Hedd full range ribbons !

[Purité Audio]

Only a prototype at the moment.


Keith

 

[oivavoi]

Ribbon cans from a no bullshit company like Hedd... I could easily see a pair of those in my future

 

[pozz]

HEDD website for reference: http://www.hedd.audio/en/heddphone/

There are a few loose reviews on head-fi:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hedd-announces-heddphone-with-amt-technology.906270/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fir...rodynamic-designs-heddphone-prototype.907704/

 

[Music1969]

I'm a big fan of Heil AMT's... always wanted to have a pair strapped to my head.

Reviews I've read so far comment on the weight... can be heavy for long listening sessions.

 

[pozz]

I'm a big fan of Heil AMT's...

Just FYI, the original Heil-designed AMTs were much bigger. ESS (Electrostatic Sound) was the company that released them in the 70s:

• AMT1: https://audio-database.com/ESS/speaker/amt1-e.html
• Transar: https://www.stereophile.com/content/ess-labs This one had an AMT midrange array as well. Hard to find a good picture though.

 

[Music1969]

Just FYI, the original Heil-designed AMTs were much bigger. ESS (Electrostatic Sound) was the company that released them in the 70s:

I know , I have a pair of ESS speakers ;-)

 

[Music1969]

Dr. Klaus Heinz with Dr. Oskar Heil

 

[pozz]

I know , I have a pair of ESS speakers ;-)

No words for my jealousy.

 

[Music1969]

No words for my jealousy.

I'm jealous of your ADAM S2V's - so we're even

You prefer to feed it the analogue output of your DAC3? Prefer this to feeding it AES3 digital?

I guess DAC3 gives you a physical volume control (or remote control) which is important.

 

[Nango]

€1.700 I read elsewhere ..... bargain!!

 

[pozz]

I'm jealous of your ADAM S2V's - so we're even

You prefer to feed it the analogue output of your DAC3? Prefer this to feeding it AES3 digital?

I guess DAC3 gives you a physical volume control (or remote control) which is important.

There's no sonic difference I can detect. I'm planning to shift to a 3-way speaker, likely the Neumann KH 310 A. I'd try the HEDD monitors of course, but the dealers are few and far between. Having a reliable outboard DAC takes some of reconfig work out of the equation.

 

[anmpr1]

I'm a big fan of Heil AMT's... always wanted to have a pair strapped to my head.

I recall, I guess it was 1974 or thereabouts, my first impression of the AMT 1. In fact, it was my only time listening to them, as they were pretty rare beasts, in the scheme of things--at least in my parts. It was at an audio show, so you can't place that much validity on the sound as it might relate to a typical listening room. In any case, what I distinctly remember were highs sizzling forth rapidly, while waiting for the bass and lower mid range to catch up. I don't know... it was just kind of an odd sonic thing. A Quad (original) was available to compare, and except for the obvious differences in SPL, the latter came off as much more coherent, overall. I know that ESS came up with some sort of AMT woofer device, but I never heard that system. I never read much positive about it. How much air can an air motion transformer be expected to move?

 

[Music1969]

I recall, I guess it was 1974 or thereabouts, my first impression of the AMT 1. In fact, it was my only time listening to them, as they were pretty rare beasts, in the scheme of things--at least in my parts. It was at an audio show, so you can't place that much validity on the sound as it might relate to a typical listening room. In any case, what I distinctly remember were highs sizzling forth rapidly, while waiting for the bass and lower mid range to catch up. I don't know... it was just kind of an odd sonic thing. A Quad (original) was available to compare, and except for the obvious differences in SPL, the latter came off as much more coherent, overall. I know that ESS came up with some sort of AMT woofer device, but I never heard that system. I never read much positive about it. How much air can an air motion transformer be expected to move?

Hi, I have the ESS Fortura towers. There's nothing at all sizzling in the top end. It's so so sweet. And to the ear, I don't hear any incoherence or delay between AMT and 10" woofer. Nothing abnormal in that regard, like when I compare to my GoldenEar Triton Ones (for example) which feature Heil inspired ribbon tweeter also.

I'm planning to make the Fortura's active when I get some time, using DSP crossover.

 

[RayDunzl]

How much air can an air motion transformer be expected to move?

At the least, all of it in the listening room, would be my guess.

 

[maxxevv]

Ribbon headphones ?

Wonder how it compares to the Raal SR1a ?

 

[anmpr1]

At the least, all of it in the listening room, would be my guess.

LOL. For bass? And all (or most of) it at the same time? I guess even Dr. Heil couldn't do that. But I had it wrong. It was evidently a series of cone drivers. From The Audio Critic 1977:

The best way to visualize the new Heil "low frequency system" [scare quotes in original] is to think of 5 smallish cone drivers, roughly of midrange size, lined up one behind the other and facing in the same direction, with a single long voice coil tube passing through all five apexes, sort of like a giant shish kebab. When you move the tube at one end, all five cones move in the same direction.

Now this is a slight oversimplification of the Heil woofer's physical execution, but, so help us, not of its concept. Actually the "cones" are rather complicatedly contoured lexan diaphragms, the 'tube' is really a four sided open structure made of long carbon fiber rods, the sound is deflected out into the room by a 45 degree Plexiglas reflector, other wise the wave propagation would be in the floor to ceiling direction, the rods being vertically deployed. ...obviously a larger woofer sized version of the original Heil AMT proved impossible to get off the ground.

 

[anmpr1]

Hi, I have the ESS Fortura towers. There's nothing at all sizzling in the top end.

As I said, the AMT1 I heard was at an audio show in the mid '70s. Given the vagaries of audio show politics, and the 'high end' of the era, the company could well have had the treble turned to 10, and the bass way down. That would not really have been surprising; possibly in order for them to make an impression about their tweeter. And it did make an impression. No doubbt about that. I don't remember if they were using their own electronics. The company used to make a beefy amp and, I think, a preamp. In any case, the original AMT1 is history, and so are the Quads demoed in the next booth. FWIW, I bought the Quads. Sold them, and now wish I hadn't.

 

[Music1969]

As I said, the AMT1 I heard was at an audio show in the mid '70s. Given the vagaries of audio show politics, and the 'high end' of the era, the company could well have had the treble turned to 10, and the bass way down. That would not really have been surprising; possibly in order for them to make an impression about their tweeter. And it did make an impression. No doubbt about that. I don't remember if they were using their own electronics. The company used to make a beefy amp and, I think, a preamp. In any case, the original AMT1 is history, and so are the Quads demoed in the next booth. FWIW, I bought the Quads. Sold them, and now wish I hadn't.

Noted. I was just sharing my own data point (experience) about the Heil AMT tweeter...

 

[pozz]

Expected launch was 3Q 2019. Hopefully they'll be released soon.

 

[Purité Audio]

Available apparently ( this) November!
Purité Audio will be stocking the Heddphone alongside the Type 20 monitors and their awesome Tower Main monitors.
Keith