(Image credit: HEDD Audio GmbH)

German audio expert HEDD Audio has created a pair of audiophile headphones featuring a world first – they are said to debut Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) technology.

This uses a higher-performance form of carbon fibre more usually found in advanced applications, such as Formula 1 racing cars and the NASA Mars Helicopter.

These aren't HEDD"s first headphones: it makes other models too, including the £1.7K HEDDphone TWO open back pair, the world's first air motion transformer headphones. However, the HEDDphone D1 over-ears are more traditional and less power hungry with their dynamic drivers, and they cost considerably less. The star here isn't technology, but the materials it uses.

(Image credit: HEDD Audio GmbH)

HEDDphone D1: key features and pricing

HEDD Audio specialise in studio equipment for professional users, and says that the HEDDphone D1 deliver studio-grade precision.

The use of TPCD in the drivers removes the need for traditional damping, and the company claims this enables them to deliver faster transients and more accurate performance

These are open-back headphones with 32 ohm impedance, so you don't need a massive amp to drive them – although HEDD does suggest that a better amp will in turn make your experience better.

The diaphragms here are made from precisely layered, ultra-thin sheets of carbon fibre, and their extra-light weight makes them suitable for long listening and working sessions.

That lightness is relative, though, as Darko Audio notes, they're much lighter than HEDD's AMT headphones, coming in at 350g. But that's still heavier than similar headphones from the likes of Sennheiser.

One added bonus is that D1 headphones are modular and designed for easy servicing and parts replacement, and they come with a generous five year warranty.

The HEDDphone D1 studio headphones are available now from the likes of Peter Tyson for £599 / €699 / $799 (about AU$1,205).