AVI ADM 9.1 has arrived!

[mikeinbrum]

Well, they're here and I've unboxed them and plonked them on the kitchen table for now (until i clear out the study and put together the stands). I am not going to be making any judgements until they're on the stands and in situ, but some initial thoughts:

The rosewood finish is beautiful. really attractive and will make the speakers a feature of a room rather than an addition. Very happy I paid the extra £50 for this finish.

The dimensions of the speakers tread a fine line between remaining compact and appearing 'purposeful'. They look solid and well constructed and have a reassuring heft to them too!

The digital connection requires a smaller-than-your-average toslink. so my chord optichord is no good, but I picked up a suitable interconnect from Maplins for a few quid.

All plugged in, and connected to my SONOS, now to have an initial listening session. I'll report my findings later in the day!

 

[Anonymous]

Are you trying in place of the main system for now and is the Sonos via optical?

 

[mikeinbrum]

I'm not planning on replacing my main system- although Ashley asserts that I will want to having heard the ADM9.1s. I'm planning on having them as a second system in my study. I am connecting the SONOS via optical.

 

[Craig M.]

ashley asserts a lot of things...

 

[Anonymous]

I think a product like the ADM9.1 is very good indeed if you want a very clear, neutral insight into the music. If you like a bit of colour, warmth, etc, then it's not for you. Something Ashley doesn't seem to consider in his rhetoric.

 

[Anonymous]

One thing I'll say about this forum, I WANNA SEE MORE PICS OF PEOPLES EQUIPMENT!

Everyone seems shy to show....

 

[Anonymous]

I'll see what I can do later. TBH, it looks a bit rubbish but I'll dig out the SLR...

 

[mikeinbrum]

I'll stick some pics up- but not sure how to do it!

 

[mikeinbrum]

Well I've spent a few hours in the company of my new speakers. so here are a few thoughts.

First, a niggle or two. The isolation pads for the stands came stuck together meaning it was a fiddly exercise seperating them. minor annoyance. Although the fit and finish is great, in the top front corner of the slave speaker is a very very minor imperfection in the veneer. Almost impossible to notice unless you really try hard to look for it!

So onto the sound. All tracks played through optical out of my SONOS, and stored as .flac files on my NAS.

The first song I put on was Noah and the Whale's 'five years time'. I was immediately impressed by the airiness of the sound, there's a twinkling quality without sounding bright or sibilant. Very nice treble and seperation between the voices and instruments. Not an overly exciting or forward presentation- you get the feeling you could listen all day without getting fatigued or wanting to turn the volume down.

Onto Interpol and 'Evil'. The looped bassline really bounces along, tight certainly- no flabbiness. The mids and upper registers retain the airiness of before. It all sounds very well timed and clear. I could see how some people could suggest it was too clinical for their tastes though. However, for someone who wants to hear the music as the producer intended, I'd suggest this was a good representation.

Next up was Jamie T's 'Salvador'. Another song with a driving bassline. I've heard this sound bloody awful- but the ADM9.1s seem to marshal everything without letting the treble get unruly. Very smooth, nice depth to the soundstage and I again have the impression that I'd quite happily listen for an extended period. All very positive so far.

Finally, an hour of non-stop retro.....Who, Zep, Hendrix. The positive impressions continue. everything is so detailed clear and there are no rough edges. 'Castles made of sand' perfectly demonstrating the smooth listenability of the speakers. Lovely.

So....Ashley thinks I'll be replacing my main system with a second pair of ADM9.1s...... After a couple of hours listening do I agree with him? well. no. But, for £1200 the ADM9.1s represent incredible value. I feel very very smug, and normally my reflex action is to be disappointed by a purchase. Not in this case. While Ashley may alienate some with his 'my road or the high road' self-assuredness, it's safe to say that he does indeed have a product that is worth the bluster.

 

[manicm]

Ah, so another Interpol fan lurks here

 

[Anonymous]

DELETED BY MODS - advertising.

Mr James, you have been warned several times about advertising, including being given a final warning. The copy we have deleted is yet more promotion of your products, so we are now going to ban you. - MODS

As I've said before, I don't think the reason why hi fi is so important is as well understood as it should be. I mean hi fi in the context of accurate sound reproduction rather than a musical experience.

Men's hearing loses 10 dB of sensitivity at 3 kHz by the time they are 35-40 years old. This is a considerable amount and although we don't realise it, it does make tolerating high SPLs more difficult and it means that if we are to relax and enjoy music and speech, we need it to be more clear and at modest levels. In this respect ADM9.1s are much better than traditional hi fi and every bit as much of an advance as we claim, but obviously for those who feel they need something with a different "character" that will almost certainly not measure as well, they are an anathema. Fair enough as long as you appreciate why we've done and why and accept that it's actually a significant bit of progress and a pretty major cash saving.

I'm relieved and pleased that you like them Mike, I really hope they are a long term success.

Ash

 

[chebby]

Nice review there Mike. Be interesting to see how their sound develops after a week or two running in. (Maybe that Bel Canto/Epos kit will end up being sold after all

)

I am not a great believer in 'run-in' for electronics but speakers are different (being transducers and electro-mechanical in nature). They always seem better after 'loosening up' a bit.

 

[mikeinbrum]

Well.....the thought crossed my mind.... but my conclusion is that the Epos speakers may be parted with..... I picked them up for £300 when they were being discontinued and they've done a great job but the partnering electronicss is ten times the cost and clearly in a different league.

the next itch to scratch will definitely be investing in speakers that will bring out the best in the bel cantos... but i think that could take a hefty wedge. here's hoping for a bonus at work this year (fat chance!)

it is a real shame that the ADM9.1s haven't been released for general review as i'm 100% certain that they would get nothing but glowing reports.

 

[Anonymous]

Mike,

Would you be able to run the Sonos in the two following configurations:

1) Via optical to the AVIs

2) Via optical to the BC DAC and then via analogue to the AVIs?

This would allow you to compare the quality of the internal DAC, which is something to consider.

What do the Epos do better than the AVI, and vice versa?

Any pics of the Rosewood yet? It looks vibrant on their website but they all very in the flesh. Some are quite "reddy" .

 

[mikeinbrum]

That'd be an interesting comparison! I'll have to see if I can dig out some analogue cabling as I have the BC hooked up with XLR right now.

At the moment in a direct comparison between my existing setup and the ADM9.1s I hate to say it, but the AVI gear provides the more pleasing sound.... but I am 100% sure that the Bel Cantos are being held back by the epos speakers. I would love to get something like the Neat Momentum stand mounters on trial and then do a direct comparison..... even then I suspect the AVIs will hold their own against a setup that would be many times more expensive.

I'll get a photo online tomorrow once there's decent levels of natural light so I can try and get a decent shot of the colouration.

 

[Anonymous]

Does the Bel Canto DAC include a pre?

You could sell the Epos and power amp for some actives if you like the technology.

 

[the record spot]

Interesting little aside, I checked out the AVI site earlier and noticed with no little amusement that whilst AVI aren't too ready to submit their ADM 9.1s for review to WHF, they're happy enough to quote previous WHF star ratings as part of the blurb. Cheeky!

 

[mikeinbrum]

Today I dug out a VDH 'The Name' interconnect and hooked the Belcanto Dac 3 up to the ADM9.1s to see if I could discern a difference in quality....This in effect was judging the quality of the AVI DAC against the Bel Canto one which sits well towards the premium end of the market... I would have been very miffed if the AVI performed to the same level. After all, The Bel Canto Dac 3 alone is double the price of the entire AVI solution.

So.....what did I find? Well..... on their own the ADM9.1s make a mockery of their pricetag..... hooked up via the Bel Canto Dac 3, they sound even better! More space, shimmer, and an added urgency. The beggining and endings of notes seem tautened up and more precise.

So. I'm pleased with this result. It means in the ADM9.1s I have a magnificent all in one solution at a price that makes a mockery of the performance they produce. In the Bel Canto gear I have a setup that has the potential to exceed the performance of the ADM9.1s, by fiddling over the weekend it has become quite clear just how much they are being held back by the Epos speakers.

Next on the list then.... speakers to maximise the performance of the DAC 3 / M300 input & amplification. Not any time soon though unless that elusive bonus is forthcoming this summer! The ADM9.1s put a big smile on my face when I unboxed them, the smile grew when I turned them on, and I remain very very happy with them.

 

[chebby]

Seems like you have found your own solution already.

Feed the ADM9.1's with the Bel-Canto DAC and sell the rest!

You may get enough from the sale to buy another 9.1 system and/or get the matching AVI sub and install it into your main system.

 

[Anonymous]

This is interesting.

I would be sure to level match the two inputs accurately, and even try and identify one from the other under blind conditions in order to evaluate the magnitude of the difference.

In the scheme of things the differences between digital sources is smaller than in other areas of HiFi.

Happy listening.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike.

Glad to read that you're enjoying your new shiny toys!

 

[Anonymous]

My own ADMs arrived yesterday, installed in my small office den and are now digitally connected through toslink to Sonos and to my iMac.

What can I say? The selling pitch got me, and what I hear is great. Also great to save loads of room and loads of money by avoiding separate amp and DAC. They look OK in the flesh (cherry), merrily compact. I put them on library shelves, but they deserve separate stands (next purchase).

OK, deepest bass at lower volumes is not on par with the Dynaudio X32s in my living room, but that has to be expected. But power is more than there, mid range is certainly there, including lower mid range, treble is there. Bass comes up nicely at higher volumes. All absolutely clean. Flawlessly perfect for piano, classical, jazz (but not seventies jazz rock), acoustic pop, etc. Might deserve the sub for bass reliant stuff (but maybe the stands will be enough).

Now, my own minor nitpicking: would be great to have some kind of tape loop connection for the headphone amp...right now have headphone amp on iMac's usb, so need to switch output interface on computer when i want to use the headphones. Not as elegant as it could be, and prevents easy headphone connection to Sonos streams. Also, would have liked a standby mode: quite fiddly to turn off both speakers manually (no, I do not like to leave stuff full on 24/7).

While saving space and money without performance penalty is certainly a major bonus, having to rely exclusively on the unsexy remote control for volume and for choice of input is not the most exciting user interface in the history of hi-fi. I kind of like reaching for a well engineered volume knob. The remote does not give you any hint of how loud you are either (on startup or on switching inputs). OK, could have a nice preamp/DAC somewhere along the way, but that kind of defeats the whole purpose of the concept...

These are very minor niggles, and a question of personal habits more than anything else.

 

[chebby]

Aristide Atlass: OK, deepest bass at lower volumes is not on par with the Dynaudio X32s in my living room, but that has to be expected. But power is more than there, mid range is certainly there, including lower mid range, treble is there. Bass comes up nicely at higher volumes. All absolutely clean. Flawlessly perfect for piano, classical, jazz (but not seventies jazz rock)

Interested in why they cannot flawlessly do 'seventies jazz rock'. Although I am not the biggest fan of the sub-genre, I have HH's 'Headhunters' and Miles Davis' 'Bitches Brew' but that is about it for that era.

A good bass test for me is the track 'Cardin Blue' from 'Very Live at Buddies place'. There is a good bass solo that starts around 7 minutes 25 seconds into the 10 minute track.

My system brings it off brilliantly at low volumes and with the volume turned up.

If you have it maybe it would be worth a try (as you are into your jazz).

 

[Anonymous]

In general an active system is more controlled so what you're hearing is probably correct.

Dynaudios have a reputation for OTT bass and boom.

 

[Anonymous]

Eddie Pound:
In general an active system is more controlled so what you're hearing is probably correct.

Dynaudios have a reputation for OTT bass and boom.

They have?ÿ