Holy Smokes, these monitors sound great!

[usc96]

I just bought a pair of Adam A7s to go with my Apogee Duet and Imac and I'm hearing things I've never heard.

In addition to the obvious recording function, I'm able to play along with music both through itunes and in garageband (where I turn off one of the tracks so I can replay parts). Just amazing sounding. I just listened to Landslide by Fleetwood Mac and it gave me goosebumps. :RoCkIn

If anyone is looking for monitors in this price range, pull the trigger and get these.

 

[louderock]

Agreed 1000%. They sound fantastic!

 

[dougb415]

Hopefully sometime this year my Behringer B2031 Truth monitors will be replaced by a pair of A7s..... oh yes.

 

[shadowbox]

Thanks for posting this mini review. My band is replacing our monitors and we're now at the shopping stage. We'll definitely check these out!

 

[Nomadgtr]

+1 on the Adam A7s! My only problem now is my home stereo sounds like crap by comparison.

 

[fish78]

+1 on the Adam A7s! My only problem now is my home stereo sounds like crap by comparison.

This is one of the great secrets in audiophiledom...many of these low cost studio monitors blow away the super expensive audiophile speakers...1000 bucks a pair versus 5000 bucks a pair or much more...you decide.

 

[drfrankencopter]

This is one of the great secrets in audiophiledom...many of these low cost studio monitors blow away the super expensive audiophile speakers...1000 bucks a pair versus 5000 bucks a pair or much more...you decide.

Maybe so, but thats because there's a lot of 'audiophile' speakers that weren't really intended for clarity or accuracy...

Look at high $ speakers that are intended for reference use, and you'll see a big difference. Check out ATC (thats what I use), Sonus Faber, Dulavy, B&Ws.

Oh, and remember good monitors are not about making music sound better.....their goal is to reveal flaws...or rather making bad sound obvious. That doesn't always represent a good listening experience for the standard consumer.

Cheers

Kris

 

[DualRectifier]

Can you compare them to 824s (mark I)? I thought about getting A7s, but seem very nearfield, at only 100W and 105db...I have been very tempted though. For comparison my Event TR8s are only 100W biamped, rated at 108 db, and I wished they got louder. I've heard nothing but gushing about the A7s.

I also play my iTunes through my monitors...do you think the compression severely degrades the audio quality? I'm toying with the idea of re-ripping my CDs at higher bit rates, and re-downloading some mp3s with higher rates.

 

[Nomadgtr]

Trust me they can get very loud. I like to test mixes by cranking the monitors occasionally and walking upstairs all around the house to listen for what tones filter through the floorboards and the A7s can be heard quite easily no matter where I go in the house. I wouldn't dare sit in front of them at that volume for very long.

 

[elambo]

Oh, and remember good monitors are not about making music sound better.....their goal is to reveal flaws...or rather making bad sound obvious. That doesn't always represent a good listening experience for the standard consumer.

You can't put a price tag on that statement. It's one of the most misunderstood aspects of studio monitors, but perhaps the most important of all.

I use Adams, and they are my #1 mix monitor, but they do NOT sound the best. Genelecs certainly have a more inviting sound. A lot of home loudspeakers sound better. But none of these others will be as effective for mixing as the more revealing monitor, like Adams. Yes, they do sound great, when the source material sounds great. If it's crap, you'll hear crap. ALL of it.

Love the A7s btw. They're the best deal in studio monitors - one of the best deals in all of audio.

 

[elambo]

This is one of the great secrets in audiophiledom...many of these low cost studio monitors blow away the super expensive audiophile speakers...1000 bucks a pair versus 5000 bucks a pair or much more...you decide.

It has already been hinted at, but keep in mind that near-field monitors are meant to be listened to "near-field" - close up - whereas home speakers have a much larger area where they'll remain flattering and sound good. In both regards, it's intentional. But it means that you can't really compare the two because their goal is not the same.

I'll add this though - while the A7s are great for mixing (see above) they can't approach the sonic "heaven" of some audiophile speakers (when integrated well with other components). Seems backwards - the speakers used for CREATING sound should be the best - but it's not exactly the case. Dollar-for-dollar you can do quite well with home audio speakers as compared to studio monitors. Just don't try to mix with them.

(Now who's going to tell me that "some studios mix on B&M 8-series speakers")

 

[Bobo Fret]

Timely post for me. I just set up my A7's and I have to agree...they freakin rock!