The HEDDphone TWO GT is an AMT driver headphone. It launched in late 2024, one year after the non-GT HEDDphone TWO. The TWO is tuned to be very neutral, targeting professionals, while the TWO GT is tuned to have a bit more bass and sound more lively, targeting audiophiles. The HEDDphone TWO GT typically costs either 1,699 or 2,199 USD/EUR, depending on the accessories.
Full review here: HEDDphone TWO GT Review
Hifiman HE1000SE was launched back in 2018 but is still going strong, which is a testament to its high quality sound performance. It is a full size planar magnetic headphone with the characteristic semi-oval/egg-shaped cups. It has often been called the “baby Susvara,” not without reason. The price has dropped from the launch price of 3,499 USD in 2018 to a current retail price of around 1,699 USD.
Full review here: Hifiman HE1000SE Review
HIFIMAN HE1000SE SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: open back full size
- Driver type: planar magnetic
- Impedance: 35 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 96 dB
- Frequency response: 8Hz – 65KHz
- Cable detachable from headphone with 3.5mm connector.
- Cables (3 included): One 3m with 4 pin XLR, one 3 m TRS and a 1.5 m with 3.5 mm angled plug.
- Weight: 440g
Current price and availability
HEDDphone TWO GT SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: open back full size
- Driver type: AMT – Air Motion Transformer
- Impedance: 41 Ω flat
- Power required: Min. 200 mW, recommended ≥1000 mW
- Maximum SPL: 88 dB SPL at 1 mW
- Pads – 2 pairs proprietary system:
- Velour on the face and outside with fenestrated leather on the inside
- Lamb skin on the face and outside with fenestrated leather on the inside
- Cable connectors: Dual 3.5mm jack
- Two 1.6 m cables – Balanced and Unbalanced. Adapters included.
- Carry case included
- 5 years warranty
- Weight: 550g
HEDDphone TWO GT Unplugged
- Same specs
- No cable
- Only velour pads (one pair)
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: HEDDphone TWO GT
- Audio46: HEDDphone TWO GT
- Audio46: HEDDphone TWO GT Unplugged
- HEDD Audio: HEDDphone headphones
EARPADS
The HEDDphone TWO GT comes with two sets of pads: velour and lambskin. Both have fenestrated skin on the inside, though. I prefer the HEDDphone TWO GT with lambskin pads over the velour, and in this comparison I use the lambskin. Note that the TWO GT Unplugged version only comes with the velour pads.
The HE1000SE comes with one set of replaceable hybrid pads called SerenityPads. They have polyester on the face, fenestrated pleather on the inside, and non-fenestrated pleather on the outside. There are many third-party options if you want to play around with the pads of the HE1000SE, but I use the stock pads.
AMPLIFICATION
The HEDDphone TWO GT is more demanding with regard to amplification than the HE1000SE. I get the best results when I use my Schiit Vidar 2 speaker amp. However, several headphone amplifiers come quite close, like the Bryston BHA-1. One of my favorite matches for the TWO GT is actually the Ferrum Erco mk2 DAC/Amp.
Anyway, for practical reasons I stuck with the BHA-1 for both the HE1000SE and the TWO GT for this comparison. It’s a great amp for both. It’s neutral, detailed, and punchy, and can infuse a slight sense of warmth, which the HE1000SE needs more than the TWO GT.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
Associated equipment
- Amplifier: Bryston BHA-1
- DAC: Ferrum Erco mk2
Santa Maria by Dolce Vita
The HEDDphone TWO GT is excellent, tight and detailed with a visceral character. The HE1000SE is also great but quite different; its soundstage is larger but also more diffuse. The presentation is airier but less visceral.
Some Day My Prince Will Come by Larry Coryell Miroslav Vitous Quartet
The HE1000SE is airier; the TWO GT is thicker and bolder, but not necessarily less detailed. It is a difference in character, not in quality.
The Saint by Berke Özcan
The HE1000SE sounds larger and wider. It has more bass presence and feels more detailed here, at least there’s more room for the detail to play out. The HEDDphone TWO GT feels a bit more compressed. It’s great by itself, but on this track, the HE1000SE is a step up.
Fuglefangeren by Maridalen
The HE1000SE is wider sounding; there’s more space between instruments. It’s got a very nice tuning; things sound engaging and effortless, detailed and spacious.
The HEDDphone TWO GT sounds more closed and compressed, and in direct comparison, the bass is more modest in quantity. However, the detail level is still high and the tuning is very nice – and more neutral.
Dancing in the Dark by Jørgen Dahl Moe
The HEDDphone TWO GT has warmer and more intimate vocals, but both are very nice. The HE1000SE again has a much wider sound.
Yours by Bill Laurence
This might be one of my favorite tracks to listen to with the HEDDphone TWO GT. It is warm and full-bodied, intimate and detailed. The TWO GT just nails it. The HE1000SE, however, also sounds very good – but less intimate and more spacious.
Moo)n by Lindstrom
Time for some electronic beats. The HEDDphone TWO GT is tight and punchy, with a stronger midbass and midrange presence. The HE1000SE has more lower bass and treble, and sounds airier with more treble energy.
Jambi by Tool
The HEDDphone TWO GT sounds bold and robust, focused and rich. The HE1000SE is not ideal on this track. It sounds distant and diffuse, a bit bright and busy. All the details are there, but the tuning isn’t ideal.
Bored by Deftones
Also here the HEDDphone TWO GT sounds better. It’s warmer and thicker in character, without losing detail. It has a bit more robust midbass and less brightness.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
The TWO GT offers a rich saxophone timbre; the bright percussion is clear and articulate but not piercing or overdone. The bass is well balanced but robust.
The HE1000SE has a breathier saxophone timbre, a bit brighter percussion, close to getting too bright for me. There’s more air to the delivery in general. The bass is comparable in weight, but less thick in character.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
The HE1000SE is wider and brighter, but the TWO GT is more focused and articulate with a more vivid timbre. It’s more tactile and energetic; the HE1000SE feels more diffuse.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 by Paavo Järvi
This sounds great on the HE1000SE. The soundstage is huge; there’s excellent layering. It handles this orchestral music piece effortlessly.
The TWO GT also sounds good, but not as magical here as the HE1000SE. Things are a bit less airy and not as magical.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
The TWO GT has excellent instrument timbre on the strings. They’re very vivid and natural, with warmth and energy.
The HE1000SE also sounds great, but in a different way. The strings sound brighter and airier and more ethereal.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The sound signature of the HE1000SE and the HEDDphone TWO GT are quite different. The HE1000SE is more V-shaped, with less midbass and midrange energy but more treble. The HEDDphone TWO GT is the more neutral of the two.
Treble
The HE1000SE is significantly brighter; the TWO GT is very neutral. Both have good resolution.
Midrange
The mid-range is warmer and bolder with the TWO GT, a bit drier and more polite with the HE1000SE. The detail level is similar.
Bass
The HE1000SE has more sub-bass, the TWO GT a bit more midbass. The HE1000SE might have a tad better bass quality overall, with better texture and detail. However, it varies from track to track which bass performance I prefer.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage is consistently much larger with the HE1000SE. Everything is wider and taller. The precision of the imaging is, however, less consistent. Sometimes the HE1000SE feels more precise, sometimes the TWO GT is better.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
In general, I find the detail level to be very comparable. Again, it depends a bit on the track which articulates the detail in the best way.
Which headphone has the best level of dynamics can also vary from track to track, but more often than not I find the TWO GT to feel more punchy and articulate, the HE1000SE a bit more polite and ethereal.
Timbre is an area where they consistently differ. The HE1000SE can be described as airy, breathy, and might be a tad dry, especially when compared to the richer, bolder, and warmer TWO GT. Which of them I prefer depends heavily on the music playing, though.
CONCLUSION
Both the HiFiman HE1000SE and the HEDDphone TWO GT are excellent headphones with comparable detail retrieval capabilities, but they offer distinctly different listening experiences.
The HE1000SE offers a larger, wider soundstage, more air, and a brighter, more V-shaped signature. It sounds airier but can also feel drier and overly treble heavy.
The HEDDphone TWO GT sounds warmer and bolder, but also more neutral. It offers a richer timbre and generally more punchy and articulate dynamics, though at the cost of some of that expansive space.
With regards to amplification, the TWO GT is notably more power hungry, and it can sound dull and closed in with the wrong amp. However, getting the HE1000SE right and not sounding too bright or dry also requires a good match.
It’s hard for me to recommend one over the other. They are both excellent. If you are going to choose between them, the choice comes down to preference: pick the HE1000SE for its airy, spacious, and ethereal character, or the HEDDphone TWO GT for its richer, more tactile, and neutral presentation.
Either way, you’re getting a genuinely high-performing headphone, just with a different flavor of excellence. If you can afford both, they are great as complementary headphones.
In conclusion, they’re quite different, but both come recommended.
Thanks for reading. You can support us by purchasing anything using any of our affiliate links.
- Amazon: HEDDphone TWO GT
- Audio46: HEDDphone TWO GT
- Audio46: HEDDphone TWO GT Unplugged
- HEDD Audio: HEDDphone headphones
Any purchase you make on Amazon, Linsoul , AliExpress or Audio46 with any of our affiliate links will give us a small provision at no cost to you.
We only get a provision for items that are not returned, so there’s no incentive for us to recommend something that’s not good.
Linsoul : Headphones, Earbuds, Wireless Earbuds, Desktop DAC/AMP, Portable DAC/AMP, Digital Audio Players,
Amazon: Headphones, IEMs, Headphone Amplifiers, Home Audio or Anything else.
.
If you enjoyed this article or other content on The Headphoneer, you might consider leaving a small donation to keep this website up and running. No donation is too small. Thanks for supporting us!
If you like our work please follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter , it will help us grow. Sharing is caring 🙂
