HEDD Audio: Type 20 MK2 3-Way Monitor

I have a polarizing position regarding monitors. Either I really dig them (when my mixes sound good across many sources post-mix), or I simply don’t have time for them. I also think we can all agree that when we like what we’re getting back from a set of speakers, we’re inspired, keep pushing, and ultimately do our best work. I don’t want to fight with my nearfields – struggling to really hear what’s going on at a deep level. I want them to properly respond to what I’m doing at all times while allowing me to listen for extended periods without fatigue. Obviously, we all have differing opinions on what a “good monitor” is, but unless I hear the details come back to me, I don’t want to use them.

When the opportunity to review the HEDD Type 20 MK2s came about, I was truly intrigued. I had been watching how HEDD, as a company, was beginning to make a serious name for themselves in the global audio world over the past several years, and I wanted to check out the Type 20s for myself. Unfortunately, the pandemic made it almost impossible for me to get a pair (in white) to audition when I began constructing my studio, SoundShop370. My space is bright, airy, and vibrant so having a set of monitors in white was a near must for me. After a long wait, a pair was sent to me via their manufacturing facility in Berlin specifically for this review.

HEDD stands for Heinz Electrodynamic Design and was founded by physicist Heinz Klaus and his son, Dr. Frederik Knop. If Klaus’ name sounds familiar, it’s because he founded the famed ADAM Audio in 1999 before departing to start HEDD in 2015. HEDD’s MK2 line includes four models: Type 05 and Type 07 2-way designs, the massive Type 30 3-ways (with two 7-inch woofers), and the Type 20s I’m reviewing here. The Type 20 MK2 is a 3-way active nearfield design configured with HEDD’s proprietary 7-inch and 4-inch honeycomb woofers plus a high definition Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeter, which boasts an extended top end with a “distortion-free experience.” HEDD claims a very wide frequency response for the Type 20 MK2 considering its size: 32 Hz to 40 kHz. All three speaker components (individually powered by 300 watt ICEpower Class D amps) are arranged beautifully in a compact cabinet that is only 11-inches high, 14-inches wide, and 13-inches deep. That said, they are a hefty 43 pounds each! Below the woofer is a port that can be left open, or it can be closed off with the included custom foam plugs. Leaving the port open gives a bit more overall output, bringing the frequency response down to 26 Hz from a 7-inch woofer! If, like me, you desire a bit more defined low end detail, the ports should be closed. Be aware that closing the ports reduces the max SPL by 6 to 10 dB in the low end spectrum.

Apart from its surprisingly compact size and incredibly wide frequency range, another thing that impressed me was the overall appearance and feel of the Type 20 MK2’s finish. The pair I auditioned has a vibrant white color (also available in black) with a slightly matt finish, looking very elegant. The top and bottom front edges of the cabinet enclosures have a gentle curve, while the sides at 90 degrees have an ever-so-slightly rounded edge that whispers sheer class – “sophisticated” is the word that comes to mind when describing the Type 20 MK2’s appearance.

On the rear of each unit are inputs for analog XLR and digital AES (XLR), plus some utterly refined DSP controls. One component on the tech side of these speakers is what HEDD calls Lineariser – which completely solves time-related delays between the two woofers and the AMT tweeter to achieve near zero phasing. This is accomplished by a simple turn of a pot, resulting in a “short reaction of 10 ms,” improving transients and the overall imaging of the monitors. While this feature can be disengaged, I found it very important for me to have turned on. If you choose to use the monitors in “closed-port” configuration, you will also want to engage the CoP (Closed Operation) mode at the rear to reflect its appropriate setting.

Back to the comment I made in the first paragraph; everyone has their own “listening preference.” The ability to craft how you want the speakers to perform to your taste is a plus but should also be expected in a pro nearfield design. Additional onboard DSP controls are located below the Lineariser section and will provide even the most demanding listener the ability to configure these monitors to taste. These include three desktop filters, two shelving filters, and a bass-extension mode to access even lower frequencies (at the cost of some SPL). All the controls can be accessed via stepped aluminum potentiometers. My attraction to the Type 20 MK2 follows all the way to how the knobs speak to purposeful design.

So, after tracking, mixing and listening to some of my favorite records through the Type 20 MK2s, how do they sound? In two words: defined and revealing. Old mixes of mine showed idiosyncrasies that I wish I’d heard before. And three tracks that I was working on over a three-week period seemed to come together quicker than expected. The detail in the Type 20 MK2s is incredibly good. Closing the ports keeps the low end tight and precise while maintaining punchiness. The midrange was open, and the top end was pristine without any harshness – even with the rear high filter engaged at +4 dB! In full mixes, I felt vocals were right in front of me, and I could hear even small EQ moves incredibly well. High-budget commercial mixes that I’ve listened to hundreds of times sounded fresh, allowing me to hear elements that I hadn’t noticed in prior listens, such as more detail in reverb tails.

Background vocals seemed to be more separated instead of just filling up sonic space. Percussion components seemed livelier while still sitting properly in the mix. Dense, Trevor Horn [Tape Op #89]-produced tracks (like Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose”) seemed more open and more detailed within the deep and sheer quantity of vocals he frequently uses. Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” felt like the drums were physically right in front of me – like I was listening to Stevie play if I was mic’ing his kit in real-time. I did feel, however, that the clavinet was slightly harsh and pokey, and could’ve used a slight cut or two in the high mids – something I never noticed before (I know, sacrilege!). The lead vocal of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” was even more textured and three-dimensional than it had sounded previously to me – perhaps the tweeter articulated that better than any I had heard before. The strings on Mansun’s “The Chad Who Loved Me” were still smooth and expansive, but I could nearly hear the bows’ texture against the strings of the violins and cellos. And Beck’s Colors remained punchy and tight yet with a more glorious sheen than on prior auditioning. The only thing that I struggled with a bit was while mixing a hip-hop track. While the frequency response goes down incredibly low on the Type 20 MK2s, I didn’t feel that I could properly get the low end to speak or feel as defined as I wanted – and this was even after removing the port closures. Perhaps adding one of the two HEDD subs would assist in that realm, but I was simply working with the Type 20 MK2s for this review. That being said, no matter what I listened to on them, all tracks seemed intricately specific, and I could pick out individual components with great ease. Obviously, this kind of detail makes mixing so much easier. In the end, in contrast to my prior monitors, all the mixes that I was working on translated better to multiple systems after mixing on Type 20 MK2s.

I should mention that Nashville’s Music City Acoustics have properly treated my listening environment, so I’m hearing content in a very detailed way. While the sometimes infinitesimal details described in this review may not be perceived correctly (or at all) in an untreated space – these details are crucial for me to hear. This pair of Type 20 MK2s are staying with me at SoundShop370. These monitors make my job easier and look super sexy, and they inspire me to work smarter without having to work harder! I’m not sure anyone could ask anything more from a set of nearfields.