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People are starting to get that kind of fanatical/evangelical glint in their eyes when talking about their ADAM S3A's. You know, they're walking around in t-shirts proclaiming that you can "pry their S3A's out of their cold, dead hands" and so on. C'mon folks, they're just speakers. Really, really good speakers.
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The P33A is like the S3A, but leaves a little spending money in your pocket. You know, for gum, guitar picks, rent, stuff like that.
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Setting up your 5.1 system? You could do worse than choosing the S2.5A from ADAM. Like, a lot worse. In addition to being an incredibly great nearfield solution for stereo monitoring in commercial and project studio, the S2.5A is one of the finest choices for surround L/C/R and rear channels.
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So, let's say you've completely abandoned the idea of putting ADAMs into your studio based only on the fact that you just can't afford them. Well, as of spring 2006, you just got a lot closer to being an ADAM owner than you'd previously thought. The A7 wouldn't have the ADAM name if it didn't perform to the company's exacting standards, and is now their most affordable monitor. Unbelieveable in price versus performance ratio, you just HAVE to hear these! Really. You have to. It's a new law in several states.
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Would you like low frequencies with that? ADAM makes some terrific subwoofers like the Sub8 and Sub12 shown above.
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Of course, once you hear the A7's you may want to start saving up for a pair of S6A's. Just saying. It could happen.
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We don't like being wrong, but when we are, we're big enough to admit it. For example, there was that time we bet our life savings that the Clippers would beat the Suns in the NBA conference semi-finals. And in retrospect, that probably wasn't a great idea. So now we'll just start saving for retirement all over again, and forget that episode ever happened.
Another thing that we thought was right, and wasn't: we assumed that studio loudspeaker technology had pretty much reached its peak, and since the art of designing transducers is based on the laws of physics, we were pretty sure that we'd already heard the sound of speakers that were as good as they could get. And then, ADAM Audio came along and blew that theory out of the water. We could get mad, but when monitors sound this incredible, it's hard to stay angry for long.
The Art of A.R.T.
While ADAM makes a variety of monitor speakers that serve different applications and listening tastes, all of the share one commonality: the A.R.T. (Accelerated Ribbon Technology) for tweeters and some models' midrange drivers. While all other types of loudspeaker drivers act like pistons that move air at a 1:1 ratio, the A.R.T. driver is a unique-looking folded diaphragm that provides a 4:1 velocity transformation between driving diaphragm and driven air, i. e., the air moves in and out four times faster than the folds itself are moving. When someone comes to your studio and marvels at the clarity and transient reproduction of your ADAMs, you have A.R.T. to thank.
Enough with the Tweakers... Get to the Speakers!
Okay, fine. Assuming you're more interested in the sound of ADAM monitors than the science behind them, let's chat about a few of the specific models that might fit your needs.
S3A Midfield: Probably the most well-known ADAM model. It's the one you most often see paired with high-end gear on the covers of pro audio magazines, or in famous facilities like Abbey Road, 20th Century Fox, the Effanel/XM truck, Paisley Park, The Lodge and many others. Created for engineers who need to monitor deep bass in mid-sized control rooms, the S3A's fascinating design has one woofer that acts as a full-range driver, with the second woofer joining it only below 150Hz, effectively doubling the area and power of the woofer when it needs to respend to low frequencies. The result is that the S3A delivers exceptionally tight and punch low end with no compromise in midrange performance. They're more than loud enough with three 150W amplifiers, and can be used horizontally or vertically, in stereo or multichannel configurations. Viva la S3A!
P33A Nearfield/Midfield: Let's say you love the S3A's, but just don't have quite enough in your monitor budget to afford them. Your next step should be the P33A, an excellent choice in its own right. It was nominated for a prestigious TEC award in 2005, and adopts the same dual-woofer design as its big brother. Shielded for nearfield use, the P33A employs three 100 W amplifiers that deliver outstanding dynamic performance.
S2.5A Nearfield: In a smaller room, you might not need the power and glory of the S3A, but still insist on getting ADAM's famous bass response and transient reproduction. The S2.5A is ADAM's largest 2-way system, and was primarily designed for high-end recording/monitoring environments in a near-field application where deeper bass is a primary concern... but don't let that stop you from putting them in your project studio.The S2.5A features a very uncolored sounding midrange, which produces a wonderful airiness of voices and natural instruments. If you're setting up a 5.1 system, this is the "MOst Likely To Succeed" winner of the ADAM class.
A7 Nearfield: The newest member of the ADAM family, the A7 is the most affordable monitor in the ADAM range. Do not -- I repeat, do NOT -- think for a second that less money necessarily means less quality when it comes to the A7. Like its higher-end cousins, the A7 makes use of the A.R.T. tweeter, and matches it with a state of the art 6.5“ woofer that introduces a new cone material combining high rigidity and high internal damping with low weight. This monitor is extremely accurate, and oozes the detail and spectacular imaging associated with the ADAM name.
Sub8, Sub10 MK2, and Sub12 Subwoofers: It shouldn't be surprising to you that in this world of mixing in 2.1, 5.1 and beyond, ADAM has solutions for subwoofers that match seamlessly with their monitor offerings. Three ADAM models allow for varying listening area sizes and budgets to get some boom in their room.
S6A MK2 Main: C'mon! Who doesn't want to sit back in a studio chair and pump up their mix through a pair of huge, superb-quailty main monitors from time to time? Many innovations went into the S6A MK2, including the HexaCone® diaphragms on the woofers and woofer-midrange drivers, proprietary aluminum honeycomb mounting plates, and three fully parametric EQs that enable you to compensate for standing waves phenomena in the control room. In addition to being the top of ADAM's line, the company feels the S6A MK2 might be the best monitor ever built by anyone, anywhere. It's tough to argue their point.
Get ADAM-ized with GC Pro!
Monitor speakers are every bit as subjective as favors of ice cream. At GC Pro, we're not going to tell you that chocolate is superior to strawberry. But as far as ADAM is concerned, you'd really be missing out on something special if you don't at least give these wonderful speakers a try when you're looking for new monitoring systems for your room. There are many more ADAM models to choose from than the few we've detailed here. GC Pro's Account Managers can help you by arranging for demos of various monitors, or by offering expert advice on what monitors will work best in your unique environment. Contact us today!
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