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ADAM Audio Tensor Delta's & Lavry DA11.

dlensmith said:
I demoed them against the Wilson Sophias which got great reviews and also had listened to some others over time. I just thought the Deltas sounded truer, cleaner and especially faster. They were slightly less expensive as well and I already had a sub to use with them. I do wish I had demoed a few more but I think I made an excellent choice. Have you compared them to others within their price range?
Thanks for the info on the DAC; I am thinking about upgrading my DAC Magic and was curious about the Benchmark, Moon and some others....
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Quite a few, had lots over the past 20 years or so... last pair were ATC SCM-50ASL. Which were also excellent, but not quite as fast or energetic.
I changed to the Deltas for size reasons, but found they're a better speaker all round. The build quality is about the best I've seen.
 
sq225917 said:
Do you think it's likely they wouldn't prefer to use amps that are less expensive to implement if they thought they sounded as good? I don't for one minute think ATC are at the bleeding edge of amp design and their class D experience is probably largely third party, so probably not too far from true. There are some stinkers out there, IMHO.
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Neither type of amp is rocket science... and i doubt theres much cost difference. Class D if done well, does have its advantages. I've been flipping between these amp types for a few years now. The B&O Ice modules are supposed to be amongst the best class D amps available. They use both D and A/B which must be a bitch to combine.

IIRC they use these 250ASX2: http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/en/solutions/speaker/
 
spacey said:
Quite a few, had lots over the past 20 years or so... last pair were ATC SCM-50ASL. Which were also excellent, but not quite as fast or energetic.
I changed to the Deltas for size reasons, but found they're a better speaker all round. The build quality is about the best I've seen.
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I really don't think you have any hard evidence as to which speaker is better, worse or anything in-between. AFAICT you've only heard the two different speakers in different rooms - drawing definite conclusions in these circs is a bit of a schoolboy error. Or am I missing something?
 
Nope, no error, i know both speaker well and the differences are not marginal. Have a listen to some. Make your own mind up.
IIRC you're in Scotland? If so you should get yourself over to Jordan Acoustics for a listen.
 
dlensmith said:
I agree; for once I think I am finally satisfied with my set up and definitely with my speakers. I haven't played with the adjustments too much but it's nice that the speakers allow you to adjust the bass, treble and even room EQ.
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I have messed about with the controls on the back a little bit ... I had to move mine closer into the corners of the room and the bass became a little overwhelming ... Little tweak of the control and I seem to have tamed it.
The thing with these speakers is above all else they sound effortless and musical ... With my old system I had trouble matching speakers to amp and found that I could never get a match that would work for all music.
Phycologically speaking, it only takes one album to not sound good out of your system and it seeds that doubt that something is wrong with the system ... As as soon as that doubt is there it effects every other album ... You end up only listening to the albums the set up suits and you end up on the upgrade path again ... (well thats how i have felt anyway) I have not found an album that that happens with the Adams ... They just play the music ... Even music that I know is produced poorly bothers me less, i hear bad production not bad hifi...
The Adams seem to me to put very little character into the music, the room they are in can effect the sound, but there is adjustments that can be made to help that. I'm not saying they are a plonk anywhere solution, but I have had much less problem with positioning and adjusting them to my room - A room that with it's high ceilings, wobbly suspended floor and bay window has been refered to as a "problem room"
I too am very surprised they haven't had more good press/are more popular in the uk... I think there is possibly to much stigma attached to buying a system that limits your upgrade path ... The irony of course being that they have actually just halted my desire for upgrade path and sound to have done the same for you ... The only reason I would upgrade would be if I moved house and got a bigger room ... In that instance my first port of call would be the higher range tensor series ...
I'd love to have the space/money for the alphas ... They brought a whole new meaning to the concept of hifi for me ... I've never heard such bass - not ott - just perfectly controlled!! The first time I heard them I listened to 'shen' by infected mushroom and then a peice of "classical" music - I can't recal what it was ... I couldn't believe a single pair of speakers could provide bass and power that literally made an open door swing in it's hinges with air pressure, then only moments later I was wrapped in gentle and flowing paino etc! Awesome, in the true sence of the word, was my experience!
 
spacey said:
Nope, no error, i know both speaker well and the differences are not marginal. Have a listen to some. Make your own mind up.
IIRC you're in Scotland? If so you should get yourself over to Jordan Acoustics for a listen.
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it is interesting though spacey, as i heard another set late thursday afternoon and yesterday and found them to suffer from the same problems i observed before although not to the same degree.
i really would like to enjoy adams but so far i just have not got on with them.
great build and styling but the sound is a big no for me personally.
i guess your mind can decide that it wants to like a certain presentation or not and the adams do certainly have a lot of character.
regards
darryl.
 
spacey said:
Nope, no error, i know both speaker well and the differences are not marginal. Have a listen to some. Make your own mind up.
IIRC you're in Scotland? If so you should get yourself over to Jordan Acoustics for a listen.
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The point I was hoping you would grasp is this: the same speakers can sound somewhat different when placed in different rooms. Something to do with "acoustics", I gather. Thus you can't really tell which speakers are better if you've only heard one set in one room, and another set in a different room.

I would go and listen, but I am content with the speakers I have, and a home demo would mean moving them. Apathy rul
 
And my point is they're fundamentally different. Regardless of room or opinion, they are a step forward, in all terms.

Darryl, which ones did you have a listen to this time? The tensor series are very different to the pro series.
 
spacey said:
And my point is they're fundamentally different. Regardless of room or opinion, they are a step forward, in all terms.

Darryl, which ones did you have a listen to this time? The tensor series are very different to the pro series.
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I have to say even the crew at my dealership, who has access to so many hi-end speakers have been absolutely taken with these speakers. Oddly, they were not so impressed with the one step up Gammas, but definitely liked the Alphas and Betas. Everyone seems to give them credit not just for the dampened cabinet which is filled with sand, but it's the X-ART tweeter/midrange which moves air much quicker and is more efficient than normal drivers. This makes the transients lightning fast; sounds start and stop on a dime, no overhang. The break-in period seems to make a huge difference; around 1,300 to 1,400 hours. At first everyone thought they were really good but after much break-in, everyone starting raving about them.
 
My brand new pair arrived today :D totally minty and perfect in ever possible way. Lovely.

So the breakin period begins.... but to be honest after 3 hours they're sounding feking brilliant. IF anyone is looking at going active and has £8+K to spend on a new pair then these should be right at the top of your list.

They do take warming up properly, the rear heatsink only just started warming up after 2 hours. Luckily they have an auto standby function which kicks in after 10mins of no audio signal. So if you do demo a pair make sure they're well run in and warmed up.

PS, even the wife who normally doesnt give a toss and says every system sounds the same to her admits these sound amazing!

PPS, a Very big thankyou to Kevin at ADAM Audio UK for sorting this out, well cuffed :)
 
O noes, he said "even the wife who normally doesnt give a toss and says every system sounds the same to her admits these sound amazing"! Invoking the indifferent and long-suffering wife really is scraping the hi-fi hype barrel, even if it's true.

It's a shame you haven't compared them with anything else.
 
I have, you should too. But you say you don't want to/need to hear them so don't comment on something you know nothing about. There is no barrel to scrape - it is just the plain and simple truth....
 
When she heard my Tannoys for the first time my wife, who normally doesn't give a toss and says every system sounds the same, said, "Shit, they're huge!"

Joe
 
muz,

They're huge -- see the wife's comment above -- so I just put 'em on the floor.

Joe
 
I've recently got myself a pair of the original Adam Audio Compacts.

I do love 'em to bits and I wonder, longingly, what the tensor's must sound like if the 'cheap' ones sound this good?

Does anyone know what type of stand Adam recommends?

Is it the hollow frame type, or some mighty heavy, solid behemoth?

I'm using Atacama 24's at the mo' half filled with sand.

I'm thinking of going the fat hog way and lobbing in a full column of concrete.
 
spacey said:
I have, you should too. But you say you don't want to/need to hear them so don't comment on something you know nothing about. There is no barrel to scrape - it is just the plain and simple truth....
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They are too small for my room, and I'm happy with what I have.
 
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