[moonboy403]

Quote:

Apparently, moonboy403 isn't hearing anything but midbass from the Audioengine A5s. Aside from possible audiophile hyperbole, his room and his setup may be different from mine.  I'm certainly willing to believe that the Adam A7s can be better in various ways.  Maybe the Adam A5s are better too. I'd expect flatter and deeper bass response, less distortion in the bass region, better power handling and possibly more clarity from speakers that were much more expensive than Audioengine A5s.
 
Bill
 

 
My room is treated with 4 GIK Tri Trap, 2 Monster bass trap, and 2 GIK 244 bass trap in addition to 2 inch panels for first and second reflection points. So I don't think my room is the problem here as I measure my room response with REW when I setup up my speakers and bass traps. As I said, I have here all 4 models (Adam A5, A7, S3A, and Audioengine A5). I'm not bashing on the Audioengine, but the Adams are just in another league IMO (and they should given their relative price points).
 
Edit: I just remembered that there's one thing that really bugs me on the Audioengine. There's a channel imbalance on the Audioengine when the volume is low (perhaps anything lower than 9 o'clock). That eliminated my chance of low level listening as anything above 9 o'clock is simply too loud for low level listening. Perhaps my CD player's output is too hot. Therefore, I would need to use a preamp if I wanna use my CD player in conjunction with the Audioengines.  
 
Also note that if you buy the Adam A7s, you'll still need a preamp as there is an analog volume control on EACH speaker.

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

 
Quote:

lso note that if you buy the Adam A7s, you'll still need a preamp as there is an analog volume control on EACH speaker.

 
Not necessarily. Not 100% certain as regards the old ADAM An range but all the new AnX models allow the option of for a single gain to control both speakers provided you connect them via  unbalanced (RCA) rather than balanced XLR which you will probably do anyway.
 
The principle difference between the ADAM and AudioEngine ranges is the intended market. ADAM speakers are designed for use by audio professionals and whilst no loudspeaker has a perfectly flat frequency response ADAms come closer than most. AudioEngine on the other hand aims at the less demanding audiophile market and is more concerned about fashion and listenability rather than accuracy.
 
You will find the AudioEngines do not go down as low and flat as an ADAM product with the same sized driver but they have a gentle bump in the bass around 100Hz which whilst strictly speaking is inaccurate it does provide a pleasing sound. Likewise, and probably more important to you, audiophile grade speakers will have a slightly recessed upper midrange which helps to disguise poor quality recordings and reduces hiss. This frequency range is actually slightly emphasised in the ADAMs as it is helpful to a musician or engineer.
 
ADAMs are far and away the better product provided you play only good quality sources - they are unbeatable for classical, acoustic, BBC iPlayer, vocals and 'natural' bass instruments. If you have a lot of old vinyl, dodgy MP3 downloads, live recording or electronic music you might be better of with something with a more audiophile rating - such as the AudioEngine, M-Audio AV or Bx ranges or even the KRK Rokits.
 
For your room and budget I'd listen to the ADAM A3X first. You can always get a sub when you move to larger premises or don't have any issues with neighbours/family. You will not get the benefit of the A7X.

 

[AhhHoNG]

Yeah i was about to ask about the A3X. they should sound the same as A5X other than better bass response right? If i am planning to pair it with a subwoofer, the A3X would be perfect right? since i dont need the better bass response from the A5x

 

[dragonball]

@RonaldDumsfeld: I should look at A3X really? Not even A5X?
 
And yeah I am not a music recorder. I just want my MP3s (256kbps) to sound as musical as possible. I also prefer sweeter (recessed?) highs as i hate harshness/brightness/fatigue. It will also be better if my speakers hide the badly recorded MP3s.
 
I am also getting following at price of Adam A5X:
KRK Rokit Powered 5 Generation 2 Powered Studio Monitor
M-Audio Studiophile BX8a 130W Deluxe
 
Are any of the above two better than Adams in musicality?

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

 
Quote:

Are any of the above two better than Adams in musicality?

 
That's a difficult question.
 
I based my own choice on transparency and I've never thought of rating on any other criteria. I am kind of joking a little bit here but another solution might be to buy the ADAMs anyway and teach your ears to appreciate why they are clearly superior. :smiley
 
A3X are rated flat down to 60hz : A5X - 50hz : A7X - 42hz : The Sub 7 - 32hz
 
I think you are better off getting the perfect sized speaker for your room now which will still be perfect if you move to larger premises by getting a sub rather than making compromises twice. Certainly from an efficient use of money perspective. Other opinions will differ.

 

[SwanSong]

When I started thinking about my Mac rig I first looked at the AE A5 then Swam mk 2 then TB 200 but decided on the Adam A5x's. I'm so glad I waited and continued to read forums and reviews because I'm so enjoying the sound. Now I'm moving to the A7x as my final monitor choice. I also added the tubedac 11, Amarra player, Pangea power cords to the monitors and dac. My last adds will be the JK USBSPDIF MK3 and some room treatment and that's it for a while. I never thought a small digital rig could sound so good WOW!!! Can't wait to do some tube rolling to keep it fresh.