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Head(amame) Debuts 3D Printed Sustainable Headphones at AXPONA 2026 You Can Build Yourself

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Most audio brands guard their designs like trade secrets, but Head(amame) showed up at AXPONA 2026 and did the exact opposite. The Vancouver-based company is handing over schematics, specs, and build plans for its 3D printed headphones, inviting users to print and assemble their own at home with a parts kit for what cannot be fabricated on a desktop printer. While 3D printed speakers have been circulating in DIY circles for years, this is the first time I have seen the concept executed this openly and completely in the headphone space.

Morgan Andreychuk explained that Head(amame) gives away the files to 3D print the cups, yoke, and headband whether you buy the finished headphone or build it yourself. The price difference is a big part of the appeal: the completed Head(amame) Pro starts at $369 for Kickstarter backers, while the Head(amame) parts kit sells for $130 through the company’s site. That means buyers can pay more for a finished product with QC and warranty coverage, or spend a lot less on the kit and print most of the structure themselves.

Either way, the open design is the real hook. Owners have the files needed to recreate most of the structural parts if something breaks, wears out, or if they want to tweak the design later. The tradeoff is straightforward: choose the DIY route and you give up the company’s finished-product QC process and warranty, but not its support. Andreychuk and the team were clearly willing to discuss materials, printing options, and possible improvements, which makes this feel less like a sealed consumer product and more like a headphone platform built for people who actually want to tinker.

Head(amame) Pro 3D Printed Headphones

The Head(amame) Pro uses a semi closed back design that will feel familiar in concept to the Fostex T50RP, even if it looks nothing like it. The structure is unmistakably its own. The headband and yoke form a plus shaped frame that dominates the face of the cup, while a series of radial baffles wrap around the perimeter, giving it an almost floral appearance. You do not see the driver from the rear, but each “petal” hides a vent that becomes visible from the side.

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Head(amame) Pro Headphones at AXPONA 2026

Even the cable placement refuses to follow convention, mounted vertically on the rear face but closer to the front. My first instinct was that I had them on backwards. Morgan acknowledged that clearer left and right markings are still a work in progress.

The first real surprise comes when you pick them up. For something this large, the Head(amame) Pro is extremely light. That is not by accident. The goal is to go even further, with plans to swap a brass pin for aluminum and replace another internal component with carbon fiber. It is already more than 100 grams lighter than the AirPods Max and still trending downward.

That kind of weight reduction changes the equation. A non padded headband might raise eyebrows on paper, but here it is not the liability you would expect because there simply is not enough mass to make it one.

The Head(amame) Pro uses dynamic drivers with a glass diaphragm intended to improve speed and clarity, but the platform is not locked down. Builders can experiment with a range of 40 mm dynamic drivers as long as the specifications line up, which reinforces the open, modular nature of the design. Head(amame) shared a booth with Capra Audio, who assisted with tuning the Pro.

That collaboration came after some disagreement over the voicing of an earlier model, prompting Morgan to bring Capra into the process for this revision. Given Capra Audio’s presence in the DIY space with aftermarket parts and headbands, the partnership makes sense and will likely resonate with the community this product is aimed at.

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Sound, at least in that environment, leaned close to reference with a slight roll off in the lowest octaves and a bit of lift up top. It is an easy signature to listen to and, more importantly, one that invites experimentation. That matters here because the entire premise is that you are not stuck with a fixed outcome. The reality of a busy show floor limits how far I am willing to go with sonic conclusions, but the early impression was positive enough to warrant a deeper look. If I can get a set printed for review, there is clearly more to unpack.

As a concept, Head(amame) is doing something few others are willing to try. It is a more sustainable approach than most full size headphones, and at roughly 280 grams with plans to go even lighter, it is also one of the more comfortable options for listeners who usually tap out early because of weight.

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Where to order: $589 $399 at Head(amame)

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