Below are my far from complete initial impressions of the Hedd type 05 mk2 active speaker. For you active speaker followers out there, you may have seen some background info regarding the new Hedd range on the Active Speaker Reference thread.
First of all, I’m an active speaker user and have been for the last 4 years. My existing speakers are the Acoustic Energy AE1a and they have been excellent, both on their own and more recently, paired with a quality small sub. I must add that we only listen to music (and not home theatre, although we do watch TV using the AE1a +JL Audio). I am presently in the fortunate position of having both sets of speakers here to compare (thanks to full money refund if I send them back within 120 days).
First impressions of the Hedds (without sub) - very detailed, very smooth (AMT tweeter), big sound, prodigious bass for their size and feature rich. Straight out of the box, these speakers impress, but not in an ‘up front and in your face’ sort of way; more of a, ‘this is your music, now sit (or stand if you’re inclined), relax and enjoy it’ way. Everything in the mix is there, and the Hedds are superb on detail/ micro detail but without sounding clinical - quite some achievement.
Next comes a direct comparison with the AE1a. First and foremost, it’s not night and day. Both models have impeccable pedigrees and both can deliver music in superb fashion. However, there are differences and these mostly come down to the micro detail and how much separation there is between instruments and voices. The Hedd AMT tweeter is also a beauty, without a hint of harshness or glare. Here, I find the AE1a not quite as forgiving, and as I’ve stated before, they tend to need more of a Goldilocks volume setting - too low and the detail goes, too loud and they tend to harden up a little.
It’s also possible to tailor your sound to a much greater extent with the Hedds. For example, it’s possible to listen to them ported or sealed (bunged) by inserting/removing tight foam bungs and flicking a switch on the rear panel. Sealed produces a ‘tighter’ and more detailed presentation with less bass, but also with a slightly smaller sound stage. Some may prefer the open port, but when combined with a sealed sub, I found sealed mode better.
There are other options with the Heads. One is the lineariser function (on or off), which time aligns the signal from the two drivers. I prefer it switched on, as there is a small but audible improvement to the sound. Again, it's down to fine details, like the how a guitar string is plucked or the decay on a symbol.
For me personally, the Hedd's have the edge over the AE1a as stand alone speakers. It's a close contest, but they have the edge, and I know that extended listening periods will present no problems - this has already been commented on by reviewers, including studio professionals who have found them to be excellent in this respect. I'll end my initial thoughts here. There is more to come if anyone is interested, especially my findings when combining the Hedds with a sub, but yes, so far, these are one set of fantastic speakers!
First of all, I’m an active speaker user and have been for the last 4 years. My existing speakers are the Acoustic Energy AE1a and they have been excellent, both on their own and more recently, paired with a quality small sub. I must add that we only listen to music (and not home theatre, although we do watch TV using the AE1a +JL Audio). I am presently in the fortunate position of having both sets of speakers here to compare (thanks to full money refund if I send them back within 120 days).
First impressions of the Hedds (without sub) - very detailed, very smooth (AMT tweeter), big sound, prodigious bass for their size and feature rich. Straight out of the box, these speakers impress, but not in an ‘up front and in your face’ sort of way; more of a, ‘this is your music, now sit (or stand if you’re inclined), relax and enjoy it’ way. Everything in the mix is there, and the Hedds are superb on detail/ micro detail but without sounding clinical - quite some achievement.
Next comes a direct comparison with the AE1a. First and foremost, it’s not night and day. Both models have impeccable pedigrees and both can deliver music in superb fashion. However, there are differences and these mostly come down to the micro detail and how much separation there is between instruments and voices. The Hedd AMT tweeter is also a beauty, without a hint of harshness or glare. Here, I find the AE1a not quite as forgiving, and as I’ve stated before, they tend to need more of a Goldilocks volume setting - too low and the detail goes, too loud and they tend to harden up a little.
It’s also possible to tailor your sound to a much greater extent with the Hedds. For example, it’s possible to listen to them ported or sealed (bunged) by inserting/removing tight foam bungs and flicking a switch on the rear panel. Sealed produces a ‘tighter’ and more detailed presentation with less bass, but also with a slightly smaller sound stage. Some may prefer the open port, but when combined with a sealed sub, I found sealed mode better.
There are other options with the Heads. One is the lineariser function (on or off), which time aligns the signal from the two drivers. I prefer it switched on, as there is a small but audible improvement to the sound. Again, it's down to fine details, like the how a guitar string is plucked or the decay on a symbol.
For me personally, the Hedd's have the edge over the AE1a as stand alone speakers. It's a close contest, but they have the edge, and I know that extended listening periods will present no problems - this has already been commented on by reviewers, including studio professionals who have found them to be excellent in this respect. I'll end my initial thoughts here. There is more to come if anyone is interested, especially my findings when combining the Hedds with a sub, but yes, so far, these are one set of fantastic speakers!