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Recommendation: Adam S3V vs JBL LSR 708P

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Sprint

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I have both.
I'd say normally they are hard to tell apart, especially in a smaller space, but I prefer the 708p's when in a larger room at higher volumes... I don't know that I'd describe either as boxy in my enviroment.
I really like them both...
Thanks! What is your room size and listening distance. If I am not wrong, you have KEF LS50 right? Did you also hear Bowers & Wilkins. Many in the internet like BW for movies.
 

pozz

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@Ron Texas I posted the available third-party Adam measurements in another thread.

@Krunok The S-series waveguides deliberately narrow dispersion in the vertical plane (to control desk bounce), which isn't optimal for home theatre systems.

The Adam S3V measurements are attached.
 

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Olli

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Thanks! Would 705 P enough for listening distance between 3,5 - 4 meters? The front LR speakers will be 4 - 5 meters apart. my living room is 35m2 and the hearing area is approximately 20 m2 with one end open to dining area and the other end with big glass door.

Absolutely. I have 2 705p with 4 subs in my office setup, they sound great. My listening distance is approx 3,5 m.
 

mi-fu

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I have both.
I'd say normally they are hard to tell apart, especially in a smaller space, but I prefer the 708p's when in a larger room at higher volumes... I don't know that I'd describe either as boxy in my enviroment.
I really like them both...

Thank you very much for your comment @BDWoody. It is good to know that, then I can stop pondering if I should upgrade to 708P :D

I think my comment on 705P sounding "boxy" is a bit unfair, as I compared it to much larger speakers known for sounding big. The 705P I have definitely sounds good!

One thing interesting is that after the sale on karmanaudio.com last time. 708P disappeared from the website. Not sure if it is a sign of new models coming?
 

mi-fu

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Absolutely. I have 2 705p with 4 subs in my office setup, they sound great. My listening distance is approx 3,5 m.

Would you detail the sub setups? I would want to know which way is the best to do it :)
 

Olli

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Would you detail the sub setups? I would want to know which way is the best to do it :)

Sure. 2 Rythmik F8 front and 2 JL Audio E112 in the back. F8 are crossed at 175 Hz, the JL Audios are for below 54 Hz. I am using Audiolense as REQ software. There is a thread here were all the details are described by @dallasjustice, but using the bigger M2s. But the set up principles are the same.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...m2-audiolense-digital-crossovers-w-subs.2369/
 

mi-fu

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BDWoody

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Thanks! What is your room size and listening distance. If I am not wrong, you have KEF LS50 right? Did you also hear Bowers & Wilkins. Many in the internet like BW for movies.

I do have LS50's. The 708's are replacing them. My main listening room is about 15'x20'x9'. Listening area is about 14' from the front speakers. That's a little far for the LS's, or the 705's IMO.

I got the 3x705's to act as center and surrounds...that's not set up yet...so 2 of them are now in my office where the LS50's would normally be. That is more of a near field setup...4'-5' or so...

These are all, IMHO, very decent speakers.
 

Ron Texas

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@Ron Texas I posted the available third-party Adam measurements in another thread.

@Krunok The S-series waveguides deliberately narrow dispersion in the vertical plane (to control desk bounce), which isn't optimal for home theatre systems.

The Adam S3V measurements are attached.

You are talking vertical dispersion. Does this happen with the A series as well? Is this a characteristic of studio monitors in general? I know the highly praised Goldenear towers have ribbon tweaters. Their vertical dispersion is limited to the point where the feet need to be adjusted to point the speaker down to the listener on the larger models.
 

Ron Texas

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I do have LS50's. The 708's are replacing them. My main listening room is about 15'x20'x9'. Listening area is about 14' from the front speakers. That's a little far for the LS's, or the 705's IMO.

I got the 3x705's to act as center and surrounds...that's not set up yet...so 2 of them are now in my office where the LS50's would normally be. That is more of a near field setup...4'-5' or so...

These are all, IMHO, very decent speakers.

Definitely too far for LS50's. I have mine at about 8'. Any further and they can't play loud without strain, and that's with a sub helping them.
 

daftcombo

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Thanks! Would 705 P enough for listening distance between 3,5 - 4 meters? The front LR speakers will be 4 - 5 meters apart. my living room is 35m2 and the hearing area is approximately 20 m2 with one end open to dining area and the other end with big glass door.

Is it a flat or a house? If you don't have neighbours underneath, you might want more bass than the 305P is able to produce.

In a flat I think it will be sufficient and nice.
 

pozz

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You are talking vertical dispersion. Does this happen with the A series as well? Is this a characteristic of studio monitors in general? I know the highly praised Goldenear towers have ribbon tweaters. Their vertical dispersion is limited to the point where the feet need to be adjusted to point the speaker down to the listener on the larger models.
It's fairly characteristic of folded ribbons, especially larger ones. They're like miniature arrays in that sense.

Narrow directivity is also a deliberate feature of nearfield studio monitors: the engineer works solo, so only his ears matter. The designs of the last decade have really begun to address radiation patterns with new waveguides and baffle shapes, probably because computing, modelling and manufacturing have become so much easier.

I had the A7s for a long time (I think I purchased them in 2008?), and I loved them. The directivity naturally made me either slouch, perk up or lean left or right, but I didn't notice myself doing it most of the time.

Not to derail this thread—the S3Vs are really something else compared to the old A series.
 

Ron Texas

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@pozz I slouch all the time. Your comment on folded ribbons makes sense, and probably explains part of why some love and others hate them.
 

beefkabob

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I like my B-stock 708p pair a lot. They sound great, revealing details I've never heard before. The 705p wouldn't fill a big room quite as well.
Either way, get a sub or two. I'm getting one huge sub for now.
 

digicidal

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But the tweeters on JBL is compression driver instead of silk dome..correct?
Correct the dome was in reference to the cheaper 305 which is what I have.
Thanks! Would 705 P enough for listening distance between 3,5 - 4 meters? The front LR speakers will be 4 - 5 meters apart. my living room is 35m2 and the hearing area is approximately 20 m2 with one end open to dining area and the other end with big glass door.
I would think so, but it depends on several things, first and foremost being what levels you like to listen to.
The 705P's are rated to 101dB continuous (107dB peak) @ 1m - however, I'm fairly certain that's anechoic since they're specified as ">101dB@1m" so they would be louder in-room.

Calculated for 3,75m that would take you down to 90dB & 96dB(ish) peaks at MLP (-6dB@2m/-12dB@4m). However, you'd have 3 of them (you're planning LCR the same right?) and some reinforcement from the room... which I won't even attempt to calculate. So I'm pretty sure you wouldn't feel they were too underpowered (but subjective is what it is - you might). If you didn't already have 2 competent subs I'd worry a little, but if the monitors are just handling 80Hz-20kHz - then they are right in the band those specs are taken at. I know that would be plenty for me... but you might have different listening habits. However, much more output than that (for more than a few minutes at least) and you'll be doing damage.
 

beefkabob

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705p is marketed at a near field monitor. 708p is marketed as a near field or mid field monitor. So what's your listening environment?
 

digicidal

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705p is marketed at a near field monitor. 708p is marketed as a near field or mid field monitor. So what's your listening environment?
Marketed being the operative word - however the 708Ps would obviously allow the same levels at farther distances. The design is the same and their marketing verbiage is identical in the tear sheets too. Obviously almost everyone will use the 708p's as mid-field since they have a footprint equal to the size of most desks! ;) From the 705P tear sheet:
Despite its compact size, JBL 705P delivers an eye-opening level of output, well beyond that of conventional, comparably-sized studio monitors, for greater dynamic range and greater working distances. The speakers deliver an expansive soundstage, and pristine accuracy in a broad range of rooms.
Very slight difference in wording on the 708P tear sheet:
708P delivers several times the output of other comparably-sized studio monitors, providing significantly greater dynamic range and greater working distances.
Obviously with something that huge they're not going to say "Despite its compact size.." :D

The rated output specifications (both peak and sustained) are up 7dB in the 708Ps so essentially one more "doubling" of distance is possible from my calculations above. Otherwise at the same distance (whatever it is) they should be 7dB louder. That being said, the continuous levels achieved with the smaller ones could cause hearing damage in the duration of a movie, the 708Ps at ~4m would be able to do so in under 30 minutes. Maybe that's just loud enough?
 

Krunok

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@Krunok The S-series waveguides deliberately narrow dispersion in the vertical plane (to control desk bounce), which isn't optimal for home theatre systems.

That isn't optimal for in-room music listening as well unless you are sitting close to speakers which are on the desk.
 
OP
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Absolutely. I have 2 705p with 4 subs in my office setup, they sound great. My listening distance is approx 3,5 m.
@ Olli: Thanks a lot! What is your room size? mine is 35m2 and listening area is 20 m2. I will attach some living room photos.
 

Olli

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@ Olli: Thanks a lot! What is your room size? mine is 35m2 and listening area is 20 m2. I will attach some living room photos.

About the same - listening area 18 m2, room 40 m2
 
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