Studiomonitor ADAM A7

ADAM Audio, a manufacturer based in Berlin, presented a new studio monitor in the second quarter of 2006. Measuring at 18 x 33 x 28 cm, the A7 is very compact. The cabinet is designed as a bass reflex system and the cone of the bass driver (165 mm/6.5 inches in diameter) is made of a carbon fiber material. These are typical composite materials used in modern airplane construction. It is being used for the wings of the Airbus planes, for instance, and consists of methacrylimid (for those who want to know in detail).

The tweeter is constructed using the Accelerated Ribbon Technology (A.R.T.) which is a technical principle based on the work of Dr. Oskar Heil. It operates with a lamellar-like folded membrane made of foil suspended in a magnetic field. The folds open and close in relation to the voltage. However, the air movement is about four times faster than the movements of the membranes. As a result, the velocity transformation allows for a better acoustic adaptation and therefore a higher degree of effectiveness than usual sound converter designed according to the piston-principle. The folding creates a higher acoustical area which causes a higher maximum sound pressure compared to other transformation systems at the same distortion factor. The tweeter used in the A7 is identical to the one used in ADAM’s more expensive loudspeakers.

Two 50 watt rms amplifiers (80 watt peak performance) work in the cabinet. The A7 is equipped with both an unbalanced input (RCA) and a balanced input (XLR). On the front there is a power switch and an adjustable volume control. On the back, three small trim pots can be found. Two of them are designed to tune the two shelving filters to the room. The level of the tweeter can be adjusted within a range of +/- 4 dB.

Exercise
The workmanship of the box is impeccable and very solid. Considering it’s size, the A7 creates a lot of SPL in the bass area. The loudspeaker does an excellent job transferring high impulse sounds with low frequencies (like the kick of a bass drum) and is anything but spongy. The A.R.T tweeter guarantees a solid presence in the high-end frequencies as well as an excellent transient response. A round sound without any rough edges, regardless of the sonic material from TV or classical music to pop and heavy metal. The A7 always produces excellent sound results.
In our recording studio, the ‘Mastering’ and ‘Sound Factory’ in Hamburg, we tried to achieve an optimal setting using the trim pots, but ended up returning to the zero position. If the room has good sound qualities making corrections with the trim pots is not necessary. For my taste, the level of the tweeters of some earlier ADAM models was too high. Obviously, this has been corrected, with the A7 everything is perfectly fine-tuned.
The A7 is also a loudspeaker that is fun, meaning it is less analytic and therefore more suitable for the production process than, let’s say, for Mastering. The two 50 watts also create a lot of SPL. But again, there is no need for the user to be worried about anything – except his hearing. From my point of view, this system is not ideally suited for use as a second reference in conjunction with larger midfield monitors - the A7s just sound too great. In this area, one would rather wish to work with alternatives that have more of a hi-fi sound, for instance, or to have another acoustic counterpart. The A7’s primary application is as a small main monitor for near field producing. This is where the A7 excels.

Conclusion
The price for one monitor is less than 400 Euros. So, for less than 800 Euros one gets a high sound quality. Considering the quality of the bass the A7 should be superior to many other loudspeakers of its size.
Smaller project studios without midfield monitors, the home-recording segment, the post-production area as well as workstations (e.g. broadcasting), are the perfect areas of application. Since the A7 has no magnetic shield (editor’s note: the current version of the A7 does have shielded woofers), one has to keep enough distance from video monitors (with picture tubes). But if the space is not too limited this should not cause any trouble.
In conclusion the A7 deserves the rating very recommendable without reservations in all stated areas of application.