AVI ADM 9.1 & Other Active Studio Monitors

[admin_exported]

Hi there, just wandering if WHSV finally managed to review the AVI ADM 9.1s?

There was a post re the same on this forum around Oct 2008, and if reviews elsewhere are anything to go by then they apparently rival separate systems costing around £5000!!!!!!! Anyone own/auditioned a pair?- your comments would be much appreciated.

I am currently in the process of compiling a short list of active studio monitors to audition. They will be connected to a MAC Pro. I have a professional studio quality sound card with digital/optical and analogue XLR outputs.

So far I've been looking at the following:

1) AVI ADM 9.1
http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html
2) ATC SCM 20 ASL Pro
http://www.atc.gb.net/professional.htm
3) GENELEC 8250A

http://www.genelec.com/products/dsp-products/8250a-2/

4) ADAM P11A

http://www.adam-audio.de/studio/

5) EVENT OPAL

http://www.event1.com/

6) KRK EXPOSE E8B

http://www.krksys.com/product_expose.php

Are there any other active studio monitors that I have left out that I should be considering for audition????

Many thanks in advance.

 

[John Duncan]

PMC and Tannoy, though I forget which of their models are true active (as opposed to the passive-crossover domestic versions with an amp stuck on the back).

 

[Messiah]

Well I have ordered some AVI ADM 9.1s so I will certainly give you some feedback once they are up and running!

 

[PJPro]

Messiah:Well I have ordered some AVI ADM 9.1s so I will certainly give you some feedback once they are up and running!

Oooooo! I assumed you auditioned before you bought. Needless to say, you must have thought them pretty good. Looking forward to your feedback.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi John

So in your opinion the PMC DB1SA is just a "domestic version with an amp stuck on the back" ?

I'm sure all the professional studios that use them would consider them to be better than many of the so called "true active" versions by other manufacturers even if they are not quite in the same league as the truely active speakers in the PMC range.

I use a pair for hifi and studio use and they sound fantastic.

Cheers

 

[John Duncan]

Dal 3000:So in your opinion the PMC DB1SA is just a "domestic version with an amp stuck on the back" ?

Yes, because that's exactly what they are.

Dal 3000:I'm sure all the professional studios that use them would consider them to be better than many of the so called "true active" versions by other manufacturers even if they are not quite in the same league as the truely active speakers in the PMC range.

I use a pair for hifi and studio use and they sound fantastic.

Cheers

Yes I'm sure they do, and you'll note that at no point did I say anything about their quality, only differentiated between powered passive and active, as the OP appears to want a true active design and wouldn't want him to think all PMCs are 'true active'.

cheers

JD (a PMC DB1 owner)

 

[method man]

@spaceman.

I auditioned avi.9.1 yesterday at bartletts hi-fi islington. In thier listening room. on super dreadnoughts

with sonos streaming lossless rips from a laptop behind us. listened to pinkfloyd (my brothers choice)

Bob marley, Rod stewert (tom trauberts blues). and a couple more.

My brother said he had never heard the floyd track sound like that . I wouldnt know but im not a fan but i enjoyed it none the less. The marley was to see if they could funk a bit. they could. vocals for Rod. i could hear his breath!

I was impressed as i hoped I would be and of course ordered a pair.

 

[ear]

Messiah where is your youtube video of the AVI ADM 9.1? can find the thread with the link.I'd like to take another peak at it thx

 

[Anonymous]

That's fair enough John and of course you are correct in what you say.

I just thought the description made them sound inferior but then again it's pretty much to the point (and the reality) which is what the OP wanted to know.

Glad to see you understand PMC quality what with owning a pair.

Regards

Dal

 

[John Duncan]

Yeah I love the PMCs, though they're currently in somebody else's house (probably permanently), with AVI Neutron Vs standing in bravely - ironically another pair of domestic speakers which the makers strap an amp to the back of and call active

 

[Messiah]

method man:
I was impressed as i hoped I would be and of course ordered a pair.

Good arn't they!

 

[Messiah]

ear:Messiah where is your youtube video of the AVI ADM 9.1? can find the thread with the link.I'd like to take another peak at it thx

HERE

 

[method man]

messiah. waht stands would u reccommend witht he avi 9.1? and is thier any type of fixings i should be aware of? also. as u look at them, which speaker has the connections?

 

[Messiah]

method man:messiah. waht stands would u reccommend witht he avi 9.1? and is thier any type of fixings i should be aware of? also. as u look at them, which speaker has the connections?

Stands - just decent, solid ones. I use Partington Superdreadnoughts.

There are no fixings you need to be aware of.

As you look at them, the left speaker is the 'Master' with all the connections and the right is the 'Slave'.

 

[method man]

by lucky hap, this afternoon , I won an auction onlike for those stands. in sliver (for the missus)

65 notes and the chap lives nearby so even keeping the sand in the middle.

 

[Messiah]

Nice!

 

[lordmortlock]

method man:
@spaceman.

I was impressed as i hoped I would be and of course ordered a pair.

Good on you method man. I had a good long listen too at daniels hifi just down the road from me (glos) and was sorely tempted. I actually went for a quad set up instead but only because Id have wanted the sub and I enjoy mucking around with upgrading.

Close run thing tho. Superb sound. Enjoy!

 

[method man]

its been amazing. 3 weeks ago. we got new carpet, and i promised the wife i would find a way not to trail 18 foot of speaker cable thru our living room. so i came on here. after having not thought beyond my original hi-fi of modest cd/amp/speakers. about a grands worth new. but have now learnt it wasnt balanced. my cable upgrades were wasted on the crappy 130 quid speakers LOL.

so i was looking at a arcam solo sat neatly between the speakers. but i got a sniff of all this pc music/steaming. AVI speakers. DACS. and with help from members on here. have ended up walkling away with no only something that is way more forward looking in the PC side. but sonically better than anything i could have hoped to have achives withing twice the amount I have spent.

she loved the sonos as well, which was a good start. and has trusted me on the speakers. So now i cant wait to ge tthem. and start to enjoy my music again. as 7 years ago when we moved here. i sold speakers that i at least liked and got thses awful diamond 8.3 floorstander to match the decor for her sake. and looking back, it pretty much drove me to an ipod.

oh , i should say. im not into hi-fi. or upgrading. so these are ideal for me. this is pretty much a one hit wonder on here. soon as im sorted. it will be many thanks. a few pics for posterity. and i wont think about it again for another 10 years.

 

[Anonymous]

I should probably try out some other speakers other than my DB1sa's as i seem to have become a bit too biased in their favour though I'm sure they would be superior to other manufacturers lower/similarly priced true active designs but I could well be wrong.

I think that was the point I was trying to make albeit rather poorly and in a bit too much of a defensive fashion ;o) Apologies for jumping in with both feet not having considered the point you were validly making. Thanks for your replies ;o

 

[method man]

well my Partington Super Dreadnoughts have bene picked up.

Got them from 'the bay' at 65 quid. In matt silver. Look brand new. The chap lived 15 mins away so no postage. Couldnt have worked out better. And they are far easier on the eye than the reviews suggest.

So I couldnt be happier. Only one problem my AVI's wont be here for 2 weeks.

 

[Messiah]

method man:
well my Partington Super Dreadnoughts have bene picked up.

Got them from 'the bay' at 65 quid. In matt silver. Look brand new. The chap lived 15 mins away so no postage. Couldnt have worked out better. And they are far easier on the eye than the reviews suggest.

So I couldnt be happier. Only one problem my AVI's wont be here for 2 weeks.

I think the stands look fine. Shame you have to wait for the speakers though but it will be worth it.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi JD

I fancied a change and have now sold my PMC's. I am wondering if I should get a used Bryston ST series amp and some TB2+ or buy a pair of AVI ADM9.1's? I only use a Dacmagic and an old Cyrus ACA7.5 pre-amp.

Any advice on this would be most helpful.

Regards

Dal

 

[Messiah]

Go for the AVI's

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice. I might well go for the AVI's. I think I might need to demo some first though as I'm a bit worried that they won't sound as good as the PMC DB1sa's that i just sold. Having said that all you owners seem more than happy with them!!

 

[Craig M.]

might depend on whether or not you will be happy with the frequency response of the avi's. with a bryston power amp you could choose any speaker you fancied and drive them properly, safe in the knowledge the bryston had ample power in reserve. if you are happy with a standmounts bass, then the avi's are very well regarded, and have the advantage of an active crossover. i think though you will struggle to find someone who has heard both your options. out of interest, what do you feed the dacmagic with? i only ask as i've found my mac mini with lossless files (despite what the owner of avi says!) to be plainly inferior to a dedicated cd transport. i don't know if it's the optical connection or itunes, but it was a huge difference.