter
- Custom carry case
- User documentation
About HEDD Audio
Founded in Berlin by physicist Klaus Heinz and musicologist Dr. Frederik Knop, HEDD Audio (Heinz Electrodynamic Designs) combines decades of studio monitoring experience with a focus on material innovation and long-term serviceability. Each HEDDphone is built in Germany to exacting standards and designed to deliver reference-grade precision for both professional and high-fidelity listening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the HEDDphone D1 different from other dynamic headphones?
Is the D1 hard to drive?
How comfortable is the D1 for long sessions?
HEDD is known for their AMT drivers. Does the D1 use AMT?
Where is the HEDDphone D1 made?
Is the D1 serviceable?
What is the warranty period for the D1?
Our review
Video review
Reviews
Add to cart
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.8 / 5 from 36 reviews.
If you're after something that sounds like "the truth" but with thick bass extension, resolving detail, good stage, great comfort, and minimalistic looks then look no further. The cable is a bit microphonic but it has zero memory unlike the trash from Focal/Sennheiser. The carrying case is compact and practical, and the box is as minimal as it gets. The D1 is much more traditional in how its just a headphone with plush pads that don't reach your jawline. No massive egg or D shape, and plenty of padding around to avoid hotspots on my giant head. Occasionally an ear will touch the driver and feel its cool metallic touch, but it's still comfy. Compared to the Clears these just sound "right". The Clears are a bit boxy/nasally and metallic by the time you get the volume up enough to enjoy the music. Clears are just as resolving but their timbre makes them sound veiled....if that makes sense. The D1's give decent grace for treble boosted music while still sounding fast for everything else. They will sound hot if a track is horribly hot, but it's not the headphone boosting treble on its own. To me, these are a 3dB bass shelf under 100hz and done situation, if even. They're also wider sounding than the Clears while still having great dynamics. The Clear is essentially obsolete. That's not even mentioning the Clears will creak like a 5 dollar turtle beach headset after a year or two of use. Oh, and stain dark gray. Comparing to the HD 800 S, it's not quite as wide but whoopdedoo you don't need to drop 8.5khz and 6khz on every other track to enjoy your music, and even with eq the HD800 S needs a good 3dB boost to its lows to hit the D1's level without EQ. The D1 gets full whereas the HD800 will hit you with treble if you try to match the body, it's just not tuned for that. The HD800 S is also not very comfortable, with very thin padding all around. Don't meet your heroes. Essentially, if it weren't for the occasional wowing sound stage and flashy design, I'd return the HD800 S in a heartbeat but I'm dumb and am keeping both. Sidenote, if soundstage wow is your thing but you don't want to blow 1400 on woot or 2k elsewhere just get an Arya Stealth or Ananda because the effect is very similar. Listening more to the Anandas is almost giving me pause on keeping the HD800......anyway. As for versus the ananda stealth, the D1 is similarly fast but without the occasionally fatiguing high treble around 11khz or so. It's timbre is far more natural too. Now I get what people mean by thin sounding mids on the Hifiman/HD800. Overall, the D1's natural timbre and speed alongside its impressive bass and soundstage combination makes it a no brainer for almost anybody. If it stands the test of time with its durability then I don't see why I wouldn't recommend it. Is this why everyone is still glazing the HD600? I get it now if this is fairly close to that but with better bass. Oh, and it gets loud with just a whisper of power from anything. This is the headphone you can turn up and just forget about the headphone and fall into your music. Thumbs up from me.
Even though I debated the D1 for months; watching, rewatching, and reading reviews…these still surprised me. I was expecting good headphones that’d be revealing and not colored but what I was unprepared for was just how much I liked them musically. I’ve heard parts of songs that I’ve listened to for years revealed to me that I didn’t even know existed, or other parts that were there that I didn’t know had so much to them. I have added a bit of a bass shelf (2.5db at 75hz, Q 0.7) and at times a peak (1 db at 125 hz, Q0.9) just to provide a bit of depth where I wanted it, but I also routinely turn that off for the stock sound too. Great headphones.
Bought the D1 blind based on the reviews from the headphone show gang, and the amazing return policy. It didn't disappoint! I absolutely love the sound - it is just as described as the review. The shopping experience was also hassle free. The shipping cost was quite high but it is understandable considering I live on the opposite side of the planet!
The buying experience through headphones.com was simple and if there is any feedback to give is that it sucks buying something and not even having an estimate of when you will be able to get it to me. Could have been months or years for all I knew. I understand that is how it works for items that you don't have in stock, just saying an estimate of when you planned to recieve it would have put my brain at ease. The headphones themselves are amazing. I come from using AKG 712pro and the sound is so much more neutral without gutting the bass and mids that I love about my AKGs(like my sennheiser HD600s). The cans are comfortable out of the box and the build quality is superb. 800 seemed steep until I wore them for 4 hours straight. My AKGs are more comfortable with a head strap that doesn't create any hotspots but my biggest complaint about them is that they make my ears hot even with Dekoni velour earpads. I got none of that with the D1. Earpads are great and I expect the top to get more comfortable as I break them in. If not I will get a comfort strap. The resolution between the different frequencies is crazy and feel full without building fatigue. I listened to music and played games the whole time and could tell when sound was coming from game or the music. Sounds is somewhat subjective, but these feel like they were tuned and made custom for me. It is such a good feeling. The travel case and simple cable that it came with are just bonus at this point. I kind of wish I knew there was a better cable before I purchased. Seems to me it would be nice to have that option at purchase in my opinion but when plugging into my JDS Element 4 I can't complain about the cord it came with. Sound is incredible and would recommend to anyone that wants more bass than the HD600 and less than the AKG 712pro. These are the cans I have been searching for!
D1 is a great can! Love it. Daily driving this alongside my Arya Unveiled and I couldn't be happier. The greatest music listening experiences have occurred to me in the last few weeks with these two cans. Amazing work guys
This truly is an upgrade over HD 600. It has more bass and is well balanced.
I love these cans; the only downside is they get warm on my ears.
Great headphone! I would give it a 4.5 stars though. It is comfortable (especially with a capra strap), light and easy to drive. Even with a significant bass shelf it is not pushing my hiby r4. Would highly recommend, however I personally prefer closed backs for their isolation and/or something with a little more low end extension naturally.
Sounds good
Great buying experience
Excellent sound quality and light on the head while still feeling secure.
I like the HEDD D1 headphones. Good German engineering with replaceable parts. Well designed and comfortable head band and swivel for the phones on my relatively small ears and small head. Overall very comfortable to wear. I also like the thick velour earpads. Sound is fairly neutral, close to the Harman curve. I just added some more bass response below 100Hz to give a bit more thump, and fill in a bit of a hole in the 4400 Hz treble region, and well recorded music sounds hi fidelity and detailed.
Really technically impressive. Near Planar levels of speed and incisiveness combined with the body and fullness of a good dynamic driver. I feel like I hear the entire song, but more than anything else I've used. Bass is well extended, with a natural and slightly warm mid to sub bass roll off. Not particularly strong in quantity, but incredibly solid, textured, and controlled. Mids are flat and just slightly warm. Even and neutral in a way that's very similar to the HD6X0 series, but a touch less warm and more analytical. Incredibly clean and straightforward in a way that makes the Sennheisers seem slightly colored. It's not quite as intimate and blobby, more just straight neutral. Treble is a mixed bag for me. Much cleaner, more precise, and resolved than the HD6X0, but at the cost of smoothness. Frankly, it's too bright. Too hot in the 5-6khz range which pushes sibilance too much, and with a distinct spike at around 10-11khz that causes some excessive fizzy sizzle with cymbals. It's enough to cause significant fatigue and mask the mids for me. In order to tame the brightness and add some warmth, I've been experimenting with impedance adapters (see DMS's review on YouTube for more details) I just got a 200ohm adapter which fixes the problem for me but sounds too dark, loosens the midbass too much, and makes the high treble stands out a little too much. I've got a 75ohm unit on the way that I hope will be a happy medium. This method is surprisingly effective and I would recommend anyone who has similar issues to give it a try. Build is great. Feels like a tank without being too heavy. The headband is a better shape than the HD6X0 but quite firm. The earpads are nice and thick and soft, but I wish they were taller. I find my ears are a bit tight on the top and bottom The headband is very springy and flexible, and the cups good articulation.
Very impressed with D1's level of comfort and sound quality. Out of the box, the D1 were quite harsh. I think I would call it as overly bright initially, although I'm not sure of the accuracy of my terminology. More precisely, percussive drum sounds were overly aggressive, which I'm attributing to a bit of a hotspot in the upper frequency range (but I could be wrong about which frequencies are associated with that). However, about 48 hrs of burn-in tamed that tendency. Percussion still retains a sharp attack but it's energetic rather than harsh. Now I find the timbre have settled into a very clear and revealing neutral. Spatially, I hear very good instrument separation intimate sense of space. Think café or small club rather than concert hall. Ergonomically, these are incredibly light with just enough clamping force on my medium size head (I wear a size 7-5/8 hat). I often add a Capra head strap, but do not think I will need one with the D1: it just disappears on my head with zero indication of any hotspots. However, my ears do get a bit warm for what I would expect from fabric earpads on an open-back headphone. Not problematically warm, but definitely on the warm side. One criticism I do have: the frame seems prone to transmitting cable microphonics. I wonder if the plastic HEDD chose for the frame might contribute to this. While keeping the D1 marvelously lightweight, I wonder if the flip side is that the frame lacks the mass to adequately dampen cable microphonic noise. I have observed this with the stock cable as well as a couple of Arctic Cables balanced cables. Overall, I'm surprised at how much I enjoy these headphones. They compete with a fill a gap in my collection of headphones, many of which cost 2-4 times as much as the D1. I would not hesitate to suggest this as a great starter headphone and will definitely remain in my active lineup.
First off: Yes, they are as good as the various audio reviewer outlets say! I'm not good at describing the sound quality but the best I can do is: They sound like in-between of a Focal Clear and the HD 600, with the best features of both. Second off: They were TERRIBLY uncomfortable on my head. Pressure points were pretty horrible and were centered around the top of the headband near the cutout in the foam. I could only stand to wear them for around 15 minutes before needing to remove them and take a break. I don't have a terribly unusual head shape either. I wear size medium motorcycle helmets, bike helmet, etc and all of those fit just fine. The Sennheiser HD600, HD620s also fit perfectly fine and are extremely comfortable. Likewise the Hifiman HE1000v3 Stealth also fits and feels great. Not to mention the Hifiman is heavier and not by a small amount. Overall: Amazing sound, would be end-game for many. Comfort... Not so much. Headband could use some work. I think softer foam and narrowing the padding would go a long way to make things fit and feel better on the noggin.
It delivers a wide soundstage and excellent neutrality!
Very revealing and pleasing.
I've been listening to the HEDDphone D1 for hours per day ever since I received them. These are fantastic sounding headphones. They offer clarity and detail without sacrificing anything in terms of "musicality" for pretty much any genre of music. Highly recommended!
HEDD D1 – Excellent Sound, Imperfect Execution The HEDD D1 is an undeniably impressive monitor headphone and a clear technical upgrade over the HD600 in nearly every performance category. Its sonic refinements are real and meaningful—but they come at a steep price, and several design and comfort issues prevent it from being the flawless successor it could have been. Compounding the disappointment was a nearly three-month backorder wait time from Headphones.com with no proactive communication to the customer. **Build & Ergonomics The D1’s build quality is solid, but some design choices feel out of place at this price point. **Limited articulation: The cups lack a full swivel, preventing the headphones from folding flat—an unexpected omission for a premium model. **Headband comfort: The headband padding is firmer than expected and contributes to discomfort during longer sessions. **Ear pad design: The 3.5mm cup connectors and plush, tapered fabric pads are welcome. However, quality‑control issues—wrinkled fabric on the touch surface and a forward‑facing seam that should be down-facing—detract from the overall refinement. The pads themselves are deep and offer generous cavity volume. Clamping force is moderate but still leads to pressure buildup, especially combined with the stiff headband. Adjusting the headband two notches longer on each side and wearing the cups slightly lower and forward helped relieve pressure and also improved soundstage perception. **Accessories For a headphone at this price, the accessory package feels incomplete. Cable: Only a 2‑meter single‑ended cable is included, along with a 6.35mm‑to‑3.5mm adapter. A balanced cable with 6.35mm or 3.5mm adapter should be standard at this tier. Case & extras: The hard carrying case is well‑made and genuinely useful. The cable satchel is a nice touch. The lint‑removal tape packet is surprisingly practical—the ear pad and headband fabric attract lint aggressively. **Driveability & Scaling: The D1 is easy to drive from laptops, portable devices, and standard desktop outputs. It also scales noticeably with higher‑powered, higher‑end gear. Using balanced cables reduces crosstalk and noise, improving clarity and articulation. **Sound Quality The D1’s tuning leans neutral, with a standout midrange timbre that is natural, accurate, and exceptionally well‑suited for monitoring and vocal‑focused work. Midrange: Clear, honest, and lifelike—ideal for voice evaluation. Soundstage: Wider and more dimensional than the HD600, though still not as airy or expansive as I personally prefer. Usage: I rely on the D1 primarily for vocal and midrange evaluation rather than general listening. **Conclusion: For everyday enjoyment, I tend to prefer headphones with a slight V‑shape, faster transients, and a more spacious presentation. But when I need a neutral, reference‑grade tool—especially for midrange and vocal accuracy—the D1 has become my dependable HD600 replacement.
Very nice headphones. They sound great and live squarely in the focal clear, and ZMF bokeh open territory. Between those three it’s just sound profile preference. Resolution, timbre, accuracy of tonal palate are all pretty equivalent and solidly pleasing.
Great headphones. Worthy of winning best headphones of 2025. Current favorite headphones are the HD600 for sound quality. Very clear sounding throughout the frequency response like the HD600, except bass extends further than on the HD600 without sounding bloaty or overpowering. Natural, very comparable midrange with no weird coloration that I have heard yet. Very clear and well extended in the treble like the HD600. However, can be slightly sharp in the treble for certain sounds as opposed to the HD600, which for me never felt sharp. A small amount of EQ for these hot treble sections would likely solve the problem. Comfort with a capra strap is comparable to the HD600 with a capra strap (I use capra straps for both). The D1 is detectably heavier, but not in a deal-breaking or uncomfortable way. Doesn't quite have the "disappears on your head" quality that something exceptionally comfortable like the HD490 has, but still reasonably comfortable for several hours. Very glad I purchase this headphone!
I took my package up to my local dealer, Hanson Audio and we did an unboxing. We connected the D1 to a Blue Sound device and to a small McIntosh headphone amp. We tried the stock cable and a Grave Digger cable that I had from another pair of headphones. I really liked the D1 paired with the McIntosh tube amplifier. When I took my headphones home and listened to them through my Schiit Lyr3, I realized that I should look towards buying a Woo Audio desktop amplifier. A transparent analogue equalizer would be beneficial as well but not as necessary as a better headphone amplifier. I’m running tape outs from an ASR Emitter II Exclusive to the Lyr3.
Great for comfort. Nice cable and accessories. Surprisingly isolated for open backs. Sound is solid. Run it on my qudelix 5k with no issues. Benefits from a bass shelf on the eq.
My only other headphone is the AudioQuest NightOwl, bought here in 2017. Using a Ibasso DC-Elite 4.4 balanced out dongle from a Pixel 9 andriod phone with the USB Audio Player Pro App. Scales up with a desktop amp. They are both great comfortable sounding each in their own way. At my advanced age the less dark, cleaner detailed D1 suits my taste more. Very pleased with this buy...Cable is very good as well. Listen to mostly Jazz, but rock and classical also sound great to my ears.
Worried about the hype, but can say Im not worried anymore. I love the clean, neutral sound. They play well with any song and will be the perfect middle ground with my colored sounding headphones. Also enjoy the 350g weight and good construction. Only complaint is the long wait time.
Excellent headphones that deliver on the promise. Better clarity, soundstage and resolution than the HD600 with a beautiful midrange and solid bass. They are not inexpensive but they are well made and come with a nice case and cable. One minor drawback is that they are not the most comfortable headphones. Not bad, but the memory foam on the headband could be more forgiving. Overall, I’m super happy with the sound and quality.
.
Have tried a number of very fancy headphones (sus, hedd 2gt, many zmfs, utopia, hd600, hd800s) and I would take this over them any day of the week. it just sounds correct and natural. it has slam. vocals are excellent. it’s easy to drive and lightweight. what more could you want.
Love these. I’ve never had a headphone like this before and am coming from wireless ANC, and these absolutely blew my mind. I also have to say that headphones.com was fantastic. The D1 was delayed, and they were incredible throughout the entire process. They reached out every week, answered all my questions, and kept me updated while the shipment was stuck in customs. When they finally shipped, they even contacted me directly to make sure everything arrived and that I was happy. Front to back and top to bottom, just a great experience.
This is a worthy replacement for my Focal Clear OG headphones. It's lighter and more comfortable, with a bit more bass and a little more air around female voices.
better than I expected.
Excellent headphones. Well constructed. Balanced sound. Comfortable. Beat my old 6xx headphones.
these are fabulous Headphones, very neutral and very distinctive in the way they deliver music
Just starting my listening experience with this headphone, but I already know it is going to become my new workhorse. So far, from mixing music to gaming, it works extremely well and sounds amazing for all applications. The low impedance makes it easy to drive in any situation. With near-perfect neutrality, spacious sound, deep bass extension, great build quality, and solid comfort for long listening sessions, I can wholeheartedly recommend the D1.
Got it with no problem and sounds great