John
Studio monitors vs. audiophile standmounts. What’s the difference? Is an active loudspeaker not an active loudspeaker, irrespective of its use case? The irony isn’t lost on me (and probably you) that housebound audiophiles who claim a thirst for accuracy often exclaim (!) a studio monitor as ‘too accurate!’.
Thinking of it another way, if all high-end loudspeakers sound different (and they do), only one can be accurate. Therefore, the majority of audiophiles are sitting at home with inaccurate playback.
Last month we visited Berlin’s HEDD Audio to get the low down on their Tower Mains active floorstanders. Despite their new factory sitting only a few clicks from this commentator’s home, packing up a pair of the big guns for a swift in-and-out at DARKO HQ just wasn’t practical. Besides, acoustically speaking, I’d wager the Tower Mains too much loudspeaker for my 6m x 5m lounge room.
Instead, a pair of HEDD’s Type 20 monitors (€3500/pair) would arrive the day after my factory tour and Klaus Heinz interview. The Type 20 is a three-way – 7″ bass driver, 4″ midrange driver, AMT tweeter – each powered by a Class D ICEPower module. They are rated down to 32Hz.
On my mind was how far the HEDD monitors stray from the ELAC Navis ARB-51 (€1999/pair) and the KEF LS50 Wireless (€2199/pair). In other words, do fundamental audible differences exist between an active loudspeaker aimed at the studio world and an active loudspeaker aimed at audiophiles? Click the video to find out:
Further information: HEDD Audio
