I put the HEDD Type 20 A-Core three-way monitor against my Genelecs and now I don’t want to switch back£1,549 each: hedd.audio
Berlin brand HEDD Audio completes its range of analogue monitor speakers with an A-Core version of its Type-20 three-way monitor. The new A-Core series has a purely analogue signal path but enjoys the same, sublime inherent sound quality as the MK2 Type monitors, at a reduced cost. John Pickford was wowed by the smaller Type 05 A-Core, but how does the range’s new three-way fare?
The Type 20 A-Core is a three-way monitor meant for serious studio work: mixing, mastering and meticulous production. Although it’s a heavy beast, it has a slightly smaller woofer than most three-ways (seven inches instead of eight), so the footprint is reduced. The Type 20 is around two centimetres narrower than ADAM Audio’s A8H, and this is ultra helpful when mounting them on a desk.
Speaking of desks, unlike the MK2 series, there’s no desk filter on the A-Core, which I would have found useful as an efficient way of minimising the low-mid bump caused by placing monitors on my desk’s upper shelf. There are simple high and low shelves, though, should you want to tweak the voicing slightly — a treble lift in an acoustically-dead control room or a bass cut when monitors are placed close to a boundary, for example.

The relatively compact woofer gives a tight bass response that doesn’t overwhelm small-to-mid-sized listening environments, although there’s bass extension all the way down to 32Hz. When compared to my usual 6.5-inch Genelec M040 monitors, there’s definitely more sub-octave material that can be heard and felt. And because the cabinet is front-ported, that also helps in smaller studios where placement closer to a wall is often a necessity.
Further up the frequency range, there’s a four-inch midrange driver and then the proprietary HEDD AMT tweeter, similar in design to that found on ADAM Audio speakers (since their designs both originate from the hands of HEDD’s founder, Klaus Heinz). The three drivers are powered by a generous 300 Watts of amplification each — far exceeding the specifications of competitors in the same price bracket. So there’s plenty of power and headroom, yet lower amounts of harmonic distortion to get in the way of what you’re listening to.
Inputs are either a balanced XLR/TRS combi socket or unbalanced RCA, with a switch to toggle between them, so you could feed separate sources into each of these stereo inputs. A kit is available for mounting the monitors to brackets, using the integrated M20-sized bolt threads.
HEDD Audio Type-20 A-Core. Image: HEDD Audio
How do the Type 20 A-Cores sound?
Starting with the low end, bass instruments are tight and focused. Although initially lingering in room modes — which makes bass sound more subby than it is — a quick measurement and correction using Sonarworks reveals the full potential of these monitors. Those who really like to feel the bass might want to add a sub with larger woofers to push the air around, but with the Type 20 A-Core, the low end is truthful, without flattering exaggeration, but with stunning clarity thanks to the incredibly low levels of distortion afforded by the amount of headroom on tap.
Mids and highs are equally revealing, lacking the brittle edge of my usual Genelecs when you start to push the levels. It’s lacking a little transient detail from the mid-range driver, to my taste, though this is typically only achievable with more expensive monitors. I’m happy to report that self-noise on this model is negligible — only noticeable with your ears pressed to the tweeters. The Type 07 MK2s would have been a must-buy for me if they hadn’t been noisy, so this is a big step forward.
I don’t miss the phase linearisation DSP of the MK2 range, or screwing plugs in and out to close and open the ports. These are both welcome and useful technologies in theory, but they’re marred by not being easily accessible because the controls are all tucked away. There’s also the latency introduced with DSP, meaning you need to turn the Lineariser off when monitoring live inputs such as electric guitars through amp simulators. Plus, there’s an unspoken recognition here that users will have their own way of handling room correction, be it Sonarworks integrated within their higher-end audio interface, an affordable hardware option such as IK’s ARC Studio or Audient’s ORIA Mini, or a more sophisticated Trinnov unit.
Given the A-Core’s considerable weight, you’ll need a big desk or sturdy speaker stands. Tweeters are placed on the inside, and HEDD doesn’t recommend vertical placement. Consequently, it might be difficult to push the stereo field wide enough in tighter spaces.
Should you buy the HEDD Type 20 A-Core?
HEDD Audio Type-20 A-Core. Image: HEDD Audio
In terms of competitors, the aforementioned ADAM A8H plus Dynaudio’s Lyd 48 are frankly bargain competitors at less cost at street price, with the A8H having the added bonus of being able to host Sonarworks profiles within its DSP. Both have larger woofers, too, so if you prefer a deeper injection of bass, they might be more your thing. Another close competitor would be the Neumann KH 310 A — around £300 per side more than the Type 20 A-Core, but with additional EQ options and similarly increased bass extension, given its larger 8.25-inch woofer.
But if you want to get really serious with sound quality, a defined bass end, smooth yet extended highs, and less chance of distortion muddying the waters, then the Type 20 A-Cores are in a different league from the two less expensive competitors, especially if their eventual street price eventually makes them a little cheaper still than the Type 20 MK2s.
The Type 20 A-Cores hit the perfect balance of price and performance, and at street price, this will become an even better deal. They’re accurate, powerful and a real pleasure to listen to — so much so, I’m not looking forward to reverting back to my usual monitors.
Key features

3-way active monitor
7-inch woofer, 4-inch mid driver and AMT tweeter
3 x 300W ICEpower Class D amplifiers
Frequency range: 32 Hz – 40 kHz
Switchable XLR/TRS combi socket and RCA analogue inputs
High and low shelving EQ
Bracket mounting option
Weight: 15.4 kg per monitor
Dimensions: 280 x 358 x 338 mm

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