Experience of switching from separates to active eg ADM9T

[audiokid]

Hi all,

My main system is a Naim Supernait with Harbeth P3esr, Mac source. It sounds very good.

I have recently been looking at second systems and looked into buying a second Naim amplifier/one box system (Qute, SN) and some smallish speakers - perhaps PMC GB1i, Totem, Kudox, Neat etc.

My recent search has led me to consider active speakers, in particular AVI ADM9T, fed by a Mac optical.

I have read a lot of debate around these speakers, and I am trying some out in the next few days. However, has anyone ever owned a good separates system - Naim, Cyrus, Linn, etc and moved to ADM9T? (or bought some as a second system perhaps?)

How do they compare to the more traditional setup of passive speakers and amplifier? Is SQ as good? Better?

Am I going completely mad? The appeal of a super simple system is strong, but will it always be compromised compared to a decent separates system costing, say, £2-4K?

 

[Phileas]

has anyone ever owned a good separates system - Naim, Cyrus, Linn, etc and moved to ADM9T?

Here we go again.

Quite few I believe.

 

[Ajani]

Hi all,

My main system is a Naim Supernait with Harbeth P3esr, Mac source. It sounds very good.

I have recently been looking at second systems and looked into buying a second Naim amplifier/one box system (Qute, SN) and some smallish speakers - perhaps PMC GB1i, Totem, Kudox, Neat etc.

My recent search has led me to consider active speakers, in particular AVI ADM9T, fed by a Mac optical.

I have read a lot of debate around these speakers, and I am trying some out in the next few days. However, has anyone ever owned a good separates system - Naim, Cyrus, Linn, etc and moved to ADM9T? (or bought some as a second system perhaps?)

How do they compare to the more traditional setup of passive speakers and amplifier? Is SQ as good? Better?

Am I going completely mad? The appeal of a super simple system is strong, but will it always be compromised compared to a decent separates system costing, say, £2-4K?

When you test it out for yourself, please share your findings with us. Many AVI fans claim to have achieved great results doing just what you described. But you need to try for yourself, since you may not have the same experience. Either way, I'm sure some of us will want to hear your findings.

 

[Alec]

If you have looked around already, you will understand my blunt reply:

It doesn't matter. Audition them and make your own mind up.

I persoanlly came from a horribly gloopy, relatively cheap setup, so my experiences would be irrelevant anyway.

 

[poldo]

Try some PMC Twenty 22 with your Naim , fantastic speakers.

 

[Phileas]

(You might want to shorten the title of this thread slightly.)

I think the OP may want reassurance that serious audiophiles do switch for SQ reasons and not just convenience or WAF.

 

[audiokid]

Of course, like i said I would be having a demo.

But, there's no substitute for hearing the experience of other users, especially as they might have owned them for a while, and my demo will only be short.

 

[audiokid]

(You might want to shorten the title of this thread slightly.)

I think the OP may want reassurance that serious audiophiles do switch for SQ reasons and not just convenience or WAF.

Agreed

 

[Alec]

Of course, like i said I would be having a demo.

But, there's no substitute for hearing the experience of other users

There is. That "substitute" is a demo.

You seem to already be aware that there are many who claim to be very happy with the sound quality of the AVIs after having very expensive setups...so...

 

[Alec]

Incidentally, I'm not responsible for the change of title in my first post. Dunno what heppened.

 

[audiokid]

Of course, like i said I would be having a demo.

But, there's no substitute for hearing the experience of other users

There is. That "substitute" is a demo.

You seem to already be aware that there are many who claim to be very happy with the sound quality of the AVIs after having very expensive setups...so...

Agreed, a demo is good. We established that. Hearing other users' views is also good, that's why I came to this forum. I'm not aware that, specifically, others have converted from expensive setups, I have only heard reports from people who have tried, or own, them.

It's all well and good hearing that the ADMs are fantastic, but if that person has been using a Sony micro system for the last few years then it's perhaps not the best feedback for my conundrum.

I'm wondering if there are any 'higher end' owners who have made the transition. There may be people out there who demo'd them, liked them and a few months later missed their old high end system. Quite possible.

Anyway, I'll have organised a demo for tomorrow and will hear what they have to offer!

 

[char_lotte]

Incidentally, I'm not responsible for the change of title in my first post. Dunno what heppened.

Ariston .......and on and on and on.....

p.s. How posh are you!

 

[Alec]

Incidentally, I'm not responsible for the change of title in my first post. Dunno what heppened.

Ariston .......and on and on and on.....

p.s. How posh are you!

I use fish knives and everything.

 

[chebby]

I use fish knives and everything.

Very Hyacinth Bucket.

 

[WinterRacer]

I bought ADM9.1s as a 2nd system, but they performed so much better than my separates system, I sold the lot and they became my first. They have eventually become my 2nd system now, but only because I've now bought some ADM40s.

For context, my previous system was Cyrus XT-SE cd transport, Cyrus DAC-X DAC, Roksan Caspian M1 Pre-amp and mono-bloc power amps and Monitor Audio PL100 loudspeakers. Until I heard the ADMs I was very pleased with that lot and had spent a lot of time and money on it. The fact that the ADMs sounded so much better (to me) made me a little disillusioned with the traditional hi-fi scene.

Btw, I don't say this to belittle traditional systems or say that ADMs are the best speakers in the world, just that I really rate them and think they're incredible VFM.

 

[audiokid]

I bought ADM9.1s as a 2nd system, but they performed so much better than my separates system, I sold the lot and they became my first. They have eventually become my 2nd system now, but only because I've now bought some ADM40s.

For context, my previous system was Cyrus XT-SE cd transport, Cyrus DAC-X DAC, Roksan Caspian M1 Pre-amp and mono-bloc power amps and Monitor Audio PL100 loudspeakers. Until I heard the ADMs I was very pleased with that lot and had spent a lot of time and money on it. The fact that the ADMs sounded so much better (to me) made me a little disillusioned with the traditional hi-fi scene.

Btw, I don't say this to belittle traditional systems or say that ADMs are the best speakers in the world, just that I really rate them and think they're incredible VFM.

Thanks, I just read your story. Interesting.

 

[richardw42]

When you do audition make sure they are the latest version, as AVI HAVE JUST UPDATED THEM

By all accounts the new ones are even better than the previous models. I can't make that comparison but when I heard the new 9s I was gobsmacked. If it hadn't been for the ADM40s I would have had them in a heartbeat.

Sayingvthat, my system was quite modest in comparison to yours.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

I have heard the 9s (before the recent update) and was very impresssed. They held very well against my atc50a. I would say they were as good on dynamics, dynamic range and accuracy. Excellent speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

I've not heard better..

 

[char_lotte]

I've not heard better..

We know.

 

[Ajani]

I've not heard better..

We know.

I think everyone knows!

:rofl:

 

[WishTree]

Thanks, I just read your story. Interesting.

I guess we will be fine here, if I just openly express my opinion.

Are you a sleeper planted by AVI on this forum to stir the forum again on AVI speakers ? I hope not. Reading too many conspiracy books, I guess. My apologies.

There are some who really like these speakers (I guess if I get the numbers right, there are around 3000 customers for the brand). So it depends on how you want slice the pie to read the numbers in the context that you are looking for.

Since you will audition none of our rant here should matter.

I heard the ADM9Ts in a demo and to me they are clean but extremely analytical and lack emotion.

To some emotion comes through the music and they can feel it the same on a 10 pound earphones to 100000 pound equipment in the same way.

To me the synergy is extremely important to convey the recorded musicality / emotion back into your listening sysem. May be some day there will be a simpler scientific way to measure it but as of now, to my awareness, it is a pure feel and not in numbers.

I currently have the M-DAC feeding the Classe CAP-2100 to Tannoy DC6T and when we heard Hallelujah (jeff buckley) this evening, we were quite after for few minutes. It is not that we did not hear it recently but on this set up we heard it first time.

I just changed the XLR cables to move my DAC to a further away location but the new cables did not make it and when I returned the DAC back the musicality is back.

I am very tempted to get the CP-800 but holding back for not wanting to disturb the synergy (May be I should relax and give a try for CP-800)

The point is, I did not see the 9Ts do any of this stuff (and I purely blame to Standmounts as I prefer the larger sound of floorstanding speaker) but in what ever is possible with Standmount 9Ts did not have it and if some one wants to find out where it is lost, you have no choice as it is a one box system (applies to all other one box systems)

I am not a big fan of multiple boxes either but I do not want to comprimise at the cost of basics.

All the best!

 

[char_lotte]

Avi threads need more humour. It's a fact. Science fact.

 

[Anonymous]

You're such a sweetie, Char_lotte

 

[atticus]

Hi all,

My main system is a Naim Supernait with Harbeth P3esr, Mac source. It sounds very good.

I have recently been looking at second systems and looked into buying a second Naim amplifier/one box system (Qute, SN) and some smallish speakers - perhaps PMC GB1i, Totem, Kudox, Neat etc.

My recent search has led me to consider active speakers, in particular AVI ADM9T, fed by a Mac optical.

I have read a lot of debate around these speakers, and I am trying some out in the next few days. However, has anyone ever owned a good separates system - Naim, Cyrus, Linn, etc and moved to ADM9T? (or bought some as a second system perhaps?)

How do they compare to the more traditional setup of passive speakers and amplifier? Is SQ as good? Better?

Am I going completely mad? The appeal of a super simple system is strong, but will it always be compromised compared to a decent separates system costing, say, £2-4K?

Hello audiokid,

I have switched from passives to active. I had Cyrus CD8 SE, Pre Vs2 preamp, Mono X Power amps, Tannoy DC8 standmounts on Partington Super Dreadnought stands. The stands had a mix of Atacama Atabites and lead shot in them. I used Atlas Equator interconnects and the speakers were bi-wired with Genesis Silver Spiral. It took a while to get the system to this spec; in fact I originally wrote about it here:http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/am-i-going-wrong-somewhere-your-advice-and-views-please

The ADM40's, made by the increasingly-controversial-to-discuss AVi HiFi knocked this system into a cocked hat from the point of view of audio reproduction. The improvement was immediately apparent and almost embarrassing (given how much money and time I had invested in my passive system). Additional benefits were fewer boxes and cabling, not to mention no more nagging doubts about which component to tweak or change next.

The SQ is far superior and the wireless streaming thing is great (so long as the broadband doesn't conk out!)