Should I ask Paul the Octopus...

[chebby]

...whether AVI ADM9.1s would be a good idea when I come to revamp/upgrade/downgrade/de-clutter my system?

(Re-assessing ADM9.1s as a possibility was inspired by Andrew's review in this month's issue of 'Gramophone'. I ended up buying the mag so that I could show my wife the review too. That's £2.30* per page!)

Impressed about the description of their build quality and the performance at lower volumes and in 'near field' circumstances and the description of the treble and imaging.

*Recommended reading nonetheless.

 

[Anonymous]

B&O are a better idea....

 

[Messiah]

chebby:
...whether AVI ADM9.1s would be a good idea

Good idea. It would be a great idea.

I regularly sit very close to mine and they still sound superb. As reported, they are very good at low levels. I think you would be impressed.

 

[chebby]

Tarquinh:B&O are a better idea....

Ok. Which ones? And do they have a built in DAC and remote control pre-amp with the two optical inputs we need (and an analogue input)?

Another concern with B&O is price and looks. Yes they look fabulous, and they are well-engineered and I know they sound great (we have a B&O showroom 20 miles away that I have been in twice this year), but they would look like diminutive aliens had landed in our (somewhat traditional) living room.

 

[Anonymous]

Since there's only one solution, don't worry Paul, especially since the poor chap is in his dotage and deserves a break after all the fuss.

 

[bigboss]

Tarquinh: Since there's only one solution, don't worry Paul, especially since the poor chap is in his dotage and deserves a break after all the fuss.

Paul has announced his retirement in any case, so he won't be able to help you

 

[Anonymous]

Try them Chebby, they're excellent value for money.

 

[John Duncan]

Yes they are. Not as good value for money as the Aktimate Maxi, but better at some fundamental things, and the Maxi doesn't have the DAC you need. Be mindful that bass roll-off was very severe in the room I heard them in, but may be absolutely fine in yours.

 

[chebby]

JohnDuncan:Yes they are. Not as good value for money as the Aktimate Maxi, but better at some fundamental things, and the Maxi doesn't have the DAC you need. Be mindful that bass roll-off was very severe in the room I heard them in, but may be absolutely fine in yours.

The DAC is essential. Two optical digital inputs will be essential. As for bass roll-off, well, I shouldn't think it would be much different to my N-Sats (that have smaller bass drivers and a smaller, non ported cabinet).

You have experience of the Neutron Vs and have heard the ADM9.1s as well. So was the bass roll-off worse on the ADM9.1s?

I assume this depends on where one's expectations are coming from. I will not be migrating to them from big floorstanding speakers so I might actually get a bit more bass than I am used to currently.

As for the Aktimate Maxi, I could not get away from how ugly they are. (Even in the optional wood finish.) And the cover over the iPod connection made it look like someone had stuck an ashtray on it!

We are quite 'conservative' when it comes to the look of speakers. We like well finished, real wood veneered boxes sans LCD displays or LED beacons, iPod connections or controls. (Or 'ashtrays'

)

 

[Anonymous]

The AVIs aren't tiny and the bass is very accurate so you won't miss out on music due to lack of bass but might hanker after a sub to deliver below 60Hz. Coming from a Naim system, Chebby, you might find them lacking or even sterile. Naim isn't known for it's neutrality.

 

[chebby]

igglebert:The AVIs aren't tiny and the bass is very accurate so you won't miss out on music due to lack of bass but might hanker after a sub to deliver below 60Hz

Ok, so that's the 'below 60hz' bass issue twice now - from someone who used little Neutron Vs (John) and from someone who uses Spendor SA1s (Igglebert) - addressed to someone (me) who uses small sealed box cabinets with 4.5 inch bass/mid drivers!

(Both of whose opinions I value in such matters.)

Surely with the bigger (and ported) cabinets and 6 inch bass/mid drivers, the ADM9.1s would at least match the bass that I am getting now? What with the laws of physics etc.

 

[drummerman]

Rather than asking the octopus you could speak to ashley. The two are not to dissimilar and about the same size. You'll most probably get only one answer but considering you've repeatedly expressed your dislike for warm'n cosy this may not be a bad idea.

 

[AL13N]

chebby:The DAC is essential. Two optical digital inputs will be essential. As for bass roll-off...
If bass is a real concern then why not audition the ADM9.1 and Neutron Five 2.1 together? Both
HiFi Gear and Five Ways sell both. You could also take your Nait 5i and n-SATs for comparison.

With the Neutron Five 2.1 you could have a Squeezebox Touch sitting pretty ontop of the sub, for a discreet (and full range) system.

This will give you access to radio (internet radio, BBC radio/podcasts/listen again) as well as music stored on your computer. Two features you've mentioned being important to you in the past.

 

[John Duncan]

Well as coincidence might have it (and I'm sure it must be coincidence), a certain manufacturer has just mailed me with the measured differences between the two, which are claimed to amount to about 15-25hz (which down there is getting on for half an octave)*.

Now, I've compared the Neutron Vs and DB1+ at reasonable length in my house, and the ADM9.1 and DB1-S (or whatever they're called) briefly in the test rooms (which are certainly larger and almost certainly more acoustically dead than mine), but some time apart, so this is somewhat subjective (

). I'd say that the rolloff on bass was more marked on the Neutron Vs (which tallies with the measurements) than with the 9.1s, but in my room the bass was more pronounced on both, and hence ended up acceptable. That said, in the test rooms the bass on the actives was disappointing on both - though the PMCs shaded it (at twice the cost, though with some other merits over the AVIs).

One interesting point that I'd make is a Cyrus CD player (

), when plugged into the analogue inputs rather than the DAC, seemed to offer a touch more depth. Make of that what you will.

In summary - they're great in very many ways, but you must listen to them in your room to see if they have enough bass for you. They didn't when I heard them, but they'd admittedly probably be great in my house (though it's a moot point as they're not discreet enough for me to consider).

*the n-sats claim the same frequency response as the 9.1s btw

 

[chebby]

drummerman:Rather than asking the octopus you could speak to ashley. The two are not to dissimilar and about the same size. You'll most probably get only one answer but considering you've repeatedly expressed your dislike for warm'n cosy this may not be a bad idea.

Ringing up ANY manufacturer to ask for an honest opinion on 'my system vs theirs' is never going to get a helpful and non-partisan answer.

In the case of AVI, calling them and asking if their ADM9.1s would sound better than my Naim system would, I imagine, result (at best) in the phone being immediately put down in response. (Or worse.)

Understandable really. Turn it around. If I rang Naim and asked for their opinion on my all Naim system vs ADM9,1s then I wouldn't expect more than a terse... "Thankyou for your interest, goodbye."

Carting my system halfway around the country to one of the (very few) AVI stockists to do a comparative demo is not really going to work logistically.

Home demos are a no-no. You buy them. That's it. (I don't relish the idea of returning ADM9.1s to AVI on the grounds of "sorry, I didn't like them". Would you? AVI are on record as saying something like... "It has never happened before".)

More than many (any?) other hifi product, I think this is going to have to be a blind purchase with no easy way out if they are not what I want.

Probably easier to sell them on ebay for a calculated loss if that happened. It would probably be quicker. (And there would be loss incurred with AVI's re-packing/re-stocking fees + postage anyway.)

Despite all that, I have a nagging feeling (re-inforced by Andrew's wording in his Gramophone review) that they could be right for us.

 

[Anonymous]

Indeed. The SA1s didn't have much bass in the demo room when I bought them. In my current house I find the bass level plenty and, frankly, they leave me staggered on some music. The bass definition and quantity leave me amazed.

As alluded to above, I don't think the ADMs do the whole PRaT thing like Naim so it comes back to tastes. I don't think the bass will be an issue at all for you Chebby. Give Ashley a call and see if he'll do you a demo. Top bloke and I'm sure you'll enjoy the process.

 

[Anonymous]

You'll easily flog them on eBay without losing much. I'd wager that you'd keep them.

 

[plastic penguin]

Chebby, could you be coaxed into this?

 

[chebby]

plastic penguin:Chebby, could you be coaxed into this?

Accuphase? Yes. If it had room for two of their £950 DAC modules to be fitted and I had enough money to plant Harbeths on the end of it. Part of the pleasure would be just sitting there looking at the thing!

However...

(1) I am not that wealthy (2) I would not buy Accuphase (or Luxman) without at least a 3 year UK dealer warranty. I can imagine any servicing/repairs would be cripplingly expensive.

 

[plastic penguin]

I know - we can all wish...

Makes a lovely distraction (albeit momentarily) from Paul...