The first lossless Wi-Fi headphones come from Switzerland
The HED Unity is the first headphones to offer lossless audio quality. The hi-fi quality is made possible thanks to a Wi-Fi connection, comes from Switzerland and is quite expensive.
HED Technologies is a start-up from Geneva. The company seems to have succeeded in doing what the big players such as Apple, Sony and Sonos have been trying to do for a long time: Wi-Fi headphones that transmit hi-fi quality. The headphones are called Unity and are the first of their kind - until now, Wi-Fi headphones have only been available as headsets in the gaming sector.
Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth
Bluetooth transmissions are often referred to as lossless, so lossless headphones already exist. However, this is not quite true - or is a matter of definition for some manufacturers. Attention, now it's getting a bit complicated. One thing is clear; Bluetooth hardly achieves lossless bandwidths. Sony's LDAC standard (Low Latency and High-Definition Audio Codec), for example, compresses 24-bit sound to 990 kbit/s at a sampling rate of 96 kHz. Qualcomm's aptX Lossless transmits in CD quality (1411 kbit/s).
The Unity headphones from HED achieve a transmission of up to 192 kHz in 24-bit sound thanks to their Wi-Fi connection, according to the start-up. This is - according to the not-so-clear definition - hi-fi quality. HED calls the standard Full-Fi.
Source: HED Technologies
This transmission needs a lot of battery. With a Wi-Fi connection, the headphones only run for six to eight hours - instead of 16 hours with Bluetooth. The Unity headphones also support the SBC and AAC codec. They can also be connected via an Aux cable.
Streaming via app and with Titan drivers
Unlike other headphones, you can't just connect the Unity to a mobile and start streaming. It only works losslessly with the corresponding app. However, it supports the most important streaming services.
HED has installed a titanium-coated driver in the headphones. It has a diameter of 40 millimetres and covers a frequency range of 20 Hz to 22 kHz. The Unity has active noise cancelling (noise suppression). Twelve microphones are installed for making phone calls. However, according to the manufacturer, the headphones can only be used as a headset if the connection is established via Bluetooth.
Source: HED Technologies
Source: HED Technologies
With a big price tag
The headphones from HED are not for the faint-hearted. They cost 2199 dollars. They can be ordered via a special website created by the company.
According to the company, which was founded in 2016, the delivery time is two to three weeks. Case and cable are included. And if you are not convinced by the hi-fi quality, you can return the headphones to HED free of charge.
Cover image: HED Technologies
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.