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Active speakers with DAC and remote controlled pre amp


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Yep have been reading the reviews of the new ones, and certainly have been on my list for a while. Like to say thanks to darren, have been reading his posts on CU and on this forum, in fact I think it was his videos on youtube that initially got me thinking about computer audio and such like, the simplicity and convenience thats demonstrated cant be ignored, also the value for money aspect, getting high end sound for mid price money in a smaller user friendly package.

 

PS Audio Quintet, PS3, Laptop/Mediamonkey/XP, PS Audio DLIII DAC, Cyrus Pre Vs2, 6 Power, B&W 685

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Hi,

have been lurking here for a while now and also regulary read Darrens posts on CU.

 

I don't want to comment on the hifi market as a whole but think I am personally at a stage where my listening habits are changing dramatically.

 

What I want is the convenience of digitally stored and streamed music without giving up too much (if any) quality.

 

For that reason I have been considering the ADM9.1 .

 

My question is can I connect 2 digital sources? (ie Sonos and CD player) and an analogue source that bypasses the DAC / Pre in the speaker. (AV pre outs)

 

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Another couple of questions regarding the ADM9.1's:

 

1) Do they remember the volume settings on the analogue inputs? They are going to be pre out from an AV amp so once it is set up I don't want to have to keep manually adjusting the volume.

 

2) I assume power cables are supplied? How long are the power cables?

 

3) I read somewhere that the optical connections are a little fussy. This might have been for the original ADM9. Just want know if they''ll take the optical leads I have at the moment.

 

Thanks.

 

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1. The volume position for each input is remembered, so if you set the gain of the analogue input to suit an AV Processor, it will not alter unless you select that input with our handset and change it.

 

2. The Optical digital sockets are the same as any other, they are of good quality but, for reasons of design, they are recessed lower than normal and accessible through a hole in the backplate that limits the size and weight of the Optical plug and lead you can use. This is because on early models, several customers managed to rip the socket off the PCB by buying enormous and expensive hi end digital cables. This is pointless as the spec is for 0.7 mm fibreglass strands, which either work or they don't.

 

I'm not sure where you are located but if you look at this link you'll see superior optical digital cable that probably won't fit and then lower down the page you'll see standard ones that will. http://www.leadsdirect.co.uk/productinfo/opticalleads.html

 

3. We supply 2 x 3 m power cables, 1 x 5 metre cable to connect the slave and master and a handset. You provide the optical digital cable and 2 x Triple A batteries.

 

I do hope this answers your questions and that you'll email me if you have others. I'm pleased to be able to help.

 

Ash

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello all,

 

First time poster here, been lurking & reading here for a couple of weeks

 

I've got one or two questions about ADM9's.

But first i'll put you where i'm at, I'm new to computer audio just starting to discover the SQ that can be got from a PC. Even though i've always ripped at lossless i wasn't at all impressed by the sound from my PC. I ended up at Head-fi when looking for some IEM for my ipod & read lots of posts including PC as source threads. Leading me to buy a modded E-Mu 0404 pci from another member. The difference was night & day.

Since getting the E-Mu i've planned to get a dac > XLR > studio monitors. I've listened to a couple of dacs & a few pairs of active studio monitors. i've been impressed by most of them.

Then a workmate offered me his AVI ADM9's at a great price (he's upgrading to the 9.1's) I had a quick listen to them at his place & WOW!! was very impressed. later this week i'm going to borrow them for a few days to have a good listen at home with a view to buying them.

 

Now on to the questions

What & How much as changed between the 9's & 9.1's (are the 9's upgradable to 9.1's at AVI?)

How good is the Dac compared to a standalone unit? Is it as good as the stello for instance?

Are the 9's still a good buy at about half original price? or are the improvements that good that i should just save a bit more for the 9.1's?

 

Sorry for the long winded post

Any help would be great

Thanks alfie

 

www.TurnMeUp.org - Bringing Dynamics Back To Music.

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The 9.1 have...

 

-Two optical inputs instead of one.

-Wolfson 8471 instead of 8470.

-And some power amp tweaks.

 

There's probably more too, and AVI are always helpful if you email them for the detailed tech spec.

 

I thought the 9.1 were a great deal better but the originals are still very good - especially at half the price that you're getting!

 

 

 

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Thanks for the quick reply Darrenwm.

 

I've read alot of your posts on PFM & WW but didn't want to post there as the threads seem to get ugly!!

Seems a bit more laid back here!

 

From what you say it seems the 9.1 is a big improvement! I know its subjective but but in what areas do the 9'1's improve on the 9's?

Well i shall give them a good demo on the PC & see how they sound in my main system too (sounds like that could be fatal though!)

How does the sub connect? I've got an old Rel Strata that might be interesting to try with them.

going to pick them up in the next couple of days so may have a couple more questions then if thats ok?

 

thanks again

alfie

 

www.TurnMeUp.org - Bringing Dynamics Back To Music.

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Alfie

 

As I'm sure you'll understand I'm worried lest I turn this really friendly and hospitable Forum into an AVI advertorial or take advantage of Chris's easy going and hospitable ways.

 

Anyway here goes:

 

Although the 9s aren't as good as the 9.1s they are exceptionally good compared to typical hi fi systems costing several times the price. We can tell this because quite a few pairs have been sold on the second hand market recently and customers almost always seem to get in contact before to ask similar questions to you and afterwards to say how pleased they are. We have the impression that there is a move away from traditional separates because quite a few have sold much more expensive stuff to buy them and still seem consider them better.

 

Here is an email that turned up last night to give you some idea of the impression the original USB 9's make:

 

You're only right. I love 'em. Fantastic. Well done to you. Simon in Stockton-on Tees was a gem, and what a fantastic gaff he has. He should market it as a Hi-Fi bar - coffe/wine available for the punters. 300 mile round-trip, but worth it. I just couldn't take a chance on not hearing them first. I'd urge you to try and get more northern stockists, though. Guess I'm an AVI fan. They wipe the floor with my previous (names removed) set up.

Andy

 

9's are not upgradeable to 9.1s but there seems to be a demand for them as you can see from Andy's comments. Therefore you should be able to get your money back if you decide to go for 9.1s later.

 

The other comment I'd make is that our subcontractor and friends www.ls-design.co.uk have been designing and manufacturing Subwoofers for quite a few Brit Sub companies, especially the big ones and it's for this reason that we developed a special dedicated sub for the 9s and then modified it for the 9.1s. It does work much better than you might expect, it seamlessly integrates and it's very powerful. We hope to send one to Chris shortly for him to add to the review pair of 9.1s he has.

 

I hope this helps and you'll get in contact directly if you need anything else from me.

 

Ash

 

 

 

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I'll put in my 2 cents. The 9s are very good, I had a pair for a year. That being said, I have had the 9.1s for a month and to me they are in a different league. My dealer is letting me borrow the sub for the week, and I cannot begin to describe how good the system sounds. When I heard the sub briefly at my dealer I thought there might be something to it. Now having had it in my house for a few days I am confident in saying the sound of the system rivals some of the large nice and expensive three way floorstanders I have heard at my dealer. Forgetting about the difference in sound for a moment, I do find the 9.1s more flexable with the two digital optical inputs plus you can playback 24 bit material. Basically I would say if you just want to get started the 9s are a good jumping off point, but if you can do the 9.1s I would go for it. While the sub is not mandatory, I feel that it bring the ADMs into three way floorstanding territory.

 

ADM9.1s ,2.0 Ghz Mac Mini, Panasonic BD-35 blu-ray player.

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Thanks for your input guys!

 

I'm picking up the the ADM9's 2moro for a few days.

If i like them in my system/room i will probably buy them, as Ash says (thanks for your input Ash & i will email you if i need anymore info/Questions answering) i could probably sell them on for not much of a loss if i do at a later date want the 9.1s.

I will let you know what i think soon.

 

 

www.TurnMeUp.org - Bringing Dynamics Back To Music.

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I picked up the ADM9's 2 days ago & I'm loving them!

 

They sound just.- so right...fast, detailed & well controlled & boy do they go loud for such a small box.

Bass is fast & punchy, clarity in the mid band make for an awsesome vocal.

 

No fault of the ADM9's but its not all been plain sailing though! like i said in an earlier post i'm new to PC audio.

I run a windows XP PC. The media player i use is iTunes & i've got a modded Emu 0404pci sound card. I set up the speakers, Plugged in the Toslink to the digital break out box & fired up iTunes & NOTHING!!

 

So i took ADM9's in to my main system sat them on top off my floorstanders & Toslinked them up to my Naim CD5i & WOW. They sounded a bit different to my speakers & sub, but definitely give them a run for the money!

 

After a little internet research i found out that the Emu 0404's digital out only works with ASIO drivers & iTunes doesn't. With over 1000 CD's ripped to ALAC & some also to low bit rates for the kids ipods i wasn't sure what to do!

So i downloaded Foobar2000 & ALAC plug-in & added my iTunes Folder, plugged in Toslink & WOW can now enjoy ADM9's using the DAC on the PC.

But then being as my PC isn't a dedicated music PC I had no sound from Youtube, Last.fm etc. So i ran a pair of RCA interconnects from 0404 analouge outputs to ADM9 analouge inputs & now i got i've got sound from all applications.

 

But surely there must be a better way of connecting all this up? Anyone got any ideas?

 

 

www.TurnMeUp.org - Bringing Dynamics Back To Music.

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I had my first office PC in 1987, it was an Elonex with a program in it called Word Perfect, it was perfectly dreadful to use, it constantly required the attention of an expert from another planet, who spoke in an alien tongue and chastised me for not knowing a combination of key strokes that would get me out of my muddle with only 75% of my carefully typed text missing. I hated it and to make matters worse, the alien persuaded my boss that our secretary should have it and I should have a terminal. This was far worse and would regularly turn all my work into a sort of blue and white chequer board. I only persevered because I've never found it easy to write. I even bought a laptop that cut off the blood supply to my legs, crashed regularly and broke its 20 meg HD after 366 days! I hated it too.

 

Later one I shifted to Windows and something called Lotus that worked well and reduced my loathing, but all the time friends were extolling the virtues of Apple Macs and when a I visited one in the States, he was mastering some recordings for Jack Renner over at Telarc and a Chinese Opera on one and he too, told me it was what I needed, but I kept on with Windows by paying IT experts exorbitant amounts to sort out the endless issues that would cost me hours of proper work if I did it myself. Each time they ground to a halt I learnt it was safest and cheapest to buy another and I ignored all the advice about Apple until Vista appeared accompanied by dire warnings of it being more of a pain in the arse than XP and there being no drivers for it. Rather than waste the company's money I bought my own, this Macbook Pro, which is now over 3 years old (no PC had ever exceeded 2 without slowing to a snail's pace and irritating me to violence) and it works better than the day I bought it because it has Leopard now. I'll keep it for ever as my first friendly computer.

 

I was slow and wrong, I should have bought an Apple years ago because for someone who needs a computer at home, they are just faster and nicer to use as well as look at and, although they seem more expensive, when you get them you find that they are more than worth the money. They are especially good for Music, Movies, TV programs and Photographs and they do everything else as well. Apple's wi fi works better too.

 

I understand that there's a new version of Windows due out early next year and Media/designer PCs are beginning to appear in the shops, so I suspect Apple will not have it so easy in the future, but for now, if you want the best possible Hi Fi front end, chuck the PC out of an upstairs window, convert all your files to Apple lossless and start a new life. You'll never look back.

 

Yours a far less bitter and much better adjusted person.

 

Ash xx

 

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Myself, I upgraded to Vista Ultimate, man it's so much better, I use Cambridge SoundWorks Subs and Center, Mid-Fi here, I'm still learning.

 

Vista Ultimate 32 bit/ Intel e5300 cpu/ ECS G41T-M2 mainboard/Diamond XS Dac/line-in to Insignia Amp/ Cambridge SoundWorks meets Infinity RS1001\'s

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A few points of note, Apple are dropping firewire from many of their new laptops, so in the future as hi-res digital is ushered in you'll be stuck with 24/96 over USB.

 

And regarding Airport Express, yeh it might be 'bit perfect', but it's not timecode perfect, far from it. It's about as bad a transport as you can get technically speaking. With none reclocking DAcs it sounds frankly bloody awful.

 

17\"MB-Pro-Weiss 202-Muse 200- NS 1000M

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Welcome to the club, Ashley.

 

20 years ago, when I was starting out freelance, I realised the vast extra expense of a Mac Classic would easily repay itself in time working rather than time learning and sorting Windows.

 

It's a pity about firewire on the MacBook. I wonder how this bodes for any revised or replaced Mac Mini.

 

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I believe Firewire is a Mac thing and any other computers using it had to pay royalties to Apple. To counter this Microsoft came out with USB2, which is supposed to be as good. Regardless of whether it is or not, it's become the standard and Firewire devices are not that common, so the fact that it's being discontinued isn't a great surprise.

 

Movie company paranoia about copying has decreed that Computers must not display full HD, to do that Apple have offered extra screens and a new mini video out socket that outputs either to their Cinema Screens or to a TV in HD.

 

Apple watchers believe the new Mini will have one of these sockets and be an Apple TV/Computer Hybrid. I'm told to expect this in January after the CES when they have their big bash.

 

Ash

An Apple Addict.

 

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My present laptop is a MacBook Pro about a year old. Looking at the spec of the new MBPro, (I probably won't upgrade), it seems only the firewire 400 port has been deleted, and the firewire 800 port is still present. 400 devices connect perfectly to 800 ports with the correct cable or adapter. I use an RME Fireface all the time to drive classic legacy AVI and Studer kit. Since firewire devices are daisy chain devices you only need one port and no hub. If you insist on having both a 400 chain and a separate 800 chain, then just use a PC Express/34 firewire card in the express-card slot. Firewire and MBPro's are alive and well Ash. Regards to all. JCBrum.

 

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