AVI ADM9.1

[admin_exported]

Hi I have a few very simple questions about the 9.1.

What is the impact of a computer soundcard? Does it have any? Does it depend on the input used?

Currently if I connect my hifi via optical cable to the soundcard, none of the 'software' functions of the card work, but when I switch to analogue they do - so will it be simialr to this?

Final question - what is the best input for these speakers? Is it an optical cable or would an iChord minijack to 2 RCA be better

Thanks

 

[Messiah]

l4d:
Hi I have a few very simple questions about the 9.1.

What is the impact of a computer soundcard? Does it have any? Does it depend on the input used?

Currently if I connect my hifi via optical cable to the soundcard, none of the 'software' functions of the card work, but when I switch to analogue they do - so will it be simialr to this?

Final question - what is the best input for these speakers? Is it an optical cable or would an iChord minijack to 2 RCA be better

Thanks

The soundcard will have an effect depending on how you connect it to the 9.1's. If you connect it digitally via Optical it should have no effect as the computer just sends the raw data to the speaker to process. If you connect it via analogue then the souncard will process the data and send it too the speaker to amplify.

This should explain the second point too.

I would connect to the speakers via the optical to utilise the onboard DAC.

Hope this helps....

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, looks like I was right then and that explains why optical isn't making use of my card at the moment.

Looks like I'll be returning my iChord and sticking with optical. Any good optical cable recommendations? I read the 9.1 only takes a small type of cable?

 

[Messiah]

Yeah just a small optical cable. Ashley of AVI recommends buying the cheapest cable you can find! 'Decent' cables I think are too thick to fit so you need to go for the basic cable. Like THIS

 

[Anonymous]

I assume you have auditioned these? how do you feel about what has been commented upon from many forums regarding the fact that they sound very exciting, very detailed but lack low end?

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know about this model specifically but in general active loudspeakers are much more controlled, therefore bass isn't lacking, but just much tighter. I believe it is actually correct, but different to what consumers are used to.

 

[Anonymous]

Plus there's always the sub...

I haven't tried them out yet but will do if I get the chance. I've just read so many positive things and I'm not sure you'd find anything else in this price range with such a high percentage of good reviews - especially considering it tends to be the people with bad experiences who speak out first. Saying that I've never actually seen anyone with the 9.1s say anything negative about them.

 

[Messiah]

I have come to the same conclusion about these speakers and once I have moved I will be buying some

 

[PJPro]

Yeah, I'd love to get a pair.....

 

[drummerman]

hi fi newbie:I assume you have auditioned these? how do you feel about what has been commented upon from many forums regarding the fact that they sound very exciting, very detailed but lack low end?

To these ears they definitively benefit from a sub.

 

[Alec]

Will be auditioning some in the near future.

 

[Anonymous]

l4d:

Hi I have a few very simple questions about the 9.1.

What is the impact of a computer soundcard? Does it have any? Does it depend on the input used?

Currently if I connect my hifi via optical cable to the soundcard, none of the 'software' functions of the card work, but when I switch to analogue they do - so will it be simialr to this?

Final question - what is the best input for these speakers? Is it an optical cable or would an iChord minijack to 2 RCA be better

Thanks

I4d - unfortunately it depends on the soundcard. if you had a Mac, it really is plug and play. PC - If you've got a decent audio card capable of accepting different sample rates (pretty much most do I believe these days, except for some of those motherboard solutions and older cards) then you'll be fine ... But remember the old Microsoft standard of 48khz meant that many older cards would resample everything and anything to that sample rate, even if you bypass the K-Mixer.

But if you've got a fairly decent card, you're away. I'm running mine off of a cheapo C-Media audio card using specially programmed drivers. If you google C-Media Code you should land yourself at Dogbers page. You can pick up such a card for less than £20, install his drivers and get bit perfect output with no audio card resampling. His page also explains some of the shortcomings of XP (assuming you're on XP). Vista doesn't have quite the same issues. Dogber knows the card inside out and I can probably dig out links explaining the shortcomings of the manufacturers own drivers if you are interested.

Only downer, the C-Media solution is limited to 16bit at 44, 48 or 96khz. If you wish to listen to bit rates higher than this and believe you'll hear a difference then I'd recommend ESI's Juli@ which can output up to 24/96 over the optical output.

I may purchase one this coming weekend though I'm sure Ashley of AVI will suggest I could be wasting my money as the difference between 16/44 vs 24/96 will be minimal. My thoughts - well - the speakers can handle it, so I want to hear them at their full. I also want to get back into producing some music so this card is perfect.

Hope this helps.

Matt.

 

[Anonymous]

I didn't post my own thoughts on the ADM9.1's.

I got rid of a complete cinema surround sound system in order to purchase them. Downsize, setup an HTPC and get rid of the amps and wires running arond my home !

I'm more than happy with my purchase; their honesty means you'll hear every last detail in the music and you don't have to 'try' to listen for a soundstage, it's just there. I've heard numerous comments regarding bass and have never found this to be a problem, especially once you get the volume levels up - and this really is one thing worth noting; these speakers can get to exceptional levels without sounding at all strained.

If you're happy with the accurate presentation a monitor will give you without the colouring that hifi speakers sometimes produce, then you'll be more than happy with them.

 

[Anonymous]

My post above regarding the soundcard is correct for the digital domain (optical out) which is the output which you should use with the ADM's in order to utilise their DAC.

 

[Anonymous]

Schbeemb - I do have a pretty good soundcard - it's a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium - Fatal1ty Professional Series 7.1. I'm not sure what samples rates it accepts - I can select 96Khz but I don't know whether this is at 16 or at 24.

 

[Anonymous]

Just looked up the specs DAC DATA WIDTH 24 BIT SAMPLE RATE 8KHZ MIN - 192 KHZ MAX so looks like I'm ok.

Have I got this right:

Select optical to make use of DAC. But, the benefit of a soundcard is the ability to handle certain sample rates.

Or:

Select analogue to make use of sound card but this will bypass DAC.

The 192 at 24 bit thing - how do you select this? Is it just something that happens automaticaly depending on what audio you are playing?

 

[Anonymous]

I reckon there will be little difference in the x-fi soundcard through chord ichord to amp / optical to dac then amp. I have tried both, and the sound I achieved was similar in both cases. I ended up using the x-fi and the chord ichord as it also allowed for better reproduction in movies and games.

 

[Anonymous]

In general terms, if you output an analogue signal from the computer then you are using the DAC in the computer.

If you output via optical you will be using the external DAC - in this case it's built into the speakers.

The What Hifi review suggests this:

http://whathifi.com/Review/AVI-ADM9/


"The ADM9s' talents are obvious pretty much from the get-go. Using
one of our favourite CD players, Primare's £1500 CD31, the AVIs make
perfect sense.

Connected first via the stereo RCA input, and
therefore using the Primare's D-to-A processing, the AVIs offer a fast,
detailed and thoroughly composed sound. There's punch and speed to low
frequencies (though they're on the lean side), poised and expressive
vocals in the midrange, and confident (occasionally over confident)
treble reproduction.
Soundstaging and focus are impressive, too.
Switching to the AVIs' own Wolfson DAC by connecting the Primare via
its optical output offers still greater attack, dynamic headroom and
resolution of transients - the ADM9s sound better doing their own
conversion."