Verdict
Somehow the HED Unity contrive to be exceptional wireless headphones and one of the most exasperating mathematical product you ’re ever likely to encounter , all at the same time .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
First thing first : these headphones are called Unity , and they ’re the product of a ship’s company address HED Unity . Let ’s concur direct away , shall we , that we ’ll refer to the headphones as Unity and the company as HED ? Otherwise , confusion will reign …
And with that out of the manner , consider this alternatively : the Unity are the world ’s first wireless high - definition lossless audio headset . That ’s correct – by using Wi - Fi , rather thanBluetooth , for wireless connectivity , the Unity can deal with lossless digital audio Indian file from local store or medicine streaming Service at a resolution of up to 24 - bit/96kHz . That ’s not something that even the most accomplished , most sophisticated Bluetooth codec can claim .
Breaking Modern solid ground can be tricky , though – by getting the jump on every titular competitor , HED Unity finds itself square in the public eye . Is that an entirely comfortable spot to be ?
Availability
The Unity wireless on - ear noise - cancel headphones are on sale , and in the United Kingdom , they ’ll set you back £ 1795 for a pair . In the United States they ’re an equally considerable $ 2199 , while in Australia they go for AU$3299 or thereabouts .
You do n’t really demand me to tell you that this is an awful mint of money for a twosome ofwireless headphones , the fact that they ’re the “ world ’s first ” something - or - other notwithstanding . It makes the fact I had a quiet conniption about the price of theMark Levinson No.5909on these site a little while ago seem almost old-time .
Design
How do you make a pair of wireless over - spike headphones reckon like they cost the good part of two grand ? Not easy , is it ? After all , it ’s not as if you could take liberties with the established design guide .
HED has accepted as much and has alternatively concentrated on making the Unity find as premium as possible , while attempting to up the mundaneness quotient of the tone as much as it ’s able . And while I ’d suggest it ’s nigh - on unimaginable to make a product like this look like it costs as much as this , the Unity is a nicely realised and undeniably tactile design .
Take the outer portion of the earcups , for instance . They ’re mill around from 6063 architectural - ground level Al , and the light anodisation they ’ve undergone means they feel as effective as they reckon . The physique of the headphones is build up from carbon copy fibre - reenforce nylon , which offer military posture , lightness ( the Unity are just 421 g ) , and splendid rejection of vibration .
The headband has more of this fabric , along with polymeric amide . The hide adaptation chemical mechanism engage with nicely weighted resistor . The earpads represent a commixture of memory foam and cooling gel , and they ’re covered in a soft microfibre material that ’s just as tactile as the rest of the headphones .
The overall look is decently compact by the standards of pricey over - ear earpiece , nicely understated and clean . There ’s some very circumspect Unity branding on one side of the headband that only adds to the impression of beneficial taste .
Features
Unlike its design , HED has an opportunity with its features to give you a solid sense of where all your money might have gone . And with a celebrated exception or two , that ’s exactly what it ’s done .
I ’ll start with what HED is calling Full Fidelity . This is the Unique Unity Selling Point : the power to use Wi - Fi to stream from music streaming services or local storage , at a lossless 24 - bit/96kHz resolution . They read it could n’t be done and it turns out they were incorrect .
To be fair , though , ‘ they ’ say it could n’t be done while assert half - nice battery life . But given that a single billing will keep the Unity running for between six and eight hour , calculate on conditions , ‘ they ’ are nevertheless leave look a fleck daft .
Charging the shelling takes place using the USB - C socket on the leftover earcup – 90 minute will take you from flat to full , while just five minutes or so should carry you for an hour . And that USB - C is good for data point transfer , too – so wire hear , using the USB - cytosine / USB - A cable length or the USB - C / 3.5 mm analogue adaptor , is on the menu too .
If you perfectly must use Bluetooth for wireless cyclosis , though , the Unity are 4.2 - equipped and have compatibility with SBC and AAC codec . Perfunctory is the intelligence I ’ll apply here .
Whether it arrives via Bluetooth or Wi - Fi , audio information ends up being delivered to your capitulum by a span of 40 mm titanium - coated full - kitchen range dynamic gadget driver . They ’re good for a claim frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz .
An inertial measure unit of measurement consisting of a three - axis gyroscope , three - axis accelerometer and three - axis orbit have in mind the Unity has a nine - axis school principal - tracking and motion - detecting agreement . Extremely ready to hand where audio AR and what - have - you is worry .
And there are a totality of a dozen mics distributed over the Unity anatomy – eight are digital , the remaining four analogue . They take tending ofactive interference - cancellation , telephony , and interaction with the HED voice assistant . Or , at least , they will deal with voice - assistant interaction from early 2024 – that ’s when the native HED assistant is due to come onstream .
In the absence of a voice assistant or any skin senses controls , though , you ’re lead with a selection of physical controls and an app that ’s destitute for iOS and Android to get your bid done . The physical control are arrange around the edge of the right earcup – the usual three - button strip deal with all major playback , intensity and telephony controls , while the 4th push button can have its mathematical function defined in the control app .
The app itself is quite as sporting and thoroughly - looking as the headphones it keep in line . In improver to playback controls , it features a toggle to switch ANC on or off , a nine - dance orchestra EQ with some presets , and an indication of assault and battery life .
It includes what HED assert on call its multisource music player , which , in actual fact , is an upmarket way of saying the app allow for you to examine any local media files , any UPnP or DLNA devices on a common mesh , and to mix yourQobuzand / or Soundcloud answer for for informality of access . TIDAL Connect will be usable presently , and both Apple Music andSpotify Connectare hold via their own apps . Fans ofAmazon MusicorDeezer(for representative ) will just have to deal with their absence seizure .
There ’s an issue with the app , though , and it ’s a pretty big one : it does n’t work properly . It ’s forgetful , for appetiser , and well confused about what it ’s think to be diddle . It ca n’t keep time the right way – during my time with it , for case , it suggested a songbeganat 4 m 05s and finished at 2 m 37s . It struggles to get from the first song to the last in a play list in any form of order , and it ’s often piercing to return to the start of the playlist – especially if you ’ve been negligent enough to let the blind of the twist on which the app is loaded go to catch some Z’s . You ’re routinely treated to artwork unrelated to the music that ’s represent .
It ’s rare to encounter a restraint app that give every impression of being unfinished these 24-hour interval . I ’d go as far as to say it ’s unheard of in an app that ’s accompanying a product as relatively expensive as this one . I ’d advise it will be enough to ruin the possession experience for some customers almost immediately .
Sound Quality
The Unity ascendence app is far from the most helpful . But get ’s guess you ’ve managed to get some euphony playing – perchance even the music you asked for in the first place . How do the HED Wi - Fi headphones perform ?
Brilliantly is not to magnify it . Even when given a fairly average CD - stock 16 - bit/44.1kHz single file of TV on the Radio ’s Wolf Like Meto take with , the HED Unity are bravura performers . They ’re able to identify and deliver the most momentary , venial details of tone , timbre , and texture expeditiously , and can put them into appropriate setting without any apparent crusade .
They make an highly spacious , widescreen soundstage , which allows every ingredient of a transcription more than enough infinite in which to function – and they tie each element back into a complete and unified whole with ease . They have the sort of vaulting active potentiality that makes the distance between very quiet and extremely loudly seem like a gulf – and they can switch between the two State without go against lather . At no pointedness are you potential to inquire if there is any aspect of a recording , no matter how ephemeral or subtle , you ’re not party to .
The tonal balance the Unity bang when given a full - on , full - juicy and losslessly streamed 24 - bit/96kHz filing cabinet of Aretha Franklin ’s Dr. Feelgood ( Love is a Serious Business)is basically double-dyed . Low oftenness are thick , textured , absolutely convincing where timbre is concerned and carry a stack of harmonized variation in them – punch is just one of the thing the Unity can do when given the low - end tools to work with .
At the paired end of the frequency range , they have dead body and bite , and such a lot of substance and variation in rhythm section sounds that it seems potential to discern whereabouts a cymbal is being strike from smash to strike . There ’s brilliance to the top end , but even if you like to listen aloud there ’s nothing highly strung or otherwise common to the way of life the HED serve well up the treble .
And in between , the absolutely matchless vocal music is save with what is sure as shooting every individual fight of information regarding tone , character and technique inviolate . It would be hard to make Aretha sound anything inadequate of sticker - tingle , of course – but the Unity have such powers of resolution that the immediacy of her delivery is enough to bring up gooseflesh . As far as powers of unmediated midrange communication are concerned , the HED Unity are – to my cognition , at least – without meaningful competition where wireless headphones are concerned .
The fact that the alive noise - cancellation here is nothing more than acceptable ca n’t help but seem like a bit of a let - down after the transonic firework of the levelheaded reproduction that ’s available . The Unity are a catch for some pretty well - regarded over - ear phone in this esteem ( all of which , let ’s not block , are several order of magnitude less expensive ) , but you ’re never going to confuse the meaning reduction in outside distractions for the uncanny blanket of silence a pair ofBose noise - cancellerscan stroke over you .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
The HED Unity are currently the only product that can do it , and they do it in some style.&bsp;&bsp ;
The Unity mastery app is , as it stands , the electronic equivalent weight of a ABA transit number - fire .
Final Thoughts
I was go to write that I ’m conflicted – but I ’m not , not really . The HED Unity are the best - sounding pair of wireless earphone I ’ve ever hear , I ’m confident of that . But I ’m equally positive that I would n’t purchase them even if they were one-half of the asking price – the control app is so infuriating I could almost take it in person .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every set of headphones we review good over an protracted period of time . We use industry received test to equate feature the right way . We ’ll always order you what we find . We never , ever , take money to review a intersection .
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FAQs
For the best audio performance on the HED Unity , Wi - Fi would be the preferred option . With Bluetooth these headphones support SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs , so you wo n’t get Hi - Res Audio support via Bluetooth .
