Adam T5V Review (Studio Monitor)

[Robin L]

I'm willing to bet it's quite a bit higher among the part of the community that appreciates measurements.

In any case, it's freeware and those that know, know.

 

[laudio]

Good sound can be had at all performance levels. Indeed if we lower the standard a ton, then everything is good and we might as well close shop and not review anything.

The purpose of this site is to show the way to best possible performance you can have. On that front, a system without equalization in bass is simply wrong. Here are actual measurements in three different seats of the same speaker from an article I wrote a few years back: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/perceptual-effects-of-room-reflections.13/

See how below 1000 Hz the frequency response changes wildly due to where you sit? That is because the frequency response is a function of the room, not the speaker.

No way, no how we can fool ourselves with anechoic measurements thinking that is the speaker sound we are getting. Variations can be as high as 25 dB in bass region! Here is a computer simulation of our old theater at Madrona in bass region. Colors indicate loudness:

Here is a simpler version only showing a slice of where listener ears would be (left is one sub, right is three subs):

Look at the wild variations as we simply sweep frequencies!

Unfortunately due to wavelengths involved you cannot fix this problem no matter how much absorption you put in the room. You must, must use equalization. This driven by simply laws of physics that you cannot ignore.

So no this is not negotiable in my book. If you don't have EQ, you have wrong tonality in your room. You have boomy bass. You have detail masked by said boominess. There is nothing dogmatic about this any more than saying here are the measurements for the speaker and pick one with better response.

Does this mean you have to use EQ? Of course not. I enjoy listening to my 3 inch bluetooth speaker when brushing my teeth in the bathroom! But let's not get into a discussion of what is a great speaker to have and in the next breath say: "but many people can't or want EQ." I don't want to hear it.

Valid stuff but what if some one doesn't have multiple listening positions in a room and doesn't use subs (which are the biggest offenders with room modes )? Set ups with proper speaker placement and full rangers can do quite well. Even better than your 3 inch bluetooth speaker lol.

Besides eq is nothing that new or scientific. We used to call it tone controls.

 

[Sancus]

Valid stuff but what if some one doesn't have multiple listening positions in a room and doesn't use subs (which are the biggest offenders with room modes )?

Not sure what this is supposed to mean? Multiple subs with placement independent of the main speakers are in fact the best way to prevent the impact of room modes.

 

[More Dynamics Please]

The point is not how widely measured EQ is currently being used. The point is that measured EQ should be more widely used and that ASR has become a leading voice in demonstrating its effectiveness in improving speaker performance which in turn promotes more widespread acceptance and use.

 

[Ziltoe]

As often mentioned and to come to a point: @amirs measurements are as they are, period. that part of listening preferences, which scores into the choice of the panther, can be simply ignored and those having expertise simply looking at the curves and diagrams, or not? it's still ARS business, we should be happy having such like them, at least I am...

 

[beagleman]

I'm willing to bet it's quite a bit higher among the part of the community that appreciates measurements.

There are "audiophiles" that believe cables and speaker wires, can fix any issue.

There lack of belief in measurements, and EQ, go hand in hand.

 

[richard12511]

Valid stuff but what if some one doesn't have multiple listening positions in a room and doesn't use subs (which are the biggest offenders with room modes )? Set ups with proper speaker placement and full rangers can do quite well. Even better than your 3 inch bluetooth speaker lol.

Besides eq is nothing that new or scientific. We used to call it tone controls.

Actually, (more) subs are the best solution to room modes, not the culprit . If all you’ve got are a couple of big floorstanders, you undoubtedly have huge modal problems in the bass, which will need to be fixed(at least as much as possible) with EQ.

 

[BDWoody]

I think others are right that manufacturers should try to refrain from commenting on "competing" (in the broadest possible sense) products on the forum.

I really do believe this is going to be what makes the most sense going forward.

As stated above, the mechanism for disagreement should be a separate thread, or direct communication with @amirm .

Having manufacturers active in competitors threads is just not what I believe is best for anyone.

 

[PierreV]

 

[More Dynamics Please]

On some forums when a thread goes way off topic and just won't stop the moderators will simply cut out the off topic portion, create a new thread and paste all the off topic posts into the new thread.

 

[Ziltoe]

can't you simply have a red... umpf, a white wine, sitting down, and listening to your favourite band...?

 

[Rick Sykora]

I really do believe this is going to be what makes the most sense going forward.

As stated above, the mechanism for disagreement should be a separate thread, or direct communication with @amirm .

Having manufacturers active in competitors threads is just not what I believe is best for anyone.

@amirm started the “Complaint thread about Speaker Measurements“ thread earlier this year.

Just need to utilize it.

 

[x-dfo]

My favourite part of righteous crusades on forums against the authority figure is the implication that the complainer is representative of some larger force of knights who guard the REAL truth and protect the others on the forum from the authorities. It's like a formula for being a jerk.

 

[amirm]

On some forums when a thread goes way off topic and just won't stop the moderators will simply cut out the off topic portion, create a new thread and paste all the off topic posts into the new thread.

We have done this too. It is a manual process with risk of moving the wrong things so it is not something we want to do all the time.

 

[Wombat]

I'm willing to bet it's quite a bit higher among the part of the community that appreciates measurements.

Sounds like a good topic for a poll, as in "who has has done comprehensive in-room testing of their loudspeakers and then applied compensating EQ".

No not in this thread.

 

[YSC]

back on topic I am thinking the shelving might be on purpose not only as an adam sound signature, in most cases who use these are nearfield, which usually means the speaker will kind of be put near to a wall (Adam said 10cm min distance from back of port). so that might actually boost the bass quite a bit (4-6db according to Genelec?) and their LF tuning is at +/- 2db so that shelve in HF might be able to make the detail out for treble and making more or less a slightly V shaped response?

 

[laudio]

Not sure what this is supposed to mean? Multiple subs with placement independent of the main speakers are in fact the best way to prevent the impact of room modes.

Multiple yes - single no. And most people just buy one and it causes problems. In some cases you're better off positioning your mains for a single listening position IMO, even if it means arranging the rest of the room around it.

I'm not discounting the value of EQ in a room as I've played the REW game in the past to get a room to sound right. I'm just calling out the statement you can't have good sound unless you use EQ. Hogwash.

 

[andreasmaaan]

back on topic I am thinking the shelving might be on purpose not only as an adam sound signature, in most cases who use these are nearfield, which usually means the speaker will kind of be put near to a wall (Adam said 10cm min distance from back of port). so that might actually boost the bass quite a bit (4-6db according to Genelec?) and their LF tuning is at +/- 2db so that shelve in HF might be able to make the detail out for treble and making more or less a slightly V shaped response?

It’s an interesting thought, but I doubt that’s the reason. If the aim were to compensate for the kind of boosted bass that near-wall placement produces, the shelf would not be just in the top couple of octaves, but instead would begin at a much lower frequency (around where the speaker’s radiation pattern transitions from full-space to half-space).

I actually think this shelf is just an Adam house curve. It seems to be present to some extent in all the models ASR has measured (including the quite expensive SV2), and subjectively it’s there in all Adam speakers I’ve heard, too.

The AMT tweeter is their main USP, and it’s marketed as improving transient response and producing “pristine” highs, so it seems plausible to speculate that the slightly hyped “air” range in their speakers is intended to create a subtle, distinguishing sonic effect that is designed to tie in with this image.

I should make clear though that this is nothing more than speculation on my part..

 

[Zensō]

Can this possible new rule start now?? This is painful and a disservice to Adam Audio, who put out a pretty nice product that we should be discussing.

I agree. This ongoing distraction from a competing brand is out of line in my opinion.

 

[YSC]

It’s an interesting thought, but I doubt that’s the reason. If the aim were to compensate for the kind of boosted bass that near-wall placement produces, the shelf would not be just in the top couple of octaves, but instead would begin at a much lower frequency (around where the speaker’s radiation pattern transitions from full-space to half-space).

I actually think this shelf is just an Adam house curve. It seems to be present to some extent in all the models ASR has measured (including the quite expensive SV2), and subjectively it’s there in all Adam speakers I’ve heard, too.

The AMT tweeter is their main USP, and it’s marketed as improving transient response and producing “pristine” highs, so it seems plausible to speculate that the slightly hyped “air” range in their speakers is intended to tie in with this image.

I should make clear though that this is nothing more than speculation on my part..

I agree completely with the house sound for "air" feel, and that it still within the +/- 2.5db range of really good monitors, alas Neumann and Genelec aim for a much flatter anechoic response they are making a shelved HF within that margin, so blind guessing would be that it will sound slightly "airy" or bright, but not to annoying level.

My guess was that in real world situation it would even sound nicer given the slight V shaped in room response, making those who are after the "air" or "detail" stuffs ppl prefer their speaker, so IMO yes it is not as flat a speaker than Genelec or Neumann, or even Focal shape series, but it should sound good in a real room unless someone are using them as far field listening in a really huge room, which is not these nearfield monitors intended for.. and if someone feels it's annoying the -2db HF switch should actually make it sound more "ruler flat" as it tilts back the most annoying 10khz+ range back to neutral line? most importantly it's their cost, although personally I purchased the 8030C for my tiny room usage, the Adam U-ART tweeter look sexy to my geek taste, and that if I decided to save 2/3 of my cost have I got the space to put the T5V not right on my face so I can't even use a mouse properly when I do play games a bit (well, they are long speakers), I believe I shouldn't be a lot less happy than using the Genelecs.