The new AVI ADM5 active loudspeakers.

[richardw42]

I thought an admin might, and move stuff over.

Cynical motive : NO, Naive : probably.

Trouble is people are searching for agendas or ulterior motives when there really isn't.

 

[John Duncan]

AVI prefer to sell direct, not unheard.

90% of purchasers do so without hearing them (manufacturer's figures).

 

[Phileas]

Let's be honest, these new AVIs are going to be difficult to move.

Yeah, I'm sure you're right AL. They'll probably be a complete flop, just like all their previous efforts. :roll:

 

[Andy-F73]

Perhaps a truce is in order: let's all respect each others opinion and just enjoy what we each have.

You might be new Andy, but we've been over this all before. Tried a truce earlier this year I think, or maybe end of last year. Didn't stop Maxflinn - who had agreed as one of the participants - from signing up under one of his many bogus identities and messing around again. Didn't stop the sniping or the superiority attitude, didn't stop it bar for a few weeks, but one look under the HDD Audio bonnet and you can see the true nature of some of the people involved as that's where the real face comes out.

ADM-pick-your-number are not the last word in high quality audio. They're good, maybe even great, but not class leading. To be told that they are the best and outstrip anything else on the market or be told (as in my case by Maxflinn) that my speakers couldn't possibly do deeper bass notes when he hasn't heard them just amplifies the point. A bunch of noisy irritants many of whom have little or no experience outwith what they read via Google or get from the AJ and I have zero patience with it anymore.

Fair enough and each to their own I guess ... I've not heard the DC4's so can't compare them against my ADM's but have heard the Onkyo you have I thought it was more than capable!

There is always going to be differences of opinion on all forums and whilst some of it is entertaining it does become tiresome at times. It's frustrating when various discussions descend into petty squabbles but that's life, as they say!

 

[Andy-F73]

I thought an admin might, and move stuff over.

Cynical motive : NO, Naive : probably.

Trouble is people are searching for agendas or ulterior motives when there really isn't.

i frequent HDD and can honestly say Richard comes across as a decent bloke who loves his music and the ADM's ...

 

[plastic penguin]

I thought an admin might, and move stuff over.

Cynical motive : NO, Naive : probably.

Trouble is people are searching for agendas or ulterior motives when there really isn't.

I'm sure if had put your concerns about it being moved to the "Active thread" in the original post they would be agreeable.

Unfortunately, the shear nature of all forums is that people try and look for ulterior motives.

 

[John Duncan]

I thought an admin might, and move stuff over.

Cynical motive : NO, Naive : probably.

Trouble is people are searching for agendas or ulterior motives when there really isn't.

I'm sure if had put your concerns about it being moved to the "Active thread" in the original post they would be agreeable.

Unfortunately, the shear nature of all forums is that people try and look for ulterior motives.

We can't split threads any more. Chebby created a new one. There is no conspiracy FFS.

 

[John Duncan]

I thought an admin might, and move stuff over.

Cynical motive : NO, Naive : probably.

Trouble is people are searching for agendas or ulterior motives when there really isn't.

i frequent HDD and can honestly say Richard comes across as a decent bloke who loves his music and the ADM's ...

Agreed. So that's *one*... ;-)

 

[plastic penguin]

I thought an admin might, and move stuff over.

Cynical motive : NO, Naive : probably.

Trouble is people are searching for agendas or ulterior motives when there really isn't.

I'm sure if had put your concerns about it being moved to the "Active thread" in the original post they would be agreeable.

Unfortunately, the shear nature of all forums is that people try and look for ulterior motives.

We can't split threads any more. Chebby created a new one. There is no conspiracy FFS.

I know there's no conspiracy, that wasn't my point. How does one split a new thread? Richard could've done the same thing as Chebby with the same result.

Spooky.

 

[the record spot]

Fair enough and each to their own I guess ... I've not heard the DC4's so can't compare them against my ADM's but have heard the Onkyo you have I thought it was more than capable!

There is always going to be differences of opinion on all forums and whilst some of it is entertaining it does become tiresome at times. It's frustrating when various discussions descend into petty squabbles but that's life, as they say!

It's not a direct comparison with AVI speakers I'm interested in, but that I picked these speakers specifically to work in my room, where they sit close in, maybe a ittle over 6 feet away. In those situations, they deliver what they (and I, for I have neighbours) need; articulate bass, a good but not shouty treble, and a very fine midrange. I've had bigger speakers before (Mission 752) which had more scale at volume, but that was in a much bigger room so you'd expect that. So, to then be told that they can't then "do bass" (pretty ironic all things considered) when nobody else from here's heard them in my room got the response it deserved.

Sure, there'll be differences of opinion, but I find the disrespect of some people not respecting others' choices fundamental to this whole thing. The cheap shots are just an unnecessary icing on the cake and when they come from people who are informed secondhand, I by and large don't accept that as good etiquette.

You could throw Ashley James into the mix here; if he had a little more respect to his peers and maybe follow the example set by AEJim from Acoustic Energy and the like, then he might get some mileage. As it is, he doesn't, maybe he doesn't want any, but that's his personal choice. So, AVI have some new speakers on the market. Oh whoop. I should and would love to support a British brand bringing some innovation to the marketplace (well, the ADM9 series anyway), but I'm happy to give this particular one a pass.

 

[Overdose]

I'm not quite sure why anyone would consider the ADM5s to be a potential flop. They are in essence, no different to any other hifi active speaker really, but they are probably not far off the cheapest.

They are not going to have any limitations for use that other hifi actives don't have either, so there success will be even more largely determined on merit, with quality and value for money being the driving forces for success in this case. The ADM9s are a bit more special, being pretty much a complete system and so would have perhaps a slightly different appeal.

They look great to me and I'm sure they'll sound great.

 

[Dave_]

So have the specs, pricing and availability actually been confirmed yet?

 

[Ajani]

7. Ashley James even claims that the headphone output from his Phillips TV is audiably indistinguishable from a hifi DAC/pre-amp.

So does that mean AVI will remove the DAC/Pre from current/future incarnations of the 9 and 40, since clearly such features only jack up the price of their products? Why include something that clearly adds no value, if just about any electronic device with a headphone out will do as good a job?

 

[Overdose]

7. Ashley James even claims that the headphone output from his Phillips TV is audiably indistinguishable from a hifi DAC/pre-amp.

So does that mean AVI will remove the DAC/Pre from current/future incarnations of the 9 and 40, since clearly such features only jack up the price of their products? Why include something that clearly adds no value, if just about any electronic device with a headphone out will do as good a job?

Having an integral DAC/Pre amp allows the use of digital sources as well as analogue without the need for an external device, so there are a number of connection options, not just one analogue.This gives a more or less complete system, so to remove them would reduce their flexibility. The lack of such a device in the ADM5s would appear to be for lack of space and to enable a lower priced product for a slightly different end user, but again, the ability to be connected directly to a source such as a TV or Sonos is not an exclusive one to this product and its lack of inputs no different to most other hifi actives.

If indeed the TV is as good a source as reported, then it too becomes just as viable as a preamp/DAC, albeit with a great big screen.

 

[Ajani]

I've sold the pair of Adm's I had as I despise the way this company do "business".

Probably best do that now since second hand values are going to plummet, what with the 5s being better than anything else in the range apart from the RSSs. Or actually better than them. Or not better than them. And when you switch from the ADM40s you don't notice the difference. Until you go back to the ADM40s, which are of course better. So in other words they're as good as the third-string model in the range, but are still 1,000 times better than all others in the world. And they don't need bass because there is no bass in real music (except when there is, in which case there's a sub for that - just not these ones).

:rofl:

Well done!

:clap:

As much fun as I have laughing at the already over-the-top hype for ADM5s, I must admit that I'm really intrigued by them. I suspect they would make an ideal set of desktop monitor for use with my Benchmark DAC1. Plus they seem to be in the price range I'm looking for.

It will be really sad if in a few months I'm an AVI fanboy

EDIT: Assuming of course that they would sell me a pair of 5s, since I can't take if for granted that they would. Especially considering that I'm now an enemy of state on the AVI forums (despite not even being a member there).

 

[Dave_]

So have the specs, pricing and availability actually been confirmed yet?

Take it that's a no then?

 

[Ajani]

So have the specs, pricing and availability actually been confirmed yet?

Take it that's a no then?

Nope. It hasn't been confirmed, though AVI has claimed that it will be priced below 700GBP.

Heck, I'm hoping to get confirmation on whether it is indeed a class D amp being used. It would be really funny if AVI has somehow managed to make Class D work (despite dissing it just a few months ago).

 

[Andy-F73]

Fair enough and each to their own I guess ... I've not heard the DC4's so can't compare them against my ADM's but have heard the Onkyo you have I thought it was more than capable!

There is always going to be differences of opinion on all forums and whilst some of it is entertaining it does become tiresome at times. It's frustrating when various discussions descend into petty squabbles but that's life, as they say!

It's not a direct comparison with AVI speakers I'm interested in, but that I picked these speakers specifically to work in my room, where they sit close in, maybe a ittle over 6 feet away. In those situations, they deliver what they (and I, for I have neighbours) need; articulate bass, a good but not shouty treble, and a very fine midrange. I've had bigger speakers before (Mission 752) which had more scale at volume, but that was in a much bigger room so you'd expect that. So, to then be told that they can't then "do bass" (pretty ironic all things considered) when nobody else from here's heard them in my room got the response it deserved.

Sure, there'll be differences of opinion, but I find the disrespect of some people not respecting others' choices fundamental to this whole thing. The cheap shots are just an unnecessary icing on the cake and when they come from people who are informed secondhand, I by and large don't accept that as good etiquette.

You could throw Ashley James into the mix here; if he had a little more respect to his peers and maybe follow the example set by AEJim from Acoustic Energy and the like, then he might get some mileage. As it is, he doesn't, maybe he doesn't want any, but that's his personal choice. So, AVI have some new speakers on the market. Oh whoop. I should and would love to support a British brand bringing some innovation to the marketplace (well, the ADM9 series anyway), but I'm happy to give this particular one a pass.

I find Ashley to be an honest individual and in my book respect has to be earned: various armchair experts profess on multiple forums to know what approach is best in the pursuit of technical excellence, but with AVI they seem be able to deliver the technical excellence I have sought for many a year.

 

[Alec]

. I've sold the pair of Adm's I had as I despise the way this company do "business".

If I did that for every company that I thought conducted its business in an unethical way I'd be sat in a field with no clothes on.

Although I do excercise that choice with a few brands...such as Apple and to a lesser extent, Amazon.

I try to buy products that haven't been tested on animals or have come through sweatshops and near-slave labour.

But you have chosen to avoid a company because of a couple of loudmouths. Well done. You lose the internet.

I have some sympathy with both these views. What I have no sympathy for is overly vociferous pro or anti AVI folk who bang on all the time, encouraged in no small part by mods (for whom I have little to no respect now) who like to say things like "we really should stop all this" and "what?! Me?! I'm only letting the people talk about what they want to talk about", before jumping head first into deliberately winding things up withing the first page of the thread.

 

[Ajani]

I find Ashley to be an honest individual and in my book respect has to be earned: various armchair experts profess on multiple forums to know what approach is best in the pursuit of technical excellence, but with AVI they seem be able to deliver the technical excellence I have sought for many a year.

Here's a direct quote from Ashley on the ADM5s:

Let's be absolutely straight about this:

ADM5s WILL ABSOLUTELY SMOKE THE COMPETITION[/b]

It's what good actives do and the Reference Section explains how.

These will with a phone as a source and Max has listed lots of speaker amp combinations, all very expensive and none that'll be anywhere near as good.

also for the record, the combos max refered to are as follows:

KEF LS50's and Naim Nait 5Si = £1725.

Spendor S3 5R2's and Naim Nait 5Si = £1775.

Spendor SA1 and Naim Nait 5Si = £2320.

Proac Studio 115's and Naim Nait 5Si = £1999.

Neat Motive 3's and Naim Nait 5Si = £1870.

Neat Classic Petite SX and Naim Nait 5Si = £2340.

AVI ADM5's = £699.

Am I really supposed to take these guys seriously, when they make claims like this about products they have not even directly compared to the ADM5 (or probably even heard for that matter)? That kind of nonsense, arrogance and hype is why AVI gets "bashed". The Nait 5Si hasn't even hit the shops yet and they are proclaiming ADM5s as smoking combos using it.

I'm sure the 5 will be a good product and I might even buy one, but these guys really are just clowning with these claims.

 

[davedotco]

It is my view that 'the AVI crew' indulge in audiophile baiting as a kind of sport, the more people react, the more they do it.

Ashley may be a cantankerous old biddy, but he knows the market he is aiming for and this does not include traditional hi-fi enthusists. The last thing he wants is a stream of peope into Nailsworth intent on performing exhaustive A-B tests against competitive products, one of the reasons I think he no longer makes any 'conventional' components.

The idea of spending hours on the telephone debating the merits of spdif optical cables fills him with dread, and I do rather sympathise. His market is simply those people who want a good system with the minimum of fuss, the 'fanboys' are not AVI's typical customer.

 

[Hoodedcrow]

Yet another AVI thread and yet another AVI thread that says very little about the product, but still manages 5 pages mostly filled with nothing.

So very dull.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

@ Ajani,

Yes, but that doesn't really matter, the competition isn't any of those mf mentioned, but the plethora of actives available around the same price point or cheaper, many of which have more features.

Having tried some of these recently, though, the only ones that come close to a good, as in neutral, sound, are the Adams, Dynaudios and Genelecs in roughly that order.

The Adam Artist 3 and 5 are both sweet speakers that come in under the AVI 5, and have better features.

I got the impression the pro audio market is definitely being targetted, in which case the AVIs would need to be something really out of the ordinary, especially as dealers are few and far between. They also need to be sent around the traps for reviews, which has not as yet been AVI policy.

Anyway, time will tell. I gather this is all pre-release marketing anyway, since specs are still changing.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

It is my view that 'the AVI crew' indulge in audiophile baiting as a kind of sport, the more people react, the more they do it.

Ashley may be a cantankerous old biddy, but he knows the market he is aiming for and this does not include traditional hi-fi enthusists. The last thing he wants is a stream of peope into Nailsworth intent on performing exhaustive A-B tests against competitive products, one of the reasons I think he no longer makes any 'conventional' components.

The idea of spending hours on the telephone debating the merits of spdif optical cables fills him with dread, and I do rather sympathise. His market is simply those people who want a good system with the minimum of fuss, the 'fanboys' are not AVI's typical customer.

Excuse me, fanboys, or disciples, are exactly the customers Ashley wants. He does not want comparisons of his products with others partly for the 'leap of faith' thing, but also because the supposed wonders may pale into comparison up against decent kit.

Keeping things in perspective, though, the AVI forum only has 2000 members, of which only a handful are active. Apart from espousing the wonders of what is now the loudspeaker holy trinity, they are also intent on casting out what they see as being audiophile preconceptions - all DACs sound the same, all amps sound the same, you can't pick 320k files from lossless etc etc.

Don't be fooled, either: the more AVI gets mentioned, the more the sect are happy. There is no such thing as bad publicity is one of their tenets.

@ Alec, frankly, given the accusations made against WHF staff on the AVI and other forums which openly claim corruption (though how is never clear) I think they're lucky to be given any space here at all.

 

[CnoEvil]

If I did that for every company that I thought conducted its business in an unethical way I'd be sat in a field with no clothes on.

That would be no hardship, as that's what frogs do.