Review: Heavys H1h – Heavy Enough For You?

Closely hyped. Closely marketed. Closely not on time.

Unboxing and First Influence

The place to Purchase

The Heavys H1H headphones, just like the Dyson Zone, are some other fascinatingly distinctive pair of headphones getting a large number of press this . Those “headphones engineered for heavy steel” began lifestyles as a Kickstarter in overdue 2021.

Boasting many attention-grabbing options equivalent to 8 drivers, forward-mounted tweeters, and building via mythical Sennheiser clothier the “Godfather of German Sound” Axel Grell, the Heavys instantly made a large number of waves in headphone communities. Sadly, after the primary went via with out cargo, grumbles and hypothesis began to switch the anticipation.

Alternatively, in overdue spring 2023, the primary backers began receiving their units, and my pair arrived in August. Heavys claims they’ve despatched out over 12000 pairs via mid-October 2023.

Battery

• Battery Lifestyles: 50 hours (ANC off), 40 hours (ANC on)
• Price Time: 5 hours

A pleasant characteristic (this is most effective now and again the case with ANC headphones) is that you’ll be able to proceed to make use of Bluetooth to hear the headphones whilst charging.

The USB-c port serves double accountability as a fee port and for the stressed out DAC listening mode when attached to a virtual supply. With the USB-c cable plugged into your laptop, the Heavys will display up as an audio software, even with Bluetooth became off.

UX

• Regulate Mechanism: All mechanical. No contact controls.
• Contact Accuracy: n/a
• Regulate Symmetry on each ear-cups: No
• Mono Use: No

A couple of anticipated AWS headphone options are lacking from the Heavys, maximum particularly contact controls and put on detection, so the headphones is not going to mechanically pause while you take away them out of your head.

The ones people used to tapping or stroking the ear cups to make adjustments can be disillusioned.

The button placement and utilization are slightly of a combined bag. Whilst I just like the (precise) steel quantity knob/button, it’s rather awkward to concurrently press the 2 tiny buttons, intently flanking it on each side, to go into transparency mode.

There’s no 2.5mm to three.5mm cable integrated.

The two.5mm port hollow at the headphones is quite small, so discovering an oem cable to suit is also difficult. The protected guess is to reserve the respectable cable.

Design

• Profile: Over-Ear
• Subject matter: Plastic, spring metal band, pleather ear cushions and scarf
• Are compatible and Convenience: Excellent

Whilst you first pop the Heavys for your head, you’ll understand that they’re no lightweights. Tipping the scales at a bit of over 400g, they’re noticeably heavier, higher, and bulkier than many different ANC headphones.

The Heavys are giant and heavy for ANC cans.

The following factor you are going to most likely understand is that the Heavys have a decent clamp drive. The excellent news is that the pleather ear pads are well padded and luxurious, so this does smartly to offset the burden and handle convenience.

It can be essential to stretch the band out slightly to seek out the satisfied medium that works easiest together with your noggin. The headscarf pad isn’t overly cushioned, so you are going to most likely really feel hotspots after a couple of hours.

Even with the tight clamp drive, their measurement and form imply they don’t keep put for over the top headbanging. The Heavys do higher strolling or commuting than with dancing, fitness center, or operating use.

The generously sized plastic cups and pleather pads must have compatibility maximum ears in the market, and unsurprisingly, the fake leather-based does get heat with use. The outer shell faceplates clip off and on, and custom designed substitute shells are to be had without delay from Heavys to personalize the appearance.

The headscarf design sits flat around the most sensible of the top and stands out at the facets when dressed in the Heavys – now not my favourite silhouette.

Mic

• Noise Cancellation: Moderate
• Voice Pick out-up: Moderate

The 5 microphones sound greater than respectable sufficient for informal dialog. Nonetheless, you might be not likely to select the Heavys for industry or skilled use in the rest however the quietest paintings surroundings.

Environmental noise cancellation is minimum, and callers will pay attention your setting. My transmitted voice sounds muffled when in a loud area.

Mic demo

Sound

• Driving force: 2x 38mm dynamic drivers, 2 tweeters (in line with facet)
• Sound Signature: Boosted bass, subdued midrange and treble
• Bass: Excellent
• Mids: Moderate
• Treble: Moderate
• Soundstage: Excellent
• Imaging: Moderate
• Dynamics: Excellent

It must be no surprise that those colored-sounding headphones aren’t supposed for crucial tune listening. As with all pair of headphones deviating from usual tuning curves, they’re sure to be arguable, developing each avid fanatics and fervent detractors.

Chances are you’ll love ‘em, chances are you’ll hate ‘em.

Like many in their ANC competition, they’re certainly bass-heavy, however the general tuning deviates from the norm. I in actuality don’t experience taking note of tune on the preferred Sony and Sennheiser ANC choices and in finding them claustrophobic because of their robust ANC and tuning.

By contrast, the Heavys’ dynamics sound dialed up – extra vigorous and attractive, no less than at upper quantity ranges. Additionally they do a excellent process sounding much less closed in than maximum closed-back headphones and feature a quite extensive and expansive soundstage – most likely because of their distinctive driving force positioning and construction.

This spacious presentation turns out to return on the expense of correct positioning, as audio cues in video games and films don’t appear to translate as smartly.

Bass

The bass reaction could be very robust, with excellent intensity and rumble. Heavys pronounces that they make use of generation and tuning to give a boost to the sense of loudness with out SPL build up or doable listening to harm. Via audio tomfoolery, the listener’s belief is louder than truth. Indubitably, that is what offers the Heavys their unorthodox frequency reaction measurements.

I do in finding that it will be important to extend the quantity to average listening ranges ahead of the Heavys truly sound alive. They generally tend to sound a marginally muffled at low volumes, with the boosted bass frequencies overwhelming the remainder.

The improved bass reaction is most likely a part of their proprietary tuning, enjoying with conventional Fletcher–Munson curves and tweaking the equal-loudness contour – which dictates that people understand that very excessive and really low frequencies fall off at quiet volumes.

The bass turns out extra sub-bass centered than mid-bass boosted, so issues sound extra weighty than openly punchy. Curiously, this makes the Heavys no less than as adept with trendy pop and digital tune as with their supposed style.

Enthusiasts of Black Sabbath and Taylor Swift will benefit from the Heavys.

Bass is the celebrity of the display with the Heavys, and audiophiles in need of a impartial or analytical-sounding set must stay looking. Additionally, there are higher alternatives than those headphones for singer-songwriter or folks tune listening.

However that is obviously a planned selection from the designers, and FUN is the secret with those rather foolish cans. I imply, somebody including that voice recommended isn’t taking issues too critically.

Midrange

The midrange is provide however a vital step down from the low finish. Even with such distinguished bass, the Heavys do organize to not sound excessively heat and thick – tools and voices will even sound a bit of skinny, relying at the observe. This sparseness is helping so as to add much-needed readability to the combo.

Treble

The treble continues the laid-back pattern from the midrange frequencies. I guess that is to lower listening fatigue with headphones supposed to be performed loud. Because of this, the treble most effective comes into its personal at upper quantity ranges.

The subdued treble stunned me, as I thought the pair of distinguished tweeters in each and every cup would give a piezo-like treble reaction. In reality, the revel in isn’t excessively piercing or tizzy, and the Heavys do a excellent process keeping up brotherly love with all the ones drivers.

Arms on strings can sound a bit of sharp, and sure frequencies might come throughout as rather scorching for treble-sensitive other people, however that is most commonly within the upper-mids/lower-treble area. The best higher frequencies appear fairly rolled off – one thing not unusual with Bluetooth cans.

Lively noise cancellation

The Heavys have very efficient passive noise cancellation. Even with ANC powered off, a large number of exterior noise is filtered out.

The ones used to the excessive degree of energetic noise cancellation that Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose headphones supply will in finding the Heavys a lot lighter-handed. I don’t experience oppressive ANC and will in finding the revel in similar to being trapped in an acoustic submarine, so I truly recognize how the Heavys care for it.

Heavys calls their noise cancellation Hell Blocker.

No, it’s now not as efficient in a loud setting equivalent to an plane, however I in finding the listening revel in way more relaxing because of the lighter ANC implementation. Simply sufficient, fairly than an excessive amount of.

Connectivity

• Audio Codec: SBC, AAC, aptX, LHDC
• Bluetooth Model: 5.1
• Auto-connect when: Powered on
• Moderate drop-outs in an hour: 0
• Multi-point connection: Sure

Bluetooth efficiency is general superb, with top of the range codec enhance and an excessively strong connection.

Water resistant

• IP Ranking: Very Deficient

The Heavys don’t have any waterproofness IP score. Even if, to my eyes, they appear no higher or worse than different plastic closed-back headphones. I be expecting they’re going to deal wonderful with some minor splashing or rain.

Device

• No app to be had as of October 2023.

There’s a promise of an app in building, however as of the time of writing, it stays vaporware. This can be a giant pass over, as ANC headphones receive advantages considerably from the power to dial in transparency and ANC ranges in addition to practice EQ. I anticipated the supply delays would have helped app unencumber timing, however right here we’re.

Who Must Purchase This?

Whether or not your musical tastes run to Roan Chappell or Pantera, the Heavys make a amusing touring spouse. Lean into the foolish which are the voice activates and crank up the quantity – that is what the Heavys had been designed to do.

Crucial and quiet listeners needn’t practice. Any product advertised as “steel AF” doesn’t cater to that demographic.

A large plus is the good passive noise canceling and light-weight ANC. This combo makes the Heavys a lot more palatable for listening in quiet environments, one thing I will’t say for lots of ANC trade leaders at the moment.

The Heavys aren’t for everybody – they’re indubitably designed to be a distinct segment product. However for the suitable other people, I be expecting the Heavys will head-bang their manner into many hearts.

Ultimate Ideas

A not unusual theme in my opinions is that I most often like corporations and merchandise that do issues in a different way. Kudos to those that set out to not upload some other copycat product to an already saturated marketplace.

The Heavys organize to ship one thing new to the ANC panorama. I pass over put on detection, and the loss of an app is a bummer. However crank them up with the suitable tune, and the Heavys will rock your global with their dynamic and amusing presentation.

What’s within the Field?

• Heavys H1H headphones
• USB-c cable
• Person information
• Thanks word
• Unique backer certificates

Technical Specs

• Shape: Closed-back, Over-ear, ANC headphones
• Drivers: 4 x 38mm dynamic drivers, 4 x tweeters
• Frequency Reaction (Hz): 5 Hz – 46 kHz, 5 Hz – 24 kHz (Bluetooth)
• Distortion: 0.05% (100 dB SPL, 1kHz)
• Detachable Cable: Y, 2.5-3.5 bought one by one
• USB: USB-c for charging and stressed out DAC mode
• Bluetooth Audio Codec: SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive, LHDC
• Battery Lifestyles (hrs): 50h (ANC off), 40h (ANC on)
• Bluetooth Model: 5.1
• Mic: Y
• Weight (g): 407g