Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Adam S3a active monitors
#533772 - 14/10/07 05:35 PM
|
|
|
Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these speakers. I'm getting hold of a
pair next week for evaluation after years of using Genelecs (I feel like a change) so I'm
interested to hear other people's opinions before I plug 'em in! Many thanks!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
* User requested ...
Joined: 15/02/05
Posts: 2235
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#533787 - 14/10/07 06:40 PM
|
|
|
I've been using a pair for the last couple of years, and love 'em. I'd been using Genelec
1030a previously and after the initial honeymoon period, discovered that mixes didn't
translate as well as I wanted. I've found that the Adams don't give me a hyped sound
(which felt the Genelecs did), and are pretty unforgiving about poor mix decisions - so
ultimately if it sounds good on the S3as, it sounds good most anywhere. The stereo imaging
and depth on them was a real eye opener too. The first time I played some reference
tracks through them I was shocked at the amount of stuff I was hearing for the first time
in tracks that I thought I'd known well for years! Make sure you try all the
vertical / horizontal / woofer inside / woofer outside options - it can make a real
difference depending on the room you're in. I've never had to use the roll off controls,
so can't say if they're helpful or detrimental to the sound. Overall opinion? Great pair
of monitors.
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
|
Quote reid:
I'd been using
Genelec 1030a previously ...
Me too! I use 1030s with a 1092 sub. I also have some 1032s in storage (with sub) which
I was considering digging out for comparison. Were you using a sub with your Genelecs and
if so did you feel that you missed it when you switched to the Adams?
Mind you
I've heard that the Adams S3a pair very well with Genelec subs so that could also be
interesting.
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Studio Support Gnome
Not so Miserable Git
Joined: 22/07/03
Posts: 8995
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#533851 - 14/10/07 10:10 PM
|
|
|
Generally Chris, i don't need a sub with the S3 , or their cheaper offspring the P33A.
(actually read that as i've NEVER neededa sub with them... but i HAVE wished for one when
using the smaller P11A's etc)
indeed, i'd find myself wondering more about
shortcomings of the room than the monitors if i felt a sub was a necessity. when
using the S3......
the detail and resolution of transients and individual
elements is quite astonishing when you first get to work with them in detail.......
and much less fatiguing than some other monitors that have reputations for "Hf
clarity"
also worth a look, maybe the Klein&Hummel ..... the O300
things are lovely.... the only caveat perhaps being that they're not "Room filling rock
monsters" for impressing producers.... but they're beautifully detailed and
revealing..... if i hadn't been spoilt by working with Adam's often, the K&H would
be top of my "Want for Xmas list"
both the K&H and Adam's , in my
earnest opinion,  easily knock spots off the gennys
-------------------- if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.
|
* User requested ...
Joined: 15/02/05
Posts: 2235
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#533897 - 15/10/07 06:13 AM
|
|
|
Truth is, I tried a sub with both the Genelecs and the S3as, and was never happy with the
result. Whether that was down to my room, incorrect set up or my less than stellar mixing
skills, I don't know - but I was always getting the impression that the sub was either
doing too much or nothing at all. As it is, I've never felt like I'm missing anything
without one, and queries to dubbing guys that have to mix with my material have all come
back with positive reactions to what is going on in the bass end - not too heavy and not
too light. Also, to back up Max's point about fatigue - I've been doing 14 hour
days for the last couple of weeks with my Adams and have never felt as if my ears are
getting stressed (wish I could say the same for the rest of me...  ), which
was certainly never the case with the Genelecs. One to also look out for is
the Focal range of monitors. Never heard one and I don't know if they have a UK dealer,
but a friend in the States has nothing but good things to say about his pair (Focal 6, I
think)
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#533960 - 15/10/07 10:21 AM
|
|
|
Thanks chaps. I'm going to get hold of some Adam s3a and K+H 0300s for evaluation over the
next couple of weeks. I'll also get hold of the 0800 sub for the K+Hs and try the Adams
with my Genelec sub. Might borrow some ATC SCM50s as well and drag my Genelec 1032s out of
storage for good measure while I'm at it! I do love my Genelecs but recently I
have been feeling that my ears are a little fatigued at the end of a long day (and there
are a lot of them recently!). Be nice to compare the 1030s to something else.
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#539359 - 28/10/07 06:28 PM
|
|
|
Well I tried the Adam S3As for a week and found them pretty good, although somebody else
mentioned that they sounded like big NS10s and I would have to agree. I really liked the
fact that everything I was hearing was coming from the one box though, as opposed to my
1030 plus sub combination that seems to have a bit of a hole in the lower mids. I should be receiving the Klein + Hummel 0300s this week. I've heard nothing but glowing
reports concerning the K+Hs and I can't wait to plug 'em in and try them out! Out of habit
I have also asked them to send me the 0800 sub to audition but I am really hoping that I
won't need it for the reasons stated above. Question about the K+H 0300s: being
a three way cabinet does the tweeter go on the inside or the outside, or doesn't it
matter?
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#539365 - 28/10/07 06:52 PM
|
|
|
I never liked the idea of a sub in a studio rig.. can't put my finger on why.
When we met Commander I think I mention the KRK's I bought the RP8s as they seemed to give
me a full range with rich and full bass, though the next range up might have been desired
by yourself. I am glad I chose them as for there price they have been
unfaultable.. Though I have yet to hear my own music on someone elses rig. I would have bought Adam if the budget would have stretched to them. Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
clownsplitter
member
Joined: 20/09/01
Posts: 85
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#539613 - 29/10/07 12:14 PM
|
|
|
|
Having used PMC DB1+'s up to this point I've just taken delivery of a pair of o300's from
ASAP Europe at an advantageous price. F*ck me. I'll let you know how my mixes
translate if I can stop listening to record collection and smiling like Mongo out of
blazing saddles for long enough.
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: clownsplitter]
#539792 - 29/10/07 05:39 PM
|
|
|
Quote clownsplitter:
I'll
let you know how my mixes translate if I can stop listening to record collection and
smiling like Mongo out of blazing saddles for long enough.
Just heard from HHB that the K+H 0300s and
0800 sub will be with me tomorrow morning!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540163 - 30/10/07 02:39 PM
|
|
|
|
So far in the Adam S3a / K+H 0300 / Genelec 1030 with subwoofer war the Genelecs are
winning out by some margin (at least to my ears).
Blimey.
|
John Willett
Sound-Link ProAudio
Joined: 07/03/00
Posts: 11956
Loc: Oxfordshire UK
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540170 - 30/10/07 02:47 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
So far in the
Adam S3a / K+H 0300 / Genelec 1030 with subwoofer war the Genelecs are winning out by some
margin (at least to my ears).
Be careful......
Make sure you choose a monitor on how it reveals and not how
"good" it sounds.
I don't know the Adam,
The K+H are quality
revealing monitors with great imagery.
The Genelecs are "Marmite" - you love
them or hate them; which seems to say that they may have a "sound".
But - you
pays your money and makes your choice
-------------------- John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540183 - 30/10/07 03:11 PM
|
|
|
Be a he-man and audition some ATCs.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Studio Support Gnome
Not so Miserable Git
Joined: 22/07/03
Posts: 8995
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540189 - 30/10/07 03:35 PM
|
|
|
|
I would add that some care is needed in setting up both the ADAM and the K&H to get the
best from either... the K&H particularly have a kind of "looking up from inside the
surface of the pond" feeling to them.... they sound merely "okay" until you hit the
sweet spot... but then, when you get it right , it's like taking your head out of the
water and opening your eyes. everything around you is in sharper detail, more involving
and 3 dimensional.... and I love them to bits.... Jack (the producer formerly know as)
has a pair in his Wimbledon place....
it's a less immediately pronounced
difference with the ADAM's, they seem to have a deeper sweetspot with shallower gradients
at it's edges, but even so, careful setting up does get the best results. they suit me
only slightly better than the K&H , and i would not be upset with santa for leaving me
either .... They're still different beasties though.....
I've never
managed to set up a pair of 1030's in a controlled space that gave the detail and clarity
of either of the other 2 without some serious drawbacks, they, in common with most small
(ish) genelecs, have always sounded comparatively brittle and overly edgy to me.... and
tiring.... I can't do more then 3 hours with them without needing an extended tea break.
Santa would not be getting a return invite on that basis....
and they're is
that question of how well your room is controlled ....... i know Marineville's security
is top notch, but it might be an idea to let the Bass-trap and RFZ fairies in during the
night whilst you sleep.
But leave a note under the milk & cookies that they're
not to ruin the drum sounds !
-------------------- if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540272 - 30/10/07 07:46 PM
|
|
|
Hang on a minute ... just discovered the eq knobs on the back of the 0300s .. hmmmm.
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Wizard Moon Chopper
Joined: 28/10/05
Posts: 620
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540279 - 30/10/07 08:00 PM
|
|
|
... there will now be a brief interlude while CB goes and checks all his other gear
for hidden knobs on the back....
-------------------- Yeah!
|
John Willett
Sound-Link ProAudio
Joined: 07/03/00
Posts: 11956
Loc: Oxfordshire UK
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540340 - 30/10/07 10:32 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Hang on a minute
... just discovered the eq knobs on the back of the 0300s .. hmmmm.
Yes -
you can set them up to take account of room placement. 
I'm surprised you missed them.
-------------------- John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: John Willett]
#540354 - 30/10/07 11:06 PM
|
|
|
Quote John Willett:
I'm surprised you missed them.
So am I. The manual is in German and
the eq selectors were set with the top rolled off so no wonder I thought they were a
little soft sounding! I've now got them sounding very much like the Genelecs only without
that hi mid harshness.
Going to plug them into the K+H 0800 subwoofer
tomorrow.
They are singing to me and my Bank Manager is getting nervous.
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Studio Support Gnome
Not so Miserable Git
Joined: 22/07/03
Posts: 8995
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540384 - 31/10/07 02:26 AM
|
|
|
cue the sound of cackling cavernous laughter , as the Gear acquisition syndrome ( or demon
rys as it's more properly known) smiles and utters "you're mine now boyo, quail, oh puny
bank managers, at my shiny new toy's powers of seduction"
-------------------- if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.
|
John Willett
Sound-Link ProAudio
Joined: 07/03/00
Posts: 11956
Loc: Oxfordshire UK
|
Re: K+H O300D (was: Adam S3a active monitors)
[Re: Commander]
#540425 - 31/10/07 09:08 AM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Quote John Willett:
I'm surprised you missed them.
So am I. The manual is in
German.....
The pdf of the
Manual in English is HERE so you can
read it properly.
-------------------- John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: K+H O300D (was: Adam S3a active monitors)
[Re: John Willett]
#540432 - 31/10/07 09:36 AM
|
|
|
Cheers John! Splendid chap!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540619 - 31/10/07 04:58 PM
|
|
|
Spent all day fiddling with the K+H 0300s and my ears feel fine! I also plugged them into
the 0800 sub and the difference was minimal and only really evident on orchestral bass
drums and really low stuff like that. It's amazing how these (fairly) small speakers kick
out so much bottom end, far more than the Genelec 1030s at any rate.
I have
read on other forums that people perceive there to be a volume problem with the 0300s and
that they aren't room filling and don't go loud enough. I would really have to dispute
that as they are far too loud to crank up when used as nearfields, especially with the sub
in the loop as well. Very nice tight sound even at low volumes, just like the Genelecs in
fact.
Very impressed so far. I thought this was an Adam S3A thread!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540631 - 31/10/07 05:30 PM
|
|
|
Hi Commander, SO you gave up on the Adams then? I heard these when
I bought my rig, but could not afford them http://www.focalprofessional.com/en/products/tween6Be.htmlSounded pretty good to my ears, here is an article on a US website about monitors. http://www.tweakheadz.com/studio_monitors.htmWhat about
the Adam A7s or P11a? I never listened to Adams but they do look rather nice
and I have heard nice things about them... Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
|
Quote Simon Fielder:
SO you gave up on the Adams then?
Not really, the Adams were great but I'm looking to replace the Genelecs with
something similar but less wearing on my ears and that would seem to be the Klein + Hummel
0300s so far!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540645 - 31/10/07 06:25 PM
|
|
|
Have you thought about getting rid of your sub? Have you tried something from
the KRK upper ranges? They seem to have a following. http://www.krksys.com/I
don't what else you might like, it is very personal after all.. Best of luck
with your choice mate. Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
|
The thing with the sub and the Genelec 1030s is that I really find them a bit thin without
it. You get the whole picture with a sub and the 1030s in my opinion, but this can bring
its own problems sometimes and I often feel that there is a bit of a hole in the middle of
the soundstage. With the K&H 0300s however there is no such hole as they seem
to be covering pretty much the whole spectrum and I like the idea of everything coming
from the one place. When you plug the sub in as well they really come alive and it
feels like you are sitting in the middle of the music, which is very very nice!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540681 - 31/10/07 08:26 PM
|
|
|
I guess they need to be heard to be believed.
I will go and have a look at
them...
The one place solution is why I bought my KRKs the bottom end is
amazing.
Edit: Just had a look at their website an they do look rather
stylish, just right for Marineville!
Found this studio that uses them.
http://www.qtonstudios.com/
EEK just seen the USA price..
A touch pricey LOL...
Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
Edited by Simon Fielder (31/10/07 08:35 PM)
|
Studio Support Gnome
Not so Miserable Git
Joined: 22/07/03
Posts: 8995
|
|
|
they aint tuppence ha'penny here either.....
Simon, the K&H's are really in
another league from the KRK range.... price wise and quality wise (although the law of
diminishing returns is hard at work , as usual... )
-------------------- if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18358
Loc: Worcestershire
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540690 - 31/10/07 09:18 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
It's amazing how
these (fairly) small speakers kick out so much bottom end, far more than the Genelec 1030s
at any rate.
It's not really
amazing. It's basic physics. The Genelecs are ported -- like most 'monitors' -- because
that enables the designer to get more bass volume and make the speakers appear louder and
more efficient. However, the downside is that this approach tends to produce a resonant
peak at the bass end, and the roll off below that is very steep, so there is no deep bass,
and what bass there is tends to be resonant and phase shifted.
In contrast, the
sealed cabinet design of the O300s (and the revered BBC LS3/5A and NS10s) means that the
bass response falls away far more gradually, and without resonant peaks and phase shifts.
As a result, although these speakers don't go as loud, the bass response is much more
natural sounding and far more extended -- the O300 puts out useful amounts of bass to
seemingly ridiculously low frequencies for such a compact box, just becasue the roll off
is slower and more extended.
It is interesting to note that the PMC 'advanced
transmission line' monitors manage to combine the best of both worlds. Through the low mid
to high bass frequencies, the line is so well damped that the bass driver effectively
thinks it is in a sealed cabient, and so the bass response falls very gently and smoothly
with no phase shift. But at very low frequencies the line starts to pass audio, more like
a ported speaker, which lifts the very deep response to give a far more extended overall
response than any other speaker design fo a similar cabinet size. ...kind of...
Quote:
I have read on other
forums that people perceive there to be a volume problem with the 0300s and that they
aren't room filling and don't go loud enough. I would really have to dispute that as they
are far too loud to crank up when used as nearfields
They don't have the same max SPL as some other speakrs at a
similar price point, but thyey do have more than enough for most applications --
especially near field use. They key, once again, is that they have astonishly low levels
of disortion at the bass end -- another benefit of the sealed box design. Our ears learn
that more distortion = more loudness, so when that distortion is missing subjectively
people don't think they are listening very loud. And then they find they can't talk to the
person sitting next to them over the noise from the speakers! 
Quote:
Very impressed so far.
I thought this was an Adam S3A thread!
The O300 is a very nice speaker indeed, and given the choice
between the S3A, the gene's and the O300, I'd choose the latter every time. It doesn't
appeal to everyone, I'm sure but for the kind of music I work with (mainly real,
acoustical instruments and voices) it would be the best choice. IMHO.
hugh
-------------------- Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540691 - 31/10/07 09:21 PM
|
|
|
I gather that Max, I have not heard or had experience with the upper ranges of KRK I just
guess that they would have been atleast comparable to the K+hs
My monitors
were only £400 the pair, so there is alot of difference.
I have heard Adam
P11s and The Focal twins that I mentioned (£1200-1500 at a guess)
I just
mentioned Monitors that may not need a Sub too.
Nice insight there Hugh, nice
to have some deeper info on the Monitors.
Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
Edited by Simon Fielder (31/10/07 09:24 PM)
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
|
Quote Simon Fielder:
My monitors were only £400 the pair, so there is alot of difference.
Hi Simon! The K+Hs retail here for about
£2,600.00 and the sub (should I need it) is another £1,500.00 so they are a fair old
wedge. That is still cheaper than my Genelec 1032s and Sub were back in 1997 though so
that's one way of looking at it. That's the angle I'm going to give my bank manager at any
rate!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540717 - 31/10/07 10:39 PM
|
|
|
Thats a decent amount of usage there Commander. I was not recommending KRK
RP8s to you I was actually on about The Expose or the VXT range. But then the
cost of X piece of kit to income ratio is very different so actually the K +hs are good
value and will pay for themselves very quickly indeed. Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540718 - 31/10/07 10:42 PM
|
|
|
My last thought. I really like the look of the Focals the rich sherry coloured wood panels
are rather lovely. But I don't know much about them, anyone used these? When I upgrade then I would expect to spend alot more cash. Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540811 - 01/11/07 10:34 AM
|
|
|
So this morning I nipped off to the lock up and dug out my old Genelec 1032s to compare
them with the Genelec 1030/sub combination and the K+H 0300s. I now have a room full of
speakers and after much plugging and unplugging I keep coming back to the K+Hs which
obviously means my ears are telling me that they are in love. Aural sex ... The
K+Hs really do seem to have everything in the one box to my ears. Very open but not too
flattering at the top end with a fabulous bottom end that belies the size of the cabinet.
To my surprise I found that my beloved old Genelecs sounded quite middly/toppy after a
couple of days with the K+Hs. HHB are sending over some Dynaudios and some ATCs
early next week for comparison, although I am not sure what models but they will be
comparable to the K+Hs, and I may try and get hold of the Adam S3As again for good
measure. Should be an interesting experiment!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
|
Quote Simon Fielder:
My last
thought. I really like the look of the Focals the rich sherry coloured wood panels are
rather lovely.
Yes the Focals
look interesting too and I agree, visually they are very cool!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540814 - 01/11/07 10:41 AM
|
|
|
Depending on which model of the ATCs they send, I believe you will have nightmares
choosing between the K&H and ATCs. But it can get very subjective at this level
assuming the room's acoustics are sorted.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Zukan]
#540817 - 01/11/07 10:44 AM
|
|
|
Quote Zukan:
Depending on which
model of the ATCs they send, I believe you will have nightmares choosing between the K&H
and ATCs.
Are they very
similar?
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540823 - 01/11/07 11:01 AM
|
|
|
In some respects yes, detail, low end extension, mid range distortion etc.
I
have the SCM20s and they are fantastic.
The 100s are amazing and the detail
is quite incredible.
A lot of film and media projects are mixed and
referenced on ATCs.
But, like I said, it depends which model you are
comparing the K&Hs to.
And, trust me, the K&Hs are also very good and this
is why I said you would have hell deciding which ones to get.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540828 - 01/11/07 11:17 AM
|
|
|
Hi Zukan - the active ATC SCM20s look pretty good so I'll try and get hold of a pair. The
100s would seem a little on the pricey side although should I move to a bigger room I will
definitely try them out. I'm really enjoying these K+Hs by the way ...
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540829 - 01/11/07 11:23 AM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
So this morning
I nipped off to the lock up and dug out my old Genelec 1032s to compare them with the
Genelec 1030/sub combination and the K+H 0300s. I now have a room full of speakers and
after much plugging and unplugging I keep coming back to the K+Hs which obviously means my
ears are telling me that they are in love. Aural sex ...
The K+Hs really do
seem to have everything in the one box to my ears. Very open but not too flattering at the
top end with a fabulous bottom end that belies the size of the cabinet. To my surprise I
found that my beloved old Genelecs sounded quite middly/toppy after a couple of days with
the K+Hs.
If this is
the case that your ears are in love then the job is done!
It sounds like they
suit your ears very well and they look very smart too.
So is this the final
touch to the studio?
Or anything else planned for the new toys department?
Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
Rob C
Joined: 10/02/03
Posts: 8434
|
|
Surely the priority has to be a Stingray for the other bathroom?
-------------------- www.bemuso.com
|
John Willett
Sound-Link ProAudio
Joined: 07/03/00
Posts: 11956
Loc: Oxfordshire UK
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540867 - 01/11/07 01:20 PM
|
|
|
At this range I would say that the two best monitors are the K+H O300D and the ATC SCM 20
Pro - the ATC being a good bit more expensive. I would be interested in hearing
what you think after a good comparison.
-------------------- John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540868 - 01/11/07 01:24 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Hi Zukan - the
active ATC SCM20s look pretty good so I'll try and get hold of a pair.
I'm
really enjoying these K+Hs by the way ...
Yep, they would be the sensible comparables.
Let us
know how you get on Commander.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Zukan]
#540938 - 01/11/07 05:38 PM
|
|
|
Quote Zukan:
Let us
know how you get on Commander.
Roger, wilco!
And remember ... anything can happen in the next half
hour!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18358
Loc: Worcestershire
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540944 - 01/11/07 05:51 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Yes the Focals
look interesting too and I agree, visually they are very cool!
I've only listened to them at trade shows,
but I've always had to walk away very quickly (unlike many other speaker demo stands).
They sound very hard and aggressive at the high end... and I'm philosophically not very
happy with the idea of beryllium tweeter domes either!
hugh
-------------------- Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18358
Loc: Worcestershire
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540945 - 01/11/07 05:54 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Quote Zukan:
Depending on which
model of the ATCs they send, I believe you will have nightmares choosing between the K&H
and ATCs.
Are they very
similar?
Not really. The mid
and high end of the ATCs is very nice -- natural and revealing with being fatiguing, just
like the K+Hs. But the ATCS are ported, and although they use over damped ports, the bass
end still sounds significantly different to the K+H's sealed box character.
It
comes down to personal preferences, obviously, but I think once your ear has latched on to
the more natural character of the sealed boxes, ported speakers just don't sound 'right'
any more.
hugh
-------------------- Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#540946 - 01/11/07 05:54 PM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
They sound
very hard and aggressive at the high end...
Interesting - just what I am trying to get away from with the
Genelecs.
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#540948 - 01/11/07 05:59 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
They sound
very hard and aggressive at the high end...
Interesting - just what I am trying to get away from with the
Genelecs.
Hugh's talking
about the Focals.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#540949 - 01/11/07 06:01 PM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
Quote Commander:
Quote Zukan:
Depending on which
model of the ATCs they send, I believe you will have nightmares choosing between the K&H
and ATCs.
Are they very
similar?
Not really. The mid
and high end of the ATCs is very nice -- natural and revealing with being fatiguing, just
like the K+Hs. But the ATCS are ported, and although they use over damped ports, the bass
end still sounds significantly different to the K+H's sealed box character.
It
comes down to personal preferences, obviously, but I think once your ear has latched on to
the more natural character of the sealed boxes, ported speakers just don't sound 'right'
any more.
hugh
Each to their own.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#540956 - 01/11/07 06:33 PM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
Quote Commander:
Yes the
Focals look interesting too and I agree, visually they are very cool!
I've only listened to them at trade shows,
but I've always had to walk away very quickly (unlike many other speaker demo stands).
They sound very hard and aggressive at the high end... and I'm philosophically not very
happy with the idea of beryllium tweeter domes either!
hugh
I thought I had heard this too, bit was not
sure if the room that they were demoing in was suitable and that was third hand.
I was unsure about the beryllium tweeters too, in the mid nineties when I was a mountain
biker someone went to the expense of making a frame out of it, even though it is extremely
toxic in dust and welding gases form....
Production techniques may have changed
over the years though.
Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#540967 - 01/11/07 07:24 PM
|
|
|
Quote:
Hugh Robjohns: But
the ATCS are ported
The active
20ASL-Pros aren't. (The metal ones.) But they are natural and revealing with superb
imaging, great portrayal of dynamics and with that nice sealed box bottom end gentle
roll-off and an uncanny knack of staying well balanced at all levels. And they have a
wider sweet spot than the 0300s and are a tad less forceful in the upper mids.
I do really like the O300s. I found them very easy to work on when I first heard them -
no nasty surprises, good neutrality, good imaging (not quite up to the SCM20ASL-Pro but
quite a lot better than the standard SCM20), good LF clarity and extension, etc., etc..
All round very good speakers. I'd be quite happy with a pair of 0300s if I didn't already
have ATCs. Unlike the O300s the metal 20s can at first be a bit of an acquired taste. It
can take a little while to get used to just how unexciting and bland they sound. They can,
if anything, be a little too revealing and have a tendency to brutally expose even tiny
flaws in things which you thought were good recordings. Initially this can be a bit off
putting but once you're used to it, you come to appreciate it. There's also a couple of
really good active subs available for them - if that's what floats your boat - and ATC's
pro user pricing can be much more reasonable than their list prices would suggest.
(Another one very worth hearing - is the Lipinski L-707 (and the 505 but it's
smaller and sounds like it. In some ways these are possibly better then the ATC/K+H
competition but in other ways I'll be sticking with what I have - not least proper,
professional user backup.)
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: ]
#540975 - 01/11/07 07:47 PM
|
|
|
Quote:
Hugh Robjohns: But
the ATCS are ported
Yep,
that threw me too but I assumed Hugh was not referring to the 20s...........but I could be
wrong. 
I do admire the 0300s for their three way design and I think K&H
have nailed this down to the ground.
But the 20s with their 2 way design are
also beautifully engineered.
Like I said earlier, it really is subjective.
Looks like Lipinskis are gonna have to be demoed my friend.  Damn,
just when I thought wallet was was starting to fill again.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Rob C
Joined: 10/02/03
Posts: 8434
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#540988 - 01/11/07 08:38 PM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
It's basic
physics. The Genelecs are ported -- like most 'monitors' -- because that enables the
designer to get more bass volume and make the speakers appear louder and more efficient.
However, the downside is that this approach tends to produce a resonant peak at the bass
end, and the roll off below that is very steep, so there is no deep bass, and what bass
there is tends to be resonant and phase shifted.
In contrast, the sealed
cabinet design of the O300s (and the revered BBC LS3/5A and NS10s) means that the bass
response falls away far more gradually, and without resonant peaks and phase shifts. As a
result, although these speakers don't go as loud, the bass response is much more natural
sounding and far more extended -- the O300 puts out useful amounts of bass to seemingly
ridiculously low frequencies for such a compact box, just becasue the roll off is slower
and more extended.
I'm glad
you said that Hugh... it's something I've wondered about for many years. I made a ported
bass cab in my youth and I couldn't understand how phase reinforcement worked across a
range of frequencies. For a bass cab it was close enough... but monitors are a different
game.
It's like therapy coming here. 
How are you mounting your monitors Commander?
-------------------- www.bemuso.com
|
Studio Support Gnome
Not so Miserable Git
Joined: 22/07/03
Posts: 8995
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Rob C]
#541032 - 01/11/07 10:25 PM
|
|
|
Quote Rob C.:
How are
you mounting your monitors Commander?
isn't that just a little TOO personal mate?

gets coat and legs it...
-------------------- if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
|
Quote Max!:
isn't
that just a little TOO personal mate?
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Rob C]
#541044 - 01/11/07 11:04 PM
|
|
|
Quote Rob C.:
How are
you mounting your monitors Commander?
The original design for my new console didn't really work as the
speakers were too wide apart and just didn't sound right, prompting the start of this
monitor quest. I've had to redesign and make alterations to the console so that the
monitors are now on Auralex MoPADS above the Mac screens, angled down towards my head.
I'll post some pics when I've finished with the hammers and saws (again) because
everything is just sort of balancing at the moment.
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Wizard Moon Chopper
Joined: 28/10/05
Posts: 620
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#541045 - 01/11/07 11:04 PM
|
|
|
Quote Rob C.:
... How are you,
mounting your monitors Commander?
(... notice added comma to squeeze out every last bit of comedy juice ...)
-------------------- Yeah!
|
Mark Knutson
member
Joined: 25/03/03
Posts: 134
Loc: Minnesota, USA
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#541063 - 02/11/07 12:25 AM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
... and I'm
philosophically not very happy with the idea of beryllium tweeter domes either!
hugh
Is that because of
all the little berylliums they kill and skin to make those tweeters?
Edited by Hugh Robjohns (02/11/07 09:36 AM)
|
Rob C
Joined: 10/02/03
Posts: 8434
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#541101 - 02/11/07 09:07 AM
|
|
|
A reasonable crop of "mounting" jokes there...  I did wonder whether the excellent console was going to survive the upgrade...
-------------------- www.bemuso.com
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18358
Loc: Worcestershire
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: ]
#541109 - 02/11/07 09:34 AM
|
|
|
Quote 0VU:
The active 20ASL-Pros
aren't.
Oops! Quite right. I
had forgotten that. Haven't used any in a long time. I had visions of the bugger ones (50s
and up) in mind.
hugh
-------------------- Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#541115 - 02/11/07 09:51 AM
|
|
|
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
I had
visions of the bugger ones ...
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Wizard Moon Chopper
Joined: 28/10/05
Posts: 620
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#541121 - 02/11/07 10:03 AM
|
|
|
It's back to the old knobs round the back eh?
-------------------- Yeah!
|
Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18358
Loc: Worcestershire
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#541137 - 02/11/07 10:54 AM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Quote Hugh Robjohns:
I had
visions of the bugger ones ...
Someone's swapped the keys aroind on
my keyboard agaun... 
However, the bug ones are a bigger to move aroind and set ip on stands! So I was
partly rught!
high
-------------------- Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#541139 - 02/11/07 10:57 AM
|
|
|
Mounting and bugger.........whatever next?
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Wizard Moon Chopper
Joined: 28/10/05
Posts: 620
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Zukan]
#541141 - 02/11/07 11:05 AM
|
|
|
Quote Zukan:
...whatever
next?...
Blowing the
woofer?
-------------------- Yeah!
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Hugh Robjohns]
#541144 - 02/11/07 11:13 AM
|
|
|
Quote:
However, the bug ones
are a bigger to move aroind and set ip on stands!

As the proud owner of a flightcased pair of some of the bugger ones (SCM100AS/Ls) I'd
agree that moving them around is definitely not for the faint hearted! My slight
miscalculation came in getting the metal 20s as a small, transportable alternative for
jobs not requiring the fuller range of the 100s and for surround use. Ok, the 20s are much
smaller but they're unfeasibly heavy and they also need quite solid stands! They do sound
good though.
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: ]
#541147 - 02/11/07 11:16 AM
|
|
|
I lost a nut positioning my 20s 0VU. So, I hear you m8. I dread to
think how vicious the 100s must be. BTW, highly jealous of you re the 100s and the
Lipinskis.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Studio Support Gnome
Not so Miserable Git
Joined: 22/07/03
Posts: 8995
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: ]
#541418 - 03/11/07 12:10 AM
|
|
|
Quote 0VU:
Quote:
However, the bug ones
are a bigger to move aroind and set ip on stands!

As the proud owner of a flightcased pair of some of the bugger ones (SCM100AS/Ls) I'd
agree that moving them around is definitely not for the faint hearted! My slight
miscalculation came in getting the metal 20s as a small, transportable alternative for
jobs not requiring the fuller range of the 100s and for surround use. Ok, the 20s are much
smaller but they're unfeasibly heavy and they also need quite solid stands! They do sound
good though.
it wouldn't be
so bad of those packing cases had bloody handles !
or corners one could get a
grip on would be nice....
bloody ATC labelled Faberge egg monitoring......
(i know that's the little ones...... )
-------------------- if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#543739 - 09/11/07 01:55 PM
|
|
|
Latest news is that I'm still loving the Klein + Hummels & sub but HHB are sending
over some ATC SCM20s and a pair of PMC AML1s on Monday for comparison.
PMC
are supplying white AML1s because I mentioned that my console was white, and the Klein +
Hummels are also available in white too. I like that. A lot.
Oh, and I've
ordered some Avantone MixCubes and they're white too.
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8504
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#543740 - 09/11/07 01:58 PM
|
|
|
I predict a stint in rehab next week.
Confusion leads to anger, anger leads to the Dark Side.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Zukan]
#543741 - 09/11/07 01:59 PM
|
|
|
Quote Zukan:
Confusion leads to
anger, anger leads to the Dark Side.
I can hear the strains of Star Wars wafting up through the mists of confusion!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
John Willett
Sound-Link ProAudio
Joined: 07/03/00
Posts: 11956
Loc: Oxfordshire UK
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#543771 - 09/11/07 02:51 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
Latest news is
that I'm still loving the Klein + Hummels & sub but HHB are sending over some ATC SCM20s
and a pair of PMC AML1s on Monday for comparison.
PMC are supplying white AML1s
because I mentioned that my console was white, and the Klein + Hummels are also available
in white too. I like that. A lot.
Oh, and I've ordered some Avantone MixCubes
and they're white too.
Well,
you will have some interesting listening sessions.
I tend to rate ATC and K+H
above the PMC, though PMC are still on my (very) short list of the good guys.
It will be interesting to see what you end up with.
-------------------- John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons
|
Sounds-and-images
active member
Joined: 16/03/04
Posts: 1439
Loc: Under a table
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#543781 - 09/11/07 03:30 PM
|
|
|
Crikey haven't you made your mind up? you dither about more than a woman!!!
Sounds like the K+Hs have your name all over.. Though Mister bank manager might not
think so...
Simon
-------------------- www.sounds-and-images.co.uk
http://twitter.com/soundsandimages
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
|
Quote Simon Fielder:
Sounds like
the K+Hs have your name all over.. Though Mister bank manager might not think so...
He might do since the ATCs are
more expensive then the K+Hs.
But they don't come in white though ...
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Rob C
Joined: 10/02/03
Posts: 8434
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#543786 - 09/11/07 03:47 PM
|
|
|
Quote Commander:
PMC are
supplying white AML1s because I mentioned that my console was white...
You could always just give the old Genelecs
a coat of emulsion...
-------------------- www.bemuso.com
|
* User requested ...
Joined: 15/02/05
Posts: 2235
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#543788 - 09/11/07 03:52 PM
|
|
|
|
Commander, a consultation with your colour therapist may be on the cards - the Avantones
are cream , not white. I predict strife and angst in the region of the colour clash
if this isn't addressed....
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#544048 - 10/11/07 02:07 PM
|
|
|
|
Rob C
Joined: 10/02/03
Posts: 8434
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#544051 - 10/11/07 02:13 PM
|
|
|
That is one hazard of having so much white decor. It'll brush off when it's
dry.
-------------------- www.bemuso.com
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#545178 - 13/11/07 10:11 PM
|
|
|
Got a room full of speakers now. Klein + Hummel 0300 with 0800 sub (which are sounding
lovely), ATC SCM20s, Genelec 1032s plus sub and a pair of PMC AML1s. Just about to start
plugging them in.
I've also got some Focal SM11s coming over next week too.
More expensive than the others so it will be interesting to hear the difference (if
any).
Great stuff!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|
Commander
Joined: 21/03/05
Posts: 3892
Loc: Marineville HQ (W.A.S.P.)
|
Re: Adam S3a active monitors
[Re: Commander]
#545291 - 14/11/07 08:35 AM
|
|
|
Well there's a thing ... I didn't think I liked PMCs but the AML1s are really
very nice. Physically quite small things but a remarkably full spectrum of sound with a
very open soundstage. I really like them which is a bit of a shock since I was convinced
that I didn't like PMC about 10 years ago when I last auditioned speakers. On the other
hand these ATCs just didn't do it for me and sounded too flat and not very exciting to my
ears (mind you this very thing may make them appealing to others, just not my cup of
tea). The PMC AML1s with a sub would be extremely nice but very expensive! I should point out that being demo units these are pre-burned in speakers whereas
the Klein + Hummels were a brand new pair that I have had to burn in and they have
certainly come alive over this past week or so. Once you tweak the settings on the sub and
nail that equilateral triangle sweet spot they are wonderful! Onwards and
upwards - bring on the Focal SM11s!
-------------------- Stand by for action - we are about to launch Stingray!
Cue irritating bongo music ...
|