Adam Audio T7V Studio Monitors Review
Welcome back, folks; my name’s Shane. In today’s review, we’re checking out a set of studio monitors from ADAM Audio – the ADAM Audio A7V, active near-field studio monitors.
This review will walk you through everything you need to know about these monitors from a practical, sound quality, and setup standpoint. I’ll also talk about how the new A7V monitors compare against the less expensive ADAM Audio T7V speakers I’m currently using and how they compare against the Rocket KRK 8 monitors I used before making the switch.
A good set of monitors is to make your life easier regarding the final result. First, I’ll cover whether or not it’s the A7V is a big upgrade over the T7V, as they are more expensive.
Ethics Disclaimer
Before we get into it, a huge thank you to ADAM Audio for sending out these speakers for this review. After years of mixing with KRK monitors, the ADAM Audio T7V speakers have been great, and I’m keen to hear how different the new A7V speakers are. If you want to check out a pair of ADAM Audio A7V speakers, I’ll link it down to everywhere in the description box below.
About this Review
I’m right in the middle of mixing a live performance for an upcoming video on my YouTube channel, so it’s perfect timing to test out how my current mix sounds on the new speakers versus the old. If you don’t know the channel, I’ve used the ADAM Audio T7V for hundreds of videos on my intheblues channel since getting them. I’ve used these speakers in everything from live band recordings, studio recordings, guitar and bass reviews, pedal demos, and almost everything else.
This little home studio room is where I do all of my mixing. It’s not a professionally sound-treated studio, but it does the job, and the results have spoken for themselves. We will look at this from someone who records and mixes music in a real-world home studio environment. Let’s get into it.
What’s in the Box
We get an instruction manual, Power Cable, and speaker in the box. A provided cloth protects the speakersto prevent scratching for transportation, which is a nice touch.
Check out My Adam Audio A7V Monitor Review
Best Prices on Adam Audio A7V
Get the best prices on a set of Adam Audio A7V speakers here:
Sweetwater | | Amazon De | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia
Drivers
The ADAM Audio A7V monitors are quite different from the T7V speakers I currently use. While the driver and tweeter look similar, the new speakers have a few notable changes. The driver is a 7″ multi-layer mineral woofer with a new X-Art rotatable tweeter.
This rotatable tweeter will appeal to engineers who want to use the speakers in a horizontal profile. For me, though – I’ll be using them in a vertical orientation.
Ports
The ADAM Audio A7V speakers have a flared front-ported design that helps optimize airflow and reduce port noise. This means that, unlike the T7V, there’s no backloaded port. I’m okay with this, as my Rocket 8 speakers had a front-facing port also. Either design can work effectively at producing low-end frequency response.
DSP Functionality
Another massive inclusion is the ability to tweak the speaker’s DSP settings over Ethernet with the help of the Free A-Control software. This software lets you tweak the speakers’ response to suit your mixing room.
For example, a bedroom will sound vastly different from a larger dining room, and you can tailor the speaker’s sound to suit the room if needed. This software isn’t required to operate the speakers, which is appreciated. While each speaker can be controlled over Ethernet, you must order some cables separately. Check the link here for the best cable deals.
Physical Size
The A7V speakers are essentially the same size as the T7V, so upgrading your existing speaker stands will be fine, which is great.
Adam Audio Release Date
The A7V series of studio monitors from Adam Audio was officially released in May of 2022. These new speakers replaced the popular A7X studio monitors of the same brand.
ADAM Audio A7V Price
The current retail price of the Adam Audio speakers is $779.99 each or $1599.98 a pair in USD. (see links below for the best deals)
Sweetwater | | Amazon De | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia
Where are ADAM A7V Speakers Made?
The ADAM A7V speakers are made in Berlin, Germany. This range of speakers is handmade and is the evolution of the previous A7X studio monitors.
Adam Audio A7V/T7V vs. KRK Rokit 8 Speakers
For users coming from a set of KRK Rokit 8 speakers, the A7V and T7V will be a massive improvement. The KRK speakers take much time to learn due to their scooped low-mids and bass frequencies. I usually added far less bass than normal to make it work on a final mix. The Adam Audio speakers don’t have this issue; what you hear is what you get – this is how it’s supposed to work.
Adam Audio A7V vs. T7V?
If you decide between the T7V and A7V, the T7V is hard to beat due to their price-to-performance ratio. However, the A7V does have a more premium sound and can be tweaked further thanks to the free A-Control software. This software allows you to easily edit the speakers’ sound and make adjustments best suited to your studio.
Both speakers offer premium sound quality, and I would have no issues mixing a project on either. After using the T7V speakers for the last four years, the A7V is an upgrade, but it’s not leagues ahead of the already great T7V speakers.
For those on a budget, get the T7V, they sound almost as good, and after using them long-term, there are not a lot of tradeoffs. However, for serious producers making money from their craft, the A7V would be the obvious choice due to its ability to be better controlled remotely via Ethernet.
