PRODUCT
TESTS
Adam Audio T7V Active Nearfield Monitors
By Adam Gallant
A
dam Audio has been generating a lot of positive attention
surrounding its latest studio monitor designs. The T Series
is the company’s range of professional-but-affordable
studio monitors released in the first half of 2018 and, in
the time since, has won and been nominated for some
of the industry’s most prestigious product awards. Put simply, the
T Series boasts Adam’s most cost-effective speaker designs to date
while maintaining the sought-after sonic performance for which the
company is well known.
Up for test in this issue is the 7-in. woofer model, the T7V – a two-
way powered studio monitor with a newly-designed high-frequency
driver dubbed the Unique Accelerated Ribbon Tweeter. The design
features the recognizable folded ribbon tweeter that provides the
wide sweet spot, low distortion, and remarkable sound of other Adam
offerings, including the higher-end S Series.
Out of the Box
I was surprised at how light (7.1 kg per speaker) and compact these
speakers are for a 7-in. woofer design, making them perfect for a
smaller or less-sturdy desk. The all-black finish is modern looking and
very easy to maintain.
On the rear panel, we have a metal back plate with a splayed bass
port, IEC power input with switch, a power LED, and balanced XLR
and un-balanced RCA inputs with a two-way switch that alternates
between the two. To tune the speakers, we have a non-detented
volume pot with a wide dynamic range and two EQ switches, one
for highs and one for lows. Both EQ switches offer +/-2dB, useful for
tuning speakers that may be close to walls or when used in rooms
that have ample high-end absorption.
The T7Vs offer a total a frequency response of 39 Hz to 25 kHz while
the T5V model (with a 5-in. woofer) has a response of 45 Hz to 25 kHz.
Both the T5V and T7V have a front beveled cabinet design, rear-firing
bass port, built-in DSP-controlled driver crossovers, and equalization
that all contribute to the clear and balanced listening experience.
In Use
The most prevalent differences between the Adam T Series and my
usual Yamaha HS speakers are the pronounced low end, wide sweet
spot, and forward-sounding highs emitted by the T7Vs. The high end
and high mids are not harsh and are nicely consistent, not only left to
right but also up to down. A lot of speakers we test seem to have a
very audible peak right where the tweeter and woofer transition, but
the T7Vs are designed to minimize artifacts in this area, which makes
for a more relaxed feeling during playback. The T7Vs crossover in a
very transparent way at 2.6 kHz, without strange phasing or ringing
in that area.
In terms of power, these speakers can easily fill a small room
without working too hard and the rear bass ports make for a more
balanced sound to my ears when compared to other front-ported
speakers in the same price range. The T Series offerings have newly-
designed Class D amplifiers that provide a total of 70 W of power – 20
to the tweeter and 50 to the woofer. The 7-in. model has a max peak
SPL of 110dB at 1 m while the T5Vs are rated at 106dB.
24 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
During our tests, I was involved in sessions not only mixing music
for a folk/roots album, but also dialogue and sound effect editing for
two short films. The SFX edits came together quickly thanks to the
great transient response and clear top end provided during playback.
These traits are also effective for dialogue editing. Mouth clicks that
often need cleaning were easy to track down, diagnose, and repair
without feeling like I was compromising intelligibility.
Worth noting is the lack of fatigue I felt while working on these
speakers. In a normal day, I am quickly and heavily bombarded with
dirty lapel microphones with lots of harsh esses and unwanted noises;
the T Series had me less bothered by the common hurdles of dialogue
editing and vocal cleanup.
Summary
Overall, the T7Vs that we tested have a pleasing sound that is clean,
consistent, and effortless, making them very comfortable and re-
warding to work with. The lows are confidently represented and the
highs meet the high standard that many have come to expect from
Adam Audio. At this price and with this performance, the T7Vs offer a
great opportunity to get your foot in the door to the world of Adam
studio monitors.
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production, from music
composition to location and post audio for television and film. He currently owns
and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown, PE.