AVI ADM9s: breakthrough or too much hype?

[fr0g]

Nobody would frequent these (or any other) hi-fi forums unless they had some kind of interest in the equipment, whether they own conventional hi-fi seperates or something different like the AVI actives. I also doubt there are many people here who weren't drawn to hi-fi because of their love of listening to music and wanting the best possible sound at home. We all go through phases where the hi-fi gets in the way of the music, whether we are considering a new amplifier or whether we are salivating at AVI's latest improvements to the ADM9.1s, but I'm sure (from the comments I read) that those with a system they are generally happy with spend plenty of time enjoying the music whichever approach they've taken.

While I agree broadly, what seems to be the case is that once you come over to the dark side of giving up choice of amp, choosing active crossover with an amp designed or chosen specifically for the drivers, you (or rather one) tends not to go back.

I was a cable faffer, a tweaker, standing my speakers on spikes and coins and putting mats underneath stuff...and then I realised that it was all codswallop.

And while I definitely enjoyed my music, I also spent a good deal of that time evaluating. A v B, is this wire better? 30 seconds of music , swap, blahblahblah.

I don't bother now. Buying the ADMs stopped me faffing and increased my proper listening time.

I have the 9.1Ts and they are extremely good speakers, pre, amp, DAC, remote, all in one. They need a sub if you are a bass-head (like most standmounts) and cannot be bettered by passive at the same price-point.

They can be equalled/bettered at a similar price IMO if you're willing to delve into pro-audio. But then you're generally giving up the wife-friendly, all in one box solution and usually having to faff around with choosing a good pre-amp/DAC. But it's great to see some more reasonably priced home focussed actives appearing from Dynaudio and our own(Sweden) AudioPro.

I'd buy passive speakers again for 5.1 simply because of the lack of cheaper AV processors, but not for Hi-Fi. There is no doubt in my mind that for value for money, actives cannot be touched (assuming a level playing field ie, new v new OR ebay v ebay).

And for the moment there are very few comparable products to Avi's offerings at anything like a reasonable price.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Dunno, mate. The two you mention, Dynaudio and Audiopro, seem to have left AVI behind.

 

[Craig M.]

Nobody would frequent these (or any other) hi-fi forums unless they had some kind of interest in the equipment

I only come to do this.

 

[marou]

Now's the time to buy AVI - their forum is full of kit of people trying to get rid with posters treating them as if they're bereaved

 

[Alec]

Nobody would frequent these (or any other) hi-fi forums unless they had some kind of interest in the equipment

I only come to do this.

No idea, but we are amused.

 

[Alec]

Now's the time to buy AVI - their forum is full of kit of people trying to get rid with posters treating them as if they're bereaved

This, too, is quite funny.

 

[fr0g]

Dunno, mate. The two you mention, Dynaudio and Audiopro, seem to have left AVI behind.

Well in terms of wireless, indeed. I would definitely be interested in wireless with my next purchase, but in the end SQ is number one.

 

[lindsayt]

Hoopsontoast has spoken a lot of sense in this thread. The best advice that I can give SimonDB is that he should follow Hoops' advice.

 

[Anonymous]

Hoopsontoast has spoken a lot of sense in this thread. The best advice that I can give SimonDB is that he should follow Hoops' advice.

I would if he didn't have such a silly name.

 

[floyd droid]

Hoopsontoast has spoken a lot of sense in this thread. The best advice that I can give SimonDB is that he should follow Hoops' advice.

I would if he didn't have such a silly name.

Oooer, crapping in yer own flowerbed aint a clever thing to do matey.

 

[The_Lhc]

Nobody would frequent these (or any other) hi-fi forums unless they had some kind of interest in the equipment

I only come to do this.

No idea, but we are amused.

It's the very final shot from the remake of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (that's Donald Sutherland obviously). Scared the living bejesus out of me when I first saw it.

 

[hoopsontoast]

:wave:

 

[hoopsontoast]

Hoopsontoast has spoken a lot of sense in this thread. The best advice that I can give SimonDB is that he should follow Hoops' advice.

I would if he didn't have such a silly name.

:clap:

 

[the record spot]

SIMONDB,

I have recommended the AVIs to you before. The biggest thing for me, if you discount their neutrality, power and VFM, is since buying a pair I have stopped listening to the system and now listen to the MUSIC. Before AVI ADM 9Ts I spent more time listening to/adjusting/changing the system, it had almost nothing to do with the music which is what it should be about.

It's probably worth pointing out that AVI owners don't have a monopoly on this whole "listening to the music" angle they often bang on about. Seeing as I do nothing but that with my setup, and I imagine by extension, lots of other people do with theirs, think of actives as offering a different avenue of listening to music, but don't discount the possibility that other options exist and good ones at that.

As to forgetting about the equipment, a recent trawl through the AVI site shows not only a fairly decent number of folk who upped their 9.1Ts for 9.1RSs, but quite a few selling their boxes on. I think one has gone back to vinyl. This isn't any slur on the speakers, nor intended that way, merely pointing out that the means to an end perhaps isn't so final, or cut and dried, after all. That said, they offer great value for money and by all accounts the latest model does a very decent line in bass. Moreso than earlier incaranations.

 

[omnibeard]

It's probably worth pointing out that AVI owners don't have a monopoly on this whole "listening to the music" angle they often bang on about.

Absolutely my point - all I do, and I'm doing it right now, is sit around getting drunk with friends and partners listening to crazy music and having fun. It (and forgive me if I am wrong) seems that AVI owners think we sit around unhappy with out set ups, trying to work out how to improve. Not the case at all. I have an amp and speakers that belt out exactly what I want to hear, across all genres, and I have no intention of mucking around with any of it at all. And I've paid less than the ADM9 with a sub. I don't need a sub and I will NEVER EVER EVER muck around with cables.

Anyway, yaaaaawwwn.

Also, I like cider a lot.

 

[Craig M.]

I'd say when you're half cut, any old cr@p will sound good. Hopefully the op will take the only good advise in this thread, go listen for himself - the rest is just meaningless opinion.

 

[omnibeard]

I'd say when you're half cut, any old cr@p will sound good. Hopefully the op will take the only good advise in this thread, go listen for himself - the rest is just meaningless opinion.

Agreed - as usual the ONLY good advice is to go listen. That is the only good advice ever, pretty much - go listen, see what you like.

I would add though that even when beyond half cut I have a pretty good idea of what decent sound is. Honest.

 

[the record spot]

I'd say when you're half cut, any old cr@p will sound good. Hopefully the op will take the only good advise in this thread, go listen for himself - the rest is just meaningless opinion.

I'm sober Craig, mine sounds great. And the good advice on this thread is surely more than just one that fits any one particular viewpoint, no?

 

[lindsayt]

I'd say when you're half cut, any old cr@p will sound good. Hopefully the op will take the only good advise in this thread, go listen for himself - the rest is just meaningless opinion.

Amen to that. And when he listens, if he compares the AVI's to a similar budget brand new Rega system there's a high chance he'll prefer the sound of the AVI's. If he compares it to the Quad ESL system mentioned by Hoopsontoast earlier there's a high chance he'll prefer the sound of the Quad system. If he compares it to the sort of 2nd hand system I could come up with for £1250 there's a high chance he'd prefer the sound of my system. The thing is no dealer and certainly not AVI themselves are going to have a Hoopsontoast or Lindsayt type system available in their demo room to compare against the AVI's.

 

[bigboss]

Which leads me to ask: is everyone on this forum male?

Almost certainly! Most women have too much sense I'd say.

No, there are a few females (I know of at least 3).

 

[John Duncan]

Which leads me to ask: is everyone on this forum male?

Almost certainly! Most women have too much sense I'd say.

No, there are a few females (I know of at least 3).

Four if you include drummerman...

 

[relocated]

Which leads me to ask: is everyone on this forum male?

Almost certainly! Most women have too much sense I'd say.

No, there are a few females (I know of at least 3).

Four if you include drummerman...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Very good JD.

 

[Anonymous]

SIMONDB,

I have recommended the AVIs to you before. The biggest thing for me, if you discount their neutrality, power and VFM, is since buying a pair I have stopped listening to the system and now listen to the MUSIC. Before AVI ADM 9Ts I spent more time listening to/adjusting/changing the system, it had almost nothing to do with the music which is what it should be about.

It's probably worth pointing out that AVI owners don't have a monopoly on this whole "listening to the music" angle they often bang on about. Seeing as I do nothing but that with my setup, and I imagine by extension, lots of other people do with theirs, think of actives as offering a different avenue of listening to music, but don't discount the possibility that other options exist and good ones at that.

As to forgetting about the equipment, a recent trawl through the AVI site shows not only a fairly decent number of folk who upped their 9.1Ts for 9.1RSs, but quite a few selling their boxes on. I think one has gone back to vinyl. This isn't any slur on the speakers, nor intended that way, merely pointing out that the means to an end perhaps isn't so final, or cut and dried, after all. That said, they offer great value for money and by all accounts the latest model does a very decent line in bass. Moreso than earlier incaranations.

Thanks for this, Spot.

Bit wary of buying second-hand audio equipment, if second-hand computer equipment is any guide.

 

[rgill90]

can't really comment on a direct comparison of the Rega compoments but i'm an owner of AVI ADM 9T's (non red spot).

I had an arcam a90 and CD192 plugged into a set of Acoustic Energy AE1 classics. I was very happy with them but since i moved into a house i realised i wanted to easily move my hifi to different rooms so looked at an active speaker solution, with a sonos system.

I ordered a pair of ADM 9Ts, knowing i could get a refund if i wasn't happy and did a side by side comparison for a few weeks - ADM 9s -> sonos -> NAS vs my system above.

It's so true what people say - they're a different kind of sound but i guess that's the case with any speakers / hifi you change - you always have to get used to them. My music tastes vary - blues rock (north missippi allstars / black crowes / black keys) to new orleans jazz to the absolute classics (pink floyd / massive attack / bob dylan), and i've found with the ADM's that if you get well produced music they sound astonishing at that price. At high levels the ADM 9s are not fatiguing either as i found with my old system - sometimes they sounded shrill and harsh after a while but i just don't get that with the ADM 9s. Whether this was bad partnering of components on my old system or just the fact that they sugar coated the music too much i don't know. However if you get a CD that's poorly produced the AVI's do show up the fact that they're poorly produced - admittedly i can't think of any examples off hand as (luckily) stuff i like seems to be well produced.

Anyway i decided the gains far far outweighed the downsides as i noticed some great differences so i'm really really happy with my ADM 9Ts. so i sold my ae 1 classics cd192 and a90 on ebay...and even made a profit.

i know it's difficult to 'blind buy' but i think if youjoin the forums and mention you want a demo then you might be able to find someone who lives close to you who's willing to let you have a listen.

 

[Anonymous]

And thanks for this, Rgill. I'm going to listen to them at Bartletts this weekend (although of course it's not quite the same as at home).

Generally I like the stripped down and unvarnished, so I suspect I would like the sound of the ADM9s.