Sharing the same build quality and many of the features of its smaller siblings, the T8V monitor measures 400 x 250 x 335mm but weighs in at just 9.8kg. This is in no small part due to the lightweight yet powerful onboard Class D amplification, which is more compact and more efficient than standard Class A/B transistor amplifiers. Because ADAM’s PWM (pulse width modulation) amplifiers are switching types that use power transistors too, they’re able to run much cooler than traditional solid-state amps, meaning there’s no need for heat sinks in the cabinet enclosures. Mr T The highs and the mids are detailed, balanced, and ample. What they are not, though, is neutral. This is not the flattest response you can get in studio monitors. They do color the sound a little with the signature ADAM timbre.

The first number will represent the low-end output. The average human can hear down to about 20Hz. Anything higher than that is usually felt rather than heard. If you want a smooth low-end, aim for a monitor that can go beyond 20Hz. Here, the low end completely dominates proceedings, yet the T8V never loses its grip, so the bassline is fluid and punchy, not slow and soggy, as it might be with many plastic-driver-equipped monitors from the past. Measurements are compliant with latest speaker research into what can predict the speaker preference and is standardized in CEA/CTA-2034 ANSI specifications. Likewise listening tests are performed per research that shows mono listening is much more revealing of differences between speakers than stereo or multichannel. Now joining these affordable but detailed speakers is the bigger, bolder, beefier T8V variant, which sports eight-inch woofers. The T8V has been designed for those who have always wanted to work with monitors equipped with eight-inch drivers but find most models prohibitively expensive – many manufacturers’ entry-level ranges stop short of larger models such as this one.

Features

Introduced in 2018, German maker ADAM Audio’s T Series was launched with the T5V and T7V monitors, which feature five-inch and seven-inch mid/bass drivers, respectively. We reviewed both favourably upon their release, concluding that they offer outstanding performance for a remarkably low price. The T5V impressed us so much, in fact, that we not only awarded it our coveted MusicTech Excellence award but also our Value merit. Sonically, the T8Vs are a beautiful balance of accuracy and fun. The U-ART ribbon tweeters are a delight to listen to. They won’t thrill you with spicy tops but rather present treble in a flat and transparent fashion that induces little fatigue over long listening sessions. Mid frequencies are equally smooth, if not very mildly underrepresented. Switches on the rear allow a 2dB shelf boost or cut of the high and low frequencies. I was most impressed with the T8V’s performance in the lows. The rear-ported bass is bold, powerful and oh-so-clean — the kind of low end that thoroughly satisfies your need for it without so much that you feel like accuracy has been forfeited. ADAM Audio explicitly recommends the T8V for bass heavy material like hip hop, dance, dub and EDM, and it’s easy to hear why. Even for more modern EDM, Hip-Hop, or classical music with deeper bass, it delivers all you need without needing a subwoofer for near-field monitoring. After looking around a lot, I settled on either plunking down a LOT of cash on some Genelec One series, or saving a lot of money and trying out the "budget" option in Adam T8V. I was not disappointed. I love the high-end these produce. Coupled with a scan using REW (Room EQ Wizard) and corrections from the Behringer Ultra-Curve Pro, I'm able to really dial in the sound of the room, eliminating any major spikes or dips in frequency response, then shaping the overall sound to taste (I prefer a little bit of the classic smily-face EQ shape. The resulting sound is consistent, non-fatiguing, and accurate (other than my minor overall adjustments). The Adam Audio T8V is a powerful, high-performance studio monitor with fantastic transient response and high dynamic range that produces optimal, accurate audio. This is achieved through the newly integrated Class D amplifiers, which provides 20W power to the tweeter and 70W to the woofer. The lightweight polypropylene construction of the woofer also aids in the accuracy of the sound quality.

The combination of the port-assisted eight-inch woofer and U-ART tweeter provides a frequency response of 33Hz to 25kHz, along with a maximum SPL of 118dB, so this T8V can handle heavy. From its 1999 launch in Berlin, ADAM Audio has built a solid reputation among the pro audio cognoscente. The engineers at Sweetwater know that a superior speaker system has superior components, and this is one area where the company has a distinct edge. With years of R&D behind each proprietary driver, ADAM Audio’s custom driver technology expresses itself in breakthroughs such as their X-ART (eXtended Accelerating Ribbon Technology) tweeter, which is based on a groundbreaking 1960s invention, the Heil Air Motion Transformer — and in fact, was the main impetus for the formation of ADAM Audio. The X-ART tweeter became the key to ADAM’s signature transparent, high-definition sound and the core development of ADAM’s proprietary designs going forward. On the rear of the T8V is a range of basic controls and connectors you find in most monitors in this price range and also throughout the T-Series. Apart of the on/off switch and IEC connection for power, there are two choices of inputs on offer - Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA along with switches for LF and HF shelving filters which can be used to boost or cut 2 dB for tuning the response of the monitor. While having these switches for tweaking the monitor’s tone is welcome I found the effects very subtle.Firing up a new pair of studio monitors is a similar feeling to getting a new pair of glasses. The sensation of sitting between a fine pair of monitors and hearing a dense mix being teased apart into its constituent components is similar to seeing the world a little more clearly than before. I find this analogy a useful mental starting point when reviewing studio monitors – a good monitor will offer new clarity and insight into music I may be already familiar with. BIG BOYS’ TOYS The U-ART tweeter is an incisive and explicit performer, if not especially refined or airy, while the new eight-inch woofer brings seismic bass to the party. If you love big bottom ends, you’ll love the T8V. This is a marvellous low-cost monitor, especially so if you’re blessed with a large room in which to make noise. Do I really need this? This is why Spinorama was apparently groundbreaking news for audio industry. Hence in the mid-late 2010's, most brands and magazines began publishing Spinorama measurements, despite the challenges of making such measurements. When testing the T7V a few years ago I compared my 8" P22A monitors alongside them. My notes from this test stated that I felt the T7Vs sounded almost as big and as detailed as my larger 8" monitors, which in my opinion is high praise for a budget monitor. I feel the value in these new T8V is in its ability to sound better than expensive ADAM Audio monitors of old. The T8V are so impressive I am considering putting my money where my mouth is to replace my old P22As with the T8Vs as to my ears. These really do sound and feel like an upgrade which is insane given the price. Verdict - Why Buy Anything Else? Fortunately, now we have the Spinorama data for a bunch of quite popular speakers. Pierre Aubert put all this untidy data together and put it into https://www.spinorama.org/. This is a stunning source. Pretty valuable stuff from him right there.

I simply don't have room for such a large speaker on my desk/workstation. Still, I managed to fit them in. Overall, I was very pleased with the sound. There is plenty of bass and tonality on the warm/balanced front. I tried to put an EQ in the crossover to pull that up a bit and while that increased detail some, it made them too bright so I just listened with no EQ.

ADAM Audio T8V Active Nearfield Studio Monitor Features:

I let the T8V play for a while and the response is very easy to listen to with no hint of high frequency brightness. Because, other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, furniture/windows in place also have an impact on room acoustics. The source code under Pierre Aubert's work is licensed under GPL (General public license). He didn't perform any of the measurements himself, and instead he compiled all of them into one place, so that makes sense. With the large 8 inch driver, I could play as loud as I wanted and in this regard, they are superior to just about any studio monitor I have tested in this situation. I did not detect any distortion at my 1 meter listening distance. I think I have some bass modes that are not normally activated by studio monitors since they don't go low enough. The T8V does and I thought that caused a bit of boominess which needs correction.

All three T-Series monitors incorporate ADAM’s U-ART 1.9′-inch Accelerated Ribbon Tweeter, made from a pleated polyamide film. It’s an extremely efficient design that draws air into and out of its folds as it expands and contracts, making it capable of moving air four times faster than dome tweeters. Its performance is further enhanced by the HPS waveguide, which behaves like the units built into the company’s flagship S Series monitors, ensuring controlled and even high-frequency dispersal while providing a wide sweet spot. Measurements that you are about to see were performed using the Klippel Near-field Scanner (NFS). This is a robotic measurement system that analyzes the speaker all around and is able (using advanced mathematics and dual scan) to subtract room reflections (so where I measure it doesn't matter). It also measures the speaker at close distance ("near-field") which sharply reduces the impact of room noise. Both of these factors enable testing in ordinary rooms yet results that can be more accurate than an anechoic chamber. In a nutshell, the measurements show the actual sound coming out of the speaker independent of the room. We combined Spinorama data with room acoustics and came up with Soundton. A very simple, 2D online tool that allows you to:But once that is something you get used to, it’s not a deal-breaker at all. All three speakers are not too harsh in the mids and highs and relatively compact and responsive in low mids and basses, even at extended listening. One of the critical specs you’ll find listed is the Frequency Response or Frequency Range. This gives you an indication of the frequencies the speaker can accurately represent. This is a problem because it means that Spinorama alone, unfortunately, won't give us all we need. Placement and reflections play an equally important role there too. See it? It is the RCA input. It is very rare to see such on a studio monitor. Only computer powered speakers have these, not pro monitors. This makes it easier to integrate for hi-fi applications. Sonically these speakers give a very good account of themselves, especially given their position in the market, coming over as punchy, detailed and revealing, with no unforgivable vices. They also present a credible stereo image with a usefully wide sweet spot. In a slightly unfair comparison, my Event Opals produced a slightly tighter, more solid bass end and smoother highs — but they are also far more expensive. Importantly though, such technical imperfections as they do exhibit won't get in the way of their ability to help you produce a reliable mix. As with any monitor, you just need to take some time to get used to them.