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Adam S2V Studio Monitor Review

beefkabob

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The jigs may seem low-tech but we must not forget the 20 years of experience of the staff making the pleats, apply damping and assembling the whole things. And note, perfect smoothness and geometry of the pleats to a single, static target doesn't neccessarily give best performance. AMTs are a can of worms, design-wise.
HEDD has been around since 2015. I can't speak to the pleating experience of the assembler, but in the video it was not assembled with what I would call top precision. It made me wonder how much variation there is.
 

Ilkless

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HEDD has been around since 2015. I can't speak to the pleating experience of the assembler, but in the video it was not assembled with what I would call top precision. It made me wonder how much variation there is.

I really wanted to like the HEDD Type 07 but it just seemed quite scooped in the upper midrange and low treble. Fantastic (mid)bass though - made the Shape 65s sound really hollow. Genelec 8040B split the difference for me but (mid)bass wasn't quite as linear it seemed.

Shame, because it seemed really well-priced for what it offered - great drivers, ICEPower, modularity with the Bridge, German assembly/production, active crossover.
 
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TBH, I mostly don't read the DAC measurements on this site (or elsewhere). So many of them perform well in advance of any human auditory system, there's no reason to concern oneself with them, except to rule out the odd lemon.

EDIT: you might also ask, why don't we remove the amps and analogue crossovers from all active speakers that are measured and measure those components? They are almost guaranteed to be producing more noise and distortion than any ADC or DAC.

I have 3 dacs here, one sounds good, the other two they do not sound bad, they sound more like dog shit actually. They sound like a big piece of shit. Still some forum user says his macbook 3.5mm output sounds perfectly fine, no audible difference... Internet forums...

I have to agree with andrew jones and Heinz, in something which is extremely insultingly obvious: if you want a full analogue path, starting from a vinyl, you do not want any digitalization of the signal, obviously. So much against the digital vinyls, and now you are gonna convert from analogue to digital to analogue, with no audible difference, sure. No difference in what ears? The "no audible" difference, I laugh about that, that means nothing. It's like saying too hot or too cold. My mom would say the same between an mp3 and a cd, "no audible" difference. These things cost 4000€, I want the DAC in them measured like any other chinese dac in aliexpress is measured. No audible difference is good at Zeos reviews channel. I do not accept any "no audible difference" in 4000€ speakers, cause I don't believe that crap anymore, obviously.
 
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amirm

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I have to agree with andrew jones and Heinz, in something which is extremely insultingly obvious: if you want a full analogue path, starting from a vinyl, you do not want any digitalization of the signal, obviously.
This is a marketing point, not a technical one. They are "smart" for wanting to appease analog users. They are catering to their fears as they should for a successful company.
 

pozz

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I have to agree with andrew jones and Heinz, in something which is extremely insultingly obvious: if you want a full analogue path, starting from a vinyl, you do not want any digitalization of the signal, obviously.
We have had one example of a phono stage Amir reviewed that uses DSP to hit the RIAA target perfectly.

We have also had another member who digitized the output of his turntable and used software to remove in real time clicks, pops and to customize EQ.

I wouldn't consider the old elevators which run using completely analog logic switch sequences to be safer than those with a computer on the back end. ADCs/DACs are 90% analog at least in any case. The real talent when you encounter it is still in analog design.
 

LTig

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I have to agree with andrew jones and Heinz, in something which is extremely insultingly obvious: if you want a full analogue path, starting from a vinyl, you do not want any digitalization of the signal, obviously.
This is mute. The sound of many (newer) records went through an AD-DA stage in the cutting process.
 

2020

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I really wanted to like the HEDD Type 07 but it just seemed quite scooped in the upper midrange and low treble. Fantastic (mid)bass though - made the Shape 65s sound really hollow. Genelec 8040B split the difference for me but (mid)bass wasn't quite as linear it seemed.

Shame, because it seemed really well-priced for what it offered - great drivers, ICEPower, modularity with the Bridge, German assembly/production, active crossover.

Can't you just eq them? I'm really looking at the type 07 as well. How would you say the sweet spot is on them?
 

March Audio

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I have 3 dacs here, one sounds good, the other two they do not sound bad, they sound more like dog shit actually. They sound like a big piece of shit. Still some forum user says his macbook 3.5mm output sounds perfectly fine, no audible difference... Internet forums...

I have to agree with andrew jones and Heinz, in something which is extremely insultingly obvious: if you want a full analogue path, starting from a vinyl, you do not want any digitalization of the signal, obviously. So much against the digital vinyls, and now you are gonna convert from analogue to digital to analogue, with no audible difference, sure. No difference in what ears? The "no audible" difference, I laugh about that, that means nothing. It's like saying too hot or too cold. My mom would say the same between an mp3 and a cd, "no audible" difference. These things cost 4000€, I want the DAC in them measured like any other chinese dac in aliexpress is measured. No audible difference is good at Zeos reviews channel. I do not accept any "no audible difference" in 4000€ speakers, cause I don't believe that crap anymore, obviously.
You might wish to try a test @Blumlein 88 provided for us a while back. He put several music tracks through AD - DA conversion IIRC 7 times and asked us to identify the original versions. No one got close to getting it right.

Done well its transparent.

Btw have you tried comparing your dacs blind and accurately level matched?
 
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Blumlein 88

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You might wish to try a test @Blumlein 88 provided for us a while back. He put several music tracks through AD - DA conversion IIRC 7 times and asked us to identify the original versions. No one got close to getting it right.

Done well its transparent.

Btw have you tried comparing your dacs blind and accurately level matched?
Yes, Soniclife already mentioned it in this thread.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-choose-the-8th-generation-digital-copy.6827/

There is also an earlier version of this where I used a different ADC and DAC. I think those files are still up and I know those for the above thread are still there.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...dac-loop-vs-the-original-can-you-hear-it.448/
 
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You might wish to try a test @Blumlein 88 provided for us a while back. He put several music tracks through AD - DA conversion IIRC 7 times and asked us to identify the original versions. No one got close to getting it right.

Done well its transparent.

Btw have you tried comparing your dacs blind and accurately level matched?
Look mate, my dacs are a khadas, and the other two are two pieces of shit that can be smelt from miles away; macbook dac and dell monitor dac. I can compare them blind folded, upside down, and whatever you like. But dog shit is dog shit, and will always be dog shit. And still, they are 3 dacs and sound very different. So would be nice to write here with more property, a dac is a very wide range of devices. Now if you compare 5 different dacs of 300$ each and you tell me they sound the same in a blind test, well mate, I will tell you something; that water is wet, and more news at 11 o'clock...
 
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This is a marketing point, not a technical one. They are "smart" for wanting to appease analog users. They are catering to their fears as they should for a successful company.
No, it is common sense. And if common sense is marketing, that's another story.

Tell to those crazy nerds with dual tube amps in 200.000€ system that the dsp is great for their system, and not audible. They will send you somewhere very interesting.

Those guys are right, as could not be other way, and as common sense dictates; analog to speakers, good, then no dsp in the speakers.

The other option; actieve speakers with dsp, good, then use and measure the speakers with digital input to the speakers.

Now, testing a 4000€ speakers that have dsp, that have digital input, with the analog input, and without testing the eq options but saying there is a bass shelf, well... It's really stupid if you ask me. Like really really very stupid. But not because of marketing, but because of obvious common sense. And of course both heinz and jones would agree because it could not be more obvious. Dsp before the analog path, never after. It's like the ABC of most simple logic. And please, dont say it's not audible. I could not care less if it's audible or not or what audible means in actual numbers. It is plain stupid.
 

March Audio

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Look mate, my dacs are a khadas, and the other two are two pieces of shit that can be smelt from miles away; macbook dac and dell monitor dac. I can compare them blind folded, upside down, and whatever you like. But dog shit is dog shit, and will always be dog shit. And still, they are 3 dacs and sound very different. So would be nice to write here with more property, a dac is a very wide range of devices. Now if you compare 5 different dacs of 300$ each and you tell me they sound the same in a blind test, well mate, I will tell you something; that water is wet, and more news at 11 o'clock...
So no you didnt compare them blind or level matched.

OK ;)
 
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amirm

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Those guys are right, as could not be other way, and as common sense dictates; analog to speakers, good, then no dsp in the speakers.
Reminds me of my late grandfather-in-law. He hated cheese. My wife loved making cheesecake so she would add chocolate to it. And he would eat it all and rave how great it was!

Those people in love with analog pass through are living with horrible bass performance due to room modes, target curves that are wrong, etc. all of which can be hugely improved with DSP. So let's not get into what those people think is right in audio.
 
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Reminds me of my late grandfather-in-law. He hated cheese. My wife loved making cheesecake so she would add chocolate to it. And he would eat it all and rave how great it was!

Those people in love with analog pass through are living with horrible bass performance due to room modes, target curves that are wrong, etc. all of which can be hugely improved with DSP. So let's not get into what those people think is right in audio.

That I can understand it and agree with it. Now, if there is a digital section and then an analog section, and there will always be these two parts, put the dsp on the digital part. Don't interrupt the analog part to put a DSP; make it completely digital until the DSP, then go analog to the driver. Basic logic.
 

jhaider

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Well, then you have another ackward with andrew jones.

Andrew Jones is a master at his craft, so I expect he could take any approach and optimize it well. He also has a finely honed sense of the home audio dealers' (and customers') red lines.

I'm not sure Jones has ever said the approach he took for recent ELAC powered speakers is better. Rather, he discusses how "audiophile" customers can still be sold their own special DACs and sources. That approach makes the speakers more palatable for a home stereo shop to stock, because they can still try to upsell on DACs, sources, and magic accessories. That approach also makes them more acceptable to type of customer who churns through equipment.

@amirm put it more elegantly than the above: marketing points, not technical ones.

Why 50$ dacs are measured but then these 4000$ speakers have a dac and we do not care about how it performs?

Because everything that matters about the electronics in an active speaker is what propagates from the drive units: frequency response, noise, distortion. That does beg the question, do hobbyists and other end users put too much time/effort/thought into their audio electronics?

Look mate, my dacs are a khadas, and the other two are two pieces of shit that can be smelt from miles away; macbook dac and dell monitor dac. I can compare them blind folded, upside down, and whatever you like. But dog shit is dog shit, and will always be dog shit.

What are you driving with said DACs, and what are the differences you hear?

My intuition is that you're actually comparing the analog output stages, not the conversion. If you are driving headphones, the issue may be output impedance.
 

andreasmaaan

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@Lolito two questions for you:

1. Do you contend that analogue crossovers are lower noise/distortion than digital crossovers? And if not, why is their presence in the signal path not more of a concern?

2. Do you not accept that digital crossovers are functionally vastly superior in terms of precision and versatility?
 

Blumlein 88

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@Lolito two questions for you:

1. Do you contend that analogue crossovers are lower noise/distortion than digital crossovers? And if not, why is their presence in the signal path not more of a concern?

2. Do you not accept that digital crossovers are functionally vastly superior in terms of precision and versatility?
Oh no reason to fret. People like Lolito always know which sounds best as long as they are told the signal path ahead of time. Analog is king. Oh, and they aren't going to risk seeing if they can hear digitization or not. They know they would. Silly rabbit. Tricks are for kids.
 
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