ADAM Audio A series 2022

[Buddser]

We, frankly, do not know. Chances are they're okay, if nothing special.

Don't place them vertically. They're designed to be horizontal.

Nothing wrong with DSP, multiple manufacturers use it. Not all do however.

Unfortunately I don't have space to place them horizontally... But I'll try to figure out how can I do that.
About DSP, them convert audio signal in 96 kHz. But my apogee symphony can play in 192 kHz, I realise, that there is no files in such quality, but still ) it feels like I limiting my audio interface by buying this monitors. Maybe not, I definitely need to listen them for a while )
I have read a lot about Adam A8H, feels like they must play fine (I mean they are a 3-way monitors, in my mind a good monitor must be a 3-way, the construction itself of the monitors must be well constructed, the speakers must be good and reliable).
I tried to find a reviews, but found only one on this site (https://estradaistudio.pl/testy/sprzet-studyjny/1967-adam-audio-a8h-aktywne-monitory-trojdrozne), they worship it. Its on polish, but in our days we can use online translators.
Strange that only one review I can find on the topic. Maybe you saw a few more.

 

[DevinCortno]

We, frankly, do not know. Chances are they're okay, if nothing special.

Don't place them vertically. They're designed to be horizontal.

Nothing wrong with DSP, multiple manufacturers use it. Not all do however.

Adam T series measured very well... I would expect the A series to actually be pretty special at their price point, unless some major unforced errors were made. T series did have me thinking Adam has decided their "house sound" is bright treble so they've shelved up their tweeters.. hopefully they haven't done that here

Unfortunately I don't have space to place them horizontally... But I'll try to figure out how can I do that.
About DSP, them convert audio signal in 96 kHz. But my apogee symphony can play in 192 kHz, I realise, that there is no files in such quality, but still ) it feels like I limiting my audio interface by buying this monitors. Maybe not, I definitely need to listen them for a while )
I have read a lot about Adam A8H, feels like they must play fine (I mean they are a 3-way monitors, in my mind a good monitor must be a 3-way, the construction itself of the monitors must be well constructed, the speakers must be good and reliable).
I tried to find a reviews, but found only one on this site (https://estradaistudio.pl/testy/sprzet-studyjny/1967-adam-audio-a8h-aktywne-monitory-trojdrozne), they worship it. Its on polish, but in our days we can use online translators.
Strange that only one review I can find on the topic. Maybe you saw a few more.

If you can't fit the A8H in the proper orientation, don't buy them and just go with A7V. Monitors don't have to be 3 ways to be good... it certainly helps but a well implemented 2 way system still sounds very good, especially when you compare a properly set up 2 way to an incorrectly positioned 3 way.

Sampling rate of DSP doesn't matter, don't pay attention to it. You can't hear anything up there, the DSP isn't doing anything up there, and the room correction certainly isn't either... don't waste computer resources & storage space by running above 48khz. In some cases it will actually degrade sound quality as out-of-band tweeter breakup that would be avoided with lower sample rates causes audible distortion. High sample rates are all marketing with absolutely zero practical use cases, and there never will be any, either

Subjective reviews are useless, pay no attention. The measurements on Adam's site will be more helpful than anything any subjective reviewer anywhere on the internet says.

 

[AnalogSteph]

Subjective reviews are useless, pay no attention. The measurements on Adam's site will be more helpful than anything any subjective reviewer anywhere on the internet says.

They don't have any spins though. And product reviews by actual owners can be very useful in in identifying warts at times... e.g. there's one complaining about the level of buzz emanating from the S2Vs (which seems to be substantially more annoying than the regular hiss).

 

[Buddser]

Adam T series measured very well... I would expect the A series to actually be pretty special at their price point, unless some major unforced errors were made. T series did have me thinking Adam has decided their "house sound" is bright treble so they've shelved up their tweeters.. hopefully they haven't done that here


If you can't fit the A8H in the proper orientation, don't buy them and just go with A7V. Monitors don't have to be 3 ways to be good... it certainly helps but a well implemented 2 way system still sounds very good, especially when you compare a properly set up 2 way to an incorrectly positioned 3 way.

Sampling rate of DSP doesn't matter, don't pay attention to it. You can't hear anything up there, the DSP isn't doing anything up there, and the room correction certainly isn't either... don't waste computer resources & storage space by running above 48khz. In some cases it will actually degrade sound quality as out-of-band tweeter breakup that would be avoided with lower sample rates causes audible distortion. High sample rates are all marketing with absolutely zero practical use cases, and there never will be any, either

Subjective reviews are useless, pay no attention. The measurements on Adam's site will be more helpful than anything any subjective reviewer anywhere on the internet says.

Thank you, for your reply.
I can’t refuse and don’t buy them ) because their on it’s way now, somewhere close to my city, I think in a few days they will be at my home. And their price was really good, I think if their sound in my room will be awful and I can’t listen them, I will sell them for little less money. So, I decided to try them anyway.

 

[Buddser]

As a listener, I can tell you my subjective opinion about Adam A8H. I compere them with Yamaha HS8.
I hear detailed highs, more low bass, wider scene.
A found a few new details in every song/melody that I heard (like clap or hi-hat - or another additional sounds, that I haven’t heard on my Yamahas). Sometimes those additional sounds looks like a mistake while recording or mastering, but still, I like to understand that music produced by people and not by machines.
Bass become more readable, I can hear notes instead of hum.
I placed them horizontally as they intended. I like their appearance, more than yamahas.
So I like them very much, this is my first impression (after a few days of listening them), I hope that after a while I will not change my opinion.

 

[DevinCortno]

Measurement reports are up on Adam's site for the whole new A series. FR is maybe smoothed a bit too much but otherwise they have the full set.. dispersion, spectrogram, THD measurements, etc.

On a quick glance it looks very good! So good I think a A77H is my new center channel...

 

[sweetchaos]

Measurement reports are up on Adam's site for the whole new A series.

Thanks.

Here's the links:

A4V
A7V
A44H
A77H
A8H


Photos from these links:
A4V:

A44H:

A7V:

A77H:

A8H:

CC @pierre see if you can digitize these.

 

[thewas]

CC @pierre see if you can digitize these.

I doubt they can be used to calculate a Harman score though as the directivities are given as isobars and not as individual measurements or early reflection and sound power measurements.

 

[dfuller]

Wow. A8H is not great.

 

[DevinCortno]

Wow. A8H is not great.

You should probably elaborate on comments like that... it looks fine. Great, even. 3 way with DSP room correction, quite linear on-axis and very high output capability with low distortion, all for that price, excellent... not as good as the KH 310, of course, but 310 cost more than 1.5 times a A8H, each. Horizontal dispersion is not as clean as maybe it could have been but it's a studio tool so it basically doesn't matter compared to on-axis .....

 

[dfuller]

You should probably elaborate on comments like that... it looks fine. Great, even. 3 way with DSP room correction, quite linear on-axis and very high output capability with low distortion, all for that price, excellent... not as good as the KH 310, of course, but 310 cost more than 1.5 times a A8H, each. Horizontal dispersion is not as clean as maybe it could have been but it's a studio tool so it basically doesn't matter compared to on-axis .....

The dispersion is a mess. As far as whether or not it matters in a studio: it does, just less so. If you're moving side to side at all though it's a mess.

 

[Fnord23]

Looking at the measurements, is the A7V a good deal? To me they seem good but I don't know much about that stuff, except that the frequency measurement looks good to me, and the port issues seem to be much less apparent then in the smaller ones (?)

So far they seem to match my criteria of size, prices, front-portedness and eq possibilities. I want to use them for production, mixing and mastering in my small but treated home studio room, without a sub.

Appreciate your help.

 

[guy soundy]

I recently got the A44H and I like it, but I want too make it sound perfect for voices (as a center speaker usually does) what room adaption options works best for it? Pic related is where the speaker is placed with a something underneath the front to point it slightly more upwards. Room is small btw.

 

[Bl00dWolf]

Hey, everybody.
Got my ADAM A7V today. Previously had an AirPulse A80. I really like the sound of the Adams, both UNR and Pure, but the UNR is more colorful, more for me.

But there is 1 problem.
Hiss at idle. Both monitors are connected to DX7 PRO PLUS (DAC+AMP).
The problem is definitely not the DAC+AMP, because even if you turn it off, nothing changes.
This noise only audible quite close to the monitors, but it stresses me a little bit.

The level is set to 0 dB and then somewhere between -50-60 dB on the DAC+AMP.
I set the level at -12db (lowest possible) on the monitors. Then hiss is not heard at all, if you do not bring your ear litteraly to them.
Then I set volume for normal listening level at about -31db on DAC.

Can I leave it like that?
Or by setting level -12 dB on Adam A7V and amplifying sound on the DAC+AMP, can I distort something \ lose in the sound?

 

[racingpht]

Hey, everybody.
Got my ADAM A7V today. Previously had an AirPulse A80. I really like the sound of the Adams, both UNR and Pure, but the UNR is more colorful, more for me.

But there is 1 problem.
Hiss at idle. Both monitors are connected to DX7 PRO PLUS (DAC+AMP).
The problem is definitely not the DAC+AMP, because even if you turn it off, nothing changes.
This noise only audible quite close to the monitors, but it stresses me a little bit.

The level is set to 0 dB and then somewhere between -50-60 dB on the DAC+AMP.
I set the level at -12db (lowest possible) on the monitors. Then hiss is not heard at all, if you do not bring your ear litteraly to them.
Then I set volume for normal listening level at about -31db on DAC.

Can I leave it like that?
Or by setting level -12 dB on Adam A7V and amplifying sound on the DAC+AMP, can I distort something \ lose in the sound?

Quickly checked spec of Adam A7v, max input level is +19 dBu, which is 6.904 vrms.
Your DX7 PRO has max output of 4.2vrms, so no problem here.

Read the spec -- 0 dBu = 100 dB SPL at 1 m for 0db setting.

Now, with -12db setting, you get 88db / 1m with 0dbu. And your DAC is able to output 14.68dbu (4.2vrms), so the max SPL you get is 102.68 db/1M. You won't get full SPL capability above 70hz, but unless you are using a subwoofer, you are likely limited by LF driver distortions.