ADAM Audio A7

The Adam A7 was the second little brother (only surpassed by a 5 inch smaller one) in the adam monitor family. It has a bass exhaust port in the front, a (you guessed it) 7-inch speaker cone and the ART tweeter that is the trademark of Adam Monitors. Basically, this design "squeezes" air rather than pushing it like a regular cone would do, meaning faster transient response and a more detailed –and somewhat prominent– high end.

You'll also find the power button and volume knob on the front of the speaker, which makes them ideal for small on-the-desk studio setups. On the back lies the female XLR line input, an RCA unbalanced input (which makes me think they were also designed for the weekend audiophile) and 3 EQ mini knobs that go +-6dB at >6KHz, >150Hz and +-4dB for the overall tweeter level, which should be enough to tweak the speakers slightly to adjust to your room.

Also, Adam monitors are made in germany and yes, they're very well built and designed!

SOUNDS

When judging speakers, always remember that they're part of the system that includes your room. Mine is aprox. 3x3x2.5m (10x10x8 feet), which leads to some canceling at 150Hz. Having that in mind, I setup my A7's on my studio after getting rid of my M-audio 8" monitors, which did a pretty good job for a while but really didn't feel serious, and I was immediately blown away by the stereo image and the reverbs on the songs I played through, sort of like putting on glasses and being able to tell exactly where each instrument is on the X axis.

Dynamics shine with the ART tweeter. Whenever I use parallel compression on snare or kick I can really get it to pop out of the speaker (sadly, this is too much for regular speakers so I have to use it moderately) and you can really feel what you are doing to the transients.

Reverbs and delays are easily identifiable, which helps me put them in the right level where they're not too obvious and not too low.

High end feels a little, little hyped, mid range is good for electric and distorted guitars (never had issues eq'ing them on the A7's) and the low end is a little obscure. I mainly blame this on my room proportions, and it could use a little more bass-trapping, or perhaps it's just a matter of getting used to how the bass sounds on these speakers. Bottom line being I've had trouble getting everything under 150Hz under control.

OVERALL OPINION

These are some very good speakers for the price, very detailed and very trustworthy. They will make you work for your mix, and they're not really flattering when listening to stuff, which sometimes gets me down when listening to old mixes, but once you play your mixes on your car or other speakers the payoff is evident: everything is where it should be.

Frankly, I would have given them a better grade if I hadn't listened to 'more' professional studio monitors since I got these. Then there are the A7X, which have improved on some of the flaws these have.

I strongly recommend this monitors for the audio engineer starting to get serious on his/her craft on a limited budget. You'll still be checking your mixes on them even after getting more expensive monitors!

The ADAM A7s are a set of studio monitors designed for both professional and home studios.  They are self powered so they don't need an external power supply and have a volume knob on the front of each speaker.  On the back each has two knobs for room EQ and one for volume, making it possible to tune them to a degree to the room that you are using them in, which is a huge plus for home studio owners.


SOUNDS

Overall, the ADAM A7s are a great sounding set of studio monitors.  I have used them both for monitoring during recording and for mixing, and I have found that they are definitely suitable for both applications.  They provide an accurate response all across the frequency spectrum and even though they don't have a huge low end presence, there is definitely enough there to adequately assess the low end.  The stereo imaging is fine as is the dynamics.  I can't say that I really have too many complaints about the sound of these monitors as I feel they do a great job of accurately presenting sound, making them great for mixing.


OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the ADAM A7s for about a year or so and I'm definitely a converted fan of these studio monitors.  I use them in a professional studio, but they are also a great pick up for any home studio owner looking for a great set of studio monitors that aren't absurdly expensive and aren't huge.  They have a compact size so you can easily bring them around with you if you wanted to and they are easily moved within the house if you find yourself moving your set up around as some people do.  The price is reasonable for a set of monitors like these even though they aren't exactly a steal price wise.  I love having the EQ in the back because it provides me with options for where I can use these, which is a big plus.  Overall, the ADAM A7s are a great set of studio monitors that I would recommend to home studio owners and professionals a like.

(Originally written by Feel/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
I just joined the A7 and Sub7 owners club.

I wanted to upgrade my previous monitoring system (NS10 + Samson amp). I wanted monitors with enough definition to shape my acoustic sound (Vienna Symphonic Library, East West pianos, etc.). I didn't need a high output power, my home studio has only 107 sq. ft. and I'm not deaf! I bought this system to prepare my mixes. After buying them I realized that I can also use them for live applications (guitar, piano, etc.). I also bought high-quality cables.

SOUNDS

People told me that the lows are a bit restrained. That's true for the A7 but not if you add a Sub7 subwoofer.

Very good stereo imaging and ultra-clear response. They are not tiring, even at high volumes...

I hate the fact that I've had to revise all my mixes since I got them... starting with the audio tracks. I noticed problems with bow attacks, vocal recordings (although I recorded professional singers!), percussions, etc. You can hear everything! Such a monitoring system leads you to high precision levels!

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using them for a few days and I'm already a fan!

I haven't found a negative point.... even the price is ok! The Sub7 is a great extension. It's remote control is very convenient. I tested Prodipe, Dynaudio, Yamaha models and many others. I think I made the right choice. I'm not totally sure because the listening conditions in stores don't allow you to really listen to the product... perhaps other models would have been also very good. I don't regret having bought them and I recommend them (don't forget the Sub7...). One final remark: I don't produce rap or Drum and Bass stuff... I make acoustic and pop songs.

What can you say about these monitors? First of all, Great Sound. I checked out these speakers with the strange looking tweeter at the my local music store, and fell in love. I picked them up within the week for my home studio. I use them as my primary mix monitors at home now, and haven't looked back. They're active speakers so you don't need an amp for them - plug in and play it loud.

SOUNDS

The frequency curve is tricky. Everything sounds very flat and precise except for the highs. The thing about the highs is that they may seem to be a little over exaggerated. However when I did some comparison listening, I found that the highs aren't really louder - they just sound way better. You really have to hear it to understand what I mean, but there is a certain crispness and realness about the top end on these monitors that is just fantastic. Due to the great top end, the stereo image is also well defined. Dynamics and transients on these speakers are top notch too - right up there with the hugely expensive Genelecs.

OVERALL OPINION

I have had these for about a year and a half. The tweeter is a kind of technology this company came up with, it's not your normal transducer. It's some kind of a folded ribbon technology, and I guess this is what makes the top end of these sound so great. I can only assume that other manufacturers will pick up on this in time. If I had to complain, I would say that the bass doesn't go down as far as I sometimes want, but then again if you get the sub that goes with these speakers you're all set in that department. I've heard a lot of monitors, and these A7's are one of my top choices even though they're under 2 grand for a pair. That is a great value, no question. I'd definitely get these again - great monitors.