Adam A5X Active Amplified Professional Studio Monitor Speaker

Product Information

French manufacturer Focal has released many well-respected monitors for mixers mixers of all skill levels. ADAM A5X Active Studio MonitorThe Adam A5X studio monitor builds on the technology found in the legacy A5 monitor, which managed to make itself a big name in both professional environments as well as in computer or desktop applications.

The A5X’s woofer is constructed using Carbon/Rohacell/Glass fibre materials, the result is an extremely light yet strong woofer with structural stability that gives the speaker excellent transient response, even when pushing sound levels to the limit via the efficient PWN amplifier.

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A lot of people praise Genelecs but they are expensive and this model, which is already stretching my budget, is a 5". Last year, Adam set about updating their A‑range studio monitors to create the AX range. They've redesigned the drivers, used new electronics and, in the case of some of their larger monitors, they've added a mid‑range driver. Adam's A7 two‑way active monitor has proven to be a firm favourite with project studio owners, so I was particularly keen to see how the new A7X could improve on the original. The Science Of ART Max SPL in full space at 1 m with sine bursts (average 100 Hz to 6 kHz) @ 3% THD (Peak): 104 dB SPL The only trouble is I really wanted the ones in the raw finish 'cos I love that industrial look. Like an idiot I’m now toying with buying some and selling these on

From its 1999 launch in Berlin, ADAM Audio has built a solid reputation among the pro audio cognoscente. Sweetwater knows that a superior speaker system has superior components, and this is one area where the company has a distinct edge. With years of R&D behind each proprietary driver, ADAM Audio's custom driver technology expresses itself in breakthroughs such as their X-ART (eXtended Accelerating Ribbon Technology) tweeter, which is based on a groundbreaking 1960s invention, the Heil Air Motion Transformer — and in fact, was the main impetus for the formation of ADAM Audio. The X-ART tweeter became the key to ADAM's signature transparent, high-definition sound; and the core development of ADAM’s proprietary designs going forward. My choice was between the diminutive A3X (only about 10 inches high or something and with a 3+ inch effective woofer), the A5X which offered bigger cabinet around 12inch high, 100w RMS per side, and decent frequency response, and finally the A7X which really was my ideal choice, but a little over budget at around 1200chf the pair cheapest option. Also the A7X seemed a big beast at around 14 inches high and with a 7" woofer always seemed a little OTT for a desktop rig; my intended placement for my new acquisitions. According to the published spec, the A7Xs have a frequency response of 42Hz to 50kHz, a long‑term output capability of over 106dB and a maximum peak‑level capability of 114dB. I certainly found that there was no shortage of volume for nearfield monitoring! The figure for THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), when operating at a level of 90dB at 1m for frequencies below 100Hz, is less than 0.5 percent. Out Of The Box The Adam A5X Studio Monitors feature Adam's proprietary X-ART tweeter paired with a 5.5'' mid-range woofer, an A/B amplifier and a powerful PWM amplifier. Perfectly designed for home and small studio environments; the A5X monitors deliver a maximum SPL of 110dB per pair and come equipped with a tweeter gain function, dual front-firing bass ports as well as high shelf/low shelf EQ and flexible input connectors. Boasting crystal-clear and crisp sound reproduction with deep bass responses, the qualities of the A5X provide you with a clear picture of the smallest changes in your mix and the sonic results. Brand spanking new model. Has a bunch of new tech built-in which makes me feel like it would be adding complexity. I want to avoid complexity and want to have predictability instead. Also, is the 4" woofer too small?I was particularly surprised to find out just how deep the compact A5X model can go. And it doesn’t just go low. It goes low and stays clean – Much cleaner than many ported studio monitors on the market. Is it worth it to get monitors if producing in an untreated room or should I just continue with headphones?

I like the A5X because it's smaller (don't have a ton of room on my desk), has front ports, front power and gain, and can be chained via RCA which is really convenient as a desktop setup.I like the T5V because it's less than half the price of A5X and I know it'll have a similar sound to my old T7V's (I really liked these monitors) that I sold when I quit djing and music production. These new‑generation Adam monitors incorporate an update to their original ART ribbon tweeter, and they've called the revised version the X‑ART tweeter (if they'd called it ART‑X, it would have recalled a certain generation of textured paint!). Its frequency response now extends up to 50kHz, but the design is also a little more efficient than its predecessor and so can generate higher maximum SPLs. Now, I don't think even your pet bat is going to get much benefit from the extra frequency range per se, but a wider frequency response generally means an even flatter phase response within the band you can hear, so it isn't just a case of 'more for the sake of the spec sheet'. After all, if everything in your audio system had a 20kHz bandwidth (‑3dB), by the time your signal had passed through all the different units in the chain, the final frequency response would be way down at 20kHz. esq, @darenager, you are probably right, maybe 7" is too much… Let me measure the room tomorrow and I’ll post the dimensions.I’d love to get the A7V’s because I am sure they are a clear step up from the A7X’s a decade later, but they are, unfortunately, way outside of my budget. Why didn’t they make an A5V?! Those would have been perfect! A very handy and exclusive feature found in the two smaller AX monitors is the Stereolink. This is accomplished by a pair of additional RCA connections that allow for a bypass of the second stereo channel to the other speaker.