ADAM Audio goes about reproducing sound in a unique way compared to most companies. Each speaker from ADAM includes a ribbon material to reproduce higher frequencies as opposed to the traditional cone. With the A7X, as well as the rest of the AX-Series sold by ADAM, you are able to get their AMT tweeter reproduction in a near-field monitor setup. While the speakers aren’t the cheapest monitors on the market, they certainly add a new element to any mix environment. Comparing your mixes across several speakers is important to optimize quality, and listening back on these speakers might just show you something you’ve missed.
What is AMT?
The A7X utilizes an AMT tweeter (short for Air Motion Transfer) for delivering a clean high end, even past the human range of hearing. AMT tweeters use the same ribbon material as some other speakers, but reinvent the way audio is reproduced by moving like an accordion instead of an in/out motion. On top of this, most speakers are spec’d to reproduce within the human hearing range, from lows around 40 Hz up to 20,000 Hz. The AMT system more than doubles that range, allowing the tweeter to be driven up to 50,000 Hz. While frequencies above 20,000 Hz cannot be heard by the human ear, their effects on the tones within our range can. Most notably, overtones and transients of cymbals and bright instruments seem brighter on the A7X’s tweeters than on similar speakers with cones.
So what about the low end?
If the AMT tweeters have any effect on the low end response, it would be clarity. With the A7X, you have a large enough speaker to push some pretty low frequencies. A lot of times this comes across as muddy when mixing, but having a clear high end is a good defense to have against a messy mix. Several cheaper studio monitors boost their lower frequencies to have them stand out, but the A7X’s approach this common problem by leaving everything flat. This usually will result in an even mix across all playback systems, and is an essential reason to keep flat monitors in your studio.
What options do I have with the ADAM A7X?
The options available on the A7X studio monitor are pretty common across speakers their size. Each monitor has a balanced XLR input and an unbalanced RCA input. The only issue I ran into there was compatibility with recording interface, which only has TRS outputs. While the cables are common enough to use the RCA inputs, a shielded signal will protect you from any pesky interference. The problem was easily remedied by ordering a few TRS-to-XLR cables on Amazon. For the less than perfect mix environment, the A7X has shelving filters for below 300 Hz and above 5,000 Hz that can be adjusted up to +/- 6 dB. There is also a +/- 4 dB gain for high frequencies, which altogether allows you to adjust to your rooms imperfections.
The ADAM Audio A7X monitors are a great way to start out with the ADAM family of products. While more and more companies are trying to make use of ribbon tweeter technology, ADAM is the only company to use the ribbon material in this way. These speakers are powerful enough to push a mix without distortion, featuring 100-watt amps for the mids/lows, and a separate 50-watt amp for the tweeter. You can pick up ADAM A7X monitors at most online music retailers now for just under $700 each.