When the budget line A-series of Adam Audio monitors were launched a few years back,it was a wet-gear dream come true.Professional grade monitoring for just under a grand was unheard of before then, & my A7's were & remain,to be the most significant gear purchase I could ever make.
Though my A7's still serves me very well,I have been looking for a matched pair of monitors for my second PC workstation for a long while now,but with the release of the upgraded A-line of Adam Audio,the price was hiked up past my budget range & I had given up on finding a second pair of monitors that would be equal to my A7's.
The said upgrade to the A-line,was the A7X's,which boasted more wattage,an increased HF response for more transient detail & a improved bass porting system.
These improvements hiked the price up from a grand,to a whopping $1400 price tag & quite frankly for my needs personally,such improvements were overkill,for my modestly sized room.
In recent events-particularly at the 2012 Musikmesse convention,Adam Audio has announced their third venture in budget monitoring,by taking the affordability factor to a whole new level...beyond anything I could have hoped for or expected.
The predeceasing line of A-class monitors were designed to withstand high excursion levels & heat resistance during prolonged periods of use,whereas the upcoming F-line,seems to be focusing on accuracy,more than durability in extreme situations of use.
However though,I imagine that under normal studio use,the new F-line should fair very well..along with any of it's competition in this price range(endurance-wise).
My personal favorite of the 3 listed below,would be the F7 model and while I was intially & gravely disappointed to see the absence of the front-faced controls,I was then delighted to read that the F5 & F7 models have an automatic standby power setting...which suits me equally well.
I am also equally pleased to read that the F-line & Adam's flagship AX line,both share the same ribbon tweeter upgrade,which has seen an increase form 35kHz to 50kHz! The main features of the Adam F7 Active Studio Monitor include
new ART ribbon tweeter
7” carbon/paper-midwoofer
100w (rms) combined amplification
automatic stand-by
gain and 2 shelf filters on the rear panel
Frequency Range: 44Hz - 50kHz
XLR combo (jack) + RCA connectors
110dB max peak SPL per pair
Dimensions: H x W x D: 321 x 225 x 266 mm
Weight: 9 kg
The main features of the Adam F5 Active Studio Monitor include
new ART ribbon tweeter
5” carbon/paper-midwoofer
2 x 25W (rms) A/B amplification
automatic stand-by
gain and 2 shelf filters on the rear panel
Frequency Range: 52Hz - 50kHz
XLR combo (jack) + RCA connectors
110dB max peak SPL per pair
Dimensions: H x W x D: 290 x 185 x 230 mm
Weight: 6.8 kg
As a supplement, the manufacturer will supply the matching subwoofer SUBF, extends down the playback range to 32Hz. Its 8-inch casing is driven by a magnet and a 38 mm voice-coil. Here, a pulse width modulated amplifier is used. The SUBF is designed primarily for smaller rooms up to about 20 m.
Pricing & Availability:
Expected availability October 2012. The prices of these three devices are between €200 and €300.
-Thom