ADM9.1s on Partingtons or on bookshelf - any sound diff?

[admin_exported]

Hi all

Had a great audition last week. Listened to the ADM9.1s. They blew me away and I can't wait to get my hands on them!

I listened to them on a couple of Partington Dreadnought stands. Thing is my girlfriend would prefer for them to be sat in our bookshelf cabinets. She reckons the place will look like a batchelor pad if they on stands. I'd don't get this fuzzy logic but of course I have to consider her opinion!!

I'm wondering if there will be a difference in sound quality between the two difference setups.

If anyone has advice, experience on this it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thank, Andrew

 

[Bodfish]

There will definately be a noticable difference in sound quality between having the spakers on a bookshelf and on a decent pair of stands like the Partington's. I wouldn't go so far as to say don't bother if you can't get them onto a pair of stands and into free(ish) space, but you will be missing out somewhat.

These acrylic Quadraspire's have had some rather good reviews and have a softer visual impact!

http://www.quadraspire.co.uk/product_range/qx/page1/index.html

 

[Messiah]

I would certainly try and get the stands as well. If you have to put them on a shelf then that cannot be helped but they will benefit from the stands.

 

[Anonymous]

It will make a massive difference and they simply won't be the same speakers which you clearly love right now

 

[Anonymous]

Will it be the overall sound quality that will be impaired or loss of bass? I ask this because I'm gonna get the MJ Acuastics Pro 50 sub to go with them. This will of course be on the floor.

Cheers, Andrew

 

[Messiah]

The overall sound will be effected but that doesn't mean they still won't sound great. Maybe see if the shop you auditioned them in can put them in a similar location to how they will be used....

 

[Anonymous]

thing is I'm back in Jersey where I live. I listened to them in London cos there's no dealers here.

Shipping cost to Jersey is a flat £50 fee whether I get the stands or not, so I don't want to have to pay the £50 again to get the stands send out if they sound poor on shelves. Thats why I'm keen to take advise from you guys.

When I say shelves I mean like a bookshelf "system" with several "rows" and "columns" and so the speakers would be more or less encased by the shelves and columns on all fours sides. This might make them sound really worse??

 

[Messiah]

Looks like you need to put your foot down about the stands......

 

[chebby]

You cannot use stands and you are buying a £350 sub instead of the £800 AVI sub.

I think this could end up being quite a compromised system.

Your budget so far...

£1125 for the ADM 9.1's.. £350 (ish) for the sub.. £200 for the Partington stands that you wanted (but can't use.) So presumably you have around £1675 to spend.

How about getting the AVI Neutron 5 2.1 system instead? It is £1299 according to the AVI website. (£399 for the Neutron 5's and £900 for the 2.1 sub/amp/dac unit.)

The Neutron V's were designed to be used as bookshelf or stand mount speakers (much more so than the ADM 9.1's) and are smaller and far more GF friendly (available in piano-gloss black). The sub in this system contains the amps and DAC etc and you get USB too.

Saves you at least a couple of hundred quid and the Neutron 5 2.1 system looks far nicer/more discreet than the ADM9.1/MJ Acoustics sub/Partingtons

 

[Anonymous]

I can get the stands if I want cos I wear the trousers of course!! Sound like this will get the best out of the system.

I did look at the possibility of the AVI sub but that thing is huuuuuuuuuge. Its the size of a microwave oven and I don't really want that in my living room. The Pro50 is small, discrete and sounded great with the ADMs so I'm gonna go for it.

Just had a look at the Neutrons but I've got my heart set on exactly what I auditioned - thanks anyway for bringing my attention to them though.

So.... I'm gonna get the Partington super's. There just one last thing. I've got 2 kids - one is 2 and likes pushing her toy pram everywhere and the other is about to start walking soon and so will grab at whatever is around to get his balence. I thinking about the speakers "sat" on the stands and the kids pushing them off.

Is it okay to fix them to the stands and does anyone have any suggestions?

I could always hoof the volume up and play some ACDC. That might get the kids petrified of them...

Thanks again, andrew

 

[chebby]

fobos8:I've got 2 kids - one is 2 and likes pushing her toy pram everywhere and the other is about to start walking soon and so will grab at whatever is around to get his balence. I thinking about the speakers "sat" on the stands and the kids pushing them off.
Is it okay to fix them to the stands and does anyone have any suggestions?

Blu-Tack.

Four ' blobs' per speaker at the corners of the stand's top-plates.

If you are really paranoid about a heavy speaker + heavy stand falling over on a child (and the risk of the sharp carpet spikes ending up exposed and possibly causing further injury) then you could rawlpug one of those security door-chain fittings into the wall behind the speaker and screw the other end into the back of the speaker cabinet. The chain should prevent the whole shebang from falling over if there is only a little slack and the speaker is not too far from the wall. (It can easily be removed then 'latched' again when you move them to hoover/polish underneath).

Alternatively position the speakers between items of furniture so they can't be knocked over sideways. But (a) that will affect sound quality badly (b) would not stop the speaker + stand from being pulled forward.

 

[crusaderlord]

I have partington super dreadnaughts and they are just about as stable a set of stands as i suspect you will find. this doesnt mean they cant be pushed over but small bumps wont do it.

in terms of sound i started with speakers on shelves, redesigned the listening area and got soundstyle z2 which was a big improvement - but the partingtons were something altogether much much better. Using these just a added a whole sense of completeness to the sound. Hard to explain but once you have heard standmounts on really good stands anything else just wont wash.

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:

Blu-Tack.

Four ' blobs' per speaker at the corners of the stand's top-plates.

If you are really paranoid about a heavy speaker + heavy stand falling over on a child (and the risk of the sharp carpet spikes ending up exposed and possibly causing further injury) then you could rawlpug one of those security door-chain fittings into the wall behind the speaker and screw the other end into the back of the speaker cabinet. The chain should prevent the whole shebang from falling over if there is only a little slack and the speaker is not too far from the wall. (It can easily be removed then 'latched' again when you move them to hoover/polish underneath).

Alternatively position the speakers between items of furniture so they can't be knocked over sideways. But (a) that will affect sound quality badly (b) would not stop the speaker + stand from being pulled forward.

thanks for this and the other excellent advise. Now I've got all the answers and backup to tell the missus