ADAM Audio D3V specs price ?

[DrSpan]

Update.Around 10 days later.

These are probably some of the best speakers i have heard in this size, regardless of Price and i have heard and tried a loooooot of speakers over the years.

The Passive Radiator Bass tuning is such a big advantage as you have no midrange leakage and more importantly, you can be on a trip and having to work
in a hotel room and you still can mix Bass heavy music to volume levels that exceed comfortable listening and you can also Solo a Kick if you want to Eq it in isolation
and don`t have immediate Reflex Chuffing like with ,,,, basically any small Bass Reflex speaker trying to do Bass.
They are flat sounding and not very exciting if you want to solely listen to music.
However as a Monitor, they simply are really really good. Beyond reasonable doubt

I can wholeheartedly recommend these speakers. What you get for the Price is simply very very good.
These are some of the best spend 300 euros in my life


These is my personal opinion and my 2 Cents review of the Adams D3V

 

[DrSpan]

Why they do not just use standard connectors? -> Profit!
I hate companies making things difficult for customers, tying them to their "exclusive" accessories: cables, etc., a là Apple.

Well you need 4 cables from one speaker to the other and this Din Format does this and with one plug. I would describe it as a practical solution.
Plus it is not hard to find and not even expensive really. You could even probably cut it in two and solder an extension and it would work 100%.
If it was apple you would have to pay probably 120 euros for a similar cable cause they would put a chip made of stardust inside that renders it unusable if you interfere
with its integrity in any way.
I would also not say it`s comparable to Apple like for example their Power supply for a Macbook was, Lightning and similar.

 

[Nevets]

I bought a 5M cable off aliexpress and it works fine. Its lower AWG than the OEM one but. I don't think it's a cause for concern....

Do you have a link?

 

[ekpln]

Hello everyone, Can we say the volume setting on the d3v is digital and directly controls the DSP? And if so, what is the unity gain setting? Is it to turn the volume all the way up or to the big point at 1 o'clock?

 

[DrSpan]

Hello everyone, Can we say the volume setting on the d3v is digital and directly controls the DSP? And if so, what is the unity gain setting? Is it to turn the volume all the way up or to the big point at 1 o'clock?

Unfortunately thats above my knowledge level but i can tell you that i just did what i could in order to provide you with some information.

The Volume on the Speaker goes from completely silent fully counterclockwise till max sensitivity fully clockwise.

If i set the Knob to Min Volume then it stays silent no matter what i do with the computer volume. It is connected via Usb. Don`t know if any of this is helpful for you though. Oh! And the Knob feels very smooth, like any older Amp Volume knob and does not have a lightweight encoder feel but this does not necessary mean anything i guess ? It also has a beginning and an end in its rotation radius. You can not turn it multiple times in one direction.

Dunno. Anyhow. Hope you find an answer soon

 

[ekpln]

Hello everyone, Can we say the volume setting on the d3v is digital and directly controls the DSP? And if so, what is the unity gain setting? Is it to turn the volume all the way up or to the big point at 1 o'clock?

I asked the Adam Audio support team about it and here's their response:
- Volume control is 100% digitally controlled via DSP. There is no analog attenuation.
- The unity gain ie 0 dB is represented by the big dot at 1 o'clock.

 

[DrSpan]

I asked the Adam Audio support team about it and here's their response:
- Volume control is 100% digitally controlled via DSP. There is no analog attenuation.
- The unity gain ie 0 dB is represented by the big dot at 1 o'cloc

I asked the Adam Audio support team about it and here's their response:
- Volume control is 100% digitally controlled via DSP. There is no analog attenuation.
- The unity gain ie 0 dB is represented by the big dot at 1 o'clock.

Sincere question.

Why do you wanted to know this? Am curious

Sorry about the chaotic answers texting, but I’ve hurt my hand and can’t type and I’m trying to use the speech to text and it’s all over the place. Probably cause if on my pronunciation of English.

 

[ekpln]

Sorry about the chaotic answers texting, but I’ve hurt my hand and can’t type and I’m trying to use the speech to text and it’s all over the place. Probably cause if on my pronunciation of English.

Get well soon!

I experienced tweeter imbalance at low volumes, despite the 1.7 firmware update. Especially the AMT driver on the right side sometimes felt like it was shutting down when I turned the volume down too low. That's why I wanted to know this to eliminate imbalance, the possible loss of detail and resolution of volume control in DSP. Now I control volume through Hqplayer, except for sudden changes, and D3V is in unity gain, 1 o'clock.

I also do the room correction in Hqplayer, to reduce the computational load on the DSP and to use as little of this entry level DSP chip as possible. When I set Unity gain, the hiss when no music is playing is still lower than with my Genelec 8030c, although sometimes audible. And guys I can definitely say that unity gain is the sweet spot of this speaker. It sounds so much better.

I'm still under 15 hours of listening time. The body feeling especially in the mid and treble has started to increase. The boxy sound when I first got it has started to decrease again. I think it will get much better. And also, if you can:
- Put an external desktop stand (i.e. isoacoustics) or just books under these speakers with your AMT drivers in line with your ear. Boxiness, imaging and stage height are much better.
- Convert everything to 48khz externally via Hqplayer or something external player like this. Because internal dsp sampling rate is 48khz
- Use USB galvanic isolator if you have

My last experiment will be to use the analog inputs with a good dac. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[ekpln]

Get well soon!

I experienced tweeter imbalance at low volumes, despite the 1.7 firmware update. Especially the AMT driver on the right side sometimes felt like it was shutting down when I turned the volume down too low. That's why I wanted to know this to eliminate imbalance, the possible loss of detail and resolution of volume control in DSP. Now I control volume through Hqplayer, except for sudden changes, and D3V is in unity gain, 1 o'clock.

I also do the room correction in Hqplayer, to reduce the computational load on the DSP and to use as little of this entry level DSP chip as possible. When I set Unity gain, the hiss when no music is playing is still lower than with my Genelec 8030c, although sometimes audible. And guys I can definitely say that unity gain is the sweet spot of this speaker. It sounds so much better.

I'm still under 15 hours of listening time. The body feeling especially in the mid and treble has started to increase. The boxy sound when I first got it has started to decrease again. I think it will get much better. And also, if you can:
- Put an external desktop stand (i.e. isoacoustics) or just books under these speakers with your AMT drivers in line with your ear. Boxiness, imaging and stage height are much better.
- Convert everything to 48khz externally via Hqplayer or something external player like this. Because internal dsp sampling rate is 48khz
- Use USB galvanic isolator if you have

My last experiment will be to use the analog inputs with a good dac. I will let you know how it goes.

With a good DAC (Chord mojo2 from coax input) and an interconnect cable everything is much better. Especially the stage has clearly improved and the layering has increased. Clarity has improved, especially in the bass-mid region. I would say that the DAC inside limits the performance of this speaker a bit more. However, if I hadn't tried it with a different DAC, I would say that the built-in DAC is absolutely adequate.

In this case, maybe it's too aggressive, but I think I might prefer the D3V to my 8030Cs for listening to music at my desk. The 8030Cs are definitely much better speakers. However, my listening distance is under 1 meter and the Genelec feels much more rhythmic, agile and fast. In this respect, listening to Genelec, especially when I'm doing something else like working, is very distracting. And at some point it creates mental fatigue. The D3V, on the other hand, definitely doesn't lag behind in terms of musicality, it doesn't make me feel like I've taken a step back. And in my case it seems preferable. I didn't think so before the external DAC, but this is my final comment on the D3V with the external DAC.

 

[staticV3]

. I would say that the DAC inside limits the performance of this speaker a bit more. However, if I hadn't tried it with a different DAC, I would say that the built-in DAC is absolutely adequate.

Are you aware that when using Analog in, the audio still passes through the internal DAC?

The signal chain is either Digital in->D3V [DSP->DAC->Amp], or Analog in->D3V [ADC->DSP->DAC->Amp].

In other words, using an external DAC doesn't bypass anything, it just adds a redundant D->A and A->D conversion to the chain.

It's simply not possible for that to improve stage, layering, clarity etc.

That you perceived it as such is a textbook example of confirmation bias

 

[ekpln]

Are you aware that when using Analog in, the audio still passes through the internal DAC?

The signal chain is either Digital in->D3V [DSP->DAC->Amp], or Analog in->D3V [ADC->DSP->DAC->Amp].

In other words, using an external DAC doesn't bypass anything, it just adds a redundant D->A and A->D conversion to the chain.

It's simply not possible for that to improve stage, layering, clarity etc.

That you perceived it as such is a textbook example of confirmation bias

And your message is also a textbook example of how generalizations are always wrong

Sorry, but yes, I know, the analog inputs also go through the ADAU1701 DSP chip. However, you are misinformed here, the PCM2704C dac chip in the D3V converts the USB input to analog first and sends to the DSP. Because the PCM2704C chip has only analog and SPDIF outputs, while the D3V motherboard does not have any SPDIF to I2S converter. The DSP chip has only analog and I2S inputs. So the signal goes through the DSP from analog path, regardless of whether it is external DAC or internal DAC.

Additionally, this DAC chip is quite standard. It cannot compete with today's external DACs. In terms of jitter, noise, etc. The DSP chip is 24bit, although it has a wider dynamic range than the DAC chip. For this reason, it cannot be ruled out that the external DAC chip can produce more accurate analog signals.

You have indicated that it's simply not possible for that to improve stage, layering, clarity etc., but I am happy that your ears cannot perceive the difference and you are saved from "wasting money" as much as those like me who can hear the difference.

 

[kyuu]

You have indicated that it's simply not possible for that to improve stage, layering, clarity etc., but I am happy that your ears cannot perceive the difference and you are saved from "wasting money" as much as those like me who can hear the difference.

Just because you can hear a difference doesn't mean there is one.

 

[Antastik]

And your message is also a textbook example of how generalizations are always wrong

Sorry, but yes, I know, the analog inputs also go through the ADAU1701 DSP chip. However, you are misinformed here, the PCM2704C dac chip in the D3V converts the USB input to analog first and sends to the DSP. Because the PCM2704C chip has only analog and SPDIF outputs, while the D3V motherboard does not have any SPDIF to I2S converter. The DSP chip has only analog and I2S inputs. So the signal goes through the DSP from analog path, regardless of whether it is external DAC or internal DAC.

Additionally, this DAC chip is quite standard. It cannot compete with today's external DACs. In terms of jitter, noise, etc. The DSP chip is 24bit, although it has a wider dynamic range than the DAC chip. For this reason, it cannot be ruled out that the external DAC chip can produce more accurate analog signals.

You have indicated that it's simply not possible for that to improve stage, layering, clarity etc., but I am happy that your ears cannot perceive the difference and you are saved from "wasting money" as much as those like me who can hear the difference.

Thanks for your insights. I recently purchased the D3v, but this dsp chip you mention was measured here in audiosciencereview and wasn't even close to a good external dac. I am wondering whether to return them, for something like the genelec 8010a....

 

[ekpln]

Thanks for your insights. I recently purchased the D3v, but this dsp chip you mention was measured here in audiosciencereview and wasn't even close to a good external dac. I am wondering whether to return them, for something like the genelec 8010a....

If you've been listening to it for a very short time, give it a little more chance because I can tell you that after a week of normal listening, the sound opens up. Another suggestion is to use it with a stand. So you should take it directly to your ear level.

If you don't support it with a subwoofer, the 8010 definitely has insufficient bass frequencies. You won't hear some of the music at all. I would say it's the same as the 8030C in terms of where the bass frequencies reach. It's just not as powerful. But in my room it is much more controllable.

Your listening distance is very important, if it's around 1 meter, I think it's perfect. But if it's around 1.5 meters, I think it's less effective.

Unfortunately we are limited in terms of DSP chip, but still I enjoy listening with Chord Mojo2. If you have an external dac, give it a little more time. But if you don't use an external DAC, the cost will increase if you buy a new DAC and other alternatives will come into play.

 

[Antastik]

If you've been listening to it for a very short time, give it a little more chance because I can tell you that after a week of normal listening, the sound opens up. Another suggestion is to use it with a stand. So you should take it directly to your ear level.

If you don't support it with a subwoofer, the 8010 definitely has insufficient bass frequencies. You won't hear some of the music at all. I would say it's the same as the 8030C in terms of where the bass frequencies reach. It's just not as powerful. But in my room it is much more controllable.

Your listening distance is very important, if it's around 1 meter, I think it's perfect. But if it's around 1.5 meters, I think it's less effective.

Unfortunately we are limited in terms of DSP chip, but still I enjoy listening with Chord Mojo2. If you have an external dac, give it a little more time. But if you don't use an external DAC, the cost will increase if you buy a new DAC and other alternatives will come into play.

I do like their sound, but I wonder why the choice to send analog input into a cheap dsp+dac. Taking the signal of a good quality dac to send it into the ADAU1701 seems like a bad design choice. Since you have the 8030c, how is their sound with the Mojo2? Do they scale better than the d3v? Thank you

 

[ekpln]

I do like their sound, but I wonder why the choice to send analog input into a cheap dsp+dac. Taking the signal of a good quality dac to send it into the ADAU1701 seems like a bad design choice. Since you have the 8030c, how is their sound with the Mojo2? Do they scale better than the d3v? Thank you

I realize this sounds illogical and it took me a while to be convinced The fact that I was satisfied with the sound I was hearing pushed me to keep this system. Because despite the technical shortcomings, it has a very good frequency response and I think it sounds very clean, stage is perfect. Obviously the whole system is very optimized in itself. With an external DAC, I can also provide a better analog signal than with the internal DAC and I think it responds well.

Compared to the 8030C, at my listening distance of 1 meter or less, I think they are a bit "too much". And they are much more transparent, they have a much more studio feel. The D3V are speakers with a more hifi feel. The Genelec pushes me to analyze the music (seriously) while the D3V pushes me to listen. I'm not saying that the treble in the Genelec is more detailed and tiring on the ears, maybe even the AMT drivers are more detailed. But the quick and nimble feel of the Genelec was tiring for me, especially if listening to music was not my main task at that moment. Maybe this is a shortcoming for D3V as studio monitor, but I like it. I put the Genelecs in the box, I absolutely can't bear to sell them and I think one day I will go back, maybe for longer distance critical listening. But right now I really don't miss it at all in my situation.

As a result, if you are going to use the 8010 without a subwoofer, I definitely don't recommend it, because the D3V has a bass that goes so deep that you can really listen to everything. But if you are going to buy a subwoofer, it might be a preference to use Genelec 8010.

 

[somebodyelse]

Thanks for your insights. I recently purchased the D3v, but this dsp chip you mention was measured here in audiosciencereview and wasn't even close to a good external dac. I am wondering whether to return them, for something like the genelec 8010a....

The thing we often forget looking at components like DACs in isolation is how little their failings contribute to the overall system performance. The weak link in terms of distortion is the speaker itself, not the electronics, even for the relatively poor/cheap amps, DACs, ADCs and DSPs in relatively low cost monitors. Despite the ADAU1701 being noisy for a standalone item, the D3V is reportedly less hissy than the 8010a. I have suggested a few times that we should have measurements of the internal electronics from some highly regarded monitors to put the performance of standalone electronics in perspective. OTOH it's understandable that our host isn't keen on taking them apart.

 

[JeffJ]

Sorry, but yes, I know, the analog inputs also go through the ADAU1701 DSP chip. However, you are misinformed here, the PCM2704C dac chip in the D3V converts the USB input to analog first and sends to the DSP. Because the PCM2704C chip has only analog and SPDIF outputs, while the D3V motherboard does not have any SPDIF to I2S converter. The DSP chip has only analog and I2S inputs. So the signal goes through the DSP from analog path, regardless of whether it is external DAC or internal DAC.

Could you share the source that mentions these chips in D3V? I’ve been unable to find them anywhere. Thanks!

 

[ekpln]

Could you share the source that mentions these chips in D3V? I’ve been unable to find them anywhere. Thanks!

Of course, you can find it here: https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/adam-audio-d3v-specs-price.57557/post-2210507

 

[JeffJ]

Of course, you can find it here: https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/adam-audio-d3v-specs-price.57557/post-2210507

Thanks! So, the signal paths for digital-in vs. analog-in are as follows:

Digital-in: Digital source → Internal DAC (converts to analog) → DSP (converts back to digital, processes the signal) → Internal DAC (converts to analog again) → Amplifier. (The DSP can only process digital signals, correct?)

Analog-in: Digital source → External DAC (converts to analog) → DSP (converts back to digital, processes the signal) → Internal DAC (converts to analog again) → Amplifier.

This design seems a bit unusual. Am I misunderstanding something?