# Adam a5x or a7x (or any other option)



## ThomasNL (Oct 23, 2019)

Looking to invest in better monitors, my cheap presonus ones just don't cut it anymore. Obviously i quickly got interested in the adam a5x, as it is not too expensive and works in smaller studio. But now i've spotted a deal for the a7x for the same price second hand. I know they have a little more bass and body but might not be so suited for smaller rooms. What would you suggest? Take the deal on those a7x, or just get the a5x?

It'll probably depend how i am going to tread the room accordingly but still curious what you guys would do


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## mixtur (Oct 23, 2019)

I would look at eve audio. It was started by one of the Adam founders and they are getting a lot of praise. I as going to buy Adam but went with eve after demoing. Similar price point and lineup.


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## ThomasNL (Oct 24, 2019)

mixtur said:


> I would look at eve audio. It was started by one of the Adam founders and they are getting a lot of praise. I as going to buy Adam but went with eve after demoing. Similar price point and lineup.


Yeah i read about the eves. Sadly there was no demo available for them to listen to. What would be the eve equivalent of the a5x? (in price)


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## Mihkel Zilmer (Oct 24, 2019)

I'd also check out HEDD Audio, started by the other founder of ADAM. They went in opposite directions -Eve is using digital signal processing, and HEDD went with full analog designs. Both approaches have their merits, and I think both monitors are better than ADAMs. I personally went with HEDDs, using Type 20s and Type 07s in a surround configuration. HEDDs are a little bit more expensive than ADAMS, but I think you actually get better value for money with them. 

But as for your other question, I'd personally always have bigger speakers regardless of room size. You can compensate by adding bass trapping, mixing at lower levels, and by adjusting the low shelving filter on your speakers.


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## MisteR (Oct 24, 2019)

Sceptre S6 | Tech Specs | PreSonus







www.presonus.com


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## Dietz (Oct 24, 2019)

Munro EGG 150. If you're lucky you can get them ridiculously cheap nowadays, considering their specs and their sound.

-> https://www.musictech.net/reviews/munro-sonic-egg-150-monitoring-system-review/

... I own them myself and love them for stereo work:


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## Ben H (Oct 24, 2019)

MisteR said:


> Sceptre S6 | Tech Specs | PreSonus
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Have these. Love these.


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## Kent (Oct 24, 2019)

mixtur said:


> I would look at eve audio. It was started by one of the Adam founders and they are getting a lot of praise. I as going to buy Adam but went with eve after demoing. Similar price point and lineup.


came here to say exactly this


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## Minko (Oct 24, 2019)

I would like to suggest also looking into second hand. I don't know your budget, but set it and try to get the best you can get for that money (also including second hand). 

You can also go the small route and compliment them with a sub later. And you still need to do something to treat your room. 

The best thing is to just listen to the speakers instead of reading about them  Good luck!


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## ThomasNL (Oct 24, 2019)

Minko said:


> I would like to suggest also looking into second hand. I don't know your budget, but set it and try to get the best you can get for that money (also including second hand).
> 
> You can also go the small route and compliment them with a sub later. And you still need to do something to treat your room.
> 
> The best thing is to just listen to the speakers instead of reading about them  Good luck!



Yeah, there's a couple of a7x secondhand. No a5x or eves though. I am also considering waiting for black friday, might be some nice deals out then. Really just want to listen to all of them though...


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## Minko (Oct 25, 2019)

And Dynaudios BM5s new or 6's second hand? 

But still, have a listen. And don't get too hung up about it.
There are a lot of composers being really successful with not the best speakers, but speakers they know.


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## mixtur (Oct 25, 2019)

ThomasNL said:


> Yeah i read about the eves. Sadly there was no demo available for them to listen to. What would be the eve equivalent of the a5x? (in price)


That would be sc205, but they also have a eve audio sc204 which is 4" and slightly less (or even the 3" eve audio sc203)


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## ThomasNL (Oct 25, 2019)

Thanks for all the help guys. Think in the end i just have to pick something and we'll find out 

PS. I just realised: Adam > Eve - No coincidence huh


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## danbo (Oct 25, 2019)

I've got Adam's, they're great.


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## noiseinmymind (Oct 25, 2019)

dynaudio bm5a


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## LinusW (Oct 26, 2019)

Happy user of A7, A7X and T7V. Way ahead of the others (hello Focal, Yamaha, Krk etc.) in the price range.


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## gsilbers (Oct 26, 2019)

LinusW said:


> Happy user of A7, A7X and T7V. Way ahead of the others (hello Focal, Yamaha, Krk etc.) in the price range.


whats your take on the T7V vs the other two?


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## wst3 (Oct 26, 2019)

I like Adam, Eve, Hedd, Dynaudio, all great choices, and it will depend on your ears and your room - yeah, I know, sub-optimal for selecting a loudspeaker monitor these days.

I ended up with the Presonus Sceptre S6, they work well in my room, for my ears. The tonal balance is really even, the imagining is as good as I've heard, and they do not tire me out. They could use a little bass extension, and I will eventually purchase the matching sub (had it in my studio briefly, it was a nice addition).


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## MHP (Oct 26, 2019)

I have been in a similar situation some years ago and decided to go with the A5X in combination with the Sub7 subwoofer. With room treatment and proper placement of the sub I measure a pretty linear frequency response down to 30Hz which is far superior to the A7X. The A5X alone would be just o.k. for classic rock but you would miss the deeper frequencies in electronic or hybrid orchestral music.
The A5X/Sub7 combo is a pleasure just for music listening but sometimes the mixes sound too good (they are a bit 'HiFi-ish') therefore I will soon add some Neumann KH120 as B-speakers which I found to be more revealing in the upper-mids.

But as @Minko already recommended, don't listen too much to others (me included ), treat your room (at least for early reflections and room modes), get some speakers that your ears and wallet like and then hear a lot of music through your speakers to get familiar with them.


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## LinusW (Oct 26, 2019)

gsilbers said:


> whats your take on the T7V vs the other two?


In short, 
A7X, snappier, crisp and dynamic.
T7V, less dynamics but does not sound as thin when you need to keep the volume down. 

T7V starts rolling off a bit above 6kHz. You can still hear the highs but the transients are flattened while the A7X is still tight and dynamic. 
T7V also has less dynamics around 500Hz-2kHz. It's loudness-wise as if they had a compressor in that frequency range and used makeup-gain. So T7V could sound boomy in a non-treated room where as A7X is more "honest" and flat. 

...and yeah, T5V, less dynamics in the sub register. I think it's to extend the low-end as far as possible. Still a good sound. T5V and a subwoofer could be a good setup.


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## wst3 (Oct 26, 2019)

At the risk of sounding like a geek, or audio fanatic, or whatever...

Room treatment, and system equalization are inextricably linked, and there are a number of methods floating around the world wide web.

Smarter people than I have pretty much codified the process, which is to say they have come up with a process that works about as well as one can expect. It is not perfect, but it is a lot better than most.

There are three steps, and with each one the effectiveness does decrease. You will need three equalizers, one for each step, and it is much easier if you have a DSP capable of creating FIR filters.

Step One: Equalize the direct field - this is the one, and ONLY, step where one can make a noticeable improvement every time. As it turns out, a lot of manufacturers are now providing filter coefficients for their products, unfortunately, monitor loudspeaker manufacturers have not caught up, which is not entirely unexpected, we are a niche market, and the process is complex and expensive.

The idea is simple enough - you capture the impulse response of the loudspeaker without room influences, and create a filter that is the inverse, which corrects any frequency response anomalies in the loudspeaker monitor itself. The nice thing is this is, for all intents, a one time thing.

Active loudspeaker monitors often ship with this filter stage implemented at the factory.

Step Two: with a known response for the direct field of the loudspeaker you can now create a second filter to correct for room placement problems. Actually, you can use a filter, or you can use room treatments. If you use a filter the "sweet spot" will probably be smaller, but unless you room is really bad, or you tend to dance all over the place while tracking or mixing, it works pretty well.

This is the correction applied by some of the software "room correction" processes. It can make a difference, a positive difference, but it depends on an accurate response from step 1.

If anyone tells you that they can correct both the direct and reflected or reverberant fields with a single measurement or single step you should be wary.

If you can do step 1 then a combination of room treatment and equalization can be really effective. I tend to favor room treatment, but I'm an old fart.

Step Three: correcting for the room itself. Can't be done. Which doesn't mean you shouldn't try, it means you need to understand what you are trying to fix.

The idea, and it has become somewhat accepted, is that if you have a room mode at 100 Hz then you can mitigate the effect by introducing less energy at 100 Hz, and therefore avoid exciting the room mode. So far so good. What you need to keep in mind is that the mode exists, you can't get of it with an equalizer. You can only eliminate it by changing the room geometry, or size, or both.

You can reduce the impact of room modes by placing your monitor loudspeakers, and ears, carefully, so that the do not fall on a peak or null in the standing wave. This idea was once considered heresy, but it turns out it helps a lot. It doesn't solve the problem, but it reduces the negative effect.

You can also reduce the effect with bass traps and diffusers. But you can create as many problems with tuned traps as you might solve. Broadband traps are less risky, but I've been in rooms that were worse from over use of traps.

Ultimately the best listening environment is the result of judicious use of absorption, reflection, diffusion, traps, and equalizers - along with well behaved monitor loudspeakers, and good (if not optimal) placement of monitors and ears.

Apologies for the long winded answer, but choosing, and using monitor loudspeakers in a critical listening space is a complex, and somewhat mis-reported topic.

And it we are lucky Nick will be along shortly to explain why we all worry far more than we need to about reflections, and especially early reflections. He makes that argument better than I (and my fingers are getting tired).

Lastly - most of the monitor loudspeakers mentioned thus far are capable of delivering excellent performance. There a couple models that I don't care for - but that has more to do with my ears, and my musical tastes than anything else.

Good luck, and don't get too caught up in this, and do listen to the Presonus Sceptres (sorry, couldn't resist!)


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## David Kudell (Oct 26, 2019)

Following this thread. I also need a set of monitors, and have been eyeing the Adam A7X for some time. They seem quite ubiquitous these days.


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## KEM (Oct 26, 2019)

I see nothing but love on the Amphion monitors, I plan on getting a pair eventually.


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## ThomasNL (Nov 15, 2019)

Just for the people that are interested. I went with a pair of EVE audio SC205 in combination with a TS107 subwoofer. I'm loving the detailed highs of the SC205 but it's not that sharp as i found the adam a5x to be. The subwoofer perfectly covers the lows and it even comes with a remote control so i can control levels of the whole system.

I still want to put the speakers on stands but haven't really decided on that yet.


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## David Kudell (Nov 15, 2019)

ThomasNL said:


> Just for the people that are interested. I went with a pair of EVE audio SC205 in combination with a TS107 subwoofer. I'm loving the detailed highs of the SC205 but it's not that sharp as i found the adam a5x to be. The subwoofer perfectly covers the lows and it even comes with a remote control so i can control levels of the whole system.
> 
> I still want to put the speakers on stands but haven't really decided on that yet.


Congrats!! Where did you get your Eve monitors? There aren’t a lot of resellers compared to other brands. I want to listen to them first but in the US it seems like only Sam Ash has them.


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## 2chris (Nov 15, 2019)

Congrats on the monitors!

Did you upgrade from the Presonus Eris monitors or the R65? Because I love the R65.

I REALLY wanted the Adam A7X. I demoed them at a store that had the Adam A7X, Yamaha HS8, KRK RP8, Focal Alpha 65, JBL, and the Presonus R65 (Ribbon Tweater). I went in sure that I was going Adam, Focal, or Yamaha. BUT I kept going between the Adam and Presonus R65 (others were great - those just stuck out to me). Does the presonus R65 sound as good in the same treated room as the Adam monitors did? No! It doesn't, and I would NEVER claim that. But I quite like them, and for the same price I also got a Korg Minilogue XD, Sennheiser headphones, and accoustic treatment for my room. Do I regret it? NO. But one day... they will be mine.


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## ThomasNL (Nov 16, 2019)

David Kudell said:


> Congrats!! Where did you get your Eve monitors? There aren’t a lot of resellers compared to other brands. I want to listen to them first but in the US it seems like only Sam Ash has them.


I got lucky, there was a b-stock version (opened box) available at a local store and got a b-stock version of the subwoofer at Thomann.

Saved me around 3-400 euro's.


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## sluggo (Nov 16, 2019)

If you are near a pro-retailer who is willing, you can have them bring 2 (maybe 3) pairs of different monitors to your studios and do your own shootout with your own mixes. YOUR ears should decide. Everyone hears differently. (If you don't believe me ask Yanny and Laurel.)


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## David Kudell (Jan 18, 2020)

Just heard the new Eve 3070 3 way monitors at NAMM, and they sound amazing. Obviously not the best listening environment, but they did a AB comparison between other models and the 3070 and the increase in mid frequency presence was quite dramatic. They are hoping to have them out this summer.


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## georgewmusic (Oct 12, 2021)

I can't speak for the alternatives others have suggested. But I own a pair of A5X's and a Sub 8 and am super pleased with the combo. 

The Sub has a built in crossover filter at 85Hz for the satellite speakers and a knob to control at what frequency the Sub joins in. I've opted to keep the A5xs full range and have the sub take over at 50hz as it's where they start to drop off. Its winning me over at the moment. Food for thought.


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## Sunny Schramm (Oct 12, 2021)

ThomasNL said:


> Looking to invest in better monitors, my cheap presonus ones just don't cut it anymore. Obviously i quickly got interested in the adam a5x, as it is not too expensive and works in smaller studio. But now i've spotted a deal for the a7x for the same price second hand. I know they have a little more bass and body but might not be so suited for smaller rooms. What would you suggest? Take the deal on those a7x, or just get the a5x?
> 
> It'll probably depend how i am going to tread the room accordingly but still curious what you guys would do


A7X for sure over A5X (when without sub). I bought the A7X twice in my life - pure love  And they can be used easily in smaller and bigger rooms or direct to the wall because of the front-bassreflex openings.

I also own a set of JBL LSR305 and the LSR310 subwoofer - for 550€ an amazing deal and sound! But they have a little self-noise when you are sitting to near - when your ears are still fine and not broken already in some frequencies


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