Short answer: the HEDD Type 20 MK2 for better sound quality, the Buchardt A10 for the lower price. The HEDD Type 20 MK2 ranks #7 of 31 powered bookshelf speakers at $4800. The Buchardt A10 ranks #17 at $4300, $500 cheaper.
What the HEDD Type 20 MK2 offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows a nice flat on-axis response with a very smooth directivity index, plus an intentional boost at 40-50Hz for extra bass warmth. Watch for: Horizontal beamwidth is asymmetric (+60/-80 degrees depending on reference point) and narrows above 10kHz.
What the Buchardt A10 offers: A 6.5” Purifi extended-stroke midwoofer (ultra-low distortion) crosses to a 19mm aluminum dome tweeter on an aluminum waveguide, in a two-way sealed enclosure with dedicated 150W midwoofer and 50W tweeter amplification. Watch for: Because it’s a constant-directivity design with a rising on-axis treble response, pointing it straight at the listener sounds noticeably bright in-room; needs about 30° of toe-out (or a high-shelf EQ cut) to sound neutral.
Buy the HEDD Type 20 MK2 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Buchardt A10 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| HEDD Type 20 MK2 | Buchardt A10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4800 | $4300 |
| Ranked | #7 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #17 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| App | Yes (HEDD CTRL) | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 21Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 32Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 30Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Dimensions | 14.1"H x 11"W x 13.3"D (358.1 x 279.4 x 337.8 mm) | 14.6"H x 7"W x 9.6"D (370.8 x 177.8 x 243.8 mm) |
| DSP | Yes (96kHz/32-bit) | No |
| EQ | Yes (Desk filter, shelf filters) | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 32Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Inputs | XLR (Analog/AES) | XLR |
| Max SPL | 120dB @ 1m (per pair) | - |
| Drivers | 7" honeycomb composite woofer, 4" honeycomb composite midrange, HEDD AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter | 6.5" PURIFI Extended Stroke Driver with Ultra Low Distortion, Custom made with triple Voice Coil woofer, 19 mm / 0.74" Resonance Free Aluminum dome with CDC aluminum waveguide tweeter |
| Outputs | XLR (AES pass-through) | - |
| Weight | 34 lbs / 15.4 kg each | 15 lbs / 6.8 kg each |
| Output Power | 900W (3x300W) | 200w Per Speaker |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | sealed |
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More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Buchardt A500 vs JBL 4329P
- Genelec 8351B vs Genelec 8040B
- JBL 4305P vs JBL 4329P
- HEDD Type 20 MK2 vs Buchardt A500
- Buchardt A10 vs JBL 4329P
The Two Speakers In Full
HEDD Type 20 MK2: $4800 Bhphotovideo
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a nice flat on-axis response with a very smooth directivity index, plus an intentional boost at 40-50Hz for extra bass warmth. Predicted in-room response is nice and smooth. Early reflections integrate very cleanly with the direct sound, rated “very nice” by the reviewer. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is very good, staying well below the reviewer’s audibility threshold across the range. Its open-port configuration measures notably lower bass distortion than the same speaker run in closed-port mode.
Cons: Horizontal beamwidth is asymmetric (+60/-80 degrees depending on reference point) and narrows above 10kHz. Vertical directivity means listening position needs to stay at or below the reference axis for accurate tonal balance. At 96dB SPL/1m, distortion rises broadly across the spectrum, exceeding the reviewer’s audibility threshold over a wide frequency range - a notably worse result than at 86dB. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) shows resonances lingering in the 500Hz-2kHz region. Switching to closed-port mode increases bass distortion further, so the open-port configuration is preferable.
Full HEDD Type 20 MK2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (HEDD CTRL) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 32Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | Yes (96kHz/32-bit) |
| Dimensions | 14.1"H x 11"W x 13.3"D (358.1 x 279.4 x 337.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 7" honeycomb composite woofer, 4" honeycomb composite midrange, HEDD AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (Desk filter, shelf filters) |
| Frequency Response | 32Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR (Analog/AES) |
| Max SPL | 120dB @ 1m (per pair) |
| Output Power | 900W (3x300W) |
| Outputs | XLR (AES pass-through) |
| Weight | 34 lbs / 15.4 kg each |
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Buchardt A10: $4300 Buchardtaudio
Pros: A 6.5” Purifi extended-stroke midwoofer (ultra-low distortion) crosses to a 19mm aluminum dome tweeter on an aluminum waveguide, in a two-way sealed enclosure with dedicated 150W midwoofer and 50W tweeter amplification. Nine DSP “Master Tunings,” each with a standard and “relaxed” (less bass-limited) variant, give 18 total sound signatures to try without external EQ. F3 of 30Hz and F10 of 21Hz - extends genuinely low for its size, reaching into the mid-20s Hz in-room with boundary gain, without needing a subwoofer at moderate listening levels. A true constant-directivity design: on- and off-axis response track closely aside from a treble rolloff off-axis, so EQ changes behave predictably instead of fighting a mismatched direct/reflected sound the way many speakers do. Distortion stays low, not crossing the reviewer’s 3% harmonic distortion threshold until 60-70Hz even at 96dB. Tight, focused imaging aided by DSP-driven pair matching between the two speakers.
Cons: Because it’s a constant-directivity design with a rising on-axis treble response, pointing it straight at the listener sounds noticeably bright in-room; needs about 30° of toe-out (or a high-shelf EQ cut) to sound neutral. Bass is DSP-limited at higher volumes to protect the drivers - low-end impact audibly tapers off starting around 75-80dB at 10 feet, so the deep bass that’s excellent at low-to-moderate volume thins out as you turn it up. Multitone distortion becomes an issue at the 96dB/1m target output, with about 2.5dB of compression bringing effective max output closer to 94dB/1m; a dedicated low-frequency tuning or preamp-based excursion limiting is needed for loud, sustained listening. The vertical sweet spot is fairly tight at about ±15-20° above/below the tweeter/waveguide midpoint - outside that window there’s a suckout in the upper midrange where the woofer hands off to the tweeter. Adding a subwoofer crossed in at 80Hz meaningfully reduces both distortion and compression, so pairing one in is worthwhile if you want to play loud. Premium pricing for a speaker not intended for high-volume, full-range duty - best suited to small-to-medium rooms at moderate listening levels.
Full Buchardt A10 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 21Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 30Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 14.6"H x 7"W x 9.6"D (370.8 x 177.8 x 243.8 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" PURIFI Extended Stroke Driver with Ultra Low Distortion, Custom made with triple Voice Coil woofer, 19 mm / 0.74" Resonance Free Aluminum dome with CDC aluminum waveguide tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Inputs | XLR |
| Output Power | 200w Per Speaker |
| Weight | 15 lbs / 6.8 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | sealed |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons