It has been two years since Adam launch their studio monitors featuring the sleek edge trim design, mineral layered 8-inch woofer, iconic XR tweeter, and built-in DSP, similar to the award-winning A7Vs.
These speakers set quite the standard in the world of studio monitors, until HEDD Audio sent over the Hedd Type 07 A-Core and reminded everyone that they are the ones behind it all.
A Legacy That Started It All
As a teenager looking at gear for a first home studio, the Adam A7Xs were the gold standard of home studio monitors. From the design to the crystal clear and controlled sounding tweeter, Adam mimicked the brains behind this design and added more touches to suit today’s world of recording at home.
The original founder behind Adam, the brains behind the Adam tweeter and everything that made the A7X so great, is now the brains behind HEDD Audio. The similarities are clear, but after comparing them to what Adam has to offer nowadays, this designer keeps finding a way to make the concept even better.
Build Quality and Features
Starting with the front panel, the Hedd Type 07 A-Core features the signature AMT tweeter combined with a textured honeycomb woofer and a front-facing bass port on each side of the easily accessible standby switch.
The 5-inch version was tested previously for a bedroom studio setup, and the build quality of this range is simply too good for the price you pay. It is definitely a step up from the Adams.
The feel of the knobs on the back is pure and solid, offering bass and treble control, a volume gain, and a combo XLR TRS input and RCA selected via an input selecting switch.
Analog vs DSP
A lot of people are curious about the DSP capabilities of the Hedd Type 07 A-Core, especially when comparing it to the A7Vs. Since the components HEDD used to build these monitors are exactly the same as their higher-end models, adding DSP to the mix really pushes the budget.
That is what makes these analog monitors so intriguing. HEDD does not take shortcuts in the components they use, and that is the same approach that made the Adam A7Xs so great.
Still, one cannot ignore that the Adam A7Vs were updated for a reason, and that raises the question of whether going back to analog is actually a step in the right direction.
Sound Test Results
After setting both speakers to their neutral settings before the sound test, both sounded good. However, having done the sound test in person, the analog Hedd Type 07 A-Core offers a mid-range presence that you would expect more from a three-way speaker.
There is something about this tweeter that controls the high-end in a way that is truly unique. The tweeter on the Adams sounds great too, but the minor quality shortcuts Adam had to take start to shine through. Then again, those shortcuts are what make the Adams a more affordable DSP option.
Specifications Table
| Model | HEDD TYPE 07 A-CORE |
| Tweeter type | AMT (Air Motion Transformer) |
| Woofer | Textured honeycomb driver |
| Woofer size (sibling) | 5-inch (tested previously); 07 = larger variant |
| Bass port | Front-facing |
| Signal processing | Fully analog (no DSP) |
| Input | Combo XLR / TRS + RCA (switch-selectable) |
| Controls | Bass, treble, volume gain (rear knobs); standby switch (front) |
| Compared against | Adam Audio A7V (DSP-equipped) |
| Heritage | Designed by original Adam Audio founder |
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, whether you want a fully analog speaker or the capabilities of DSP is truly a preference. It is just great to see a classic brought back to life at an even higher level with the release of the Hedd Type 07 A-Core. The next step is getting hands on the Type 20s to see if the A8Hs are up for the challenge.
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