HEDD Type 7 mk2 monitors review - The head of the instructor class

HEDD Audio: A Berlin brand making its mark

Among all the brands offering studio monitors, HEDD isn’t one we’re familiar with, and for good reason, their products have only recently been distributed in France. The company is well established in Germany or the USA, and its products get pretty good press there, but for us (in France), it’s a discovery. We’d missed out on the first version of the Type 7 (Red Led gave it an Innovation Award), released a few years ago, and it’s with this mk2 that we discover the “Type” series. The series offers two two-way models, the 5 and 7 (for speaker size in inches, obviously), as well as two three-way models named 20 and 30.

HEDD is a German manufacturer based in Berlin, a relatively young company that was founded in 2015. Their products are limited to a few models of monitors and subwoofers and a headset, the aptly named HEDDphone. The brand’s co-founder, Klaus Heinz (as in Heinz ElectroDynamic Designs), previously founded and managed Adam Audio, where he notably developed AMT technology, which we’ll discuss later. These Type 7 mk2 monitors retail for around €900 each ($1199 in the USA). Models in the same price range include the Genelec 8040 or Neumann KH 120 (the latter are smaller), which are fine references, so we’d expect high quality for this price.

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AMT technology: A key asset of HEDD Type 7 mk2

The monitors we discover are quite imposing, with dimensions of 370 × 220 × 300 mm (14.6 × 8.7 × 11.8 inches) and weigh almost 10 kg (22 lbs) each. Their design is quite sober, the cabinets are black (but they also come in white), and the top and bottom corners at the front are beveled. At the bottom, on either side of the HEDD logo, are two bass reflex vents, and below them three small LEDs indicating standby, operation or possible saturation.

Above, the 7" driver is topped by an Air Motion Transformer tweeter. This technology, closely associated with Adam Audio products, is decidedly a Berlin specialty, which we’ve also seen on Eve Audio monitors, and has even tended to spread to other non-German brands in recent years. An AMT tweeter uses a lateral movement in the folds of the diaphragm to generate the movement of frontal air, allowing an acceleration phenomenon of four times the speed of displacement of the diaphragm material. Very high frequencies and transients can thus be generated without imposing such rapid displacement on the tweeter material.

Another technical specificity of HEDD monitors, which is called CoP (Closed or Ported), consists of an unusual option: close the bass reflex vents or leave them open. Suitable caps are supplied for this purpose. In short, we could explain this choice by stating that bass reflex, while allowing more low frequencies to sound, even from small speakers and loudspeakers, generates irregularities in frequency response and phase problems. Obstructing the vents and thus obtaining a closed cabinet brings us nearer to a theoretically perfect, linear diffusion of frequencies. Linearity is a primary concern at HEDD, and the third key piece of information about the design of these monitors concerns this very point. The DSP, among other things, has the function of “linearizing” the signal, i.e. eliminating phase problems linked to time shifts of the various frequencies. Each monitor is measured, and the calculations performed enable the DSP to linearize according to that precise loudspeaker and enclosure.

The rear panel offers a number of interesting settings and options. From left to right and top to bottom, we start with the volume rotary control, which has the very good idea of being notched and measured in dB, from –12 to +12, passing through the default 0 dB. Next, a selector allows you to activate or deactivate the Linearizer, and the next allows you to adapt the DSP’s work according to the choice you’ve made between Closed and Ported. The next line offers three filters: the first for bass, the second for treble, from –4 dB to +4 dB, in 1 dB steps, then a selector for extending the bass frequencies or for filtering at 80 Hz if the monitors are used with a subwoofer.

At the bottom, there’s a selector to choose the input for each monitor: underneath is an analog XLR input, and one for AES digital. There’s also an AES “through” output, so you can choose between analog input, the right or left channels of a stereo digital input, or mono still in digital.

Next, the input sensitivity can be decreased (down to –10 dB) or increased (up to +4 dB) if required, and finally, the Desk Filter offers three settings that limit frequencies potentially amplified by the console or other surface on which the monitors rest. It will come in handy. Add to this the fact that the brand offers accessories for mounting the speakers on walls or similar and that the Type 07s can be used in an Atmos system.

Our first listen

Here we go, we plug in the monitors, all the settings are at 0 or in the default position, and we listen to some music. We should point out right away for the sake of honesty that the speakers sit on our metal-framed console. The layout of the studio and the organization of the space with our reference speakers all around dictates this arrangement. We already know that we’ll have to make adjustments accordingly. Indeed, we quickly notice an excess of low midrange, so we’re going to use the Desk filter (located around 180 Hz) to improve this point. Set to the Large position (-4 dB), it is effective but excessive. The Medium position (-2 dB) is debatable, so we opt for the Small (-1 dB), which seems sufficient and will compromise less with the nature of the monitors. 

In order to compare with our reference pairs (the Genelec 1030A and Adam A7X), we have to adjust the volume, and we’re delighted with this precise, notched rotary control, which ensures stereo coherence when making this adjustment. We immediately notice that the music sounds very good through these monitors, which are really pleasant, rich and deep.

Radiohead – “15 Step”

“15 Step” is the usual first test track for us, and the response from Type 7 is quite impressive. The dynamics of the rhythmic production are salient, and the details — and there are plenty in this mix — are superbly rendered. If we compare with our references, we find more clarity and precision than with the A7Xs, but less treble and aggressiveness than with the 1030As (which are particularly dynamic in the high frequencies). We also listen with large three-way Genelec 1037Cs, and in the end, it’s this pair that the tonal balance of the HEDDs most closely resembles — all things considered.

Moderat – “A New Error”

We test the bass of the Type 7s, and here again, it’s pretty convincing. By going for even more openness at the bottom with the LF Range filter, we gain access to infra frequencies, essential for mixing this type of deep-bass electronic music. You’ll have to be careful with this bass extension, as the response is probably not totally linear, and, depending on the type of music being mixed, it’s not necessarily necessary to go so low. Still, the midrange remains a little generous.

Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”

Listening to the bass line, quite disjointed and detached from the rest of the spectrum, frankly reassures us of the coherence of the lower end. Everything is legible and the energy of the track is really well reproduced. Listening to the rhythm section — in particular the snare drums and hi-hats — draws our attention to the fact that the transients are indeed very clean and clear, but the top end of the spectrum seems to be a little below level, at least compared to the 1030As, though the latter are perhaps are a little heavy in the high frequencies.

Lou Reed – “Walk on the Wild Side”

We’d already noticed it when listening to the works of Thom Yorke and Kendrick Lamar, Lou Reed’s voice takes center stage here, very rich and full of substance. There is perhaps a slight excess around 500 Hz, which can be attributed to the surface on which the monitors rest, and which we didn’t want to correct too frankly. As for the rest, it’s superb. The depth and different sound planes are quite well rendered, and all the acoustic instruments and their details are impressively reproduced.

Bass reflex or closed mode: impact on sound rendering

We explore the filters and other settings available. The high shelf is very effective: at +4 dB, it’s frankly excessive, we suspect, but at +1 dB or +2 dB, we find it appreciable and it can be justified. Remember, we found the very high frequencies a little below; the shelf here is well placed and responds with precision. Combined with the bass extension, the result is a very open spectrum towards the extremes, but frankly well-balanced, which will probably appeal to some mixers.

The bass filter is quite effective too, but we don’t think it’s necessary in either direction. It does, however, concern a higher frequency range than the LF Range, and those who wish to do so can use these two controls to influence the bass quite finely. The frequencies of these two filters are not specified on the rear panel, nor in the small documentation supplied with the monitors, but the manufacturer has told us that the bass plateau is located between 30 Hz and 200 Hz, the treble between 3 kHz and 22 kHz.

Now we test the speakers in their closed version, a proposition that clearly stimulated our curiosity as soon as we heard about them. So, using a supplied screw, we insert plugs into the four vents, then set the DSP to the Closed version. The result is truly impressive. The sharpness of the transients, the clarity of the stereo image, the tonal balance — we like it all! The slight excess of midrange that we had perceived on certain voices no longer bothers us. Depending on tastes and work habits, the low-frequency boost filter could prove useful in this configuration. We’re thinking that we’d probably have chosen this closed version if we were keeping the monitors, but we were also very enthusiastic about the previous one.

FAQ

What are the main advantages of HEDD Type 7 mk2?

HEDD Type 7 mk2 monitors stand out for their AMT technology, stereo precision, the possibility of using them in bass reflex or closed mode, and their integrated DSP for improved linearity.

What’s the difference between “Closed” and “Ported” mode?

The “Ported” mode (bass reflex) offers more bass and better extension in the low frequencies, while the “Closed” mode (closed enclosure) ensures a more linear and precise reproduction.

Can they be used in Atmos systems?

Yes, the HEDD Type 7 mk2 can be integrated into an Atmos system thanks to the available mounting options.

How to adjust settings to optimize listening?

The monitors offer several adjustable filters: bass and treble correction, “Closed” or “Ported” mode, DSP management to linearize frequency response and a Desk Filter to compensate for resonances due to work surfaces.

Technical specifications

• Loudspeaker type: 2-way active studio monitor
• Loudspeakers: 7'' woofer + AMT tweeter
• Frequency response: 38 Hz – 40 kHz
• Amplification: Class D, 2 × 100 W
• Inputs: analog XLR, digital AES
• Settings: DSP with Lineariser, “Closed” or “Ported” mode, bass/treble filters
• Dimensions: 370 × 220 × 300 mm (14.6 × 8.7 × 11.8 inches)
• Weight: 10 kg (22 lbs)
• Installation options: Wall mounting and Atmos integration possible