Test HEDD Type 30 studio monitors – to appear later in Fevruary at
https://www.amazona.de/
This is a Google translation
The HEDD Type 30 studiomonitors are the largest models of the "Series One" series
from the manufacturer Heinz Electrodynamic Designs. This very young company is the
company of Klaus Heinz, the founder and former chief developer of Adam Audio.
While Type 05 and Type 07 Series Series boxes are designed for near-field use, HEDD
now also offers mid-field monitors with the Type 30, designed for professional studios
with larger premises. Since some technical details, such as the HEDD Bridge option,
match the Type 07 boxes and have already been explained in detail in the related
AMAZONA.de test, a new description will be omitted. The report on the HEDD Type 07
can be found here.
At first glance
The HEDD Type 30 Studiomonitore is an active three-way bass reflex design, designed
in cross-format. The enormous weight of 22.8 kg per piece is already noticeable when
placing the boxes, which is already above average in terms of dimensions of 28 cm in
height, 53 cm in width and 33.8 cm in depth and leaves a positive impression directly.
In the rubberized case left and right outside are two horizontally arranged low and
midrange speakers, each with a 7 inch size, which are supplemented in the middle of the
box by a 4 inch mid-range driver and a 2 inch ribbon horn. Beneath the center speaker
are three LEDs indicating whether the box is active, overloaded, or connected to the
optional HEDD bridge. In the event of an overload, a limiter automatically engages to
avoid damage.
The connections and settings on the rear panel are identical to those of the Type 07
monitors. There is a balanced XLR and an unbalanced RCA input, a high and low shelf
EQ for adjusting the room, a gain control, a plug for the mains cable and a A slot for the
various HEDD Bridge options for connecting digital sources.
Amplification, loudspeaker and housing
In the HEDD Type 30 boxes four amplifiers with 300 Watt each are used - for each
speaker one. These are class D power amplifiers of the type 300 ASC, which belong to
the latest generation of amplifier modules from ICE Power, a subsidiary of Bang &
Olufsen. In contrast to older generations, the type 300 ASC should have been
significantly improved in terms of the output power, bandwidth, attenuation factor and
distortion ratio. While the Adam S3X still uses special A / B amplifiers for the tweeters,
these can now be replaced by the new Class D versions of ICE Power in the same quality
according to the manufacturer.
The woofers of the HEDD boxes are completely redesigned. While Adam Eton has been
used for the chassis, the new Honeycomb sandwich membrane (Ultra Honeycomb
Composite) has a stiffer texture and higher elasticity, which should lead to better overall
quality. In addition, the drives of the new chassis were adjusted from the outset to the
expected volumes, resulting in a significantly lower corner frequency. As a goal, the
woofers were designed to be mechanically more stable so that they did not generate
resonances in the fundamental range even at high loudness.
The AMT (Air Motion Transformers) are also a further development of the X-ART
tweeters from Adam, which have now been equipped with a waveguide (waveguide),
thus providing a more controlled radiation characteristic and an improved coupling to
the mid-range driver. This is particularly advantageous with the 2-way models, since the
heights in the sound image are calmer.
The main reason for the enormous weight is the extremely solid housing. The front plate
can have a negative effect on the sound, so the type 30 has a thickness of 38 mm and is
made of a very dense MDF, which in turn produces a more pronounced cleanliness in the
basic tone range.
In contrast to the Adam S3X, where the noise in the bass reflex channel was a problem,
the channels of Type 30 on both sides are optimized in terms of fluid flow so that the
secondary noise is reduced.
practice
The sound of the HEDD Type 30 studios is so very analytical and high-quality that it
takes only a short familiarization phase to work with the boxes. For this purpose we
recommend to listen to reference or own productions in different volumes in order to
get to know the type 30.
At this point of the test, the Type 07 boxes were able to trump with some hitherto
unheard-of details, especially with regard to the three-dimensionality of the panorama
display. Type 30 surpasses this detail by far. Although the kinship of the monitors is
clearly recognizable in their basic character, the Type 30 simply plays in a completely
different league, whereby, of course, the difference between a mid-range and a midrange monitor has to be taken into account.
The sound is incredibly balanced and present. Each frequency range has a very
differentiated effect, without causing any problems or disturbances in the overall
picture.
The frequency spectrum ranges from 32 Hz to 50 kHz and covers everything from the
low-frequency range to the inaudible heights. These inaudible heights naturally also
influence the audible treble, which creates a silky, pearl-like sound, which has an
enormously plastic resolution.
The complete center area is perfectly organized and at the same time very lively. In the
upper mids, too sharp sounds are revealed as ruthlessly as a muddy sound in the lower
middle range. Basically you have the feeling much cleaner and more precise with an
equalizer work, since you can exactly hear, where a filter is needed. The same is true for
depth gradation: the distribution of signals in the panorama, as well as the layout of
different reverberation spaces, is simply delightful, since you can form the sound in
sound mixing.
The bass section, which is incredibly taut, precise and clearly articulated, is also
impressive. Every effort is made to make sure that every slight bounce is revealed and
can be repaired surgically. Even the sub-basses can be clearly and distinctly formulated.
Conclusion
The HEDD Type 30 Studiomonitore enables hearing at the highest level. In all frequency
ranges, these boxes sound relentlessly analytically with a breathtaking detail.
The entire sound image is impressively balanced, compact and the spatial
representation incredibly plastic and three-dimensional. This results in an enormous
security and sovereignty in sound mixing, which leads to very good results in the fastest
possible way.
These results above all work well on all other loudspeakers, so that the reference
requirement is fully fulfilled. Working with the HEDD Type 30 studio monitors is simply
fantastic - for which, of course, a high, but reasonable price has to be paid.