Review of the A8X: "...unheard clarity."

Berlin, February 25, 2011

The German magazine Audio Test reviewed a number of active speakers, normally found in studios, for their suitability in home stereo setups. As it turns out our A8X couldn’t resist winning…

“[…] The A8X have enough damping material to cancel out standing waves. The side walls have extra support through inner struts that are also essential for their natural sound. Snare drums and Guitars could have been a bit more energetic but sounded well balanced in their frequency spectrum. Plucked nylon-strings were reproduced without any delay, giving them a very natural sound that primarily can be traced back to the ribbon-tweeter. Vocal-music also greatly profited from the X-ART technology in that the A8X mastered the pinnacle of acoustic representation in loudspeakers, namely the reproduction of s-sounds and consonants. Complex orchestral recordings were well structured and single instruments easily identifiable. All in all it offered a very precise soundstage. This astonishing soundstage and detail is due to the tweeter that is powered by its own amplifier. What impressed us was how our Flamenco dancer could literally be heard turning in perfect circles. Impulsive kettledrums sounded dry and powerful, this being due to the 8.5” mid/low woofer and the cabinet dimensions. Normally at home in professional studios the A8X might seem a bit too harsh in some home setup, since this speaker does not hide any mistakes that were made while recording, it really is an honest analyst.”

Summary

“The comparison of these active loudspeakers showed that even though they all promise linearity, there were some considerable differences. The winner of this test was the A8X from ADAM Audio that showed excellent linear sonics and a solid build. Even if it optically does not fit into every living room, audiophiles looking for pure sound should rally to find a dealer for a demo session. These speakers tend to transform favorite songs with a hitherto unheard clarity. The combination of the 220 mm mid/low woofer and the X-ART AMT let this speaker sound powerful and detailed at the same time.”

Audio Test, No. 2 February/March 2011, pp. 61 & 66 (original in German, translation by ADAM Audio)