Active speakers

[admin_exported]

Hi Can anyone provide any details on the active speaker comparison What Hifi carried out recently?

I'm not sure people are going to say "buy it" but hopefully it's ok to ask for this information.

E.g. what was reviewed and how highly was each rated?

Thanks

 

[John Duncan]

Off the top of my head:

ADAM Audio Classic Compact 3
Yamaha MSP-7
PMC DB1s-Aii
AVI ADM9.1
Epoz Aktimate Maxi
Dynaudio Focus 110A

 

[daveh75]

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/2/427645/ShowThread.aspx

 

[John Duncan]

Top of head has poor memory. List amended to include the Dynaudio.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok thanks. Trying to decide between the Maxi and the AVIs

Any suggestions?

Edit found this thread http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/436558.aspx

 

[Messiah]

AVI's

 

[professorhat]

What are you connecting to them?

 

[Anonymous]

a PC. I hear the maxis can do this wirelessly? does anyone have any experience of how well this works? and also how do you do it?

 

[professorhat]

Haven't used the Maxis I'm afraid, I have the Minis which are fantastic, but don't offer the wireless / ethernet streaming feature. However, the website says the following:

[The Maxi] includes a Reciva media module providing direct access to internet radio together with the ability to stream from any Windows or UPnP shared network on your computer - either wirelessly or via the ethernet connection on the rear panel. We recommend that you investigate TVersity as an option for your streaming requirements. (www.tversity.com)

So you'd probably need to install something like TVersity on your PC to do this.

Also, as per the letter in last month's WHF, you need to consider how you'd connect your PC - if you're considering the AVIs, you'll want to ensure you've got a digital optical output in the PC otherwise you'll need to get a new soundcard with one to really take advantage of the internal DAC in the ADM9.1s. The Maxis on the other hand have the streaming feature or you could combine them with an external DAC like the Cambridge Audio DacMagic to allow you to connect your PC up via USB for quite a bit less money than the AVIs.

 

[Messiah]

professorhat:for quite a bit less money than the AVIs.

Although the higher priced AVIs will sound better. (imo of course)

 

[John Duncan]

Whereas IMO they didn't (on balance). Though I think it would depend very much on the room.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to try and listen to some maxis this week.

All the reviews look very positive.

 

[bay24]

professorhat:
Haven't used the Maxis I'm afraid, I have the Minis which are fantastic, but don't offer the wireless / ethernet streaming feature. However, the website says the following:

[The Maxi] includes a Reciva media module providing direct access to internet radio together with the ability to stream from any Windows or UPnP shared network on your computer - either wirelessly or via the ethernet connection on the rear panel. We recommend that you investigate TVersity as an option for your streaming requirements. (www.tversity.com)

So you'd probably need to install something like TVersity on your PC to do this.

Also, as per the letter in last month's WHF, you need to consider how you'd connect your PC - if you're considering the AVIs, you'll want to ensure you've got a digital optical output in the PC otherwise you'll need to get a new soundcard with one to really take advantage of the internal DAC in the ADM9.1s. The Maxis on the other hand have the streaming feature or you could combine them with an external DAC like the Cambridge Audio DacMagic to allow you to connect your PC up via USB for quite a bit less money than the AVIs.

Could you not just use an airport express with the avi speakers? The maxi and the dAC would be over £900 pound so not a great deal more than the avi and airport? I have not heard the maxi but the avis are amazing for the price IMO.

 

[chebby]

bay24:The maxi and the dAC would be over £900 pound so not a great deal more than the avi and airport?

Actually the AVI ADM9.1s and an Airport Express would be a shade over £1200 in total.

 

[professorhat]

Also assumes using iTunes (or at least also purchasing Airfoil, another £18 or so on top of the £1200!) which isn't something I'd necessarily assume for a PC user.

 

[Alec]

JohnDuncan:Whereas IMO they didn't (on balance). Though I think it would depend very much on the room.

"On balance"? Wonder if you mean "the AVIs are better but not by enough to justify the price"...? I'm not saying that is or isnt the case, just wondered about the use of that phrase.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Having reviewed the AVIs for Gramophone, I'd say they're an interesting alternative to the conventional amplifier/passive speaker combination, but they have their limitations and IMO would really have to be used with a subwoofer to handle much of the music I enjoy.

 

[drummerman]

The Maxi's are not true actives. Moot point but worth making. They therefore would'nt benefit from some of the advantages of such a design. Doesn't mean they are better or worse subjectively.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Indeed: they're powered passive speakers.

 

[RCduck7]

Many people that do mixing in studio's that use active speakers seem to prefer the Focal Solo 6BE, also Adam speakers. But the Yamaha MSP studio's seem to be very good to for the money, some people stopped searching for new speakers since they got these Yamaha's. There can't be argued for taste in sound but i would consider a demo on these if they are within your budget.

 

[chebby]

Andrew Everard:Having reviewed the AVIs for Gramophone, I'd say they're an interesting alternative to the conventional amplifier/passive speaker combination, but they have their limitations and IMO would really have to be used with a subwoofer to handle much of the music I enjoy.

I have that review here. Excellent and almost worth the £4.60 just for those two pages (along with the CD which I was suprised to see mastered by Ivor Humphries! A real blast from the hifi past for someone who remembers him as a journalist all those years ago.)

Would you say the ADM9.1s lack bass, even when compared to compact two-way standmounts of similar size? (Or even smaller ones like my N-Sats?)

It is difficult to get anything definitive on that subject. So many people seem to want to compare them with much bigger speakers, even floorstanders. I would like to know if they hold up well in comparison to speakers like Spendor SA1s or PMC DB1s or my N-Sats or Rega RS1s. (With respect to bass extension.)

Given the larger box dimensions, the ports, and the larger bass/mid driver of the ADM9.1s, I find it hard to imagine them having less bass than the examples I mentioned just now. (All of which I have heard and liked.)

 

[John Duncan]

al7478:
JohnDuncan:Whereas IMO they didn't (on balance). Though I think it would depend very much on the room.

"On balance"? Wonder if you mean "the AVIs are better but not by enough to justify the price"...? I'm not saying that is or isnt the case, just wondered about the use of that phrase.

The AVIs are cleaner and more organised and most of the traditional hifi qualities are 'better', but the extra bass of the Aktimates made them more (waggles fingers) "musical" and that, together with their price, made them a more attractive prospect to me. Like Andrew, I thought a sub would be essential with the 9.1s, and adding one would no doubt make them a serious alternative, but without - and in that room, which no doubt plays a part - I couldn't buy them.

 

[John Duncan]

chebby:I find it hard to imagine them having less bass than the examples I mentioned just now. (All of which I have heard and liked.)

They have less bass than the DB1 actives I heard at the same time. Though not by much, and at half the price of course. The DB1s beat them in other areas as well though, they're undoubtedly a better* speaker (irrespective of where the crossover lies)

EDIT - a key point to make though is that the DB1 actives disappointed me in the bass department in that big room, whereas my DB1+s were fabulous in my living room, so the AVIs may very well impress me more in the same environment.

*FURTHER EDIT - for which read "more enjoyable, and in my opinion only"

 

[Alec]

Cheers John.

Might experiment with a sub* but want it to look right, cost little and be ok in a particular place.

* Since learning here a few weeks ago that the volume would respond when changing the speaker's volume...

 

[John Duncan]

Not the AVI one then, since it's a monster. Seem to recall DM had some mini-sub recommendations...